Post by Oneback on Mar 6, 2014 20:18:58 GMT
INTERESTING. Size must be scaled down according to age group, but it gives you an idea oif what to look for at each position:
How I Evaluate Each Position
By Bill Walsh
CENTER
Ideal size: 6-2, 290
The center is typically the key man in making line calls. Those calls are vital and there is no way you can do without them. With the constant changes in defenses there has to be communication on your offensive line and obviously your center is the man to do it. There have been teams who use a guard because the guard was either more experienced or more adept in doing it. But typically the center makes these calls.
So the center must have command of the offensive line blocking system and of the game plan and of the individual players defensively they are facing. He must be able to do all that.
Centers don't often have to block one-on-one with the nose tackle, but if they can it is a great advantage. You typically slide a lineman or find a way to help the center. Or he finds a way to help someone else. Now if you have a center who can isolate one-on-one with a nose tackle, it takes tremendous pressure off your guards and everyone else.
Dwight Stephenson who had a short, great career with Miami, was one like that. Mike Webster, who had a long, distinguished career with Pittsburgh, was one of the best.
Many people believe that a shorter center is better. Again you must have girth, maybe less than the other linemen. Being shorter helps you do a great number of things in a very small area. A big body just becomes a hindrance. It's like a jockey weighing more than 150 pounds. You need a center who is so quick that he can move in between people. Shorter guys can do that better than taller, rangy guys.
GUARD
Ideal size: 6-3, 300
The guard is going to have to be styled with the system of offense you have or the offense must be styled as to who the guards are. Typically, you style your offense in relation to who you have at the guard positions. You have to adapt your style to your guards.
Again, the great athletes can do everything -- quickness, agility, explosion, ability to pull and trap and mobility to go inside out on the linebacker. There are those in the game today; Randall McDaniel of Minnesota is that type. He probably plays at no more than 280, but he is an outstanding player in every sense.
As a pass protector, the guard usually can get help. He just has to have enough power not to get knocked back. He will be helped just by the sheer number of people inside. So he can get away with a shortfall as a pass blocker as long as he has the girth so the defensive tackle cannot pick him up and move him. He could be a man who presses 500 pounds and still get moved out of the way very quickly.
Guy McIntyre was an example. He was very athletic, but they were able to pick him up and move him. On the other hand, we had a guard named John Ayers who was almost impossible to move although he wasn't as athletic as McIntyre. So that girth and stability and body balance is critical.
There is less technique for the guard in pass protection than there is for the tackle. But the guard, on the other hand, is used on many blocking combinations where he must get from point A to point B, pulling through a hole, trapping, pulling on sweeps, coming inside-out on a linebacker blitzing, as Ayers did so effectively against Lawrence Taylor in some epic battles in the early 1980s.
So technique, agility and mobility is important for the guard.
Teams must adapt what they do to fit the abilities of their guards, even if we are talking about whether something can or cannot be done to the right or left. If the left guard can pull and trap, then you are going to run most things to the right with that left guard pulling. You personalize the guard positions as to what they can do. Typically, one or the other is stronger or weaker in technique or ability to get the job done.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
Ideal size: 6-4, 310
Of course, you could have great ones at 330 pounds, but the reality is they play well in spite of being 330. The only value of 330 is they attract the TV cameras. Some of them are not going to be 300, they are always going to be 330 or whatever. But others could be a finely tuned, highly conditioned athlete at 300, but they play at 330 and can still play.
So natural body girth for all offensive linemen, especially in how football is played today, is absolutely essential. In the case of a tackle, you add the girth and the strength -- and a lot of strength is added by weight training -- with agility. The agility is utilized in a two-yard square. The skill to move the feet within there is critical. A good part of it can be developed and acquired. But if a man is dead slow on his feet, he can get better, but he will always be limited.
You would like long arms that are strong, for leverage. But the timing of the extension, the timing of the block itself, is important. The tackle must have a knack at feeling or knowing where to intersect people.
So you are looking for the girth, the agility in a small area, the strength and then skill and technique. It takes a dedicated man to focus on his skills year after year in this position.
The offensive tackle, especially in today's football, must be ready for three or four things that can happen. Historically, he had to be ready for only one or two things. Now he must adapt to a linebacker blitzing outside and the man he was expecting to block dropping into pass coverage. He is going to have to be quick enough to identify this and move and adjust. So now he must be extremely well-versed and prepared for the techniques of what will happen to him once the ball is snapped.
