Over the Summer I had a discussion with an aspiring NFL draft talent evaluator. His breakdown of Easton Stick was as good as anything that I've seen on our quarterback but I disagreed with a few of the points that he made. The one that I am planning to address the most specifically this season is to pay close attention to the running of our quarterback. As a prospect being able to run can be an asset but being a running quarterback in the NFL lead to many injuries that "pocket passers" may not experience. I can count on one hand the number of running quarterbacks that have succeeded for many years without serious injury over the last 20 years in the NFL. Sure Stick could be the exception but I'm not ready to count on that and don't think you should count on that either. Think as you wish, but that's my recommendation.
The challenge I'm going to give myself is to go game by game, watching whether his runs seem to be a part of the designed offense or because it's still a basic instinct & primary facet of his game. At the end of the season maybe it will help shed some more light on our quarterback as a pro prospect.
A strong overall effort by Easton Stick today that I'll get to in a more broad perspective in the Pick Six. For now, here's the latest look at his mobility usage.
As you can see, early in the fourth the coaches or he himself put the game on his shoulders. I didn't make the final run of his day a split decision because it's almost never a bad decision when a touchdown is the result. But even that one was a risky decision by #12.
If I were narrow it down to one single play that I would have liked to have gone differently, it would be the second to last run. The impact that he took could have easily resulted in a concussion or worse. While I don't like the NFL's effort to soften the game, Football needs to be played wisely and I can't bring myself to consider diving head first into a clump of bodies a wise decision.
Up to that sequences of runs and over the remaining time of play, it was all good. The season sample size is pretty big now and it seems like there is always a play or two that is not wise. That could still be attributed to what he saw from Carson all those years ago but is probably the last thing that I would want him to emulate from Wentz's game.
If the pattern were to continue into a seemingly guaranteed professional career, it may not go as well for the smaller Stick as it has for Carson but maybe the current QB could learn how to play even more safely and display a knack for avoiding injury, which he has always shown during his time at NDSU.
For more on his performance today, and other key elements of the victory, check out the Pick Six later tonight. But that does it for the latest look at this running performance!