Adam Caplan sheds light on the Senior QBs from Mobile, Ala.

MOBILE, ALA.—

This is my 11^th season evaluating Senior Bowl week quarterbacks (began in 2002). And there’s nothing like seeing them throw live. And while I’m only going to be evaluating them for the three days of practice, you can still see quite a bit in regard to their talent level and much more. But you never want to over react to what you see here; game film is the most important evaluation tool for quarterbacks.

Here's an inside look at all three after watching them during Monday's 90-minute practice with the highest ranking of 5 and lowest of 1 in each category:

1. Brandon Weeden

   Oklahoma St.

   Arm Strength: 5.0
   
   Comments: Weeden is clearly a true power thrower. In my years of coming to Mobile, I would put him up with the best arm talents in regard to arm strength. I know it’s only one practice and you never want to make any hard judgments, but Weeden has a cannon of an arm.
   
   Accuracy: 4.5
   
   Comments: Because he has such good footwork, Weeden was able to throw quite accurately throughout the practice. Accuracy almost always starts with good footwork—that’s what quarterbacks coaches have told me over the years. Footwork and proper mechanics go hand and hand. He throws with a good base, balance, and throws from a consistent launch point or level. The only area where he struggled a bit was with throws outside the numbers. He had a few go out of bounds. He needed to take a bit off some of those passes.
   
   Pocket Awareness/Movement: 4
   
   Comments: Weeden had a good sense of timing with what was going on around him. I didn’t think, however, he was overly impressive throwing on the run. He looks to be a true pocket passer.
   
   Mechanics: 4.5
   
   Comments: Weeden’s footwork and mechanics were solid throughout the session. Because of his very consistent mechanics, he was able to be really accurate. He does a nice job of squaring his shoulders and gets good body torque into his throws.

2. Ryan Lindley

   San Diego St.

   Arm Strength: 3.75
   
   Comments: Just based on today’s session, Lindley clearly is capable of getting the ball downfield with power. However, that only took place when he displayed proper mechanics. When his footwork was off, his throws were inaccurate and he came up short of the intended target.
   
   Accuracy: 2.75
   
   Comments: Because of his struggles with footwork, Lindley had trouble throwing the ball accurately. In fact, he seemed tight early on. His first four throws were way too low and he clearly knew he was off based on his body language. It could be a case where he was trying too hard. When he was able to calm down and get a good base, the right-handed passer was much more accurate. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen enough.
   
   Pocket Awareness/Movement: 4.0
   
   Comments: Lindley had a good sense of what’s going on around him from what I could tell during the 90-minute session. While he looks to be a true pocket passer, or at least from watching him today, he made some decent throws on the run.
   
   Mechanics: 2.75
   
   Comments: The first thing that stood out to me about Lindley is his footwork needs improvement. Because of his inconsistency in his area, many of his passes lacked touch and power. When quarterbacks struggle with footwork, that will take away torque and power. It’s hard to get enough power into throws when you’re not able to step into them properly. When he had a good base with good footwork, Lindley was much more accurate. Hopefully he will show more improvement in this area as the week progresses.

3. Nick Foles

   Arizona

   Arm Strength: 4.0
   
   Comments: Foles has better than average arm strength when you watch him throw live. No question about it. But his poor mechanics will cause his passes to go low or awry.
   
   Accuracy: 2.75
   
   Comments: Foles struggled mightily with accuracy for the first half of practice. However, once the team part of the session began, he became more comfortable. Still, his passes needed to be more on time and accurate overall.
   
   Pocket Awareness/Movement: 3.5
   
   Comments: While he struggled with accuracy at times, Foles had no problem moving around and was able to evade pass rushers. It’s hard to knock him for holding on to the ball for prolonged periods of time. It’s very difficult to get into a passing rhythm when you haven’t worked with these wide receivers or tight ends.
   
   Mechanics: 2.5
   
   Comments: Foles has a well over the top delivery (almost like a crescent, throws from a very high position) and inconsistent footwork, and because of this, he struggled with consistency throughout the practice session.