The nature of this position also requires an inner confidence and natural self control to deal with frustration and, in a football sense, disaster. And then he must recover and function at a high level in 30 or 40 seconds. Some people have a disposition to deal with that so much better than others.
TIGHT END
Ideal size: 6-41/2, 245
Requirements for a tight end depend heavily on the system being deployed. It's almost a necessity to find the athlete who best fits your system of football.
There are those who believe that a tight end with ballast and strength and girth is key to their offensive system because he has as important a role as a blocker as their is. If the tight end can block a defensive lineman on the edge of the offense, then you automatically have a running game just with that single feature. If the tight end can block those defensive linemen, who are know being placed on tight ends where some years ago they weren't, then the entire offense has a focal point from which to work.
That athlete can dominate. He is bigger, stronger and naturally is not going to be as quick and agile as the other type of tight end. So naturally you then fashion your passing game with him in the vicinity of linebackers. With that in mind, he must have soft hands and the ability to absorb a ball as he is being hit. With virtually every pass, he is going to be hit almost simultaneously with the catch. So soft hands, being able to absorb the ball while being hit, is key.
This tight end does not need to possess great speed. The 5.0 time in the 40 will get the job done. The shortcoming to that is that he is not going to be able to clear defenders on certain pass patterns to help other people. But that is not that much to give up if you have the blocking.
The other extreme would be the Brent Jones type who is a major factor all over the field. He is in a position to go anywhere quickly, across the field, to the outside and down the field. He is going to bring people with him or find openings in defenses.
In this case you need the great hands, the body agility and a lot of the characteristics of the wide receiver. But probably more girth because more passes are going to be caught around linebackers and probably even defensive linemen.
Now when you get to blocking with this person it will be all technique. He is going to have to develop those techniques that he can use with reasonable effectiveness against defensive linemen and linebackers. His ability to absorb and learn technique is critical because he is not going to be able to play mass against mass.
Now there is one more type of tight end -- the great, all around type who is a Hall of Fame type. He is so gifted that he can do all of the things you would usually require two types of tight ends to do.
That type of player makes this a unique position in the NFL. One man who can do all these things, the great, all around tight end becomes the essence of the National Football League. And there have been very few -- John Mackey, Mike Ditka, Jackie Smith, are the only two who have made the Hall of Fame.
Interestingly, I believe Tony Gonzalez of Cal this year has the potential to become that type of all around great tight end.
WIDE RECEIVER
Ideal size: 6-3, 210
The critical factor at wide receiver in my mind is agility and body control, the ability to change your body position often off the g round in order to get your hands in position to make the catch, ala Cris Carter of Minnesota. He would be the ideal in that respect.
That particular characteristic must be there for the receiver to be considered a Pro Bowl or a Hall of Fame player. You must have that to get to the highest tier of play.
Secondly is strength. That is somewhat related to girth. You need to power through players. When you are bounced into players you must be able to keep your feet, regain your balance and move into position and continue your pass route. So there has to be a certain amount of strength, as Jerry Rice or John Taylor demonstrated so often with the 49ers.
Hands are vital, but you almost have to assume that anyone you are considering is going to have outstanding hands. The difference between players is the agility and strength that was mentioned. That allows them to get into position to make the catch, to use their hands.
We can have drills where the receiver is running under the ball and making great catch after great catch. So people would assume that he has outstanding hands. But in reality, most catches are made with the ball and the defender closing at the same instant and the receiver having to reverse his body into a totally different position, get your hands up and catch the ball and be hit at the same moment. That is the key element in greatness -- agility and strength together.
Focus is critical here. The ability to find the ball, focusing on it and isolating it from everything else that's happening. When you are evaluating the tapes, you look for those plays that demonstrate those situations. You make a evaluation tape of those plays.
You establish the criteria that you require. Then you have a tape that demonstrates those requirements.
Pure speed is helpful, but full-stride speed becomes important. You would like a receiver with the ball in the open field to be able to keep the separation with the closing defenders until he gets over the goal line. He doesn't have to outrun them. He doesn't have to gain ground on them. He just has to get there before they do so he scores. So it doesn't have to be sprinters' speed, but full-stride speed.
A good example of that was Mike Quick when he was at Philadelphia. He had just an average 40 time, but once in the open field the long strides gave him the functional speed to stay away or get away from defenders. Dwight Clark, believe it or not, was never caught from behind once he got into full stride. Now he used the field to weave and bend, but he was never caught. And Jerry Rice will never be caught from behind by anyone if they both have the same, basic starting point.
