A Contrarian View On Sam Darnold

You might remember earlier this month that senior analyst Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus questioned Sam Darnold’s “long throwing motion” and the conventional wisdom Darnold would be the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

I asked Palazzolo about this today and here’s what he said: “If you freeze it on film, a lot of people are going to pick that throwing motion apart. I think you saw a special talent last season. I also think he got away with a lot of throws last year.

“I don’t think it’s a lock he’s the No. 1 pick. It’s not often that a quarterback expected to be No. 1 a year before the draft is the No. 1 pick.”

Palazzolo said Andrew Luck and Jameis Winston were exceptions who were projected to be No. 1 and remained No. 1 in the draft. He said Josh Rosen (UCLA), Lamar Jackson (Louisville) and Josh Allen (Wyoming) were also potential No. 1 picks.

54 thoughts on “A Contrarian View On Sam Darnold

  1. Scott you told us that Darnold is the savior? I actually agree with Palazzolo’s view. I think Darnold’s body of work is small and needs more scrutiny before we give him GOAT title.

    • Rosen knows about Sophmore let down.
      I’m curious to see how Darnold does now that teams will be coming for him.

      • My optimistic view? I think he handles it well. He’s too special, and not just athletically. Rosen’s a cocky punk.

      • They were coming for him last season I thought. Teams did everything they could, every stunt, blitz, zone and whatever. He saw the book thrown at him in his season last year. He reacted instinctively, not something he was taught.

        • I felt like they shut it down early because of his arm Injury.
          We’ll see how he comes back. He could have played the last few weeks.

  2. Huh?

    Having a contrarian opinion against the stupid opinion that Darnold is #1 pick after starting about 9 total games in college is equally stupid.

  3. This can be said of any preseason prognostication for a number 1 pick and not just for QBs. So much can happen during the season. That being said, I think throwing motion of a QB is overrated. It’s important to an extent, but what’s between the ears and in the heart are more important than picking apart a motion that can deliver the ball where it needs to be quickly — which is exactly what Sam does.

  4. Well now gee whiz if I swing a dead cat in Westwood chances are I’ll hit someone who thinks Rosey Rosen is better than Sam Bam Darnold ….. and three animal rights activists and a vegan—So?

  5. Rosen as a #1 pick? Now that’s funny and idiotic too.

    USC obliterated Rosen, a guy with zero pocket presence, when he was a frosh and he looked mediocre as a soph before getting hammered.

    The only question with Rosen is will he leave after this season since he knows ucla football always goes nowhere.

    • Rosen was the bright spot in the program. UCLA is going on 20 years since they last played in the Rose Bowl in the postseason.

      • I actually thought Takkarist McKinley and Kenny Clark were better ucla players. Rosen came in with all the hype but has disappointed IMHO.

        • McKinley was great. Rosen has a lot to learn and should stay all 4 years unless he has an amazing season, which is a bit of a long shot. He has played behind a poor line and makes poor decisions with the ball.

        • Yeah, it was almost unfair. He wasn’t going to be able to live up to the hype.

    • Hard to believe f uucla was favored over SC in Rosen’s freshman year. Now he is trained to lose to us.

  6. I thought I saw last season destroy most defenses with that long throwing motion such as ND, ugly, Penn St. and others, or am I seeing things. All I know is that per Scotty’s assessment of an average line last year, he beat those teams with his long throwing motion. Oh well, I think Darnold knows what he is doing compared to
    Wolf and Palazzolo, whom I am sure they never wore helmets and pads, yet they know it all.

    • College and NFL are far different. You are correct about the teams he destroyed in college and I happen to think he will be a fine pro. I also remember a great UCLA QB that John Robinson praised named Cade McNown. He was a flop as a pro.

      Two of the greatest NFL QBs, Brady and Montana, were late round selections, so plenty of these NFL experts are wrong. I still laugh at the Rams taking Goff at #1. I also think Rosen will need another year.

  7. Darnold will do well this year with a team that has learned the coaches system. Let’s win the PAC 12 outright and suffer no losses. Talking about Sam’s pro ranking is really a waste of time.

