QB Prospect Discussion: Deshaun Watson, Clemson

Adipost · Wed Feb 08, 2017 10:11 pm

G08 wrote:Watson interview starts at 1:53, talks about his training and his responsibilities in the Clemson offense

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Good stuff!

Adipost · Wed Feb 08, 2017 11:29 pm

Good read on Watson

www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000784492/article/the-book-on-deshaun-watson-scouting-polarizing-clemson-qb

G08 · Wed Feb 08, 2017 11:49 pm

Adipost wrote:Good read on Watson

www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000784492/article/the-book-on-deshaun-watson-scouting-polarizing-clemson-qb

Some nice nuggets in there... I think Watson has missed his fair share of deep shots, but I've seen him drop plenty in the bucket as well. I really do think the overall accuracy knock on him is, uh, inaccurate.

Adipost · Thu Feb 09, 2017 2:26 pm

Daniel Jeremiah has Watson as the 1st QB taken in his new mock draft.

G08 · Tue Feb 14, 2017 2:12 pm

Sean Payton talked about his admiration for Deshaun Watson, his admiration for Drew Brees, and about when it’s time to start looking to replace a Hall of Fame quarterback Friday on The Dan Patrick Show.

The topics weren’t exactly related, since they came up during different parts of the conversation. But they are linked in the sense that the Saints could be in a position to draft a quarterback like Watson with the 11th pick this year if they decide the time and the player are right.

Watson’s name came up while Payton was talking about living in the heart of SEC country, and Patrick asked him how much he watches college football and if he takes notice of guys like Watson, who led Clemson to the national championship this year.

“There’s something special about him, right?” said Payton, who had just happened to meet Watson for the first time about two minutes earlier while both were doing Super Bowl appearances in Houston. “And when you watch the game, it’s always interesting to hear him talk afterward. And I think he appears to have all those things that we’re looking for.”

DaSuperfan · Wed Feb 15, 2017 12:22 am

I might have the opportunity to go see Watson train next week in Orange County. I live in San Diego and I have a friend who's a trainer that has some connections with pro athletes. He mentioned that I could potentially attend a Watson training session because he knows how much I love the draft. I'll keep you guys in the loop if I'm able to go.

G08 · Wed Feb 15, 2017 12:52 am

DaSuperfan wrote:I might have the opportunity to go see Watson train next week in Orange County. I live in San Diego and I have a friend who's a trainer that has some connections with pro athletes. He mentioned that I could potentially attend a Watson training session because he knows how much I love the draft. I'll keep you guys in the loop if I'm able to go.

Dude!

Take all the notes and if you can get video clips I'll gladly pay you

Funkster · Wed Feb 15, 2017 1:35 am

G08 wrote: Dude!

Take all the notes and if you can get video clips I'll gladly pay you

Dude, you need help

DaSuperfan · Wed Feb 15, 2017 1:38 am

G08 wrote:
DaSuperfan wrote:I might have the opportunity to go see Watson train next week in Orange County. I live in San Diego and I have a friend who's a trainer that has some connections with pro athletes. He mentioned that I could potentially attend a Watson training session because he knows how much I love the draft. I'll keep you guys in the loop if I'm able to go.
Dude!

Take all the notes and if you can get video clips I'll gladly pay you

Ha! I'll see what I can do. I would love to video tape the session but who knows if they'll let me. BTW, Jordan Palmer is the QB coach he's working with.

Adipost · Wed Feb 15, 2017 1:42 am

Funkster wrote:
G08 wrote: Dude!

Take all the notes and if you can get video clips I'll gladly pay you
Dude, you need help

LMAO

Adipost · Wed Feb 15, 2017 4:28 am

Watson vs. Garoppolo

[video][/video]

G08 · Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:50 am

Funkster wrote:
G08 wrote: Dude!

Take all the notes and if you can get video clips I'll gladly pay you
Dude, you need help

I'm glad this is what you came up with after your edits

Boris13c · Wed Feb 15, 2017 1:33 pm

Adipost wrote:Watson vs. Garoppolo

[video][/video]

holy shit ... an actual segment where Stephen A Smith makes sense

G08 · Thu Feb 16, 2017 2:38 pm

Why does scrambling and extending plays matter? Because in the clip below if Deshaun Watson didn't convert that first down, he would never have had the opportunity to make the tremendous throw for a TD on the very next play:

[video][/video]

G08 · Thu Feb 16, 2017 2:42 pm

3rd and 9, National Championship game... this throw is anticipation personified:

[video][/video]

Adipost · Thu Feb 16, 2017 2:53 pm

G08 wrote:3rd and 9, National Championship game... this throw is anticipation personified:

[video][/video]

Damn, that was nice.

malk · Thu Feb 16, 2017 3:44 pm

The interception later on is bad though! I just can't get on board with Watson even though I think we'll draft him. Seems to misread the field far too often.

Thu Feb 16, 2017 3:45 pm

Every QB that has ever played has thrown that interception. More than once.

G08 · Thu Feb 16, 2017 3:47 pm

malk wrote:The interception later on is bad though! I just can't get on board with Watson even though I think we'll draft him. Seems to misread the field far too often.

That INT was horrible.

I think he just read 24 and saw his RB beat him on the wheel route. 4 left the TE and just did a great job of reading the play.