Now there have been other people who have been Olympic sprinters who get tangled up and can't get back into full stride quickly enough and somebody just comes up and overwhelms them from out of nowhere. If they catch the ball and there is any contact at all, by the time they get back in running stride, the people have closed on them. Full-stride speed is the key.
Coaching becomes a factor in regards to their ability to evade at the line of scrimmage and their ability to read the form of coverage and their ability to change a pattern accordingly. That all comes through coaching, training and their focus in a game.
Durability is a factor because they are going to be hit a lot. And they are going to be hit when they are in a vulnerable position at times. And they are going to be hit by much bigger men when they catch a hook pattern against a linebacker.
Injuries are key because at this position injuries impair their ability to function at a high level, especially when compared to, say, an offensive lineman who can play damaged. Wide receivers are finely tuned athletes who need to be in top condition to perform well. If they are in any way damaged, it is difficult for them to function at a high level.
QUARTERBACK
Ideal size: 6-3, 210
To become a great quarterback, there must be instincts and intuition. This is the area that can be the difference between a very solid quarterback and a great quarterback. This isn't an area you can do much with as a coach. You can certainly bring a quarterback up to a competitive standard, but to reach greatness the quarterback must possess that inherently, ala Billy Kilmer, Sonny Jurgensen, Ken Stabler and Warren Moon.
If throwing a ball were the only aspect of playing quarterback, then this would be an easy position to evaluate. However, because of the dynamic role he plays on the team, a quarterback must have physical, mental, emotional and instinctive traits that go well beyond the mere ability to pass a football.
Still, if he can't pass, he obviously won't be a good quarterback either. For now, let's assume our quarterback candidate has shown an ability to throw the ball.
Now, he must be courageous and intensely competitive. He will be the one on the field who is running the team. His teammates must believe in him or it may not matter how much physical ability he has. If he is courageous and intensely competitive, then other players will know and respect that. This will be a foundation for becoming a leader.
Naturally, he will have to perform up to certain physical standards to maintain that respect and become a leader.
Arm strength is somewhat misleading. Some players can throw 80 yards, but they aren't good passers. Good passing has to do with accuracy, timing, and throwing a ball with touch so it is catchable. This all involves understanding a system, the receivers in the system, and having great anticipation. It is a plus to be able to throw a ball on a line for 35 yards, but not if it is off target or arrives in such a way that it is difficult to catch.
Remember, the goal of passing a ball is to make sure it is caught ... by your intended receiver.
You look at how complete an inventory of throws a quarterback possesses -- from screen passes to timed short passes to medium range passes and down the field throws. This complete range. For the scout, not having a complete inventory does not eliminate the quarterback. But you are looking to evaluate in all facets and distances and types of passes in throwing the ball.
There have been quarterbacks of greatness, Hall of Fame quarterbacks, who didn't have a complete inventory of passes. But you're looking to see the potential of the quarterback in each area. You can see where the emphasis of the offense would be if he were with your team.
A quick delivery , one that is not telegraphed to help the defense, gives the quarterback an advantage when he finds his intended target. That's when it is essential to get the ball "up and gone'' with no wasted motion. Some of this can be acquired by learning proper technique. But to a certain degree, a quick release is related to a quarterback's reaction time between spotting his receiver and getting the ball "up and gone.''
Touch is important, especially in a medium range passing game. One of Joe Montana's most remarkable skills was putting the right touch on a pass so that it was easily catchable by a receiver, who often did not have to break stride.
The ability to read defenses is not something that players have learned to a high degree coming out of college. Even if they have, the pro defenses are very different. But most systems require quarterbacks to look at primary and secondary receivers, usually based on the defense that confronts him. You can see if he locates that secondary receiver -- or maybe even an emergency outlet receiver -- with ease or with a sense of urgency.
This should work like a natural progression, not a situation where it's -- "Oh, my gosh, now I must look over here ... no, over there.'' You can see which quarterbacks handle these situations with grace. These are the types who have a chance to perform with consistency in the NFL.
Mobility and an ability to avoid a pass rush are crucial. Some quarterbacks use this mobility within the pocket just enough so they are able to move and pass when they "feel" a rush. But overall quickness and agility can make a remarkable difference. As an example, there were some very quick boxers in Sugar Ray Leonard's era, but he was quicker than they were and because of that he became a great champ.
