Tag: Colt McCoy

Colt McCoy, Jay Gruden evaluate North Carolina QB Drake Maye

The former Washington coach and quarterback with an excellent breakdown of Drake Maye.

Colt McCoy and Jay Gruden are names Washington fans know well. Gruden served as Washington’s head coach from 2014-19, while McCoy was with the team throughout Gruden’s entire tenure.

It was during McCoy’s time in Washington that Kirk Cousins emerged as the team’s starting quarterback. However, McCoy always remained Gruden’s favorite passer and the pair have remained close since.

Over the past year, McCoy has been working with Underdog Fantasy, doing excellent work breaking down quarterback play. For draft season, McCoy had his old coach join him.

Recently, the duo evaluated North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye — a prospective No. 2 overall pick by the Washington Commanders.

Gruden has been consistent in his evaluation of Maye. He thinks Maye’s long-term ceiling could be the highest in the class, even more so than Caleb Williams. But Gruden also points out that most coaches need to win and cannot afford to wait for a quarterback to reach his potential.

In multiple media appearances, Gruden has always ranked Williams as the No. 1 quarterback, followed by LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. He said if he were Washington, he would probably go with Daniels because he can help you win now.

However, McCoy and Gruden were clear regarding how much they liked Maye as a prospect. On one play, Maye, a right-handed passer, rolls to his left, turns his hips, changes his arm angle, and fires a touchdown pass. Gruden was impressed after initially believing he would tell his quarterback to take the flat route for five yards.

Gruden and McCoy raved about Maye’s physical talents and his arm strengths. A concern is his ball placement. Gruden believes right now that Maye is behind Williams and Daniels with his ball placement, but that can obviously improve.

Both have spoken to coaches who have worked with Maye over the years about his character, work ethic, and coachability. McCoy’s college coach, Mack Brown, was Maye’s college coach, while Gruden spoke to longtime NFL assistant Clyde Christensen, who worked with Maye last season.

Gruden believes Maye can be the face of the franchise-type quarterback, saying he will do everything needed to succeed. Gruden calls Maye a “slam dunk” for his intangibles.

However, as both noted, plenty of quarterbacks who put in the work have failed in the NFL.

The 2024 NFL draft kicks off on Thursday and Washington is on the clock second after the Bears likely select Williams.

Will it be Maye or Daniels for Washington?

Former Washington QB Colt McCoy talks about why he liked playing for Kliff Kingsbury

McCoy played two seasons, starting six games for Kingsbury in Arizona. He likes him.

Colt McCoy was a record-setting quarterback at the University of Texas, starting 53 games and finishing his collegiate career with a 45-8 record.

While McCoy didn’t enjoy quite the same amount of success at the NFL level, he did play 13 seasons, appearing in 56 games with 36 starts. Six of McCoy’s 13 seasons came in Washington, while the final two were in Arizona. It was with the Cardinals where he played for new Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.

These days, McCoy is working as an analyst breaking down quarterback film with Josh Norris for Underdog Fantasy. Recently, McCoy broke down North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. Maye, Caleb Williams (USC), and Jayden Daniels (LSU) are the top quarterbacks in the upcoming 2023 NFL draft and could be the first three players selected.

McCoy likes what he sees from Maye. He discussed his arm strength and athleticism. McCoy also talked about North Carolina’s offense, which has been criticized. Norris specifically focused on the clap cadence, and McCoy mentioned his experience. The talk turned to Kingsbury.

“I think I have a unique perspective with the clap cadence because I have used it in the NFL with Kliff,” McCoy said. “And I was very unsure about it when I got to Arizona.

McCoy then praised multiple innovative offensive coaches around the NFL and their willingness to go against the grain and try new things, where the talk turned back to Kingsbury.

“One of the things I loved about Kliff was like, ‘Hey, I’ve been in college. Everyone in college uses the clap, and I don’t understand why we can’t use it in the NFL.’ So, we did, and it worked great. We went to Seattle and won a divisional game, and I used the clap the entire time. And I don’t know that the offensive linemen loved it, especially tackles,” McCoy said while explaining why tackles, who are often defending top pass rushers, may prefer a more traditional cadence.

The point: McCoy loved Kingsbury’s adaptability. Before Arizona, he had never coached in the NFL. So, he wouldn’t let traditional NFL narratives keep him from doing things he had success with in college football—that impressed McCoy.

As for what he thought of Maye, we’ll break down McCoy’s thoughts on Maye, Williams, and Daniels at a different time. He’s one of the best analysts and could easily have a big future in coaching.

