College to NFL

[jdl22]

Saw the Joey thread but I thought I would start a more general discussion.

What is the deal with the countless number of players, qb's mainly, completely blowing in the NFL when they were awesome in college?

I went to Oregon and graduated the year after Harrington's last season. I went to every home game except one (crashed on a motor scooter a couple days before so I was in bad shape) during the time Joey was playing there and he was amazing. Obviously he was playing against college corners and defense schemes in general, but he was good at seeing the field, hitting the open man, and making passes right in stride. I watch him playing for the Lions and it doesn't look like the same guy. He can't seem to even hit an open running back or tight end in the flat - even on those throws where he has time.

Firstly his line sucks and Oregon had the best line in the pac 10 while he was there, finishing best in sacks allowed most of those seasons iirc. But as I said, when he has time his throws are still crap. One argument given is that everything is faster in the NFL. This I don't really buy since he was throwing to Samie Parker who was one of the fastest sprinters in the country and I think won the 100m race in the Pac 10 meet. Also, Oregon at the time played a style that isn't too different from the "West Coast Offense." I could see if he was a product of the current system, but that's not the case.

There are countless other stories. David Carr is struggling mightily as well and also was amazing in college from what little I saw (I remember he completely ripped apart Dennis Erickson's thugs).

So what is it?

[HDPM]

"One argument given is that everything is faster in the NFL. This I don't really buy since he was throwing to Samie Parker who was one of the fastest sprinters in the country and I think won the 100m race in the Pac 10 meet. Also, Oregon at the time played a style that isn't too different from the "West Coast Offense." I could see if he was a product of the current system, but that's not the case."

Everything in the NFL is faster.

Take the fastest defensive lineman on a pac 10 team. There are 3 of those on an NFL defense. Take the fastest linebacker at Arizona. There are 4 linebacklers that fast or faster on an NFL team. Take the top corner in the pac 10. Every nfl team has 2 guys like that or nearly like that. The overall depth of the nfl is amazing and it comprises the fastest college players who now have an average of say 3 or 4 years of pro ball. The NFL is a lot faster. And stronger. And better prepared wek in week out, etc... NOtice how when a college team plays Miami they say, "Wow, what good team speed on defense." Every NFL team is better than that, because they have the miami draft choices and equivalent from the last 6 years.

[imported_CaseClosed326]

There is a lot of reasons. Most basic is there is a smaller margin for error. The corners cover tighter, blitzers get there faster safties cover more field. I think that smaller margin can expose a lot of weak players. Making a "simple" play is a lot harder after throwing multiple picks.