Quarterbacks must be able to function while injured. The pro season is about twice as long and more punishing than a college season. They are vulnerable to getting hit hard every time they pass. They must be able to avoid being rattled, get up and show they are in control and can continue to lead the offense.
The single trait that separates great quarterbacks from good quarterbacks is the ability to make the great, spontaneous decision, especially at a crucial time. The clock is running down and your team is five points behind. The play that was called has broken down and 22 players are moving in almost unpredictable directions all over the field.
This is where the great quarterback uses his experience, vision, mobility and what we will call spontaneous genius. He makes something good happen. This, of course, is what we saw in Joe Montana when he pulled out those dramatic victories for Notre Dame.
FULLBACK
Ideal size: 6-1, 245
The fullback position parallels the tight end in many ways. It depends on the emphasis of the system of offense and also what type fullback you have available.
If you have a devastating blocker, then he, like the great blocking tight end, can be the focal point of the offense. You can direct them at any defender near the line of scrimmage and they can effectively block them a high percentage of the time. So that allows you any number of running combinations in your running game. And in pass protection, if they are stout enough they can, if necessary, occasionally take on a defensive lineman. That could be either as a replacement block or to clean up on people.
So ballast is important. Strength, girth and ballast. For that blocking-type fullback, speed is not a major factor. You'd like to have him under 5-flat (in 40 yards) and, typically, 6-1, 250.
This type fullback must be able to focus on a specific defender, find him and take him. It could be an inside linebacker, an outside linebacker or a defensive lineman. But he must know how to find him, know how to read what happens and make the play.
That means he must be functionally intelligent enough to handle the variables that occur in order to be a consistent blocker.
They must have outstanding durability because they probably have more significant contact than anybody else on the field when you consider the velocity of the hits. Play after play a Tom Rathman or a Daryl Johnston would have major contact if you follow him through a game.
So durability, girth, strength, the ability to focus and identify and then the ability to take on the best pass rusher -- an outside linebacker or defensive end -- and find a way to take care of him.
Then the other area is receiving. If they are adequate receivers, then they can be a functional fullback. As an outlet receiver, releasing last out of the backfield, they often get the ball clear of defenders and have a chance to get a running start at the linebackers who are going to tackle him. Again, Rathman and Johnston are examples.
Then there is the other type of fullback. Kind of a halfback playing fullback, like Roger Craig did for the 49ers. In this case, you have to fashion your offense as to what this fullback's skills or talents may be. The 49ers' greatest team, in 1984, had Craig at fullback and Wendell Tyler at halfback. So this type of athlete is a skilled player. His blocking has to be adequate, just meet minimal standards.
Still, he can be the focal point of the offensive firepower because from his position he can be a receiver, ball-carrier go anywhere, as Roger Craig did. He can be a 1,000- yard ball carrier. With this type of athlete, you have to gear your line blocking combinations to accommodate a non-blocking fullback. This limits what you can do in certain ways, but it expands it offensively when he has the ball.
Naturally, on occasion there is going to be the great all around fullback. Franco Harris was like that. John L. Williams with Seattle was another like that.
HALFBACK
Ideal size: Large enough to take punishment.
There are obvious talents necessary to play the position, but perhaps the most overlooked is durability and stamina. This player must be nearly as effective in the fourth quarter as he was in the first.
You fashion your offense as to the talents of your halfback. Typically, you are looking for the real competitor who is unmoved by the abuse he endures during a game. He is able to focus and concentrate on doing his job every play. He is going to get a lot of abuse and the unexpected is going to happen to him time and time again.
Pure running instincts become critical. You just can't play this position without instincts. There has to be an intuitive style and it differs by degree with every running back there is. Without those instincts, as we learned with Terrance Flagler after we spent a No. 1 pick on him, you can't play the position. In practice, Terrance could do everything that you wanted. But in a game, he just wasn't instinctive. So that is critical.
Now, if he can block effectively, your offense has much more dimension. As a receiver, you'd like to think he is at least an adept screen-pass receiver. And, by degree, the further down the field he can go and catch the ball, the more dimensional your offense becomes.
Even with all these abilities, the most important aspect is probably durability, without which the other talents become of diminished value. You must be able to count on this player if he is a key part of the offensive philosophy.
Size requirements vary. Some smaller runners play big, like James Brooks did at under 190 pounds. The key, along with durability, is that when they are hit they should be able to fall forward.
Despite the instincts you look for, there should be discipline to get the first four yards within the scheme and then rely on instincts to take it beyond that. Of course there are times when an instinctive back does things on his own early in a play. But when you begin to leave the designed play too often, you are not going to serve the team with consistent gains that the offense must count on.
