Going on record, after having told a Bills-fan friend earlier this week that I believe Buffalo stumbled backward into their future.
Going on record - Jeff Tuel is the guy, and I predict he will have success to the point where he'll surprise many and become the guy there for the next 8-plus years.
My Bills-fan friend doesn't buy it. Not yet, anyway. But take a look at his pre-season minutes. Very solid.
The kid has great NFL QB size (6-3, 218), was a 4.6 40 guy coming out - he's not a runner, but he CAN and does run (quite well) when pressed. His pocket presence is really natural. Seems to have a great sense around him.
Throws a nice, accurate deep ball, has a quick release, a near-text book motion and has very good accuracy.
Better yet, he's a high character guy and a leader.
Just my gut here after seeing him a bit, and researching a little more, but I'm calling it. Who's in?
Don't believe it? Take a look. - (
New Window )
Scouting report on Tuel (and one of my friends is a writer/amateur scout and confirmed this)
EJ is going to be their guy.
I'm completely serious. Pac-12 football fans will tell you as much. When he was a sophomore (the year before Leach arrived) he was honorable mention All-Conference despite playing on just an abysmal WSU team and, with Leach coming to town and a bonafide #1 WR in Marquess Wilson, seemed poised to jump off and, in a conference full of QB talent, was the passer that many were keeping an eye on.
But what happened? He got hurt in his junior year and only played in a few games. By the time he was a senior, Leach had pretty much decided to go in a different direction, but Tuel still started about half their games.
In retrospect, Tuel wasn't a great fit for the Air Raid. And it's a shame he got hurt just as he was starting to take off.
It's wild that he gets the chance to start now.
He seems to get hurt.
that was my point in referencing pennington. a friend of mine is a Bills fan and asked another friend of ours who is a scout about him and that was his reply "pop-gun arm" but made plays, etc. reminds me of pennington with more mobility. not a bad Qb necessarily, just not a strong arm.
hopefully that clarifies it.
That's far from a "pop-gun arm."
But it's at least a solid arm.
It's hard to properly calibrate just how bad WSU has been over the past half a dozen years.
Tuel is an intriguing developmental prospect. At 6’3” 218 lbs he has the size you want in a QB and with a 4.6 40 he has the speed you look for in today’s NFL, too. But a career ruined by injuries, controversy (see: Marquess Wilson-Mike Leach), coaching changes and an overall terrible supporting cast leaves you wondering. The tools are there though. The thing I like the most about Tuel is his touch on deep throws. What I hate is that for a running QB he NEVER slides. It’s probably what led to his broken collarbone. That can be can be coached however. He has character as well. He could’ve been given a medical exception for an extra year but refused
OK.
Now, did you look at the footage?
Doesn't exactly jibe.
There's a lot of college QBs who have everything you want...leadership, smarts, mobility, etc...but can't put zip on the ball. Damn shame.
What I would contest is this:
"He has no escape-ability with his feet and he will not make any plays in this aspect of the game in the NFL."
I don't think that's even remotely true. If anything, I'd say the opposite.
I'm on record.
Now, we'll see.
I think he can make plays, but he'll struggle with the throws that require them to get there on a line.
that was his best asset, and he still wound up in the arena league, so using him as an example for overrating arm strength is a bad comparison.
After the injuries though, he went from below avg (for NFL QB's) arm strength, to abysmal, to the point where he couldn't even throws that HS QB's could probably zip in there.