Cal fan's take on Goff

[FarNorth]

Hello! (Skip to end for TLDR)

I'm a Cal fan and a prospective Rams fan. No Cal fan wants Goff to go to the Browns. We want the best for him and we hope that he goes to the Rams. I haven't followed NFL too much to know what it takes to be a successful QB at this level, but all Cal fans love Goff and have high expectations for him. It's truly been a blessing to watch him play.

He is really accurate most of the time and just makes plays. You might think that Wentz is better on his feet, but trust me, Goff knows when and how to use his feet. He scrambles really well and is actually deceivingly shifty. Wentz might be the more physical one, but Goff plays really smart, and he can throw his body for the team when necessary. He's certainly done that at Cal.

Goff could've been so much better had he had a little more time in the pocket. Our O-line was one of the worst and gave Goff very little time in the pocket (which also explains his very quick releases). Goff has taken so many hits the first two years at Cal. That's one reason that I really hope that Goff goes to the Rams. He will get crushed at Cleveland. Make no mistake though. He is deadly when defenses show blitz. He lets them come to him and throws over them and eats them up.

Cam Newton has one of the strongest arms, but I hate him as a passer. Obviously you need to have decent strength, but I believe that if you actually throw too fast or too hard, it just leads to dropped passes. Goff throws great deep balls and knows which shoulder to throw at. His footwork has also received plenty of praise. Just give him some time in the pocket, and you've got a deadly QB. (he and his dad grew up playing baseball. you guys might know his dad. so don't underestimate his arm strength)

Don't let Cal's poor records in his first two years worry you. Our defense has been rated the worst in the entire division 1 football. Our O-line has also been prettyyyy bad. But still, he always keeps his cool and will make his throws.

TLDR
1. Goff is accurate and times his throws very well. Enough strength.
2. He is great in the red-zone
3. Amazing footwork that allows him to scramble and move in his pocket to buy time and look for his receivers
4. Great against blitz
5. Quick reads and releases
6. He is a quality guy that won't start drama. He is humble and does the right things.
7. Cal's defense and O-line sucked. And actually our running game was not good either. So even though we ran a pretty one dimensional offense, he did pretty well.

 

[FarNorth]

Fisher had very favorable comments about Goff in a February 3 interview with Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News. Liked his footwork and accuracy, predicted he would have a great NFL career. Brief but very positive. Sorry, I don't know how to link the story or the audio.

 

[A55VA6]

Yesterday I wanted Wentz. Today I want Goff. Digging into more film the kid is on a completely different level as a passer.

Same. He just looks so NFL ready.

 

[Mikey Ram]

I was a Wentz guy, and still like the if the Rams pull the trigger on it...Having said that, though I don't put much stock in controlled passing shows...I was taken by Goff's Accuracy... By my count he didn't miss a throw...Wentz missed at least 3 in this controlled, sterile setting...That kind of got my attention...I have no freaking idea what any of what I said has to do with anything...Nobody ever accused me of being either a English or journalism major

 

[Tron]

Thx for the welcome. Haha my screen name has no connections to the team Dolphins. I just like their mascot. I'll definitely stick around whether Goff gets the pick or not.

We have a fellow Ram player who likes dolphins as well..Welcome aboard!!!!

 

[Mackeyser]

Most feel Wentz has more upside but Goff is more ready to start now. Do the Rams have the patience to wait for Wentz's learning curve? Or do they want a guy they can plug in now? To be continued...

I think that's entirely backwards. What learning curve?

Wentz with his in depth knowledge of how a pro system works as well as managing pro audibles and even line changes due to audibles will be ready to start right away.

Goff, otoh, took most of his snaps from the gun from the Bear Raid offense they run at Cal which is a spread offense. He's going to have to acclimate to managing the huddle and pre-snap reads within the confines of a pro system scheme. I point to the vectors of Winston and Mariotta. Many liked Mariotta's upside over Winston and liked his accuracy better, etc. And yet... Winston was from a pro system, better prepared and it really showed. Granted, Winston had some habits to break, but toward the end of the season, he really started to come on. Mariotta has a ways to go.

