Henne vs. Quinn vs. Beck

[Dave Gray]

When we passed on Quinn last year, I was surprised, just because I thought it would've been a pretty decent value pick.  However, I wasn't angry.  I don't watch much college ball, but from what I'd seen in Quinn's highlight reel, his long passes were very lofty, and he looked like a college style QB.

With Beck, I was completely unfamiliar with him.  In game situations, he seemed very stiff and very confused.  He had a deer-in-headlights look to him.  Can anybody enlighten me as to what kind of player he was in college?

As for Henne, his highlight reel (most of the stuff against the Gators) looks a lot better.  His long passes look sharp, and he has some nice passes where he threads the needle pretty well.  "Open" in college and "Open" in the NFL are different, and it seemed like Henne was making more pro-level throws.  I have no idea how he'll fare in the NFL, but I see why the front office gang is interested.

[KC]

Whatever Beck did in college, how he's looked on our field is what is the key of course.  I will say though that in a lot of ways Henne "looks" like he's more of a guy who has a chance of doing well in the NFL.  With that said he's a far cry from a sure thing and we'll see about that.  For the pick we spent on him it's a value deal and I agree with the team that he's not that far off Ryan at least in terms of skills.  Let's look at the schools though.  The Wolverines are much closer to the NFL than the Cougars are and that's part of the intangibles here.  Henne strikes me as more of a gamer and while Beck will give you an honest effort he doesn't seem to me to be as intense.  Henne strikes me as more of an athlete as well.  Then there's the age thing which I keep bringing up but only because I believe it's so central to the thing.  It's not that we lose 2 years of play here it's that pound for pound other guys are way more developed at this age.

In college Beck was more than adequate in a system that is designed around protecting the passer quite a bit but in an environment that's a far cry from the NFL.  It's not a big surprise that he looks more like the hunted than the hunter in the jungle he found himself in last year.  As our line improves and he gets more comfortable he's got a shot at being half decent, but doesn't have neither the tools nor the competitiveness to distinguish himself from the assortment of junk QB's that they've paraded in front of us, and that's the real bottom line here.  Will Henne succeed?  Maybe, maybe not, but he's more prepared for this in his rookie season than Beck was, and he's mentally tougher which is a big thing when it comes to breaking into the NFL.  One thing's for sure we need someone to step up and if it's neither of these guys well we have to keep trying and perhaps use a higher pick in a richer top QB draft, but I believe for the first time the team realizes this and that's what I'm most excited about here.

Here's the war room scouting reports on them, the Beck one from last year of course:

B8 - John Beck, Brigham Young        John BeckOfficial Bio
Height: 6-2
Weight: 215
40 yard dash: 4.77
Grade: 55
Strengths:
John Beck has a quick release and is efficient in a short passing attack. Beck has adequate arm strength and is a good character person.
Weaknesses:
Beck has an awkward release, including a low release point at times. He comes from a shotgun based spread passing offense in college and will be forced to adapt to making more vertical NFL throws. He is older than the typical prospect at age 25.
Overall:
Beck has been effective at BYU, but will have a hard time being anything more then a backup at the next level. He is not the athlete many teams are seeking at quarterback and his age is a concern. He is good at making quick decisions and has acceptable arm strength.

Michigan QB Chad Henne Scouting Report
Height: 6-3, Weight: 228, Draft Grade: 80

Strengths: Experienced starter…played excellent competition in the Big Ten…possesses a strong arm and seems to be adapt at throwing all the routes necessary to be an NFL QB…mentally tough QB…strong upper body, so he should be able to shrug off some oncoming pass rushers…was in a moderately complex offense at Michigan, so reading defenses and adapting to the NFL should be a more smooth transition for Chad Henne than many other 2008 QB prospects…

Weaknesses: The 2007 season was a virtual nightmare for Chad Henne…he battled high expectations as well as a host of injuries…his delivery is inconsistent…at times he throws the ball with a slight sidearm motion…Henne, like many other 2008 QB prospects, has zero mobility so his offensive line better be very solid…accuracy is a question mark—due in part to throwing from several different arm angles…will need some work on fundamentals

Overall: Chad Henne was once thought to be a lock for a 1st Round draft pick, but following the 2007 season that is no longer the case. He is an experienced signal-caller who played for four seasons against the top competition that college football has to offer, on the other hand, the 2007 season set off several ‘red flags’ regarding his pro potential. Henne had two NFL Draft ready wide receivers to throw to, an NFL RB prospect to hand the ball off to, as well as an NFL ready left tackle blocking his blindside, and yet could not put up the consistent season that he, Mike Hart, Jake Long, and company were expecting when they all returned for their senior year. Chad Henne is still a solid QB prospect, but his hopes should not revolve around being a 1st round pick, but rather a possible 1st day selection.

Notice that Henne despite his noted weaknesses gets a grade of 80 while Beck only gets a 55.  These are both pretty dead on in my view.