Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston: The comparison

[904Lurker]

Since I don't get paid for this, I really don't go out my way to find gifs, break down film on youtube or vimeo, show you live scenarios the players succeed in and where they execute the best. With that said, thank you.

Both of these players are easier especially Teddy since I been watching his tape for three years. Winston is a tad harder due to his surrounding talent but he is an exceptional talent that throws players open more times than not. Winston like Luck could end up being a tad overrated by scouts due to their surroundings and great coaches. Let's be honest, Harbaugh is much better than Pagano.

The prospects to watch for is David Carr and Blake Bortles. Carr is similar to his bro. Excellent arm talent. Accuracy from all ranges. Poor mechanics and footwork. Questionable intangibles. Average floor with a very high ceiling. Scary that he is so similar to his brother out of college. Looking at the teams looking for QB's in the draft, he has a chance to go to a superior situation and actually develop before he is broken unlike his brother. So much of this game at that position is about confidence and composure.

Bortles is confusing to me. He looks like what we expected Jeff Driskel to be. Exceptional college QB with NFL potential. My issue is, I have seen enough game tape to break him down. Don't have enough film and honestly, I was paying more attention to Storm Johnson who is a local kid from around my way anyway.

Breh you don't know how much that hurts

 

[gho3st]

There is a lot of hype around these two talents. Winston is a purely special talent you never seen much on the college level. He is a superstar NFL player playing college Football. Think Adrian Peterson, Eric Berry, Calvin Johnson, Reggie White, Lawrence Taylor, A.J. Green, and Ndamukong Suh. Teddy is a different type of special talent. A blend a very good athleticism, great QB skills, mixed with high Football IQ which translates very well into the NFL. So let's start the comparison.


Arm Talent:
This is a mix of arm strength and velocity.

Bridgewater: His arm strength plus his velocity is similar to Kurt Warner. He doesn't have the topspin of an Aaron Rodgers who he has been compared to. His velocity in my notes are on par with Warner as well. The ball comes out quickly, has a slight womble but has some really good velocity on it. Overall, his changes his pace well and he is able to throw it from overhead and sidearm as his sidearm has most velocity than his overhead release which is also similar to Warner.




Overall, his arm talent is nothing exceptional and clearly a tier below Rodgers, two tiers below Flacco, Stafford, Vick, Newton. It is a tier above current Manning and Brady as well as two tiers above Matt Ryan and Christian Ponder.

Winston: His arm strength is a tier below elite and is comparable to Donovan McNabb. Like McNabb his velocity is elite. Has some of the best RPM's on his throws. Overall, Winston has special arm talent.

Accuracy:

Bridgewater is most comparable to Matt Ryan in terms of accuracy. Elite short range(0-15 yds) accuracy, very good intermediate(15-25 yds) accuracy, and below average deep range(25-45 yds) accuracy. With that said, unlike Ryan, his mechanics stay the same and his velocity doesn't severely drop so it is correctable.

Winston is most comparable to Kurt Warner in terms of accuracy. Rates very good on short, intermediate and deep range. Which is scary good. Part of the reason he is so dominate.

Bridgewater without question is more than accurate and is a very accurate QB with his arm talent. Winston, will be scary good from Day 1. With his arm talent and accuracy, he might be the Lebron James of NFL prospects.

Pocket Presence/pocket mobility:

Bridgewater is most comparable to a young Tom Brady. Excellent footwork is key but he has awareness and scary to step up in the pocket, move side to side, and make any throw from within the pocket. This is one of his elite traits he has.

Winston is most comparable to Donovan McNabb. He can threw within the pocket but at times he could do better. Doesn't move extremely well in the pocket and at times can stand in the pocket too long. Because of his size this isn't as much of an issue even at the next level. While he is poised, he isn't quite good at this yet and may never be but it is all about development. He has good pocket mobility mainly due to his speed, size, and his ability to break tackles.

Bridgewater by a mile in terms of pocket presence/mobility. This might be his most noticeable skill when scouts review the tape.