I'll repeat what I said. If Snisher goes with Goff, I fully expect him to sit most of the year if not the full year. If Snisher goes with Wentz, I fully expect him to vie for the job day one.

I'll be happy with either. I just know that taking Goff is a pick for the future. I don't expect Goff to affect much this year. I think Wentz would play this year and play well.

People have used the GRob/Matthews analogy.

I prefer Winston/Mariotta analogy. Wentz is Winston and Goff is Mariotta in this analogy but with totally different personalities of course or I'd be totally against Wentz.

I think Goff has the potential to be a Drew Brees type QB. I really do. But it won't be year one. Those thinking Goff is ahead of Wentz on the "who can start Day One" meter, well, I couldn't disagree more. The facts just don't match.

 

[bluecoconuts]

Same. He just looks so NFL ready.

I heard Wentz was more ready because the type of offense he ran in college?

 

[LACHAMP46]

@Mackeyser
Exactly....I think another thing with Goff in the shotgun formation is his adjustment to the main part of an offense led by Todd Gurley....How does he throw after turning his back to the defense to execute the play-action pass? Not that I think he'll struggle, but he hasn't done much, if any, of this type of play. And I'd anticipate it's going to be a huge weapon for us this year.....
I like both, but I have a slight edge going towards Wentz....more "pro" ready...

I heard Wentz was more ready because the type of offense he ran in college?

Audibles, calls blocking protections, called plays in the huddle with similar terminology as a pro offense, reads defenses, goes through progressions, and of course takes snaps under center....That's off the top of my head, probably several others.
Now I'm not a stickler on hand size like I am on 40 times....but if scouts/GM's don't like it, there's a good reason. Their jobs depend on stuff like this...In fact, I kinda don't like wr's with small hands now....
All in all, I'd take the bigger model, just because of the injury risks. similar to the comparison of Winston/Marriota, Jameis was a bigger guy, that didn't run as much as Marriota. And Marriota got hurt, just like many predicted.

 

[yrba1]

Disagree, Fisher wants another McNair and Wentz fits that prototype!

Fisher also had a track record of not taking olinemen in the first round prior to drafting Robinson. I think even a dinosaur like Fisher is capable of evolving

 

[den-the-coach]

Fisher also had a track record of not taking olinemen in the first round prior to drafting Robinson. I think even a dinosaur like Fisher is capable of evolving

Agreed, however, last year Fisher stated time and time again after drafting Gurley that he had the greatest success with Eddie George a bigger bell cow back which he did not have with Tre Mason and thus the drafting of the bigger Gurley. IMO, he'll go with somebody similar to McNair with the ability to extend the play and Wentz possess that ability.

 

[jhbchristopher]

Hello all, another CAL fan and most likely a Ram fan after draft day. First off been lurking in these forums since the trade was announced and love the tone of the forums, it a huge difference from the CAL Bear Insider forums. All the posts have been insightful and positive.

Like the original poster I’m completely enamored with Goff becoming a Ram. I have a disdain for SF due to the arrogance of a lot of the fans, happy he’s not ending up there or Cleveland. As for Goff my take is you are getting a really good QB. One thing where he stands out is his football acumen. As a thrower his feet are always moving (choppy steps), head and shoulders always pointed up field which allows him to make quick position adjustments, move around the pocket, side step or release. As he’s moving head shoulders and body still stay pointed down field. Goff also can feel the pressure and keep his composure; he will step up six inches to avoid a free blitzer, he very rarely will completely break his throwing stance when under pressure also, just takes a step or two to avoid whatever's coming. As the OP said the CAL line was not the best, if you watch film on him you will rarely ever see a great pocket, in fact most of the time there is no pocket and someone is coming free on him. He also has ice running through his veins, never saw him get flustered.

