Movies I Love: 2013 Quarterbacks

Five years I've been doing this.  Five years.  The presentation has undergone many changes, but the message is the same -- discuss the position group in advance of the season.

Usually, the effort is spiced liberally with optimism.  But I think I've finally reached "over the hill" status as a UVA football fan (see also: beaten dog syndrome), so I'm cutting back on the optimism and trying to use a bit more realism.  The embarrassment over Phillip Sims has affected me in profound ways.

Anyway, let's kick this thing off.  I'm embracing my laziness over intros and explanations.  Sink or swim in this bitch, people.  It's not that damn hard to figure out (if you've seen the movie).  (If you haven't seen the movie, it'll still make sense on a macro level, but it won't be as good.  Make it a priority to see the movie, damn you.)

First up, we're talking about the 2013 quarterbacks.

And the movie I love is:

Randall 'Pink' Floyd
This is a projection of what I think will happen, not necessarily what I want to happen.  Reading the tea leaves, I think [redshirt sophomore] David Watford opens the season as our starting quarterback.

Pretty sure he completed a nice play action bomb to Tim Smith on this play.

David Watford pros:

• Can run.
• Has a cannon.
• Should be good on read option / bootleg / rollout type plays.
• Will have "earned" the job.
• Has generated buzz for his work ethic and leadership during the redshirt season, spring practice, and offseason.  The team will probably rally around him.
• Opens a 757 quarterback pipeline, allowing for easy flow from Watford in 2013, '14, '15 to [then-sophomore] Corwin 'Turtle' Cutler in 2016.

David Watford cons:

• Lack of accuracy on short/intermediate throws.
• Has a sometimes-weird sidearmish delivery (see the photo, above).
• Even though he can run, I don't think he has much "wiggle."  Which is to say he's fast but maybe not elusive.
• Skinny frame, and if he runs, he will absorb some hits.  Have to worry about durability here.
• Reminds me a lot - TOO MUCH - of Jameel Sewell.
• What happens to Golden Boy Greyson Lambert if Watford wins the starting job?  Easy to see a flight risk there.

Add it up, and it's a meh sort of option.  Watford could be pretty good, or he could be mediocre.  His wheels and demonstrated toughness / leadership creates a relatively high floor for the situation, which I like.  I also like how a mobile QB works with what figures to be a shaky offensive line.  I think the 2013 offense as a whole would benefit from Watford under center, as it opens up pages of the playbook that can help cover a so-so OL.  And obviously, a player who can scramble away from pass rush pressure is a good thing for an offensive line that will allow pressure to leak through.

What I really don't like here is the potential impact it would have on Lambert, and the potential for a rhythm-robbing injury to Watford -- like we saw way too many times with Sewell.

Like with Randy Floyd's indecision on whether to sign that stupid piece of paper, I'm having trouble signing off on giving my full blessing to David Watford as our starting quarterback for this season.  Pink likes playing football to get laid, just like I want to watch UVA football win so I don't want to kill myself.  I guess ultimately Watford is probably our best option for 2013, just like agreeing to the coach's wishes is ultimately the best decision for Pink.

Mitch Kramer
The young freshman, just trying to dip his wick.  This is [redshirt freshman] Greyson Lambert.

This just looks RIGHT.

Lambert is tall, statuesque, live-armed, and capable of making all the throws.  He was recruited by Nick Saban.  He says the right things, does the right things, and looks the part of a Golden Boy.  But he lacks experience and he lacks Watford's x-factor mobility.  He also lacks ties to the recruiting scene in the state of Virginia.  So my best guess is that he's the backup to Watford this season, at least until after he takes his licks and comes back to dump a bucket of paint on O'Bannion (read also: relieves Watford and produces against a tough opponent, like say BYU or Oregon, or maybe Pitt -- that timing seems right).

As much as I hate Mitchie in the movie, I love Lambert's upside for UVA football.  It's probably my preference for him to be named the starting quarterback in training camp, and then proceed through a career as a four-year starter at UVA, during which time he goes on to shatter school records, win bowl games, throw perfect rainbow bombs for touchdowns, bang chicks, and be awesome.  But this is Virginia Football, so I'm being pessimistic about all of that.  I want to see Lambert start, but I'm guessing he won't.

UNLESS...

Party at the Moon Tower
Mike and Pierce (and probably any/every other UVA football fan) will kill me for saying this, but I think the best option for the 2013 season, in an attempt to win now and also secure future success, is to go with a two-QB system...

"UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH..."  I know, I know, but hear me out.

What I'm talking about is a two-QB system, NOT like the blatant dumbassery London employed with Mike Rocco and Watford/Sims the last two seasons.  Instead, I want Lambert starting and handling all of the regular quarterback stuff, with Watford coming in for special short yardage and goal line packages in which he runs that shit he'll be naturally good at running -- the boots and scampers and rollouts and read option stuff I mentioned above.

To me, that's the best of both worlds for this season.  Take advantage of the two very different - yet complementary - skill sets.  Kevin's dad busted the party?  Just go to the Moon Tower.


"Air Raid, you little freshman bitches!"

These guys won't play, unless our Titanic hits the iceberg.  In which case, the stupid boat is going to sink, anyway.  But that's a different movie, sorry.

• [redshirt freshman] Matt Johns -- I know next to nothing about this guy, other than the fact that he was a lightly-recruited 3-star guy out of PA and part of the 2012 class that included the more buzzworthy Greyson Lambert.  That Johns stayed committed to UVA once Lambert verballed tells me Johns is either a fighter or content to be a backup.  Still, I like the video I've seen of him, and I get the feeling that he has a nice amount of upside.
• [true freshman] Brendan 'Whitey' Marshall -- No doubt, he's redshirt bound.  HERE's what I had to say about him back in February.
• [true freshman] Corwin 'Turtle' Cutler -- He's prepping.  We'll see him in 2014.

So there you have it.  Our 2013 quarterback situation: Dazed and Confused.