Pre Snap and Post Snap Reads:

Bridgewater is most comparable to a Matt Ryan. Excellent at dissecting a defense. Can find the mismatches before the snap a lot more times than not. Doesn't have Peyton's ability to create mismatches but who does? Extremely smart. His post snap reads can use some work. While he is excellent at going through his progressions, he can lock into WR's, he can trust too much in his the play instead of trying to just make a play. Because of his pocket skills and his speed. He will be much more effective at this than Matt Ryan. Both players specialize at game management and both have been questioned in terms of the ability to put the team on their shoulders or as we say, "back".

Winston pre snap reads are a major work in progress. He doesn't make that many. Maybe because he is a freshman, idk but he doesn't make that many. Whatever the coaches call is normally the play but his team is so great at execution, it's not a huge deal. Post snap is where Jameis is elite. Goes through progressions, doesn't lock into WR's, makes plays if nothing is there. Just an elite player. Pre snap read is similar to rookie Cam Newton at this point but his post snap read is similar to Aaron Rodgers.

Overall, this is a tough one. Teddy is elite at pre snap while just good at post snap. While Jameis is elite and potentially GOAT at post snap, his pre snap is still in really raw stage. I would take Teddy.

Football IQ:

Both Teddy and Jameis are really smart. Teddy is more cerebral while Jameis is more instinctive but both players have a mix of both.

Mobility:

Bridgewater is most comparable to Ryan Tannehill. Good speed. Average elusiveness, Runs tough but runs smart. Teddy needs to improve in terms of sliding.

Winston is most comparable to Donovan McNabb. Tough, Excellent size, good speed, good elusiveness, smart runner, extremely hard to tackle.

Winston has much better mobility.

Toughness/Intangibles:

Both players have great toughness and intangibles. Winston reminds you of McNair in terms of his country strong and his ability to show no pain ever. Teddy has a slender frame but is tough as nails. He will do whatever it takes physically to win and that shows. Both players seem to have great intangibles and are team leaders. Both players can take a major hit. Scary thing is Teddy can take a hit and get better as the game goes on. A rare trait that scouts will notice.

Maturity:

Teddy seems to have his head game beyond his years. Very confident and doesn't try to disrespect others but is proud of where he is from and who he is and doesn't want nothing to do with negativity hence his recruiting process in HS. One may question how Teddy would react to a terrible situation like Oakland or the New York Jets.

Winston is still young and in some ways, dumb. With that said, he seems to not let it effect him on the field. That's a key trait that Brady, Manning, and Marino have.

While Winston isn't as mature as Teddy, Teddy dislike for negativity is something scouts need to look into more.

Size:

Teddy is questionable in this area. Small hands hence the gloves. Small parts: Ankles, etc. Has a decent frame. Went from 175 to 221 in his freshman year. Build like RG3. He isn't build like your ideal QB, more like your possession slot WR.

Winston is 235 and has a wide frame. Looks like McNair and McNabb. Country strong. Big hands. Build like he can take a beaten and still play well. Is seen as an elite QB and Baseball prospect.

Winston is clearly better in this category. He is elite, Teddy is a question mark.

Overall, both prospects are elite and think they could play within any offensive system and succeed to a degree. Teddy is a special prospect and one I would rate higher than RG3 or Luck. Winston is special prospect I would only take a young Peyton Manning over. He is even a better prospect than Cam Newton because his potential is just as high with a much higher floor than Cam. The highest floors I have ever rated was:
1. Bradford (missed)
2. Luck (on point but his supporting cast sucks)
3. Ryan (dead on)
4. RG3 (he was much better as a rookie than I would have imagined)
no one really came close to the top 4. Didn't grade Peyton. Add Winston and Bridgewater:

1. Winston
2. Bridgewater
3. Bradford
4. Luck
5. Ryan

Overall, Winston is as good right now as McNabb in his 5th year with more accuracy as a COLLEGE FRESHMAN! Winston will be scary at the NFL level like AD is for the Vikings.

Bridgewater is hard to compare. His floor is so ridiculously high so a more mobile, better arm talent version of rookie Matt Ryan is likely.