From a throwing prospective he very accurate especially when under duress but does have some bad throws from time to time, this has to be expected though when you throw so many passes. What is very impressive about him though is his quick release, ball placement and his anticipation are off the charts, I think it’s due to his great footwork. If you watch his film most of his passes are out before the receiver cuts and he throws the receiver open. Arm strength I would say is above average but not special. One thing I have heard before is the QBs don’t get full arm strength until they are around 25 so he still has some room for growth here if that’s true. He does have great touch on the ball though, he’s very adept at dropping passes over defenders where a lot of strong arm passers lack the touch. (Colin Kapernick)

I would not be worried about him coming from and AIR Raid, we actually call it the Bear Raid as it has slightly different concepts. First off he’s thrown over 1500 passes in 3 years of college, he was recruited by Jeff Tedford as a Pro Style QB and had to adapt to The Bear Raid as a freshman when Tedford was fired. Also CAL ran a lot of pistol, that’s not a 5 or 7 step drop but still not traditional shotgun either. One other thing is that I read recently that something like 60% of NFL snaps are taken from the gun now, I understand the Jeff Fisher has his offense but here’s the thing, I think it’s a lot easier to teach a QB to take snaps from under center then to teach (if it’s possible to teach) the other intangibles Goff already possesses. I think the RAMS see the same thing and that’s why they moved up. I don’t see them taking Wentz, I’ve seen too much of Goff with no pass protection dropping dimes while calmly avoiding the rush, over 1500 passes against 30 ints against D1 talent, most fans will tell you most of those picks were his receivers tipping balls up also (he hits them in the hands a lot)

There are quite a few CAL games and Goff highlight reels on you tube so please don’t just take my word for it.

And I’m really hoping the Rams take him because y’all seem pretty cool in these forums! Let me know if you have any questions at all. We have our spring game tomorrow, first time in 4 years it’s going to be a game not a practice format as CAL has had not enough depth the last three years to field two teams ;-) That should also tell you a little about the talent that has surrounded Goff. Oh and were going to get there early to watch Goff throw for Jerry, another place I hope he doesn't end up.

 

[Tron]

Hello all, another CAL fan and most likely a Ram fan after draft day. First off been lurking in these forums since the trade was announced and love the tone of the forums, it a huge difference from the CAL Bear Insider forums. All the posts have been insightful and positive.

Like the original poster I’m completely enamored with Goff becoming a Ram. I have a disdain for SF due to the arrogance of a lot of the fans, happy he’s not ending up there or Cleveland. As for Goff my take is you are getting a really good QB. One thing where he stands out is his football acumen. As a thrower his feet are always moving (choppy steps), head and shoulders always pointed up field which allows him to make quick position adjustments, move around the pocket, side step or release. As he’s moving head shoulders and body still stay pointed down field. Goff also can feel the pressure and keep his composure; he will step up six inches to avoid a free blitzer, he very rarely will completely break his throwing stance when under pressure also, just takes a step or two to avoid whatever's coming. As the OP said the CAL line was not the best, if you watch film on him you will rarely ever see a great pocket, in fact most of the time there is no pocket and someone is coming free on him. He also has ice running through his veins, never saw him get flustered.

From a throwing prospective he very accurate especially when under duress but does have some bad throws from time to time, this has to be expected though when you throw so many passes. What is very impressive about him though is his quick release, ball placement and his anticipation are off the charts, I think it’s due to his great footwork. If you watch his film most of his passes are out before the receiver cuts and he throws the receiver open. Arm strength I would say is above average but not special. One thing I have heard before is the QBs don’t get full arm strength until they are around 25 so he still has some room for growth here if that’s true. He does have great touch on the ball though, he’s very adept at dropping passes over defenders where a lot of strong arm passers lack the touch. (Colin Kapernick)

