Logan Thomas

[Cbus cardsfan]

It seems most are assuming that Lindley is going to start against Seattle. I think BA will end up going with Thomas. He said the only reason he went with Lindley on Thursday was the situation and the experience factor.

With 10 days to get ready, I think he'll develop a gameplan for Thomas and roll him out there. To me, it makes sense. It's likely going to be a low scoring, point starved game anyway so why not let Logan get in there and see what he can do. Thomas offers a much more mobile option as well. Both QB's are inaccurate and are going to struggle throwing the ball so maybe Thomas can make some plays with his feet.

Also, Thomas was clearly the coaches choice as they kept him over Lindley after the pre-season. I know much of that has to do with future potential but if they Thomas was god awful, they would not have kept him. BA has repeatedly said he like Thomas and thinks he has a bright future. Why not thrust him in there against one of best defenses and let him sink or swim? We all know, and the Cards know, that Lindley is a career backup at best. Thomas has more natural talent, I say they go with him.

 

[Darkside]

No.

 

[Stout]

It seems most are assuming that Lindley is going to start against Seattle. I think BA will end up going with Thomas. He said the only reason he went with Lindley on Thursday was the situation and the experience factor.

With 10 days to get ready, I think he'll develop a gameplan for Thomas and roll him out there. To me, it makes sense. It's likely going to be a low scoring, point starved game anyway so why not let Logan get in there and see what he can do. Thomas offers a much more mobile option as well. Both QB's are inaccurate and are going to struggle throwing the ball so maybe Thomas can make some plays with his feet.

Also, Thomas was clearly the coaches choice as they kept him over Lindley after the pre-season. I know much of that has to do with future potential but if they Thomas was god awful, they would not have kept him. BA has repeatedly said he like Thomas and thinks he has a bright future. Why not thrust him in there against one of best defenses and let him sink or swim? We all know, and the Cards know, that Lindley is a career backup at best. Thomas has more natural talent, I say they go with him.

I'm with you here. I made mention of this several times during the gameday thread. On a short or regular week of rest, perhaps not, but with the extra prep time, this just makes a ton of sense.

 

[cardsfanmd]

I'm with Cbus and Stout. I think Arians is (justifiably) worried about Thomas' ability to recognize and react to blitzes. My thought though is that there's less chance of Thomas fumbling on an unexpected sack than Lindley throwing a pick on any given drop back. Turnovers will be huge in this game. Thomas was just as putrid as Lindley in his only appearance this year but that was 10 games ago with no prep time. I'd be excited to see what the kid's got.

 

[Reddog]

I really doubt he is ready. He had the physical tools, experience and reps in college and wasn't able to make much imoact at that level so no reason to think he will excel or to be ready for the NFL at this point. I do think if anyone can fix him it is BA and Tom Moore but that is a couple year project. That said, what a crazy story and in line with the rest of this against-all-odds season if he were to pull a Kerwynn Williams and come out and play like a ten year vet chucking the ball 80 yards down the field to John Brown. It is as unlikely and far fetched as Kurt Warner coming out of retirement.

 

[Zeno]

It wouldn't shock me to see Thomas start with a very much reduced playbook. Arians mentioned finding 10 things that his QB's do well and run those out of 4 formations...Thomas adds a new element that Lindley doesn't.

Not that I think Thomas is a good QB--I just don't think Lindley is either so might as well add the extra that Thomas has.

 

[TigToad]

Arians straight out said that Logan Thomas just wasn't ready. I take that to mean he hasn't mastered the routes/playbook yet. I think he believes in Thomas' ability, but hasn't learned the offense. You keep a 3rd QB for potential.. you start someone who knows the offense.

I don't like Lindley as a QB at all, but he'll be starting next Sunday.

 

[SoCal Cardfan]

We couldn't find a great pocket QB for decades, and now that pool is reduced even further due to the read option craze.

Why are talented QB's so far and few between?

 

[az jam]

I think it will be Lindley as he has the most experience. Neither choice is promising. Additionally, I don't think Arlans will make any announcements on his starter to keep the Seahawks guessing.

 

[BullheadCardFan]

Arians straight out said that Logan Thomas just wasn't ready. I take that to mean he hasn't mastered the routes/playbook yet. I think he believes in Thomas' ability, but hasn't learned the offense. You keep a 3rd QB for potential.. you start someone who knows the offense.

I don't like Lindley as a QB at all, but he'll be starting next Sunday.

This.

Hard to see BA going with LT at this point. Lindley is really bad and LT is really raw. Playing Seattle even though at home I don't see LT playing.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

Whoever starts, it's going to be a run heavy attack until Stanton comes back...and even then, I think Arians has figured out that the running game is helping to control the offense and open up passes.

 

[MrYeahBut]

We couldn't find a great pocket QB for decades, and now that pool is reduced even further.

Why are talented QB's so far and few between?

I can't answer your question because I've had the same thoughts.

I marvel sometimes that the drop off in talent at the qb position is just astounding. Just using Lindsey as an example as he is one of many, how is it you can go through Pop Warner, high school, college and 2 professional camps as a qb and then not be able to throw a 10 yard pass with some kind of touch and accuracy?

I do understand the talent level difference. I can occasionally shoot 75 or so playing golf. By most standards that's pretty good. Put me in a group with even club pros and I look like a complete hacker. Club pros feel the same way about PGA players. It takes one heck of a lot of talent and dedication to reach the PGA level of play but there are darn sure more than 20 guys out of the bazillion people on earth who can do it. You'd think there would be more who could do it in the NFL. I dunno either.

.

 

[devilalum]

Thomas has more career TD passes than Lindley.

