I agree with both you and Matt. He definitely has potential. And Matt is right about him being good in a play action type offense where he can roll out. He would be a good guy for Denver to get as a backup or potential replacement for Tebow.Good stuff Matt. I really enjoyed watching Wilson at NC State and was happy for him when he got the shot to show what he could do at Wisc. To be able to step right in and play like he did was impressive. I really believe people knocking him on his height are going to miss out. His O-line at Wisc was rather large but Wilson is smart enough to move around in the pocket and find the throwing lanes he needed. FWIW here was the starting O-line from last year. LT - Ricky Wagner - 6-6LG - Travis Frederick - 6-4C - Konz 6-5RG - Kevin Zeitler - 6-4RT - Josh Oglesby - 6-7
Seriously, do they get much bigger than that at each respective position?? Guy was great to watch at State, and then he just made O'Brien eat his cap when he ripped it up at Wisconsin. Not saying the guy will set the world on fire, but he is definitely worth a shot.Good stuff Matt. I really enjoyed watching Wilson at NC State and was happy for him when he got the shot to show what he could do at Wisc. To be able to step right in and play like he did was impressive. I really believe people knocking him on his height are going to miss out. His O-line at Wisc was rather large but Wilson is smart enough to move around in the pocket and find the throwing lanes he needed. FWIW here was the starting O-line from last year. LT - Ricky Wagner - 6-6LG - Travis Frederick - 6-4C - Konz 6-5RG - Kevin Zeitler - 6-4RT - Josh Oglesby - 6-7
Exactly..for a guy listed at 5-11 to throw around those guys has to be harder to do than worrying about a D-lineman tipping a pass.Seriously, do they get much bigger than that at each respective position?? Guy was great to watch at State, and then he just made O'Brien eat his cap when he ripped it up at Wisconsin. Not saying the guy will set the world on fire, but he is definitely worth a shot.Good stuff Matt. I really enjoyed watching Wilson at NC State and was happy for him when he got the shot to show what he could do at Wisc. To be able to step right in and play like he did was impressive. I really believe people knocking him on his height are going to miss out. His O-line at Wisc was rather large but Wilson is smart enough to move around in the pocket and find the throwing lanes he needed. FWIW here was the starting O-line from last year. LT - Ricky Wagner - 6-6LG - Travis Frederick - 6-4C - Konz 6-5RG - Kevin Zeitler - 6-4RT - Josh Oglesby - 6-7
WISCONSIN PRO DAY
Wilson working the angles for NFL scouts
Madison - If there were any throws National Football League coaches and scouts hadn't seen Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson make during his Rose Bowl season with the Badgers, they were given a full complement Wednesday at the Dave McClain Center.
During the Badgers' annual pro day, where NFL personnel come to work out draft-eligible players, Wilson made every possible throw a pro quarterback has to make.
"All the play-action routes, all the five-step, three-step, seven-step throws that I could possibly make," Wilson said afterward. "I made 63 throws; that covers just about everything you can throw. I just try to show every single team that I can make every throw."
Wilson said he completed 60 of the 63 passes - all thrown with no defenders on the field - and felt he took another step toward showing he's capable of playing in the NFL.
The one thing he wasn't able to do was increase his height to 6-foot, although he did say he was measured at 5-11 on Wednesday, which is taller than the 5-10 5/8 he measured at the Senior Bowl and combine. Wilson is going to have to overcome the conventional thought that quarterbacks under 6-foot can't play in the NFL.
He's hoping that teams will make their judgment on his game tape more than measurements, but he also feels he has shown the scouts he's capable of making any kind of throw through his combine and pro day performances.
Wilson has been working on his form with former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL veteran quarterback Chris Weinke, who was in attendance Wednesday. Part of what Wilson wants the NFL people to understand is that he played behind a pro-sized offensive line at Wisconsin and didn't have very many passes knocked down.
"The key is finding lanes and delivering the ball on time," he said. "There's not that much of a difference if I was 6-1 or 5-11. You don't really see over guys, you throw through lanes and deliver the ball."
Wilson has a number of things going for him. He's extremely smart, he's fast and he's accurate with his passes. There's nothing wrong with his arm strength and he showed the ability to play both in the shotgun formation and under center during his time at North Carolina State and Wisconsin.
"He's a very impressive fellow, articulate, knowledgeable, confident," said Packers general manager Ted Thompson, who attended the workout. "He projects that confidence. He's going to be a good get for somebody."
Asked what else Wilson had to do to prove himself, Thompson said, "I think you play. This is sort of the warm-ups. The playing comes after he gets selected by a team. He's going to be fine."