I would not be worried about him coming from and AIR Raid, we actually call it the Bear Raid as it has slightly different concepts. First off he’s thrown over 1500 passes in 3 years of college, he was recruited by Jeff Tedford as a Pro Style QB and had to adapt to The Bear Raid as a freshman when Tedford was fired. Also CAL ran a lot of pistol, that’s not a 5 or 7 step drop but still not traditional shotgun either. One other thing is that I read recently that something like 60% of NFL snaps are taken from the gun now, I understand the Jeff Fisher has his offense but here’s the thing, I think it’s a lot easier to teach a QB to take snaps from under center then to teach (if it’s possible to teach) the other intangibles Goff already possesses. I think the RAMS see the same thing and that’s why they moved up. I don’t see them taking Wentz, I’ve seen too much of Goff with no pass protection dropping dimes while calmly avoiding the rush, over 1500 passes against 30 ints against D1 talent, most fans will tell you most of those picks were his receivers tipping balls up also (he hits them in the hands a lot)

There are quite a few CAL games and Goff highlight reels on you tube so please don’t just take my word for it.

And I’m really hoping the Rams take him because y’all seem pretty cool in these forums! Let me know if you have any questions at all. We have our spring game tomorrow, first time in 4 years it’s going to be a game not a practice format as CAL has had not enough depth the last three years to field two teams ;-) That should also tell you a little about the talent that has surrounded Goff. Oh and were going to get there early to watch Goff throw for Jerry, another place I hope he doesn't end up.

Welcome aboard and I agree with you. Goff is my guy and I pray to every god on earth that Rams select him. He is going to be special.

 

[DR RAM]

Hello! (Skip to end for TLDR)

I'm a Cal fan and a prospective Rams fan. No Cal fan wants Goff to go to the Browns. We want the best for him and we hope that he goes to the Rams. I haven't followed NFL too much to know what it takes to be a successful QB at this level, but all Cal fans love Goff and have high expectations for him. It's truly been a blessing to watch him play.

He is really accurate most of the time and just makes plays. You might think that Wentz is better on his feet, but trust me, Goff knows when and how to use his feet. He scrambles really well and is actually deceivingly shifty. Wentz might be the more physical one, but Goff plays really smart, and he can throw his body for the team when necessary. He's certainly done that at Cal.

Goff could've been so much better had he had a little more time in the pocket. Our O-line was one of the worst and gave Goff very little time in the pocket (which also explains his very quick releases). Goff has taken so many hits the first two years at Cal. That's one reason that I really hope that Goff goes to the Rams. He will get crushed at Cleveland. Make no mistake though. He is deadly when defenses show blitz. He lets them come to him and throws over them and eats them up.

Cam Newton has one of the strongest arms, but I hate him as a passer. Obviously you need to have decent strength, but I believe that if you actually throw too fast or too hard, it just leads to dropped passes. Goff throws great deep balls and knows which shoulder to throw at. His footwork has also received plenty of praise. Just give him some time in the pocket, and you've got a deadly QB. (he and his dad grew up playing baseball. you guys might know his dad. so don't underestimate his arm strength)

Don't let Cal's poor records in his first two years worry you. Our defense has been rated the worst in the entire division 1 football. Our O-line has also been prettyyyy bad. But still, he always keeps his cool and will make his throws.

TLDR
1. Goff is accurate and times his throws very well. Enough strength.
2. He is great in the red-zone
3. Amazing footwork that allows him to scramble and move in his pocket to buy time and look for his receivers
4. Great against blitz
5. Quick reads and releases
6. He is a quality guy that won't start drama. He is humble and does the right things.
7. Cal's defense and O-line sucked. And actually our running game was not good either. So even though we ran a pretty one dimensional offense, he did pretty well.

I didn't read anything that I didn't see. Nice post, thank you.

 

[Loyal]

Welcome Cal fans..Last year we got Georgia fans when Gurley was drafted!.ha! I really like Wentz mind you, but just like Goff better now....

 

[CGI_Ram]

Hello all, another CAL fan and most likely a Ram fan after draft day. First off been lurking in these forums since the trade was announced and love the tone of the forums, it a huge difference from the CAL Bear Insider forums. All the posts have been insightful and positive.

