Steel Dino
02-23-2008, 12:05 PM
Combine Notebook: Former Pitt QB Flacco stands tall as prospect
Saturday, February 23, 2008
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
INDIANAPOLIS -- There are plenty of intriguing prospects at the NFL draft scouting combine and plenty more with a lot to prove to NFL coaches.
Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco likely fits in both categories because he is a tall, strong-armed quarterback but hails from a small school, played in a spread offense and often took his snaps from the shotgun formation.
Flacco, who transferred from Pitt after spring drills in 2005 because he didn't want to sit the bench for two years behind Tyler Palko, doesn't believe the offensive system he played in or the level of his competition (I-AA) will be a factor.
"I think if you can play, you can play," Flacco said.
"There are a lot of different reasons that guys play at the smaller level, but, at the quarterback position, I believe that the competition is all relative. There are open guys and there are covered guys, and it is your job as quarterback to get them the ball.
"And, if you look at my film, I was probably under center 50 percent of the time this year, not necessarily passing out of it but I took snaps.
"And, coming from Pittsburgh, we were strictly under center there. So I'm used to being under center, and I'm happy to be there."
Flacco, who is 6 feet 6, also has had to answer questions about his feet because he is so tall.
But he is surprisingly mobile and believes there is one current quarterback helping his cause while busting myths about the ability of tall quarterbacks to move -- Ben Roethlisberger.
"[Roethlisberger's success], I think, may help me out," Flacco said. "He's a big guy that can move around. There are definitely big guys that can move around out there, so I don't want to compare myself to anybody, but, hopefully, they can see that I can move a little bit.
"I think that if you look at my film that you can see that I can move pretty well
"Just because I'm 6-6, 236 [pounds] doesn't mean I can't move. I like to think that I'm a pretty good athlete and I'm out to show that."
Saturday, February 23, 2008
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
INDIANAPOLIS -- There are plenty of intriguing prospects at the NFL draft scouting combine and plenty more with a lot to prove to NFL coaches.
Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco likely fits in both categories because he is a tall, strong-armed quarterback but hails from a small school, played in a spread offense and often took his snaps from the shotgun formation.
Flacco, who transferred from Pitt after spring drills in 2005 because he didn't want to sit the bench for two years behind Tyler Palko, doesn't believe the offensive system he played in or the level of his competition (I-AA) will be a factor.
"I think if you can play, you can play," Flacco said.
"There are a lot of different reasons that guys play at the smaller level, but, at the quarterback position, I believe that the competition is all relative. There are open guys and there are covered guys, and it is your job as quarterback to get them the ball.
"And, if you look at my film, I was probably under center 50 percent of the time this year, not necessarily passing out of it but I took snaps.
"And, coming from Pittsburgh, we were strictly under center there. So I'm used to being under center, and I'm happy to be there."
Flacco, who is 6 feet 6, also has had to answer questions about his feet because he is so tall.
But he is surprisingly mobile and believes there is one current quarterback helping his cause while busting myths about the ability of tall quarterbacks to move -- Ben Roethlisberger.
"[Roethlisberger's success], I think, may help me out," Flacco said. "He's a big guy that can move around. There are definitely big guys that can move around out there, so I don't want to compare myself to anybody, but, hopefully, they can see that I can move a little bit.
"I think that if you look at my film that you can see that I can move pretty well
"Just because I'm 6-6, 236 [pounds] doesn't mean I can't move. I like to think that I'm a pretty good athlete and I'm out to show that."