It's hard to see either player not having an epic impact as rookies. Winston is just a pure special talent. One we have never seen before. Say what you want about FSU being stacked but he is a big part of it. He is doing this in a pro style offense as is Teddy. Both players are exceptional prospects. Winston is an once in a lifetime prospect.

yea breh i'll rep you when off these 24s.... Hawks fans arent so bad after all


Question on Bridgewater: Cowherd was shyttin on dude a month talkinbout he's got the same arm strength as Alex Smith... can you debunk that?

 

[godkiller]

Since I don't get paid for this, I really don't go out my way to find gifs, break down film on youtube or vimeo, show you live scenarios the players succeed in and where they execute the best. With that said, thank you.

I was trying to motivate you. But thanks for the reply.

Both of these players are easier especially Teddy since I been watching his tape for three years. Winston is a tad harder due to his surrounding talent but he is an exceptional talent that throws players open more times than not. Winston like Luck could end up being a tad overrated by scouts due to their surroundings and great coaches. Let's be honest, Harbaugh is much better than Pagano.

I agree. Winston has all the tools and raw talent but still needs to learn the cerebral side of the game like Bridgewater. That said, his ceiling is immense because of how well he's doing without all the experience.

Carr is similar to his bro. Excellent arm talent. Accuracy from all ranges. Poor mechanics and footwork. Questionable intangibles. Average floor with a very high ceiling.
Scary that he is so similar to his brother out of college.

I agree about Derek Carr's high ceiling and overall ability, but Fresno St. has Derek Carr as far away from opposing rushers as possible and he still has troubling accuracy troubles when facing the blitz in comparison to other first round talents. I don't think David Carr was "damaged" so much as he couldn't read the blitz and throw the ball accurately enough under pressure. Derek Carr could end up similarly.

Bortles is confusing to me. He looks like what we expected Jeff Driskel to be. Exceptional college QB with NFL potential. My issue is, I have seen enough game tape to break him down. Don't have enough film and honestly, I was paying more attention to Storm Johnson who is a local kid from around my way anyway.

I haven't seen much of Bortles but he does have a Big Ben type of physicality to him. Driskel is shyt.

 

[#1 pick]

yea breh i'll rep you when off these 24s.... Hawks fans arent so bad after all


Question on Bridgewater: Cowherd was shyttin on dude a month talkinbout he's got the same arm strength as Alex Smith... can you debunk that?

Alex Smith doesn't have bad arm strength. He actually has a solid arm on him, his velocity and variety of throws isn't up to Bridgewater's level. The biggest problem Bridgewater is facing is whites want to badly compare him to Black QB's when he really doesn't play like any of them. So they think of Garrard and Leftwich who just don't have Teddy's talent. Then you mix poor inter city kid with one parent and his pedigree is seriously question when the kid is well mannered, well behaved, and has a strong supporting system within his family. You can tell his siblings are probably have a decent job or went to college with degrees as a positive example for Teddy. He is really your exception to the rule, not the rule it's self. All things Teddy will unfairly face.

Teddy doesn't have great arm talent like RG3, Rodgers, Cam, Vick, and some before him.

 

[#1 pick]

I was trying to motivate you. But thanks for the reply.



I agree. Winston has all the tools and raw talent but still needs to learn the cerebral side of the game like Bridgewater. That said, his ceiling is immense because of how well he's doing without all the experience.



I agree about Derek Carr's high ceiling and overall ability, but Fresno St. has Derek Carr as far away from opposing rushers as possible and he still has troubling accuracy troubles when facing the blitz in comparison to other first round talents. I don't think David Carr was "damaged" so much as he couldn't read the blitz and throw the ball accurately enough under pressure. Derek Carr could end up similarly.



I haven't seen much of Bortles but he does have a Big Ben type of physicality to him. Driskel is shyt.

I always hate the Big Ben comparisons to any QB because Big Ben has such a rare trait where he's built like big TE and has the mindset of a big TE moreso than a QB. Then again, I just haven't seen enough so it is possible but Big Ben is such a rarity. Bortles really is what we excepted Driskel to be like Cam is what we expected Pryor to be out of HS.

Winston is a lot further in terms of the cerebral side more than most mobile QB's at this stage but Bridgewater is a pocket QB prospect. Like you said, Winston still has to get better at it. I would like to see him calling his own plays and calling audibles next year. Maybe put Baseball on hold.