Like the original poster I’m completely enamored with Goff becoming a Ram. I have a disdain for SF due to the arrogance of a lot of the fans, happy he’s not ending up there or Cleveland. As for Goff my take is you are getting a really good QB. One thing where he stands out is his football acumen. As a thrower his feet are always moving (choppy steps), head and shoulders always pointed up field which allows him to make quick position adjustments, move around the pocket, side step or release. As he’s moving head shoulders and body still stay pointed down field. Goff also can feel the pressure and keep his composure; he will step up six inches to avoid a free blitzer, he very rarely will completely break his throwing stance when under pressure also, just takes a step or two to avoid whatever's coming. As the OP said the CAL line was not the best, if you watch film on him you will rarely ever see a great pocket, in fact most of the time there is no pocket and someone is coming free on him. He also has ice running through his veins, never saw him get flustered.

From a throwing prospective he very accurate especially when under duress but does have some bad throws from time to time, this has to be expected though when you throw so many passes. What is very impressive about him though is his quick release, ball placement and his anticipation are off the charts, I think it’s due to his great footwork. If you watch his film most of his passes are out before the receiver cuts and he throws the receiver open. Arm strength I would say is above average but not special. One thing I have heard before is the QBs don’t get full arm strength until they are around 25 so he still has some room for growth here if that’s true. He does have great touch on the ball though, he’s very adept at dropping passes over defenders where a lot of strong arm passers lack the touch. (Colin Kapernick)

I would not be worried about him coming from and AIR Raid, we actually call it the Bear Raid as it has slightly different concepts. First off he’s thrown over 1500 passes in 3 years of college, he was recruited by Jeff Tedford as a Pro Style QB and had to adapt to The Bear Raid as a freshman when Tedford was fired. Also CAL ran a lot of pistol, that’s not a 5 or 7 step drop but still not traditional shotgun either. One other thing is that I read recently that something like 60% of NFL snaps are taken from the gun now, I understand the Jeff Fisher has his offense but here’s the thing, I think it’s a lot easier to teach a QB to take snaps from under center then to teach (if it’s possible to teach) the other intangibles Goff already possesses. I think the RAMS see the same thing and that’s why they moved up. I don’t see them taking Wentz, I’ve seen too much of Goff with no pass protection dropping dimes while calmly avoiding the rush, over 1500 passes against 30 ints against D1 talent, most fans will tell you most of those picks were his receivers tipping balls up also (he hits them in the hands a lot)

There are quite a few CAL games and Goff highlight reels on you tube so please don’t just take my word for it.

And I’m really hoping the Rams take him because y’all seem pretty cool in these forums! Let me know if you have any questions at all. We have our spring game tomorrow, first time in 4 years it’s going to be a game not a practice format as CAL has had not enough depth the last three years to field two teams ;-) That should also tell you a little about the talent that has surrounded Goff. Oh and were going to get there early to watch Goff throw for Jerry, another place I hope he doesn't end up.

Heck of a first post!

Lots of Goff fans here.

 

[25Q86R]

I really don't understand the love for Wentz. When I think of things I want a QB to do or have, they aren't things Wentz gets praised for. Accuracy, footwork, throwing mechanics, decision making especially in reaction to the blitz. What does Wentz get praised for? He's big. And he throws hard. He did a great whiteboard session once. Ok, but does that make him a good QB? Not necessarily. He supposedly has a higher ceiling. Which means that despite evidence to the contrary, he's expected to suddenly become really good once he faces much harder competition. I have a hard time buying it.

Goff on the other hand? He has the footwork, the accuracy, the play diagnosis, and the kids takes sacks like a porn star. It doesn't matter how many hit him he takes it like a champ and keeps doing what he's paid to do.

I trust in performance. Goff did great things against good competition. Wentz did well against meh competition.

 

[ramsince62]

2. He is great in the red-zone


After years of spluttering in the red-zone, you had me sold at this point!

