Matthew Stafford Has Rough 1st Practice, No Need to Panic

Matthew Stafford might have had a forgettable first day of practice with his new team, the 0-16 Detroit Lions, but head coach Jim Schwartz was unconcerned.

"Overanxious, I guess you would say," Schwartz said in describing Stafford's 90-minute workout. "What happens, and that is probably the case with 90 percent of the guys here, when you go through a first practice as a rookie, you're so anxious to get going. You're out of control and things like that. Later in practice you settle down a bit. I think we saw that with Matthew a bit today. He was just champing at the bit early with some wild throws. But he settled into a groove, worked with some of the wide receivers and all of a sudden you started seeing some better things in practice."

Change the names, team and time, and this would apply to every first-round rookie quarterback who ever played in the NFL. So while Stafford's erratic Day 1 might remind some Lions' fans of the team's 2007 second-rounder Drew Stanton, it's way too early to panic.

In fact, according to NFL Films' Greg Cosell, who makes his living watching hours of game tape, Stafford's skills best translate to the NFL. Most of the pre-draft hype was about Mark Sanchez, and he ended up going to the Jets at No. 5. But Cosell, like the Lions, is partial to Stafford.

Stafford is a "wow" passer, with exceptional arm talent. You have no limitations with him. You have a fully dimensional passing game that can threaten the entire field.

Stafford consistently showed the attributes I described above (timing and anticipation, the willingness to make tight throws, pocket movement), in addition to another that is also critical in the NFL: the ability, as my good friend Ron Jaworski says, to look down the gun barrel, to stand tough in the pocket and deliver the ball just as you're getting drilled. Stafford was forced to showcase his natural toughness far too often, working behind a young and inexperienced Georgia offensive line that was frequently overmatched in the SEC.

Cosell also notes that no quarterback comes into the league as a "finished product," and that "quality mentoring" can't "be overstated."

And then there's this: "I am so tired of hearing people say you shouldn't fall in love with a big arm. Why not? NFL quarterbacking is about attacking and breaking down the defense, in all areas of the field, in all situations. If you'd prefer a quarterback with passing limitations, then look no further than Sanchez."

That's a great point, and one I've been beaten about the head with.

(To be fair, the NFL quarterback scrap heap is littered with rifle-armed guys who couldn't hit Mike Williams -- either of them -- if he was standing right in front of them. But there's a huge difference between, say, David Klingler throwing the ball out of the stadium and Stafford effectively running an offense.)

Cosell also likes Sanchez but is concerned with his arm strength. Specifically, Sanchez "struggled to throw the ball to the outside, and he did not drive the ball down the field with velocity and authority." And these issues will be exacerbated in the Meadowlands.

Which means, in Cosell's words, that "his physical limitations must be accounted for in terms of offensive design and game planning. No such restrictions exist with Stafford."

I suspect Jets head coach Rex Ryan understands as much and will adjust accordingly. Plus, nothing eases a quarterback's transition to the NFL like a stifling defense. Sanchez will have that luxury, Stafford will not.