David Carr was damaged. Very much so. While what you are saying is partly true, he was mentally gone before he could ever get to his potential. There was times I seen him make magic with limited supporting cast and an awful OL. While his flaws was clear as stated, he was damaged. He took too many hits and damaged his psyche and confidence. I hope Derek goes to a much better situation which is likely unless it's the Jets or the Raiders.

 

[Lakers Offseason]

Arm strength is necessary in the NFL to throw those deep outs, but you don't need to have Flacco arm strength to be successful. Conversely, just because you have a cannon for an arm doesn't necessarily equate success in the league. Main thing is accuracy, timing and pocket awareness. I haven't seen much of Bridgewater, but Winston breaks out of the pocket to run too often when it's not even necessary. He is a freshman though, so he could develop his pocket awareness as he progresses.

 

[GetSomeMoney]

I think people really overlook the cerebral game of Teddy, his size is a little of a question but I think he will be fine. The mental game of Teddy is phenomenal, better than Luck or Brandford, ive seen this guy make 4 reads on the field, he knows exactly when to check out of a certain play, he's already pro ready. I've heard mostly comparisons to Rodgers but ive never seen Rodgers make more than 2 reads on the field, his mobility and accuracy allows for those 2 reads to get open which in turn makes him so great. A comparison I kinda like for Teddy is Brees, not the arm but more athletic.

 

[dem bath salts]

If Teddy goes to Houston he'll be very good. Jameis is going to be good no matter where he lands. That dude is a true franchise QB. Jameis isn't just arm strength either, he has the most important QB ability: Accuracy.

 

[#1 pick]

I think people really overlook the cerebral game of Teddy, his size is a little of a question but I think he will be fine. The mental game of Teddy is phenomenal, better than Luck or Brandford, ive seen this guy make 4 reads on the field, he knows exactly when to check out of a certain play, he's already pro ready. I've heard mostly comparisons to Rodgers but ive never seen Rodgers make more than 2 reads on the field, his mobility and accuracy allows for those 2 reads to get open which in turn makes him so great. A comparison I kinda like for Teddy is Brees, not the arm but more athletic.

Rodgers is a tad bit overrated to a small degree when people talk about his overall ability. What he has is elite accuracy. The ONLY QB in NFL history to have elite accuracy at all three phases and that was 2011. His pocket presence isn't that good. Stands too long in the pocket and because of his elite pocket mobility he makes some bad decisions within the pocket at times. His post snap is elite not because of his progressions, but because he has great instincts when to throw the Football. Has elite arm talent. While his pre-snap reads aren't that great but his Football IQ is off the charts. When you put his strengths together, give him some weapons. He is a superstar super talent who is the best in the NFL and can carry most Football teams by himself. People could talk about the rule changes but someone like A-Rod who loves to take risks would be on injury list every year if he played in the 90's regardless of his superior talent and skill.

 

[#1 pick]

If Teddy goes to Houston he'll be very good. Jameis is going to be good no matter where he lands. That dude is a true franchise QB. Jameis isn't just arm strength either, he has the most important QB ability: Accuracy.

I generally like to follow these standards I seen in a SI article. I generally tend to agree with it as well. Arm strength is the most in trait a QB needs to have.

A Top 10 list of what NFL talent evaluators look for when figuring if a college passer has what it takes to succeed at the league's premier position.

QUARTERBACK CHECKLIST

#1 ARM STRENGTH : The Redskins overlooked this in drafting Heath Shuler at #3 IN 1994, as did the Bears in taking Cade McNown at #12 in 1999. " Name the last great quarterback who didn't have a strong arm," says former Giants passer Phil Simms. " I can't." In this draft, Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt and Kellen Clemens of Oregon would please Simms.

#2 FOOTBALL IQ : "The most important thing we do in evaluating a quarterback," says Titans coach Jeff Fisher, "is putting him up in front of our staff, firing questions at him and seeing if he can break down defenses and analyze why he makes certain decisions." Teams like that Matt Leinart got a head start by studying the NFL game tape last fall while at USC.