A good number of the scouts will have to return to Wisconsin to get a look at center Peter Konz, another of the Badgers' outgoing seniors.
Konz is coming off a dislocated ankle that he played through in the Rose Bowl and has yet to do anything for scouts but bench press and take a medical. Considered the best center in the draft and a probable first-round pick, Konz said he would have to conduct another pro day in April so that the scouts can see him at full strength.
"I'm real close," Konz said. "You can see me itching to get out there. I'm probably 90 percent. I'm just holding back and being smart. The most important thing is my longevity in my career, so when we get into May I'll be able to do camp and I won't reinjure it."
Konz's linemates, guard Kevin Zeitler and tackle Josh Oglesby, went through drills under the watchful eye of Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice. They were run through various kinds of running plays and pass protections so that the scouts could see how they move.
Zeitler is trying to improve his stock by showing that he can play guard and center, the latter of which is the position many NFL personnel think is his best. Finishing tied for third among linemen in the bench press at the combine (32 reps), Zeitler began working at center after the Rose Bowl and feels he can play anywhere on the interior.
A graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Zeitler would love to play for the Packers and he was surprised to find out that Thompson knew who he was when they walked past each other at the combine.
"We kind of like stared each other down and I walked by, and he was like, 'Zeitler, you’re not going to stop and say hi.' So I stopped and said hi."
Another Badger who hoped he made an impression was safety Aaron Henry. Not invited to the combine, Henry has been working all off-season for his pro day opportunity and said he made every movement count.
"I did pretty good," he said. "In my 40 time, I did a (personal best) 4.53. I jumped an all-time high - I jumped 39 ½ (inches) - and when I was down training I was jumping 32, 33s, 34s. I got 16 reps on the bench. I felt like I fared well."
It seems Drew Brees does just fine in the NFL and he is one inch taller. Wilson's release point is like a 6'3-6'4 player, so once again I believe this is analysis gone wild, everyone is wrapped up in the physical characteristics that they fail to see the play on the field.When Matt Walderman says he is good and worth a shot, I would listen.'Punch said:Can you see a 5'11" QB trying to throw the ball over the Giants D-line? The OC would have to change his drops from play to play and design a lot of rollout/bootleg plays to get him throwing lanes, no?
Just asking for analysis on those issues is all. I've heard good things about him from others as well. Drew Brees is the guy everyone refers to when talking about vertically challenged QB's but he seems to be the exception, not the rule. Like any player, I'll give him a shot if the price is right.It seems Drew Brees does just fine in the NFL and he is one inch taller. Wilson's release point is like a 6'3-6'4 player, so once again I believe this is analysis gone wild, everyone is wrapped up in the physical characteristics that they fail to see the play on the field.When Matt Walderman says he is good and worth a shot, I would listen.'Punch said:Can you see a 5'11" QB trying to throw the ball over the Giants D-line? The OC would have to change his drops from play to play and design a lot of rollout/bootleg plays to get him throwing lanes, no?
It's not always about being able to throw over guys. Like I mentioned about my post about the size of his linemen. He has to be able to move in the pocket to create throwing lanes as well as rolling out. I think Wilson is smart enough and talented enough to do so. Every D-lineman is taught to jump up if they cannot get to the QB prior to his releasing the ball. He is a guy I am watching very closely on where he goes.Just asking for analysis on those issues is all. I've heard good things about him from others as well. Drew Brees is the guy everyone refers to when talking about vertically challenged QB's but he seems to be the exception, not the rule. Like any player, I'll give him a shot if the price is right.It seems Drew Brees does just fine in the NFL and he is one inch taller. Wilson's release point is like a 6'3-6'4 player, so once again I believe this is analysis gone wild, everyone is wrapped up in the physical characteristics that they fail to see the play on the field.When Matt Walderman says he is good and worth a shot, I would listen.'Punch said:Can you see a 5'11" QB trying to throw the ball over the Giants D-line? The OC would have to change his drops from play to play and design a lot of rollout/bootleg plays to get him throwing lanes, no?
That's kind of what I was trying to get at with my original post. That he would have to be moved around a lot, change drop depths, etc. I'll be watching him, but he's not a guy that I'll be targeting unless the value is right.It's not always about being able to throw over guys. Like I mentioned about my post about the size of his linemen. He has to be able to move in the pocket to create throwing lanes as well as rolling out. I think Wilson is smart enough and talented enough to do so. Every D-lineman is taught to jump up if they cannot get to the QB prior to his releasing the ball. He is a guy I am watching very closely on where he goes.Just asking for analysis on those issues is all. I've heard good things about him from others as well. Drew Brees is the guy everyone refers to when talking about vertically challenged QB's but he seems to be the exception, not the rule. Like any player, I'll give him a shot if the price is right.It seems Drew Brees does just fine in the NFL and he is one inch taller. Wilson's release point is like a 6'3-6'4 player, so once again I believe this is analysis gone wild, everyone is wrapped up in the physical characteristics that they fail to see the play on the field.When Matt Walderman says he is good and worth a shot, I would listen.'Punch said:Can you see a 5'11" QB trying to throw the ball over the Giants D-line? The OC would have to change his drops from play to play and design a lot of rollout/bootleg plays to get him throwing lanes, no?
