raised_fisT said:
X said:
libertadrocks said:
Watch him come in and lead our offense on its way to scoring 30pts. lol
I would quite literally laugh my balls off.
X, what is up with the fascination with your balls lately? LOL
I've never even heard of the guy, but he really can't do much worse than Feeley did on Sunday. Protect the ball, make the smart plays and move those chains. If he comes in and gets a W, at the very least it will hopefully make Sammy sack up and start earning some stripes.
lol. I don't know. They always seem to be the source of my joy and the source of my pain. Weird, eh?
About Brandstater, there's not a whole lot to know because he hasn't done a whole lot yet. I wouldn't expect him to push Bradford for the starting position behind this particular offensive line. But I do hope he does well and makes the most of the opportunity (if he plays).
Anyway, here's a bio, some news, & a scouting report.
RECENT NEWS
04/28/2009 - The Broncos worked out USC quarterback Mark Sanchez before the draft and Tampa Bay traded up from 19th to 17th in the first round to leapfrog the Broncos at No. 18 to take quarterback Josh Freeman. However, McDaniels said the team had no interest in drafting a quarterback with the 18th pick. They didn't select a quarterback until picking Fresno State quarterback Tom Brandstater in the sixth round. "We feel comfortable with the guys we have," McDaniels said about Kyle Orton and Chris Simms. "Nobody in this building is afraid to move forward and play the season with them."
04/28/2009 - A closer look at the Broncos' picks: Round 6/174 -- Tom Brandstater, QB, 6-5, 220, Fresno State...Brandstater has the size to succeed in the NFL, and Broncos coach Josh McDaniels has had success with Tom Brady and Matt Cassel in New England, and both were drafted on the second day. Brandstater will be the third quarterback behind Kyle Orton and Chris Simms, so he can sit and learn the system while the Broncos determine if he's the quarterback of the future.
OVERVIEW
Regards as the premier quarterback in the Western Athletic Conference, Brandstater possesses the range and arm strength that National Football League teams look for in a pro style quarterback. The unquestioned leader of the team put up impressive numbers since taking over the starting position as a sophomore, but has also excelled in the classroom, earning conference academic honors the last three seasons. His intelligence on the field is evident, but academically it is even more impressive, having graduated before his junior campaign and is finishing up work on his Master's degree.
Fresno State has boasted some great college quarterbacks in recent years and Brandstater has placed his name right next to the likes of Kevin Sweeney, Trent Dilfer, David Carr and Billy Volek in the school record books. He closed out his career ranking fifth in school annals in pass completions (584) and fourth in pass attempts (989), while ranking sixth all-time with 6,857 yards passing and 7,006 yards in total offense. His 47 touchdown passes placed him seventh in Bulldogs annals.
At Turlock High School, Brandstater was a relatively unknown prep quarterback, as he played in an offense that relied more on the running attack. He threw for more than 1,000 yards as a senior, but made a better impression as a defensive back. He earned first-team All-District defensive honors from the Modesto Bee and guided his team into the Sac-Joaquin Section Championship vs. Stockton Lincoln in his final campaign.
Brandstater was the top quarterback performer in Fresno State's Summer Football Camp in 2003. He decided to enroll at the university in 2004, spending the season as a redshirt. In 2005, he saw brief action in eight games behind starter Paul Pinegar, completing just 6 of 13 passes for 49 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
The following season, Brandstater earned the first of three Academic All-Western Athletic Conference honors. He started 10 of 11 games, completing 146 of 268 attempts (54.5 percent) for 1,490 yards, 13 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He then spent the summer working on his degree and with coach Pat Hill, as the pair worked on improving his throwing mechanics.
Brandstater arrived back on campus for 2007 fall drills having already earned his degree. It was time for him to also earn some national recognition. He finished 23rd in the NCAA with a 140.49 passing efficiency rating and finished sixth in the WAC with an average of 213.23 yards per game. He amassed 2,654 yards on 211 of 337 passes (62.6 percent), connecting for 15 touchdowns against only five interceptions.
The three-time Academic All-WAC choice topped his previous season's numbers as a senior. He ranked fourth in the league in passing efficiency and total offense, as he hit on 221 of 371 tosses (59.6 percent), generating a career-high 2,664 passing yards to go with 18 touchdowns, as he collected 2,614 yards in total offense.