How I Evaluate Each Position
By Bill Walsh
CENTER
Ideal size: 6-2, 290
The center is typically the key man in making line calls. Those calls are vital and there is no way you can do without them. With the constant changes in defenses there has to be communication on your offensive line and obviously your center is the man to do it. There have been teams who use a guard because the guard was either more experienced or more adept in doing it. But typically the center makes these calls.
So the center must have command of the offensive line blocking system and of the game plan and of the individual players defensively they are facing. He must be able to do all that.
Centers don't often have to block one-on-one with the nose tackle, but if they can it is a great advantage. You typically slide a lineman or find a way to help the center. Or he finds a way to help someone else. Now if you have a center who can isolate one-on-one with a nose tackle, it takes tremendous pressure off your guards and everyone else.
Dwight Stephenson who had a short, great career with Miami, was one like that. Mike Webster, who had a long, distinguished career with Pittsburgh, was one of the best.
Many people believe that a shorter center is better. Again you must have girth, maybe less than the other linemen. Being shorter helps you do a great number of things in a very small area. A big body just becomes a hindrance. It's like a jockey weighing more than 150 pounds. You need a center who is so quick that he can move in between people. Shorter guys can do that better than taller, rangy guys.
GUARD
Ideal size: 6-3, 300
The guard is going to have to be styled with the system of offense you have or the offense must be styled as to who the guards are. Typically, you style your offense in relation to who you have at the guard positions. You have to adapt your style to your guards.
Again, the great athletes can do everything -- quickness, agility, explosion, ability to pull and trap and mobility to go inside out on the linebacker. There are those in the game today; Randall McDaniel of Minnesota is that type. He probably plays at no more than 280, but he is an outstanding player in every sense.
As a pass protector, the guard usually can get help. He just has to have enough power not to get knocked back. He will be helped just by the sheer number of people inside. So he can get away with a shortfall as a pass blocker as long as he has the girth so the defensive tackle cannot pick him up and move him. He could be a man who presses 500 pounds and still get moved out of the way very quickly.
Guy McIntyre was an example. He was very athletic, but they were able to pick him up and move him. On the other hand, we had a guard named John Ayers who was almost impossible to move although he wasn't as athletic as McIntyre. So that girth and stability and body balance is critical.
There is less technique for the guard in pass protection than there is for the tackle. But the guard, on the other hand, is used on many blocking combinations where he must get from point A to point B, pulling through a hole, trapping, pulling on sweeps, coming inside-out on a linebacker blitzing, as Ayers did so effectively against Lawrence Taylor in some epic battles in the early 1980s.
So technique, agility and mobility is important for the guard.
Teams must adapt what they do to fit the abilities of their guards, even if we are talking about whether something can or cannot be done to the right or left. If the left guard can pull and trap, then you are going to run most things to the right with that left guard pulling. You personalize the guard positions as to what they can do. Typically, one or the other is stronger or weaker in technique or ability to get the job done.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
Ideal size: 6-4, 310
Of course, you could have great ones at 330 pounds, but the reality is they play well in spite of being 330. The only value of 330 is they attract the TV cameras. Some of them are not going to be 300, they are always going to be 330 or whatever. But others could be a finely tuned, highly conditioned athlete at 300, but they play at 330 and can still play.
So natural body girth for all offensive linemen, especially in how football is played today, is absolutely essential. In the case of a tackle, you add the girth and the strength -- and a lot of strength is added by weight training -- with agility. The agility is utilized in a two-yard square. The skill to move the feet within there is critical. A good part of it can be developed and acquired. But if a man is dead slow on his feet, he can get better, but he will always be limited.
You would like long arms that are strong, for leverage. But the timing of the extension, the timing of the block itself, is important. The tackle must have a knack at feeling or knowing where to intersect people.
So you are looking for the girth, the agility in a small area, the strength and then skill and technique. It takes a dedicated man to focus on his skills year after year in this position.
The offensive tackle, especially in today's football, must be ready for three or four things that can happen. Historically, he had to be ready for only one or two things. Now he must adapt to a linebacker blitzing outside and the man he was expecting to block dropping into pass coverage. He is going to have to be quick enough to identify this and move and adjust. So now he must be extremely well-versed and prepared for the techniques of what will happen to him once the ball is snapped.
The nature of this position also requires an inner confidence and natural self control to deal with frustration and, in a football sense, disaster. And then he must recover and function at a high level in 30 or 40 seconds. Some people have a disposition to deal with that so much better than others.
