Having a huge arm may seem like a prerequisite for an NFL quarterback, but it’s one of the most overrated traits one can have
The 2015 NFL Draft is still a few months away, but NFL teams have already started getting deep into their player evaluations. With several teams near the top of the draft in desperate need of a new quarterback, this year’s class of signal-callers is sure to be picked over closely. With that in mind, it’s a good time to remind executives and scouts around the league of the most overrated trait a quarterback can have: arm strength.
While common sense seems to dictate that a quarterback must have a cannon to succeed at the NFL level, that’s not close to true. Sure, a quarterback needs to be able to make all the necessary throws at the professional level, but he doesn’t need to have a huge arm. In fact, I would contend that having a big arm can actually be a serious detriment to a player’s development. For proof of that, we need to look no further than Joe Flacco, Jay Cutler and Colin Kaepernick.
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Flacco, Cutler and Kaepernick probably have the three biggest arms in the NFL among starting quarterbacks, and all three guys have failed to develop. I believe their arm strength is a key reason why. Guys who can make throws like this often rely on that ability far too often. They take chances they shouldn’t and feel like they can just gun the ball when things break down. That’s not a recipe for success in the NFL.
We always hear how “talented” Kapernick, Flacco and Cutler are. I think that’s completely misleading. All three guys are athletically gifted, but that doesn’t mean they have what I call “quarterback talent.” Quarterbacks need to have excellent vision, must be able to read defenses effectively and deliver passes accurately. You’ll notice nothing in the last sentence stated that they need to throw the ball at 59 miles per hour.
Kaepernick has been an NFL starter for three full seasons and only completed 60.5 percent of his passes this year, with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also consistently made throws like this. Because of how strong his arm is, he thinks he can fit the ball into places he obviously can’t. As I’ve discussed before, Kaepernick throws without setting his feet and often rolls one way and throws the other. He could get by solely on his athletic gifts in college, but not in the NFL. It will work on occasion, but that’s fool’s gold and we all know it.
I don’t mean to pick on Kaepernick, so let’s look at Cutler. Against the Panthers in Week 5 Cutler made this throw. If you’ll notice, he doesn’t step into the pass and is flat-footed. Why? Because he has been in the NFL for nine years and has never properly developed his mechanics. They aren’t fluid and he’ll throw off his back foot on roughly half of his pass attempts. That’s a direct result of thinking he’ll always have enough arm to get the job done, so it doesn’t matter if his footwork and arm motion are lazy and inconsistent. Since he has entered the NFL Cutler has never bothered to improve that aspect of his game.
Flacco isn’t much better as he has completed just 60.5 percent of his career passes, and boasts a career quarterback rating of just 84.8 despite a huge arm. In 2013, he threw 19 touchdown passes and a whopping 22 interceptions while completing just 59.0 percent of his passes. I feel like I should mention that both Flacco and Cutler were given massive contract extensions based on their “talent,” yet neither has consistently shown he has anything other than a big arm.
Cutler, Flacco and Kaepernick are just the latest in a long line of quarterbacks who had big arms and never developed the other aspects of their craft. Jeff George had legendary arm strength and could never put it all together. Matthew Stafford is another current NFL quarterback who has struggled to find consistency despite a big arm. And while Brett Favre was able to harness the howitzer on his right shoulder for a long time, late in his career even he regressed into trying to fit the ball into places he shouldn’t have.
In contrast to guys like Flacco, Cutler and Kaepernick are Philip Rivers and Drew Brees. Both Rivers and Brees can make all the necessary throws, but don’t possess amazing arm strength. Instead, each guy relies on his accuracy and ability to read defenses. Both have carved out Hall of Fame careers.
When evaluating quarterbacks scouts should be focused on accuracy, ball placement, awareness, footwork and mechanics. Arm strength is to quarterbacks as the 40-yard dash is to running backs. In the long-run, it’s almost completely irrelevant.
This spring when you’re reading about all the qualities of this year’s quarterback class, don’t fall in love with arm strength. Instead hope your team drafts the most complete quarterback, because whoever that is will know he has to develop his other skills.