Frostbutter: Doughty will bring competiton

[cuchulainn]

http://phinphanatic.com/2016/05/09/brandon-doughty-will-bring-competition/

Doughty is a true competitor and a long-time Dolphins fan himself. He fits the ‘alpha-male’ personality that Gase and the Dolphins are looking for. Doughty grew up just minutes away from the team’s practice facility. Being drafted by the team he grew up loving will only fuel Doughty even more to come in and compete. Leading the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Doughty became one of the most accurate quarterbacks in all of college football. In 2015, he led the nation in completion percentage at 71.9% and passing yards with 5,055.

Despite his record-breaking numbers, Doughty is considered to have an average arm with an inability to put much zip on the ball. It will be tough in this league for him if he can’t put more velocity on the football. Another knock on Doughty could be his lack of competition in college coming from a smaller school but the same could be said of Carson Wentz, who went #2 overall. A lot of people feel, including Doughty’s family and friends, that Doughty should have been selected higher and that the Dolphins got a steal getting him in the 7th round.

Matt Moore will have his work cut out for him to secure his backup role, particularly more if Doughty can catch on at the pro level faster than expected. Miami was right to take a quarterback in the draft and the competition will add excitement under center and make Tannehill improve his game in the process. This new approach has Dolphins fans buying into the outlook of this team.

[cuchulainn]

More on Doughty:

Doughty was +2.6 standard deviations away from the group average in the non-pressured success category, and +1.8 standard deviations away from the mean in the pressured success category. He was +1.1 standard deviations from the mean in terms of not having negative plays while under pressure. It wasn't just that he was the most accurate, he had the most control over his offense in every situation, even when pressured. He had a full handle on his hot reads, his check downs, etc. He used what little athleticism he does possess to its utmost to evade pressure and get the ball to an open receiver's hands. He did not take sacks.

So why did he fall to the top of the 7th round? Because he ran a 5.14 in the forty yard dash. Don't take my word for it, listen to Gil Brandt:

"If he had run, say, a 4.8, he'd be taken a lot higher," longtime NFL personnel expert Gil Brandt said. "But he does move around in the pocket and beyond better than a 5.2 guy. He has a good delivery, good accuracy. He has been well-coached. I don't think there is any question, unless he is injured, that he will make a team and be a developmental quarterback with a lot of upside. There are intriguing quarterbacks who could go in the third, fourth and fifth rounds and he is one of them. I think he's in the fifth-round area, but it's early. I would love to have him in my camp."

Jeff Brohm admits his athletic limitations and sees Doughty being very similar to Teddy Bridgewater:

"Brandon needs to be in a place where they are willing to spread the field," Brohm said. "Give him options. A lot of guys in the pattern where he will see and distribute quickly. He is similar to (Minnesota Vikings quarterback) Teddy Bridgewater. Very similar in the aspect that neither is the greatest athlete in the world but relies on accuracy. Brandon is the type of quarterback and person that when given the chance, he will do something with it."

[Phintim Menace]

hmmmm, sounds like Peyton Manning? Limited athletic ability, just completes passes and makes touchdowns. Was really looking for more of a Jamarcus Russell type athlete......NOT!

[AquaXI]

Don't Doughty him! Would be nice to stash him on PS then when we move on from Moore after 2016 Doughty can step right in,

[cuchulainn]

Been watching some vids and reading up on Doughty. He's much better than credited. What will bear watching is how he does against NFL level competition. Rooting for him to do well though. Would love to see him bump Moore off the roster and push Tannehill.

[Dolfan1]

Don't Doughty him! Would be nice to stash him on PS then when we move on from Moore after 2016 Doughty can step right in,

We put him on the PS and another team can snatch him. I think we may be best to hold on to 3 QB's for this season and move on from Moore next year. my 2 cents.

[Driven_Phinsane!]

I think it's time everyone temper their excitement a bit, this kid was a 7th round pick for a reason (and please, no 'Tom Brady was a 6th rounder!' arguments, you all know as well as i do this happens once in a lifetime & NEVER to the Dolphins!) and Doughty dropping to the 7th has nothing to do with his 40 time,, no one gives a shit how fast your QB runs (Well, maybe we do since it seems our QB is ALWAYS running for his life!) It seems he doesn't possess an NFL arm, some have even said he has a noodle arm (and before everyone goes into the Chad Pennington comparisons, Penny had a pretty good arm 'til injuries killed it & he then fell back on his smarts & his accuracy)

Hey. i'd love a feel-good story as it pertains to our Fins as much as the next guy..especially if it would mean a really good QB to groom for the future...But IMO there's more than likely no story here, other than once again another draft and soon another year will have passed where Tannehill has absolutely zero competition....