TIGHT END
Ideal size: 6-41/2, 245
Requirements for a tight end depend heavily on the system being deployed. It's almost a necessity to find the athlete who best fits your system of football.
There are those who believe that a tight end with ballast and strength and girth is key to their offensive system because he has as important a role as a blocker as their is. If the tight end can block a defensive lineman on the edge of the offense, then you automatically have a running game just with that single feature. If the tight end can block those defensive linemen, who are know being placed on tight ends where some years ago they weren't, then the entire offense has a focal point from which to work.
That athlete can dominate. He is bigger, stronger and naturally is not going to be as quick and agile as the other type of tight end. So naturally you then fashion your passing game with him in the vicinity of linebackers. With that in mind, he must have soft hands and the ability to absorb a ball as he is being hit. With virtually every pass, he is going to be hit almost simultaneously with the catch. So soft hands, being able to absorb the ball while being hit, is key.
This tight end does not need to possess great speed. The 5.0 time in the 40 will get the job done. The shortcoming to that is that he is not going to be able to clear defenders on certain pass patterns to help other people. But that is not that much to give up if you have the blocking.
The other extreme would be the Brent Jones type who is a major factor all over the field. He is in a position to go anywhere quickly, across the field, to the outside and down the field. He is going to bring people with him or find openings in defenses.
In this case you need the great hands, the body agility and a lot of the characteristics of the wide receiver. But probably more girth because more passes are going to be caught around linebackers and probably even defensive linemen.
Now when you get to blocking with this person it will be all technique. He is going to have to develop those techniques that he can use with reasonable effectiveness against defensive linemen and linebackers. His ability to absorb and learn technique is critical because he is not going to be able to play mass against mass.
Now there is one more type of tight end -- the great, all around type who is a Hall of Fame type. He is so gifted that he can do all of the things you would usually require two types of tight ends to do.
That type of player makes this a unique position in the NFL. One man who can do all these things, the great, all around tight end becomes the essence of the National Football League. And there have been very few -- John Mackey, Mike Ditka, Jackie Smith, are the only two who have made the Hall of Fame.
Interestingly, I believe Tony Gonzalez of Cal this year has the potential to become that type of all around great tight end.
WIDE RECEIVER
Ideal size: 6-3, 210
The critical factor at wide receiver in my mind is agility and body control, the ability to change your body position often off the g round in order to get your hands in position to make the catch, ala Cris Carter of Minnesota. He would be the ideal in that respect.
That particular characteristic must be there for the receiver to be considered a Pro Bowl or a Hall of Fame player. You must have that to get to the highest tier of play.
Secondly is strength. That is somewhat related to girth. You need to power through players. When you are bounced into players you must be able to keep your feet, regain your balance and move into position and continue your pass route. So there has to be a certain amount of strength, as Jerry Rice or John Taylor demonstrated so often with the 49ers.
Hands are vital, but you almost have to assume that anyone you are considering is going to have outstanding hands. The difference between players is the agility and strength that was mentioned. That allows them to get into position to make the catch, to use their hands.
We can have drills where the receiver is running under the ball and making great catch after great catch. So people would assume that he has outstanding hands. But in reality, most catches are made with the ball and the defender closing at the same instant and the receiver having to reverse his body into a totally different position, get your hands up and catch the ball and be hit at the same moment. That is the key element in greatness -- agility and strength together.
Focus is critical here. The ability to find the ball, focusing on it and isolating it from everything else that's happening. When you are evaluating the tapes, you look for those plays that demonstrate those situations. You make a evaluation tape of those plays.
You establish the criteria that you require. Then you have a tape that demonstrates those requirements.
Pure speed is helpful, but full-stride speed becomes important. You would like a receiver with the ball in the open field to be able to keep the separation with the closing defenders until he gets over the goal line. He doesn't have to outrun them. He doesn't have to gain ground on them. He just has to get there before they do so he scores. So it doesn't have to be sprinters' speed, but full-stride speed.
A good example of that was Mike Quick when he was at Philadelphia. He had just an average 40 time, but once in the open field the long strides gave him the functional speed to stay away or get away from defenders. Dwight Clark, believe it or not, was never caught from behind once he got into full stride. Now he used the field to weave and bend, but he was never caught. And Jerry Rice will never be caught from behind by anyone if they both have the same, basic starting point.
