Quarterbacks

[HorsePower]

I talked with someone who's been at practice, and he gave glowing reviews of the quarterbacks. He said that they have a way to go still in terms of learning the offense, of course, and that there are times when each of them makes a mistake in a call or in reading a defense. But here's what he said (in alphabetical order).

Tony Eckert: The quickest of all QBs in dropping back, getting his feet set and has the quickest release. Said he really liked Eckert's arm strength, too. Said he looks as comfortable as any of the QBs in the early stages with the new offense.

Ricky Joe Meeks: Limited snaps thus far, but has shown a grasp of the offense. Greatly improved accuracy over last year, especially in the short- and mid-range routes.

Ashton Nixon: Good wheels and a strong (although sometimes erratic) arm. Has been hampered by limited snaps and by a tendency to drop his throwing arm down to three-quarters on his release, causing some passes to be knocked down or at least deflected.

Chris Phillips: The fastest in a pure sprint. When he tucks the ball and runs, he is the most dangerous QB we have, since he can run by someone or run over someone. He also has an extremely powerful arm - as strong or maybe stronger than Eckert's. Still a bit raw, but probably the most (here's that word again) "upside."

Jerad Romo: The JUCO lefty supposedly has the most downfield accuracy, hitting several deep passes and dropping a bunch right on the WR's hands (whether or not the catch was made) right on the sideline, rarely letting the ball fade out of bounds -- on either sideline, which is very tough to do.

Ryan Rowland: Another lefty with good downfield accuracy. Supposedly has shown great touch on deep routes, dropping fade route passes over the WR's outside shoulder. Good mobility, and looks stronger than last year.

[CoxSMU]

Great Post...Thanks for the info....

[Cheesesteak]

I appreciate the report.

[Higher Authority]

Very specific breakdown of the different QBs. Whoever your source is, tell 'em "thanks." That's the kind of analysis we (or at least I) want more of! Good stuff.

[EastStang]

You know starting a lefty quarterback might be a decent wrinkle that could confound some defenses. That switches their natural strong and weak side. There aren't very many lefties, and it could cause some folks to blow assignments. It would be especially good if all the pre-season stuff said that Chris Phillips would be starting and suddenly at the start of the game they see a pocket lefty out there. Then at half-time they adjust and we throw Chris out. That could be kind of fun to pull on the Red Raiders.

[RGV Pony]

Regarding the lefty quarterbacks, can someone who's seen them tell us if, when dropping back, they do so like a right-handed QB? That is, do they move laterally leading with their right shoulder, so that they have to turn again before planting to throw? If not, that's great; this is a problem some left-handed QBs acquire as they're taught w/ mostly right-handed QBs by right-handed coaches, and costs them time w/ the pass rush.

[WorldStang]

You know starting a lefty quarterback might be a decent wrinkle that could confound some defenses. That switches their natural strong and weak side. There aren't very many lefties, and it could cause some folks to blow assignments. It would be especially good if all the pre-season stuff said that Chris Phillips would be starting and suddenly at the start of the game they see a pocket lefty out there. Then at half-time they adjust and we throw Chris out. That could be kind of fun to pull on the Red Raiders.

Good point EastStang.. but also keep in mind, WR's who aren't used to Leftys find it different in catching the ball. A great example of this was Chris Simms and the WR's at UT. The spin on the ball made it unusual for the some of them.. and they admittedly dropped balls because of the awkwardness of a lefty's delivery coming in so hard. I know it sounds like an excuse.. but think about it.. most everyone goes through Middle School/High School with a Right-handed QB. A change like that has to account for some dropped balls. Just a thought.. may the best QB win!! Also.. please DO NOT Platoon QBs.

Go stangs!

[PonyTales]

You know starting a lefty quarterback might be a decent wrinkle that could confound some defenses. That switches their natural strong and weak side. There aren't very many lefties, and it could cause some folks to blow assignments. It would be especially good if all the pre-season stuff said that Chris Phillips would be starting and suddenly at the start of the game they see a pocket lefty out there. Then at half-time they adjust and we throw Chris out. That could be kind of fun to pull on the Red Raiders.

I like your idea. But instead of pumping up Phillips and throwing a pocket lefty (Romo) out there, why not pump Phillips and then switch to Eckert? Especially against Tech -- they prepare for a lefty who can run like hell and suddenly we put a righty out there who sets up and gets rid of the ball in a second. We might really be able to cause a few headaches for our friends from Lubbock.

[king_k]

I just wanted to remind everybody that Chris Phillips is a lefty himself.

[Mike Damone]

Too funny. I was thinking the same thing, but didn't trust my memory enough to post.

[ponyguts]

I have also talk with someone on the "inside" and have a few things here and there that will give you some water cooler chat. It appears Rico Harris has taken over the sam linebacker position after it wasn't even known if he would be ready for spring ball. Martin Guidry has taken over the spot at RT from Justin Boren and Brian Turner. Who knows if it will stay that way with Townswend Hargis still on the IR. And another thing, that practices are closed from the public but as long as you dont mind staring through the gated practice field you can watch them as you please. As far as the QBs go Phillips looks the best as far as I'm concerned. Eckert and Phillips are easily ahead of the bunch. The only thing holding Eckert back is a sometimes wild arm and a lack of ability to throw the deep ball on point. It is still early in the spring so no one really knows. Ill see you boys out there on the 17th to see what Phil has cooked up for us this spring.

[ALEX LIFESON]

Martin Guidry is at guard, not tackle.

[Otto]

Martin Guidry and Justin Boren are guards, and I think it's a bit premature to suggest that anyone has taken over a position. With the youth on the offensive line and the fact that we have a new offensive line coach, I expect they're still juggling different combinations to see what works best. But if Guidry has stepped up and taken a position away from a starter, kudos to him for getting the job done.

From what I've seen/heard, Bryan Turner is the backup center, not a guard. (Maybe he plays both.) And I heard he and the QBs have had some difficulty with the exchange, making Brad Kieschnick's health vital this year.

Very interesting about Rico Harris. As far as I know, he is a guy who played safety in high school, as well as during his first three years here, so it's not like he's reverted back to an old position. If he made the move to OLB and worked his way up that fast, then that's extremely impressive.

Red/Blue sure will be interesting to watch.

[dandyfan]

Does anyone have any info on the number of snaps each QB has gotten? Coach had mention on Norm or somewhere that the reps would be spread evenly. That should give us an idea of who is doing well in the offense. Someone i am sure is keeping up with number of snaps, TD passes, interceptions. I would think that turnovers at this position would be a vital part of picking the starting QB for the fall.

[Corso]

I popped my head in at a couple of early practices. Without having access to any official counts for snaps, etc., I can only offer my impressions. It seemed like Eckert and Romo had the most (about equal), followed closely by Phillips (although I also didn't see a whole practice, so my perception might be a bit skewed.) Fourth on the rotation, at least while I watched, was another lefty - Rowland. Ashton Nixon took a few while I watched, too. I didn't see Meeks take any, but again, I didn't stay all day, either. So he might have had as many as the others. Seemed like Phillips and the JUCOs were rotating with the first-team offense, though.