The Cleveland Browns recently signed Robert Griffin III, but all signs indicate that they will still take a quarterback early in the draft, still possibly as high as second overall. If that is the case, Carson Wentz is very much in play for them.
He has the size, arm and athleticism that teams tend to put on a pedestal. Whether or not he deserves to go as high as second overall is another debate, but there should be a clear idea of how to make Wentz comfortable in the offense early on.
By: Derrik Klassen
Before delving into what Cleveland will do with Wentz, it must be known that Wentz’s background as a “pro-style” passer is fabricated. He operated under center more often than the other quarterbacks in the class, sure, but the passing concepts were not really any more complex than anyone else’s. Wentz ran a lot of four verts at North Dakota State, which is a staple for all of the “spread” offenses that many analysts get worried about. Many of these concepts were without a weakside read, either. Instead, there would a playside check down- a much easier throw to transition to and complete. Without getting into too much detail, Wentz doesn’t have any sort of “mental edge” over his peers because of the system that he came from.
Wentz wasn’t particularly sharp when running these concepts, either. There were far too many plays where he either poorly cemented his feet, stared down at his target or both. With as supposedly comfortable as he was with these concepts, it would have been nice to see him look off throws more than he did instead of showing his hand early. Alas, Wentz seemingly went through the motions.
In Cleveland, Wentz is going to need the offense to gift wrap him a lot of throws. Lucky for him, Hue Jackson is one of the smartest offensive minds in the league. He was the mastermind behind Andy Dalton’s career year last year and has had plenty of other success beforehand. Jackson’s calling card is that he knows how to create space for a receiver and how to get the ball out quickly to that receiver. Jackson understand that the job of the quarterback is simply to get the ball to the skill players and if he can simplify that process, he will. He brought in a number of concepts for Dalton that made the system look like a college system, such as 4-verts variants, quick outs and half-field reads. These are the types of concepts Wentz needs.
Quick Outs
Wentz is going to need some simple concepts that get the ball out quickly and do not require him to do much thinking. Avoiding traffic over the middle of the field would be ideal, too. At most, Wentz has to read two defenders to execute this play. That is as simple as it is going to get. It is also worth noting that many quarterbacks struggle with velocity when throwing quick outs, but Wentz has an arm that should not allow that issue to surface.
On this play, Andy Dalton had to read the boundary cornerback and out-throw the slot cornerback. The slot cornerback is clearly shaded inside of the slot receiver, so the only path he would have to the ball would be to undercut the route from a trailing position- a play that would require insane timing and athleticism. The boundary corner is where this play is truly made or broken. Dalton has to read whether or not the boundary corner is going to move up the field. The cornerback does travel up the field on this play, so Dalton throws the quick out underneath him and helps gain a few yards for his team.
Seam Routes
Wentz is not a wonderful thrower deep down the sideline, but he has shown success gunning throw deep down the middle of the field. He is comfortable throwing into the teeth of the defense and has the arm to fit a lot of the tight windows in that part of the field. Wentz’s higher rate of success here most likely lies in it being the most comfortable area of the field to throw to, in terms of adjusting one’s body for the throw, but no matter the reason, this is his best area.
With the defense showing zone, Dalton has to read the play side linebacker to make this play work. The boundary receiver runs a short curl, while the tight end widens from his stance and heads down the seam to the end zone. The play side linebacker is forced to make a decision: clamp down on the curl route or carry the tight end down the seam to close that window. The linebacker likely assumed he would get help over the top if he moved down to defend the curl, but he was wrong. The defenders over the top left too much space between themselves and the linebacker, allowing Dalton to get the ball to the tight end.
Wentz needs reads and throws like these. This concept allows Wentz to narrow down his line of sight and focus on one key. If the linebacker carries up the field, he can throw the hook; and if the linebacker bites down, Wentz can throw the seam like Dalton did above. Either way, it is a throw Wentz should be able to make and the read is fairly simple.
Half-Field Reads
This concept plays on the same progression read that Wentz talked about in his preview snippet for Jon Gruden’s QB Camp episode with him. Though, instead of two verticals on the play side, it is a slot man running a straight vertical while the boundary receiver runs a deep inward breaking route, or a “dig” route. Wentz should read the vertical first, then the “dig” and then the short flat route ran by the running back. This allows Wentz to flow smoothly from left to right, which he was quite used to doing at North Dakota State. This concept also coaxes Wentz to either throw to the middle of the field or simply allow another player to make something happen. Giving Wentz a concept that is both comfortable for him and has an easy bail out is ideal.
Overall
Hue Jackson and the Cleveland Browns is not the most ideal fit for Carson Wentz, but Jackson’s brilliance would certainly allow the situation to work well regardless. Jackson understands how to adapt to quarterbacks and simplify the system for them, and he can certainly do so for Wentz. Wentz could benefit greatly from an offense that will not immediately ask a lot of him because, quite frankly, he would not be able to handle it. There are a few other fits that may be better for Wentz, but many signs are pointing to the Browns taking Wentz early in the draft.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