Nice read about Goff from a Cal fan and if we draft him, I hope your early days as a Rams fan starts off well!

Red zone, you mean that area that is off limits to this offense?

 

[Mackeyser]

Welcome. A lot in that post I'd like to go with the bolded part: I think it’s a lot easier to teach a QB to take snaps from under center then to teach (if it’s possible to teach) the other intangibles Goff already possesses.

Well, yeah, but only because many intangibles that the top QBs possess can't be taught AT ALL. That doesn't mean that teaching a QB to take snaps from under center is easy. Gruden had concerns that Goff wasn't accounting for all the rushers and taking hits behind that leaky OL at Cal. Well, in a Play Action based offense that the Rams run, the QBs back gets turned on the LOS and rushers so that awareness is key or he's going to get creamed. Teaching a QB to take snaps under center is actually quite difficult because it changes the entire rhythm of the passer and it puts a LOT more fatigue into the legs. Want to feel it for yourself? Do 10 squats, then do a QB drop back. Do 10 more, then do it again. If you're out of shape, it'd e pretty easy to stumble because a whole set of muscles need to be built up. Point is that by the 3rd quarter, there's a difference that will affect footwork, weight distribution, release point and timing. The entire issue of mechanics have to be kept in mind. It's not just practicing a few crossover steps and strengthening the hip flexor muscles, it's maintaining good mechanics across a moving platform and changing how he sets up.

Also, I keep reading about Goff "dropping dimes".

I don't see that. I see him consistently underthrowing his deep throws while Wentz hits his receivers deep in stride. At Cal, I think he got away with that way more than he will at the pro level.

In Goff's favor, I think he was more accurate in the intermediate level overall. I like Wentz more on those big throws to the sideline, the "1st down" throws if you will, but overall, yeah, I see Goff as more accurate in the intermediate range.

So, as far as "dropping dimes" I just don't see it and certainly not on the long balls.

 

[ramsince62]

I really don't understand the love for Wentz. When I think of things I want a QB to do or have, they aren't things Wentz gets praised for. Accuracy, footwork, throwing mechanics, decision making especially in reaction to the blitz. What does Wentz get praised for? He's big. And he throws hard. He did a great whiteboard session once. Ok, but does that make him a good QB? Not necessarily. He supposedly has a higher ceiling. Which means that despite evidence to the contrary, he's expected to suddenly become really good once he faces much harder competition. I have a hard time buying it.

Goff on the other hand? He has the footwork, the accuracy, the play diagnosis, and the kids takes sacks like a porn star. It doesn't matter how many hit him he takes it like a champ and keeps doing what he's paid to do.

I trust in performance. Goff did great things against good competition. Wentz did well against meh competition.

Compare at the running yards gained between them, I'll take the guy who can turn a loss into again, especially these days. Goff won 14 games in 3 years, that's hardly anything to brag about, IMO.

 

[25Q86R]

Ramsince62, what we're the scores? It's not like they lost 20-7. They would lose having scored a plethora of points. Still a loss, but the kid can score. Give him a defense that can hold a team to twenty points and what would his record be? And Wentz's team won without him. Injury potential. What does the history say? Goff can take a beating and Wentz, for all his size, can get hurt. By players that are far less athletic and talented than NFL players.

Forget for a second that Wentz is one single inch taller than Goff. Now who's the pick? The guy from a small school who got hurt, his team won without him, and he only started for a year and a half? Or the guy from a PAC 12 school who's accurate, reacts great to pressure, and helped his team go from abysmal to respectable?

I keep hearing people say that if you evaluate them as passers Goff is head and shoulders better, "but Wentz has prototypical size and way more potential" or some such. You know what I want my QB to do? Pass like a freaking champion.

Let me ask you this. Let's just say, hypothetically, that the rams actually end up passing the ball in the first game. I would bet they're going to pass at least 20 times. Do you want a guy who is already a great passer, or a guy who looks good standing one inch taller? You can keep JaMarcuss Russell. The good money is on the passer.