Analysis
Positives: Very good height and adequate build for the position. Despite his size, his feet are good enough to be effective on the bootleg and moving within the pocket. Good arm strength for short and intermediate routes, and is improving his accuracy on those throws. Has an efficient delivery. Shows some touch on shorter routes, taking a bit off the throw. Operates from under center and the shotgun. Not afraid of contact, and will attempt to block (cut or otherwise) on reverses or even downfield. Good hand work on play fakes. Throws accurately running to his right.
Negatives: Converted high school safety. Regressed in his decision-making in 2008. Generated a lot of yardage on quick throws from a spread offense look. Does not make a great deep throw, more often than not floating it up for grabs. Struggles to get the ball between linebackers and safeties on deeper routes. Bird-dogs his primary receiver at times, but is improving at looking off coverage and going through progressions. Tries to float passes to open targets instead of just throwing the ball. Not consistent with his spiral, as the ball will come out of his hand a bit wobbly. Will not threaten a defense with the big run, although he does switch the ball to his outside hand to secure it in the open.
Compares To: MARK BULGER, St. Louis -- While Brandstater has the pro size, he will need to add more bulk. He has good command in the huddle and has operated in a pro-style defense, but despite what some others feel there seems to be too much inconsistency with him throwing long, especially on the move. He tries to force the ball too much between second-level defenders, and one look at the high amount of passes that have been picked off or deflected shows he still needs a lot of coaching and tutoring. Not to call him a product of the Fresno State system, but how many Bulldogs had success in the NFL?
Scouting Report
GENERAL REPORT: GRADE: 6.1
Body Structure: Brandstater has a tall frame with adequate upper body muscle definition, and his lower frame needs to develop better muscle tone. He has adequate thighs and calves, but his frame might be at maximum growth potential after adding 10 pounds prior to the 2004 season.
Athletic Ability: Brandstater has good size and good arm strength for the quarterback position, but lacks athletic agility and looks stiff in his change of direction. He can get some yardage off the bootleg, but seems to lack vision on the move, as he will run into spots or just toss the ball away with dire consequences. He operates out of a pro-style offense, so his arm was constantly on display, but had just pedestrian numbers and seemed to regress in 2008. He has adequate quickness dropping back from center, but lacks the feet to avoid the pass rush, as he tends to lose balance when flushed out of the pocket. His arm strength is his best asset, especially on intermediate and long tosses (34 completions for over 20 yards in 2008). He has enough ability to consistently put the ball where the receiver can catch it. But he must revert to 2007 form, where he was very good at locating second and third option targets instead of just throwing the ball into a crowd (interceptions increased for five in 2007 to 12 in 2008). GRADE: 5.4
Football Sense: Brandstater is a quick learner who calls a bulk of his plays from the line of scrimmage. He knows all protections and can recognize coverages on the pre-snap and on his pass drops. He is especially effective at reading hot routes and is quick to pick up the blitz. He is a three-time Academic All-WAC pick and graduated after just three years, so it is obvious that he will not have problems digesting a complicated playbook. GRADE: 7.2
Character: Brandstater is a solid individual who is well-respected, polite and shows a good work ethic. He has no known off-field issues and is highly intelligent. He is a classic team-first player who is smart, stable and has a good personality. GRADE: 6.5
Competitiveness: Brandstater is highly competitive, but there are times he tries to create something out of nothing and needs to know when it is best to just throw the ball away rather than force the issue. He shows good confidence in the huddle and is not the type who will show his frustration on the field. He is the type that tries to carry the team on his shoulders, but really did not have much to work with the last two years (most of his completions went to TE Bear Pascoe). He plays and practices with intensity and keeps his emotions under control in pressure situations. GRADE: 6.3
Work Habits: Brandstater is a good leader by example, but will get vocal when his teammates need it. He takes pride in being the quarterback and wants to do well, spending a lot of time in the film room or with the coaches. He works hard on and off the field and shows good ethic in the weight room. He will stand tall under pressure, take a hit and deliver. GRADE: 6.2
ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 5.51