He'll join Troy Smith and Pat White soon enough.Can you see a 5'11" QB trying to throw the ball over the Giants D-line? The OC would have to change his drops from play to play and design a lot of rollout/bootleg plays to get him throwing lanes, no?
You also loved Kolb and thought Clipboard Jesus would start over T-Jax...He'll join Troy Smith and Pat White soon enough.Can you see a 5'11" QB trying to throw the ball over the Giants D-line? The OC would have to change his drops from play to play and design a lot of rollout/bootleg plays to get him throwing lanes, no?
He points out in the Gruden passing camp that he played behind one of the biggest offensive lines in college football last year and didn’t have any problem throwing over them. I read someplace that Wisconsin’s offensive line was bigger than the Packers offensive lineCan you see a 5'11" QB trying to throw the ball over the Giants D-line? The OC would have to change his drops from play to play and design a lot of rollout/bootleg plays to get him throwing lanes, no?
The Seahawks could sign JaMarcus Russell as their QB, and you'd be his biggest backer.Seahawks will draft him and sign Manning. Championship.
hateri see alot of "if Russell Wilson were 4 inches taller, he'd be a top 10 pick" threads. yeah sure. and if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle. if we are talking about the Wisconsin OL it should hurt Wilson's stock. He's not going to have a line THAT much more dominant than the defenses it is going against in the league. He's not going to have a RB averaging 6 yards a carry to set up his play action. best cause he's Doug Flutie. Worse case he's Chris Leak. Or how about Brooks Bollinger as a comparison? He wasn't a bad athlete either. just short and generally sucky.
I am interested in hearing about a QB who set records at two separate major college conference schools during his tenure...maybe Aikman, but even he was not as prolific at both schools. I bring it up because as we know, many of these guys see success at one school, maybe, maybe two systems, but how many have lit it up in two major conferences under two different systems?i see alot of "if Russell Wilson were 4 inches taller, he'd be a top 10 pick" threads. yeah sure. and if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle. if we are talking about the Wisconsin OL it should hurt Wilson's stock. He's not going to have a line THAT much more dominant than the defenses it is going against in the league. He's not going to have a RB averaging 6 yards a carry to set up his play action. best cause he's Doug Flutie. Worse case he's Chris Leak. Or how about Brooks Bollinger as a comparison? He wasn't a bad athlete either. just short and generally sucky.
Right. But Wilson also dominated behind N.C. State's OL and with N.C. State's lousy RBs. Andi see alot of "if Russell Wilson were 4 inches taller, he'd be a top 10 pick" threads.
yeah sure. and if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle.
if we are talking about the Wisconsin OL it should hurt Wilson's stock. He's not going to have a line THAT much more dominant than the defenses it is going against in the league. He's not going to have a RB averaging 6 yards a carry to set up his play action.
best cause he's Doug Flutie. Worse case he's Chris Leak. Or how about Brooks Bollinger as a comparison? He wasn't a bad athlete either. just short and generally sucky.
The Seahawks could sign JaMarcus Russell as their QB, and you'd be his biggest backer.Seahawks will draft him and sign Manning. Championship.
Wilson will probably never get a shot because of his height, but he is better right now than Doug Flutie ever was.Methinks you haven't actually watched Russell Wilson play very much.i see alot of "if Russell Wilson were 4 inches taller, he'd be a top 10 pick" threads. yeah sure. and if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle. if we are talking about the Wisconsin OL it should hurt Wilson's stock. He's not going to have a line THAT much more dominant than the defenses it is going against in the league. He's not going to have a RB averaging 6 yards a carry to set up his play action. best cause he's Doug Flutie. Worse case he's Chris Leak. Or how about Brooks Bollinger as a comparison? He wasn't a bad athlete either. just short and generally sucky.
You also loved Kolb and thought Clipboard Jesus would start over T-Jax...He'll join Troy Smith and Pat White soon enough.Can you see a 5'11" QB trying to throw the ball over the Giants D-line? The OC would have to change his drops from play to play and design a lot of rollout/bootleg plays to get him throwing lanes, no?I like Wilson's chances even more now.