Here is an article from a couple of years ago from the Washington Post quoting Greg Cossell and how he thinks Spread System QBs fit in the NFL:
...Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's
State Farm NFL Matchup remains unconvinced that Harrell, or any other straight spread quarterback, can break through the barriers. Cosell watches more coaches' tape than just about anyone who doesn't actually work for a team, and I have talked to him before about the difficulties in transitioning players from the spread to the NFL. At the Combine, I asked Cosell specifically about Harrell and what he said about the fact that the NFL might be implementing more spread-style formations, allowing players like Harrell to have a legitimate chance.
"To incorporate elements of the spread in the NFL on a somewhat consistent basis, you need a quarterback who is incredibly quick processing information," he said. "Particularly if you're talking about a true spread, where there are no tight ends, you have a short corner on both sides and defenses can get someone in clean to the quarterback. They can dictate where you throw the ball. See, that is ultimately the problem in the NFL with the spread, depending on when it's used. Now, if you use it somewhat proactively, I think you can be aggressive with it. But you'll see teams blitz spreads on third-and-9 and third-and-10, the ball comes out for a four-yard gain, and the team punts..."
..."The problem with spread quarterbacks is that they don't do two things which are part and parcel of NFL offenses -- three-step drops, and play action," Cosell said. "Play action, in particular, is criticaql in the NFL." Example: Alex Smith, the first overall draft pick in 2005, enjoyed great success with the shotgun under Urban Meyer at Utah, but struggled mightily with more traditional mechanics with the San Francisco 49ers...
...One player who did find instant success in the NFL after running a lot of shotgun in college was Joe Flacco, who came from Delaware and hit his mark right away with the Baltimore Ravens, Flacco was astoundingly comfortable and proficient with play action from his first preseason, though he didn't use it much in college, and I asked Cosell how Flacco found the password.
"That's why you have to watch each player individually before you make a projection," he said. "Flacco had a couple things going for him when I watched him on film.
The arm strength was obvious, and that's a big difference between Flacco and Harrell. What Flacco showed at Delaware, and I know this because I saw it on film, was
the ability to throw with timing and anticipation. What that means in simple terms is the ability to throw the ball before receivers come out of breaks. If you can't do that, you can't play quarterback in the NFL. If I don't see that on film (from Harrell), it becomes a significant projection. And I'm not sure you can teach that -- I think it's an instinct. After watching game tape for 20 years,
I think that if you don't have the instinct to throw with timing and anticipation, you can't learn it at the NFL level..."
http://views.washingtonpost.com/the...ells-folly-the-spread-offense-in-the-nfl.html