 

[Chopper0080]

I think Thomas is not going to play except for injury because of how much of a project he was when they picked him. He struggles with consistent drops which should tell you how raw he is. I agree that he has more ability than Lindley, but if you are trying to not lose the game from the QB position, Lindley is the way to go. Consider that you do not get many developmental reps over the year as a 3rd string QB.

He may wow Arians and practice and get the nod, but I am not holding my breath.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

Inevitably Thomas will play wether we like it or not...it's jus the way the season has gone.

 

[seesred]

I think Lindley will play and work within a running offense. If he throws more than a couple of dozen passes I will be shocked. No turnovers is the battle cry.

GBR
40

 

[conraddobler]

I can't answer your question because I've had the same thoughts.

I marvel sometimes that the drop off in talent at the qb position is just astounding. Just using Lindsey as an example as he is one of many, how is it you can go through Pop Warner, high school, college and 2 professional camps as a qb and then not be able to throw a 10 yard pass with some kind of touch and accuracy?

I do understand the talent level difference. I can occasionally shoot 75 or so playing golf. By most standards that's pretty good. Put me in a group with even club pros and I look like a complete hacker. Club pros feel the same way about PGA players. It takes one heck of a lot of talent and dedication to reach the PGA level of play but there are darn sure more than 20 guys out of the bazillion people on earth who can do it. You'd think there would be more who could do it in the NFL. I dunno either.

.

That's a very interesting point you guys are discussing and I've never really thought about it from exactly that aspect but you're right it is bizarre.

Kurt Warner is some kind of indication I think that it takes some kind of break or you could end up sacking groceries instead of going to the HOF.

I think the answer may partially lie in the fact that people are biased ageinst those who might actually be quite good at it, they might not be tall enough or fast enough or whatever when I think there are other factors that might make then great.

Joe Montana was nobody's idea of a great QB when he came up either was Tom Brady.

I think the system is biased against selecting for the most important talents. The most important thing is probably the will to win and maybe that's just really rare in people who can throw a football?

 

[MrYeahBut]

Conrad,

Add in the fact that some of these lower tier QBs are just so ungodly bad compared to even a Carson Palmer type and it becomes even more baffling. Every organization makes mistakes in evaluating talent, but even so, as So Cal said, where are those players with the will to win? Doesn't make sense to me.

.

 

[Goldfield]

I want the guy who gives us the best chance to win. If thats Thomas fine.

But it would be fun to completely make a game plan for Thomas athletic ability. Read option, & roll outs. Keep it simple and run the ball with both Thomas and Williams.

 

[MrYeahBut]

I just can't see Thomas with any kind of pocket presence to make him a viable option.

 

[football karma]

I agree that Thomas is more athletic than Lindley - but in limited action, I don't think Thomas has really shown better than average scrambling ability or movement skills.

What he has shown is that he holds the ball too long.

 

[Jasper]

Just gameplan like Kaeper! One hot read, if its not there keep the ball and run!

 

[conraddobler]

Conrad,

Add in the fact that some of these lower tier QBs are just so ungodly bad compared to even a Carson Palmer type and it becomes even more baffling. Every organization makes mistakes in evaluating talent, but even so, as So Cal said, where are those players with the will to win? Doesn't make sense to me.

.

It's somewhat like starting pitching.

You would think more people could do that given our population is massive compared to the early days of baseball.

However when you think about it in baseball the number of teams has probably more than kept pace with the population growth thus diluting the caliber of starting pitching in baseball.

Football on the other hand wasn't nearly as played as baseball was and now is played much more than it ever has been.

So it's even more baffling that more good QB's aren't out there it's very curious when you think about it.

I think it's really because offenses don't tend to select for Pro qualities in talent early on. The spread offenses and the option offenses are rampant in high school and college, very few teams run pro style offenses and even those that do a lot run West Coast type offenses that don't require big arms.

I think the entire system selects for the wrong things for pro QB's up until you get to the pros so that explains why Brady and Warner show up out of nowhere.

Football has no minor leagues, if they did, then I think you'd find a big crop of pro QB's coming out and that's probably why it's so terrible but that's just a guess.

It's a very interesting deal. In college you want something you can teach and something that highlights the talents your QB does have.

Building an entire college program around a pro style strong armed quick release QB that's tall and has the will to win just makes your recruiting job nearly impossible and your time frame to teach them is so compressed very few if any teams would ever bother or would select for pro QB qualities consistently.

Now if you had a minor league to put a ton of Logan Thomas's in then let them fight their way out of that you'd probably see a massive lift in the overall talent you want in a Pro QB.

 

[WisconsinCard]

It seems most are assuming that Lindley is going to start against Seattle. I think BA will end up going with Thomas. He said the only reason he went with Lindley on Thursday was the situation and the experience factor.

With 10 days to get ready, I think he'll develop a gameplan for Thomas and roll him out there. To me, it makes sense. It's likely going to be a low scoring, point starved game anyway so why not let Logan get in there and see what he can do. Thomas offers a much more mobile option as well. Both QB's are inaccurate and are going to struggle throwing the ball so maybe Thomas can make some plays with his feet.

Also, Thomas was clearly the coaches choice as they kept him over Lindley after the pre-season. I know much of that has to do with future potential but if they Thomas was god awful, they would not have kept him. BA has repeatedly said he like Thomas and thinks he has a bright future. Why not thrust him in there against one of best defenses and let him sink or swim? We all know, and the Cards know, that Lindley is a career backup at best. Thomas has more natural talent, I say they go with him.

I was thinking the same on Friday

 

[D-Dogg]

I would not be surprised in any fashion if Logan starts.