Now there have been other people who have been Olympic sprinters who get tangled up and can't get back into full stride quickly enough and somebody just comes up and overwhelms them from out of nowhere. If they catch the ball and there is any contact at all, by the time they get back in running stride, the people have closed on them. Full-stride speed is the key.
Coaching becomes a factor in regards to their ability to evade at the line of scrimmage and their ability to read the form of coverage and their ability to change a pattern accordingly. That all comes through coaching, training and their focus in a game.
Durability is a factor because they are going to be hit a lot. And they are going to be hit when they are in a vulnerable position at times. And they are going to be hit by much bigger men when they catch a hook pattern against a linebacker.
Injuries are key because at this position injuries impair their ability to function at a high level, especially when compared to, say, an offensive lineman who can play damaged. Wide receivers are finely tuned athletes who need to be in top condition to perform well. If they are in any way damaged, it is difficult for them to function at a high level.
QUARTERBACK
Ideal size: 6-3, 210
To become a great quarterback, there must be instincts and intuition. This is the area that can be the difference between a very solid quarterback and a great quarterback. This isn't an area you can do much with as a coach. You can certainly bring a quarterback up to a competitive standard, but to reach greatness the quarterback must possess that inherently, ala Billy Kilmer, Sonny Jurgensen, Ken Stabler and Warren Moon.
If throwing a ball were the only aspect of playing quarterback, then this would be an easy position to evaluate. However, because of the dynamic role he plays on the team, a quarterback must have physical, mental, emotional and instinctive traits that go well beyond the mere ability to pass a football.
Still, if he can't pass, he obviously won't be a good quarterback either. For now, let's assume our quarterback candidate has shown an ability to throw the ball.
Now, he must be courageous and intensely competitive. He will be the one on the field who is running the team. His teammates must believe in him or it may not matter how much physical ability he has. If he is courageous and intensely competitive, then other players will know and respect that. This will be a foundation for becoming a leader.
Naturally, he will have to perform up to certain physical standards to maintain that respect and become a leader.
Arm strength is somewhat misleading. Some players can throw 80 yards, but they aren't good passers. Good passing has to do with accuracy, timing, and throwing a ball with touch so it is catchable. This all involves understanding a system, the receivers in the system, and having great anticipation. It is a plus to be able to throw a ball on a line for 35 yards, but not if it is off target or arrives in such a way that it is difficult to catch.
Remember, the goal of passing a ball is to make sure it is caught ... by your intended receiver.
You look at how complete an inventory of throws a quarterback possesses -- from screen passes to timed short passes to medium range passes and down the field throws. This complete range. For the scout, not having a complete inventory does not eliminate the quarterback. But you are looking to evaluate in all facets and distances and types of passes in throwing the ball.
There have been quarterbacks of greatness, Hall of Fame quarterbacks, who didn't have a complete inventory of passes. But you're looking to see the potential of the quarterback in each area. You can see where the emphasis of the offense would be if he were with your team.
A quick delivery , one that is not telegraphed to help the defense, gives the quarterback an advantage when he finds his intended target. That's when it is essential to get the ball "up and gone'' with no wasted motion. Some of this can be acquired by learning proper technique. But to a certain degree, a quick release is related to a quarterback's reaction time between spotting his receiver and getting the ball "up and gone.''
Touch is important, especially in a medium range passing game. One of Joe Montana's most remarkable skills was putting the right touch on a pass so that it was easily catchable by a receiver, who often did not have to break stride.
The ability to read defenses is not something that players have learned to a high degree coming out of college. Even if they have, the pro defenses are very different. But most systems require quarterbacks to look at primary and secondary receivers, usually based on the defense that confronts him. You can see if he locates that secondary receiver -- or maybe even an emergency outlet receiver -- with ease or with a sense of urgency.
This should work like a natural progression, not a situation where it's -- "Oh, my gosh, now I must look over here ... no, over there.'' You can see which quarterbacks handle these situations with grace. These are the types who have a chance to perform with consistency in the NFL.
Mobility and an ability to avoid a pass rush are crucial. Some quarterbacks use this mobility within the pocket just enough so they are able to move and pass when they "feel" a rush. But overall quickness and agility can make a remarkable difference. As an example, there were some very quick boxers in Sugar Ray Leonard's era, but he was quicker than they were and because of that he became a great champ.
Quarterbacks must be able to function while injured. The pro season is about twice as long and more punishing than a college season. They are vulnerable to getting hit hard every time they pass. They must be able to avoid being rattled, get up and show they are in control and can continue to lead the offense.