    • But not a humiliating 52 – 6, no TD loss on national TV, followed by whiny Rah – Rah excuses, excuses, excuse and ugly fingerpointing. “Hee,Hee.”

      Correct me if I’m wrong Sambo, but didn’t you prognosticate a LOCK bozo u shock the world upset. “Hee, Hee.”

      UCLA scored a TD in every win or loss in 2016. Don’t you wish Sammy, Bozo u could make the same FB claim.

        • He can only brag about what another team did to USC. That is how pathetic he is.

        • No Sammy, Penn St. lost it on mind numbing stupidity – in fact, only Little Petey’s brillant decision to call a pass on the Patriot half yard line exceeds Penn St’s brainless futility.

          • Truth stings doesn’t it?

            bozo u up 12 points on Tixas, with 10 mins to go, and, and, and choka, choka, choka!

          • So, with your warped logic, ugly was up 7 to 0 with 58.29 minutes left in the game and then the ruins choked in last year’s game. Now that is the choke of all time.

          • Squatter, u so funny. In your mind, Penn st lost the game due to mind numbing stupidity. However, squatter, someone had to take advantage of the mind numbing stupidity and produce more points. Face facts, you have lost reality and reality definitely has lost and wants to keep losing you. Please get my pizza to my house on time. An extra 50 cents will be waiting for you if you do. Yes, Lou Alcindor can ride with you, but I won’t tip him.

      • So your argument is that Ucla’s 8 losses where prettier than USC’s 3 losses? Wow. You must have nightmares about USC.

  8. Scott,
    You missed a golden opportunity to take a shot at Matt Barkley.
    You’re slipping.

  9. ….Darnold will be the #1 pick…PERIOD…I heard a draft expert saying recently Cleveland didnt need to draft a QB because they had Kessler…LMFAO…KESSLER, YES THAT KESSLER…LOL

  10. It’s the NFL people that are all over Darnold. You don’t see guys with his intangibles, arm and mobility all the time. At least that’s what the NFL personnel directors think.

    Darnold would be drafted ahead of every other QB this week, if he were out – even with only 10 starts. Sounds crazy, but no other college football player in America turned his team around on a dime like Darnold did.

  11. “I think he got away with A LOT of throws last year.” That’s a tortured comment if there ever was one. It makes no sense. He is saying that Sam had a load of luck last year….over 8 games! Maybe he gets away with A FEW throws, as all QBs do, but getting away with a lot of throws may mean that Sam is a very good passer.

  12. Steve Palazzolo Is not what I call a analyst. He coached the Southen Oregon Raiders. They are in the NAIA. That might not be bad if it wasn’t for the fact that his best record was 6-3. His coaching record at Southern Oregon was 30–31–2. As of the conclusion of the 2009 season, this ranks him #5 at Southern Oregon in total wins and #6 at the school in winning percentage (.492).
    He also coached something called the Rocky Mountain Battlin’ Bears.
    This guy is along the lines of Skip “I have no clue what I’m talking about” Bayless.
    BTW. Philip Rivers throws the football sidearm. He done pretty well for himself.

  13. I don’t know. I watch every SC game and I always thought that Darnold had a quick release. But, I guess, the experts have spoken. Who am I to argue with these little football Einsteins?

      • I’m not a pro football scout but I’ve coached football before and he looked pretty good to me last year.

        • Sam has size and and has natural football instincts most don’t have. .He can obviously make the throws as we saw the last 10 games. These “experts” are wrong most the time anyway.

  14. When the season ended after the Rose Bowl, I said then he had all winter, spring, summer to work on the long throw. The long pass does not need the quick release, but needs the strength and finesse to lay it in at a long distance. I am sure staff are working on it, and if they don’t change anything, he will still go #1 just because he does everything else so dang good.

    • A reporter asked Juju if he thought Sam could get better next year, and the response was: ‘WAY BETTER! He’s started 10 games.”

      Last year was precocity. If he keeps working at his craft, this year could well be preeminence.

      I didn’t follow Palmer’s college career. But at least as compared to every succeeding USC QB, I agree with Herbstreit: “[H]e’s in another galaxy.” And to say that Sam can’t still improve at a lot of things is to deny common sense.

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