[DolphinsFreak]

I am getting the feeling that since this 7TH ROUND PICKED quarterback plays so much like Tannehill that his Tannehill supporters are already getting on the Doughty bandwagon just in case Tannehill proves this season that even with a good offensive line and QB guru coaching him that he still sucks. AHA

[cuchulainn]

Some seem to have forgotten that Matt Moore was undrafted in 2007 and he's since made himself a millionaire as a career backup. We should all be hoping that Doughty has enough potential to push Moore off the roster. Doughty plays nothing like Tannehill. Not sure where that one came from.

[Idahomer]

Freak - what makes you think he plays like Tannehill? I didn't read that or do I think that. Tannehill has a very strong arm and is pretty fast for a QB, this kid is the opposite. Tannehill struggles with pocket presence and accuracy, this kid excels at feeling the pressure and avoiding sacks and is one of, if not, the most accurate QB's out of college. IMO they are polar opposites.

[cuchulainn]

Check out the 2 throws he makes in the first 30 seconds of this vid, then later the announcers comments.

https://youtu.be/Zjpp1-5cR1s?t=4147

Both throws are from the opposite hash to the sidelines, and are both long throws crossways. The announcer smartly points out that Doughty had a lot more zip on the second one. The reason being he had room to step into the 2nd throw. In the 1st, he couldn't step into it and was hit by the defender just after he released the ball. The throw was all arm, but the timing was perfect.

The distance on those 2 throws was about 35 yards through the air on both. On the surface, they aren't THAT impressive, but they give you a good feel for the range of his arm in context of what's happening with his feet. Feet matter as much as the arm as QBs throw with their legs and need a solid base. The first throw wasn't bad, but it certainly didn't show off good velocity, and when you look at what is happening around his body you can see why. The second throw shows normal NFL starting caliber velocity and demonstrated zip and accuracy.

His arm is never going to be as strong as Tannehill's, but during the combine, he easily out threw Jared Goff on sideline routes, and he out threw Cardale Jones on distance and downfield accuracy - with a weaker arm, by having better mechanics. He has some tools. The kid threw for 100 TDs the past 2 years. No one has ever done that in college history...

Again, I don't think's the 2nd coming of his childhood idol, Marino, but he IS better than advertised.

[Idahomer]

You don't need a rocket arm to be successful in the NFL. Many rocket arms have failed. Kid reminds me of Chad Pennington. His knock is arm strength and speed, yet he is very shifty in the pocket. IMO he has "pocket presence" and a sense for where the pressure is, which is an area Tannehill struggles at. At this point Tannehill is going to be the QB, hopefully this kid can push Moore and become a solid back up.

[cuchulainn]

Completely agree on Doughty... as for Tannehill, I think he has his best season ever behind the best OL he's ever had. FFS, Dallas Thomas was ranked -47.9 and #82 out of 64 OGs (including backups). Our OL has been ranked somewhere behind bad smell and pure shit the past few seasons, yet Tannehill was consistently putting up 2:1 TD to INTs and 4K yards. Looking forward to camps, Pre-season, and rolling over some teams big time this year.

[kelbail2.2]

From film I've seen, everything looked like short drop, one read throws, often into traffic. But 97/19 TDs/INTs over two years is mind boggling. Not at all confident in our QB situation and from what I've heard and then seen in the draft, the offense is going back onto the shoulders of RT with the same ridiculous quick catch and release passing game. I'd rather see a run/pass ratio of 75%/25% and make Tannehill maximize his efficiency while allowing the O line to pound on the defense. Maybe Howdy Doody will pose a challenge to RT but it's tough to beat out a guy who has had the offense tailored to his limited strengths and had a bulk of a downfield attack gutted out to protect his weaknesses. If Gase can get Tannehill to produce 2/3 of the all around game that Russell Wilson has, I'll be amazed and maybe we can break the .500 barrier.

[cuchulainn]

Doughty is a smart kid and one of the most productive at any level coming out... watch his LSU game film and read his comments about that game.

Basically, the rain forced WKU to change the game plan just before kickoff. Doughty ended up throwing 3 TDs in Baton Rouge, during a torrential downpour that lent itself to favoring LSU's powerful ground game lead by Fournette. All while their best RB was out injured. Doughty still had the game within reach into the 4th quarter before LSU finally broke it open.

Doughty stated that they had been planning to attack LSU's man coverage with vertical passing routes. The rain forced them to change and play into the teeth of LSU. He still finished with 325 yards, 3 touchdowns, and an INT on a play where his receiver slipped down in the mud. That's impressive.

He still has to make the roster, but if he does, he could easily end up the #3 guy this season and maybe the #2 next year. If he can do all that, he's really going to be putting some pressure on Tannehill.