The single trait that separates great quarterbacks from good quarterbacks is the ability to make the great, spontaneous decision, especially at a crucial time. The clock is running down and your team is five points behind. The play that was called has broken down and 22 players are moving in almost unpredictable directions all over the field.
This is where the great quarterback uses his experience, vision, mobility and what we will call spontaneous genius. He makes something good happen. This, of course, is what we saw in Joe Montana when he pulled out those dramatic victories for Notre Dame.
FULLBACK
Ideal size: 6-1, 245
The fullback position parallels the tight end in many ways. It depends on the emphasis of the system of offense and also what type fullback you have available.
If you have a devastating blocker, then he, like the great blocking tight end, can be the focal point of the offense. You can direct them at any defender near the line of scrimmage and they can effectively block them a high percentage of the time. So that allows you any number of running combinations in your running game. And in pass protection, if they are stout enough they can, if necessary, occasionally take on a defensive lineman. That could be either as a replacement block or to clean up on people.
So ballast is important. Strength, girth and ballast. For that blocking-type fullback, speed is not a major factor. You'd like to have him under 5-flat (in 40 yards) and, typically, 6-1, 250.
This type fullback must be able to focus on a specific defender, find him and take him. It could be an inside linebacker, an outside linebacker or a defensive lineman. But he must know how to find him, know how to read what happens and make the play.
That means he must be functionally intelligent enough to handle the variables that occur in order to be a consistent blocker.
They must have outstanding durability because they probably have more significant contact than anybody else on the field when you consider the velocity of the hits. Play after play a Tom Rathman or a Daryl Johnston would have major contact if you follow him through a game.
So durability, girth, strength, the ability to focus and identify and then the ability to take on the best pass rusher -- an outside linebacker or defensive end -- and find a way to take care of him.
Then the other area is receiving. If they are adequate receivers, then they can be a functional fullback. As an outlet receiver, releasing last out of the backfield, they often get the ball clear of defenders and have a chance to get a running start at the linebackers who are going to tackle him. Again, Rathman and Johnston are examples.
Then there is the other type of fullback. Kind of a halfback playing fullback, like Roger Craig did for the 49ers. In this case, you have to fashion your offense as to what this fullback's skills or talents may be. The 49ers' greatest team, in 1984, had Craig at fullback and Wendell Tyler at halfback. So this type of athlete is a skilled player. His blocking has to be adequate, just meet minimal standards.
Still, he can be the focal point of the offensive firepower because from his position he can be a receiver, ball-carrier go anywhere, as Roger Craig did. He can be a 1,000- yard ball carrier. With this type of athlete, you have to gear your line blocking combinations to accommodate a non-blocking fullback. This limits what you can do in certain ways, but it expands it offensively when he has the ball.
Naturally, on occasion there is going to be the great all around fullback. Franco Harris was like that. John L. Williams with Seattle was another like that.
HALFBACK
Ideal size: Large enough to take punishment.
There are obvious talents necessary to play the position, but perhaps the most overlooked is durability and stamina. This player must be nearly as effective in the fourth quarter as he was in the first.
You fashion your offense as to the talents of your halfback. Typically, you are looking for the real competitor who is unmoved by the abuse he endures during a game. He is able to focus and concentrate on doing his job every play. He is going to get a lot of abuse and the unexpected is going to happen to him time and time again.
Pure running instincts become critical. You just can't play this position without instincts. There has to be an intuitive style and it differs by degree with every running back there is. Without those instincts, as we learned with Terrance Flagler after we spent a No. 1 pick on him, you can't play the position. In practice, Terrance could do everything that you wanted. But in a game, he just wasn't instinctive. So that is critical.
Now, if he can block effectively, your offense has much more dimension. As a receiver, you'd like to think he is at least an adept screen-pass receiver. And, by degree, the further down the field he can go and catch the ball, the more dimensional your offense becomes.
Even with all these abilities, the most important aspect is probably durability, without which the other talents become of diminished value. You must be able to count on this player if he is a key part of the offensive philosophy.
Size requirements vary. Some smaller runners play big, like James Brooks did at under 190 pounds. The key, along with durability, is that when they are hit they should be able to fall forward.
Despite the instincts you look for, there should be discipline to get the first four yards within the scheme and then rely on instincts to take it beyond that. Of course there are times when an instinctive back does things on his own early in a play. But when you begin to leave the designed play too often, you are not going to serve the team with consistent gains that the offense must count on.