Set Up: Brandstater is just adequate in his set up. He does not really have heavy feet, but there are times where he looks too methodical in his drops. Once his feet are set, he will stand and deliver, though. He has a decent throwing motion, but has a bit of a wind-up in his release. He has the body control to stand tall and be ready in the pocket, but he seems to lose some velocity on his tosses when throwing on the run. His quickness dropping back from center is good and he does keep his feet under him, playing with good balance. GRADE: 5.3
Reading Defenses: As a junior, Brandstater seemed to have overcome his love for his primary target, doing a nice job of going through route progression to locate secondary targets. But as a senior, he tried to force the issue too much, resulting in him more than doubling his interceptions. Between the pass thefts and tosses he had broken up, the defense got a piece of 14 percent of his pass attempts in 2008 (12 interceptions, 40 pass deflections on 371 attempts). He is prone to making some bad decisions, as he just seems to throw too much into double coverage. He picks up the blitz and knows where to go with the ball, showing good vision and judgment on his reads, but tends to force the ball into coverage when his protection breaks down. He does show good timing and touch, but he has to stop forcing his throws into coverage. GRADE: 5.3
Release: Brandstater shows a high release on his throws. He will sometimes revert to a full wind up, but shows the ability to deliver most of his throws with quickness. Even when he uses a long throwing motion, he gets the ball away in time. When he keeps his delivery a little bit higher than three-quarters, he can carry the ball properly to get a quick release. GRADE: 6.0
Arm Strength: Brandstater shows adequate zip on his short to intermediate throws, but his long ball does float too much and he needs to get the ball away with a more consistent spiral (ball gets away from him when going deep). He can throw in the seam, but tends to feather the ball more than he should. GRADE: 5.7
Accuracy: Brandstater needs to improve his touchdown to interception ratio. His short passes are generally on target, except when forced to throw on the move. He has good touch with accuracy on the short throws, putting the ball where the receiver can catch it. He just does not show great accuracy throwing long, as he will force several throws into coverage rather than toss the ball away. He just needs to do a better job of reading defenders and coverage before he attempts to air it out. GRADE: 5.5
Touch: Brandstater is a bit inconsistent throwing the deep comeback from the opposite end of the field. He shows better touch and accuracy throwing short and intermediate. He takes a little too much off the ball throwing long (ball floats). He has decent anticipation and timing on routes, but there are occasions where he needs to throw the ball quicker, especially when pressured. On most of his pass thefts, it seemed as if he was not taking a good enough pre-snap look to see coverage and make the adjustment. GRADE: 5.2
Poise: Brandstater plays with good poise, as he will stand tall in the pocket and step into his throws. He can take a shot and stay composed in the pocket, but he will try to force some throws when trying to escape pressure. He has a presence standing in the pocket and is mechanically sound when not flushed out. GRADE: 6.0
Leadership: Brandstater is a solid leader both on and off the field. He wants the ball in his hands with the game on the line and shows that he has total command of the huddle. When he gets into a rhythm, he makes things happen. GRADE: 6.0
Pocket Movement: Brandstater is only adequate when throwing the ball rolling out and scrambling, as he lacks mobility and elusiveness in and out of the pocket. He moves around, but lacks the speed to be effective running the ball. He will step up and buy time, but is not a threat with his feet. He does have decent timed speed, but perhaps due to his tall, lanky frame, he fails to sink his pads and looks awkward when he has to run with the ball. GRADE: 5.2
Scrambling Ability: If your offense is looking for Brandstater to scramble or get any yards running with the ball, that could be a problem. He is a productive quarterback in the pocket, but even with his timed speed he is also a marginal open-field runner. He squares his shoulders properly on delivery, but does not have the scrambling skills or avoidance ability to throw on the run, as he does not look natural doing this. He seems to be more productive throwing when running to his right than to the opposite field. GRADE: 4.9
Compares To: MARK BULGER, St. Louis -- While Brandstater has the pro size, he will need to add more bulk. He has good command in the huddle and has operated in a pro-style defense, but despite what some others feel there seems to be too much inconsistency with him throwing long, especially on the move. He tries to force the ball too much between second-level defenders, and one look at the high amount of passes that have been picked off or deflected shows he still needs a lot of coaching and tutoring. Not to call him a product of the Fresno State system, but how many Bulldogs had success in the NFL?
OVERALL GRADE: 5.64
--Report by Dave-Te' Thomas
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/518867" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/518867</a>
