Why Ryan Mallett?
By Shane Ford
Most people that read this site or the forum (which we invite you to join) know that I would love to see Miami draft Christian Ponder. However, more importantly I don’t want to see them draft Ryan Mallett. I know throughout Dolfan Nation that is not the popular thought as of late. It seems the closer we get to the draft the more fans of the Miami Dolphins are clamoring for them to draft Mallett with the 15th pick in the draft next Thursday night. My question is why?
The biggest argument I hear is he is the best “pure” pocket passer in the draft? Once again I ask why? He’s a pocket passer because he has very little mobility. I will not argue his arm strength. He has arguable the strongest arm of any QB in the draft there is no doubt about that. However, and strong arm does not an NFL QB make. If that was the case Jeff George would have been a HOF QB and Jamarcus Russell wouldn’t be looking for a gig.
There are a lot of rumors floating around out there about Mallett, and while I can’t prove anything I go on the theory of where there is smoke there is fire. It’s not like these rumors are new they have been around for a while and it is a fact he was arrested for public intoxication in 2009. Now granted, I am
not going to toss away a guy that got drunk in public as a college kid but the rumors keep popping up. I understand the most recent rumor is being challenged by Mallett, his agent and the Panthers, but the reporter is sticking to his story so who is telling the truth? I worry about a guy with a reputation of liking to drink and party being the leader of your team especially in South Beach.
Who knows, but for me I am just not sold. To me he doesn’t seem to have the make-up to be an elite QB in the NFL and the lack of athleticism will hurt him even further. As I have said he has a cannon of an arm, but he doesn’t seem to do well when being pressured and throws off his back foot and bailing more times than not when a rusher is getting close. In college his arm strength can cover up a lot, in the NFL it takes more than arm strength and many of those types of passes that he got away with in college will be interceptions in the NFL.
I hear many supporters saying he ran a pro-style offense at Arkansas so that will translate to the NFL. Well, none of Patrino’s past QB’s that ran a pro-style offense at Louisville has translated to the NFL. I understand the same could be said for Tedford until Aaron Rodgers, but Mallett is nowhere near the athlete Rodgers is.
So I ask you why? Sell me on Mallett, because I just can’t see it.