Still... can't throw that ball.

malk · Thu Feb 16, 2017 4:06 pm

wab wrote:Every QB that has ever played has thrown that interception. More than once.

How many times has Watson thrown it in just a few years at college? That interception percentage petrifies me!

Thu Feb 16, 2017 4:19 pm

malk wrote:
wab wrote:Every QB that has ever played has thrown that interception. More than once.
How many times has Watson thrown it in just a few years at college? That interception percentage petrifies me!

I could point to Drew Brees' INT percentage at Purdue too. I think they are very similar players.

G08 · Thu Feb 16, 2017 4:28 pm

malk wrote:
wab wrote:Every QB that has ever played has thrown that interception. More than once.
How many times has Watson thrown it in just a few years at college? That interception percentage petrifies me!

I broke down all his INTs from 2015 and 2016... I think I wound up with 16 that were truly awful/not tipped.

Not great but I can live with it, Matt Ryan threw a ton of INTs too.

malk · Thu Feb 16, 2017 4:50 pm

G08 wrote:
malk wrote:
wab wrote:Every QB that has ever played has thrown that interception. More than once.
How many times has Watson thrown it in just a few years at college? That interception percentage petrifies me!
I broke down all his INTs from 2015 and 2016... I think I wound up with 16 that were truly awful/not tipped.

Not great but I can live with it, Matt Ryan threw a ton of INTs too.

Yup, I watched and read. Didn't like what I saw!

What kind of offences did they run in college? They were both significantly worse in TD:INT too which is another flag for me.

G08 · Thu Feb 16, 2017 5:05 pm

It's a spread system, mostly one-read (a lot of work is done pre-snap, changing plays/protections). It's not often that I have seen him make multiple reads, but that's due to the offense/pre-snap reads rather than a system like the Bears' where you are determining coverages pre-snap, adjusting for post-snap and based on that making your reads as you drop back.

It's why you'll see him scan pre-snap and see a cover 2 look and then post snap he'll look to the opposite side of the field and not realize they were in cover 6 so he winds up throwing an INT directly to the defender.

It will be an adjustment for him, for sure, but I'm of the opinion (hoping?) he can do it.

I'm sold on the size/speed/arm/intangibles, the big question they have to figure out is his smarts/football intelligence (which by all accounts has been reported to be very high).

Thu Feb 16, 2017 5:13 pm

That's where I'm at. I'll take a guy with flaws and a high football IQ.

malk · Thu Feb 16, 2017 6:18 pm

Sorry, I meant Brees and Ryan, for comparison.

G08 · Thu Feb 16, 2017 7:57 pm

malk wrote:Sorry, I meant Brees and Ryan, for comparison.

Brees was in a spread as well IIRC... Ryan I'm not too sure.

Funkster · Fri Feb 17, 2017 12:02 am

You know, Watson is a baller, period. He can make quick decisions and he can make most of the throws (has a little accuracy problem with the deep ball). He's been on the big stage and it wasn't to big for him. More so, he owned it. He does elevate his team. When I watch his film, I just can't shake the comparison to RG3. I feel he has the same athleticism but isn't as good of a pure passer. My fear is will Watson be able to protect himself? We all know RG3 couldn't. The poor guy couldn't even slide to save his life. I feel like he (just like RG3 was) is just to competitive to do so. With Watson's stature and adding in his competitiveness and lack to protect himself, I just don't see him lasting that long in the NFL. If we're talking a QB with the 3rd pick, I would have to pass on Watson. If the bears are looking for that type of QB, and are dead set on one with the 3rd pick, I feel the team would be better off in the long run with Kizer.

G08 · Fri Feb 17, 2017 10:05 am

Without ranking the three most hyped quarterbacks in the NFL draft, whom he knows from experience, North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren offered insight into Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson worth remembering for teams drafting in the top 10, like the Bears.

Not exactly known for being effusive, the former Northern Illinois coach gushed over the potential of a natural leader with 38 career starts who carried Clemson to a national title. To Doeren, believing in Watson is elementary.

"The intangibles he had, you can't coach that into a guy," Doeren told the Tribune. "If you're going to invest millions, invest in that guy's character because obviously Deshaun has enough tools to win. ... Look at (Cowboys rookie) Dak Prescott. People said he couldn't do certain things and the guy's intangibles were crazy. Personally, I'm taking a guy who is an experienced winner who has intangibles any day over some guy who hasn't done it a ton but looks good at the NFL combine."

In three victories against N.C. State, Watson completed 79 of 111 passes for 1,028 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception — a pick-six in a tight 24-17 Clemson win in October. But his skills weren't what stood out most.

Doeren: "The guy is so competitive. I have never been around him as a person, but he seems like he's got the heart of a champion. I was so impressed with him two years ago when he led the nation in deep-ball percentage. To be mobile, to have touch and timing, and be able to throw downfield the way he did, that's pretty incredible."

Should Watson's 32 career interceptions be a red flag?

Doeren: "I don't know about that. The one he threw in our game was bad judgment — our guy was flat-footed — but he gives his guys a chance to make plays. He definitely can put it where he has to put it ... back shoulder, wherever.''

G08 · Fri Feb 17, 2017 1:49 pm

I believe the kids call this "dropping a dime"

[video][/video]