As for Kingsbury, McCoy experienced some of the most success of his NFL career while playing under Kingsbury in 2021 and 2022. McCoy appeared in 12 games, making six starts with the Cardinals, and clearly believes in Washington’s new offensive coordinator.

 

Texas legend Colt McCoy wishes TE Ja’Tavion Sanders was on his teams

When asked what 2023 Texas player Colt McCoy wished played on his teams, he replied, “Sanders,” without hesitation.

Texas is competing for a national championship on Monday. The last time the team was legitimately in the national title discussion Colt McCoy led the team at quarterback.

McCoy relived his time in Austin in an interview with the Horns Up Podcast: Talkin’ Texas with Quan Cosby. In the interview, the Longhorn legend was asked what player on the Longhorns’ 2023 squad he wished played on his teams. Without hesitation, McCoy chose Texas tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders.

He went into his pick on the podcast.

“When (Texas tight end) Blaine Irby got hurt … we ended up spreading it out. And we adjusted, right? I mean, having Quan (Cosby) and Jordan (Shipley) was like a luxury. But had we had a tight end, you know, being able to get into some different personnel groups, it would have been a big factor for us.”

Adding a tight end as dynamic as Sanders certainly would have been an advantage. McCoy, Shipley and Cosby don’t get enough credit for hiding other deficiencies on the offensive side. They might not have had to carry as heavy a burden in offensive production had Sanders been on those teams.

The current Texas squad is fortunate to have players like Sanders and fellow receivers in Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell and Jordan Whittington to throw the football to. Even so, it’s by no mistake that those four players are on the Forty Acres. Credit head coach Steve Sarkisian for building, retaining and maintaining one of the best receiver rooms in the country.

Sanders and company will look to carry Texas to its first national title appearance since McCoy played for the team. The Longhorns take on the Washington Huskies at 7:45 p.m. CT on New Year’s Day.

7 quarterbacks Jaguars could sign after Patriots claimed Nathan Rourke

The Jaguars are suddenly in need of a quarterback with Trevor Lawrence in concussion protocol and Nathan Rourke claimed by the Patriots.

Update: The Jaguars signed E.J. Perry to their practice squad Tuesday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in sudden need of a quarterback.

For most of the year, the team has carried two quarterbacks on the active roster, Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Beathard, as well as former CFL star Nathan Rourke on the practice squad.

Now the team temporarily has only one passer after Lawrence landed in the concussion protocol and Rourke was claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots.

Rourke, 25, was signed to the active roster in October when Lawrence was questionable for a Week 7 game due to a knee injury. The Jaguars then waived Rourke and added him back to the practice squad after the game.

Jacksonville tried to do the same when an ankle sprain had Lawrence questionable for a Week 14 game. But the Patriots scooped up Rourke before he could get back to the Jaguars’ practice squad.

If Lawrence can’t play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, there’s no doubt that Beathard will be the team’s starter. But there’s also no question that the Jaguars need to add another player at the position.

Here are seven quarterbacks on the market who could be considered by the Jaguars:

Colt McCoy emerging as possible option at QB

McCoy spent time with O’Connell when they were both in Washington

The Minnesota Vikings are looking to add a quarterback to the roster after Kirk Cousins ruptured his right Achilles tendon against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon.

After the injury, there have been a lot of quarterbacks discussed as potential options. Multiple reporters have mentioned free agent quarterback Colt McCoy, and for good reason.

The Vikings worked out McCoy on Oct. 10 when Nick Mullens was about to be placed on injured reserve. McCoy was a third-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 2010 NFL draft and has started 36 games in his career.

Why is McCoy notable? It isn’t just for his experience in the league. McCoy and Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell spent time in Washington together across three seasons when O’Connell was on staff and McCoy was the backup quarterback. He started three games for the team in those years and theoretically wouldn’t have much of an issue picking up the offense.

This move wouldn’t be the most thrilling, but it would be effective, especially in helping Hall succeed and develop on the field.

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8 quarterbacks Giants could sign with Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor injured

The New York Giants may be without Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor for a while, so here are 8 potential quarterbacks they could sign.

Editor’s note: Shortly after this article went live, Daniel Jones was officially cleared for contact. However, it’s still uncertain if he will play in Week 9.

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones remains sidelined after suffering a neck injury in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins and it’s unclear when, exactly, he’ll be able to return.

Reports suggest that Jones suffered weakness in his left arm and although some strength has returned, he is still not cleared for contact. The Giants are hopeful that he’ll be able to take the field in Week 10 against the Dallas Cowboys, but that’s far from certain.

Compounding matters, veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor, Jones’ backup, suffered a serious rib cage injury on Sunday afternoon and remains hospitalized as of this writing.