#3 ACCURACY : Michael Vick of the Falcons, the #1 pick in 2001, remains vexed by what troubled him at Virginia Tech : a low completion percentage. Vick's rate is 54.1% , about five points BELOW the league average. That's two or three completions per game that stops drives.

#4 MOBILITY : Good Vision and nimble feet can make up for sheer speed. The Colts Peyton Manning , the first pick in the 1998 draft, can move in the pocket and avoid rushers well enough.

#5 LEADERSHIP : Tom Brady is a regular at the Patriots' off-season workout programs. It's not hard to get full attendance when this era's Joe Montana leads the way.

#6 TOUGHNESS : Packers GM Tom Wolf, whom traded for Brett Favre in 1992 and later drafted Matt Hasselbeck in the 6th round in 1998, figured out Favre when, 31 days after stomach surgery, Favre took the field and led his college team, Southern Mississippi, to victory.

#7 RESUME : Says Saints coach Sean Payton, " I want to see a winner, a competitor, a guy who plays great from behind, a guy who plays well in big games." Though Cutler was on a bad Vanderbilt team, coaches believe he raised the play of the Commodores significantly.

#8 MATURITY : In 1998 the Chargers (drafting 2nd) overlooked such red flags around Ryan Leaf as his skipping his interview with the Colts (who held the 1st pick) at the scouting combine.

#9 PEDIGREE : " I love a coach's or player's son," says Eagles coach Andy Reid. "Favre, Hasselbeck, Ty Detmer, Mark Brunell, A.J. Feeley-- they've had the competitive part of the game pounded into them. They're going to know what it takes to win."

#10 HAND SIZE : No Kidding. Teams want a guy whose outstretched throwing hand measures at least 9 1/2 inches from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger. The Eagles knocked Daunte Culpepper off their draft list in 1999 in part because of his small hands.

 

[rocksteady]

winston is the best college QB i've ever seen (also taking into account how i think his game will relate to the NFL) - before that p.manning held that spot.

regardless of position and taking into account his prowess and success, i put winston up there with barry, randy, bo, AD and manning, coming out of college.

 

[#1 pick]

winston is the best college QB i've ever seen (also taking into account how i think his game will relate to the NFL) - before that p.manning held that spot.

regardless of position and taking into account his prowess and success, i put winston up there with barry, randy, bo, AD and manning, coming out of college.

Winston is so unfair. He is already extremely good and much better than most college football players and he can still get a lot better. Teddy is very good right now and can be a very good QB out of college right now. But his potential isn't that as say RG3, Luck, Rodgers, Cam, Jameis, and even Peyton. But that's why coaching, supporting cast, work ethic matters. Who's to say Teddy can't be elite at both short and intermediate passes. Who's to say Teddy can't be good at deep passes and who's to say he needs it if he has a playmaker at WR. A big part of a QB success hinges on his supporting cast. So even my analyst isn't the end all. This isn't Basketball scouting. Football is truly a team sport even if the QB has by far the most impact.

 

[Illin Degenerate]

jameis looks awkward as a runner, hes capable of running for a first down, but i wouldnt call his elusiveness good.

 

[iceberg_is_on_fire]

I generally like to follow these standards I seen in a SI article. I generally tend to agree with it as well. Arm strength is the most in trait a QB needs to have.

A Top 10 list of what NFL talent evaluators look for when figuring if a college passer has what it takes to succeed at the league's premier position.

QUARTERBACK CHECKLIST

#1 ARM STRENGTH : The Redskins overlooked this in drafting Heath Shuler at #3 IN 1994, as did the Bears in taking Cade McNown at #12 in 1999. " Name the last great quarterback who didn't have a strong arm," says former Giants passer Phil Simms. " I can't." In this draft, Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt and Kellen Clemens of Oregon would please Simms.

Why we stay stuck with Matthew Stafford. He could throw a hail mary in a tornado.

 

[#1 pick]

Why we stay stuck with Matthew Stafford. He could throw a hail mary in a tornado.

Yep, Stafford arm talent make him a much better NFL prospect than a college one. He was a frustrating college player. I hated watching his inaccurate ass when I would go to UGA games but his arm talent mixed with his good Football IQ made him a no brainer for most scouts.