With both Jones and Taylor ailing, the Giants are left with only practice squad quarterback Tommy DeVito on the roster. And that’s simply not going to cut it.

Unless Jones (or Taylor) makes a miraculous and unexpected recovery by the weekend, the Giants will be forced to sign a quarterback — potentially two. One to start and one to serve as a backup.

Here is a look at some options.

Seahawks fans are afraid of losing to another backup QB

The Seahawks have a strange history facing backup quarterbacks during the Pete Carroll era – and it’s not a good one.

The Seahawks won’t face the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft this week, after all. Carolina quarterback Bryce Young has not practiced this week and all signs point to veteran backup Andy Dalton starting against Seattle in his place.

Normally a backup having to start over a top draft pick would be a good sign for the opponent. However, the Seahawks have a strange history facing backup quarterbacks during the Pete Carroll era – and it’s not a good one. Whether it’s Dalton or The Devil Himself Colt McCoy, backups have fared unusually well against this Seattle team in recent years. In fact, Dalton beat them just last season with the Saints.

Every game is unique, but there does seem to be a pattern that repeats in these games where they lose to backups and boring game manager type QBs. First, they play zone defense practically the entire game, they get dinked and dunked down the field every possession, they lose by a touchdown and then coach Pete Carroll blames it all on not running the ball enough.

Hopefully this time around is different. However, now instead of feeling confident heading into a home game against an inferior team, some Seahawks fans are getting anxious. Here’s what they’re sharing on social media following the news that Dalton will likely start over Young.

Behind Enemy Lines: Week 2 Q&A with Cardinals Wire

With a Week 2 matchup between the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals on tap, we go behind enemy lines for a chat with Cardinals Wire.

The New York Giants (0-1) and Arizona Cardinals (0-1) will square off on Sunday afternoon in a Week 2 matchup at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The Giants opened the week as 4.5-point road favorites, but the spread has gotten a little worse with New York now at -4.

With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Cardinals Wire managing editor Jess Root.

5 veteran QBs the Jets could consider following Aaron Rodgers’ injury

Aaron Rodgers is expected to be out for the season and the Jets could pursue one of these veteran QBs.

The scene at MetLife Stadium was palpable on Monday Night Football as fans of the New York Jets were anxious to see their new franchise quarterback in Aaron Rodgers take the field. Fans went from being animated to dejected on New York’s first drive on offense when Rodgers went down with a lower leg injury.

Rodgers made the trip to the medical tent and was carted to the tunnel before undergoing further testing while sporting a walking boot. Following an improbable win sans Rodgers, Robert Saleh shared that the Jets believe it’s an Achilles injury, which means he’s expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Saleh was confident in saying that Zach Wilson will be the starter for the rest of the year, but even if that’s true, the Jets can’t rely on Wilson and Tim Boyle being their two quarterbacks on the roster. Taking that into account, here are five veteran quarterbacks the Jets could consider adding.

3 veteran QBs Patriots could sign as No. 2 option behind Mac Jones

Here are three veteran quarterbacks that could serve as the new No. 2 option behind Mac Jones.

Bailey Zappe’s initial release had many shocked that the second-year player might have played his last snap in New England.

However, the Patriots signed Zappe back to the practice squad after he cleared waivers, but there was an initial report that stated the Patriots were still looking for a veteran backup for Mac Jones.

Do the Patriots really dislike Zappe? I get the sense that they still like him in the building, however, he was viewed as a “Matt Patricia guy” and a selection to fulfill the Kyle Shanahan-style offense that was a failure last season with first-time offensive coordinators trying to implement it.

Pierre Strong Jr. was another one of those picks that was supposed to thrive in that outside zone scheme, but he was recently traded to the Cleveland Browns for offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr. It is possible the Patriots could be trying to right the ship internally with those picks from 2022, which are no longer deemed scheme fits in Zappe, Strong, and yes, Tyquan Thornton, too.

The Patriots still believe Cole Strange is a fit in the new offense and can adapt, even if he is more suited for the agile offensive line system Kyle Shanahan and many west coast offenses deploy.

There is still some belief that Zappe can develop the parts of his game to be a capable backup in the system, but the Patriots likely want to find a veteran quarterback who can step in now behind Jones to mentor him and jump in if needed due to injury.

After what we saw all summer, Zappe is not capable of doing that right now and would benefit from developmental reps. Zappe’s game, in its current state, is more suited for single-read offenses that are predetermined, which is very similar to those QB-friendly systems Shanahan runs.

If Zappe is more QB3 than anything, who could the Patriots bring in that fits the scheme, is good enough to run it in a pinch, and is mature enough to be comfortable as a mentor and backup?