What is your biggest prospect hot take for the upcoming NFL draft?

Hello guys, combine is tomorrow and I’m just wondering if there is any place I can watch the combine for free that y’all have found? I had to get my car fixed and I’m in college so money is a bit tight, so if yall got any loopholes to the combine let a brotha know?

Of these 24 QBs, there were six who ended up being starter caliber QBs by the end of their rookie contract (bolded in list below). That's a 25% hit rate including mid-tier starters like Cutler and Tannehill who each only had one pro-bowl caliber season and had minimal playoff success. Deshaun Watson was also a debatable inclusion based on recent performance, but he was great in Houston. If you narrow it down to only the ones taken in the first round. It's 6 out of 16 which is 37.5% and still not great odds.

Every draft is unique, but history shows that it is quite rare that there are 3 starter caliber QBs in a draft. Even "loaded" classes like 2020 which had 5x 1st Rd QBs only has one guy who is likely going to be a starter for the team that drafted him in 2024.

I don't watch enough college football to have strong opinions on individual players, and I certainly am less equipped than our scouting staff who pours over hundreds of hours of film on prospects. So I'll trust them to evaluate better than me and if they think the QB available at 3 is that guy I'll be buying his jersey Day 1. That said if they pass on QB and take Marvin Harrison Jr, or trade down I'll be fine with that too. Because our team is more than a QB away and the odds aren't necessarily in our favor taking the third QB off the board anyway.

• Anthony Richardson (Rd 1)

• Malik Willis (Rd 3)

• Trey Lance (Rd 1)

• Justin Herbert (Rd 1)

• Dwayne Haskins (Rd 1)

• Josh Allen (Rd 1)

• Deshaun Watson (Rd 1)

• Paxton Lynch (Rd 1)

• Garrett Grayson (Rd 3)

• Teddy Bridgewater (Rd 1)

• Mike Glennon (Rd 3)

• Ryan Tannehill (Rd 1)

• Blaine Gabbert (Rd 1)

• Jimmy Clausen (Rd 2)

• Josh Freeman (Rd 1)

• Brian Brohm (Rd 2)

• Kevin Kolb (Rd 2)

• Jay Cutler (Rd 1)

• Jason Campbell (Rd 1)

• Ben Roethlisberger (Rd 1)

• Kyle Boller (Rd 1)

• Patrick Ramsey (Rd 1)

• Quincy Carter (Rd 2)

• Chris Redman (Rd 3)

Hi ,

I’ve always considered myself a fan of obscure NFL history, and one of the most fascinating stories I keep in mind is that of the 1925 season, particularly, the controversy surrounding the Chicago (now Arizona) Cardinals and the now-defunct Pottsville Maroons. It’s a story that involves several broken rules, sketchy ownership doings, and, in some people’s opinions, blatant negligence from the league itself.

For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, I’d love to take some time to look back nearly 100 years, around the time of the league’s formation, and discuss one of professional sport’s most interesting championships.

Background

In itself, the 1925 NFL season wasn’t too different from any other early-league year: teams played a schedule of games (at least 8) and whichever team had the best record was declared champion. There were no playoffs or championship games - all that mattered was your final record.

One key note that should be made is that after all scheduled games were completed (in this case, December 6), teams could continue to make matchups in order to make more money. These games would still count towards your record, leading to some rather odd results (9-5-3, 13-7, etc.)

One of such matchups was a game devised by the Frankfurt Yellow Jackets, who wished to play against an All-Star team of former Notre Dame Fighting Irish players. The terms of the deal were that Notre Dame would play the winner of the eastern division on December 12. Frankfurt, who had just soundly defeated the Pottsville Maroons 20-0, were comfortably at the top of the division, leading them to believe they would be the ones to play Notre Dame.

However, that did not happen.

The Yellow Jackets would lose four of their next six games, including a 49-0 loss in a rematch against Pottsville. Pottsville would go into their Week 12 game with a record of 9-2 to face the 10-1-1 Chicago Cardinals. The Cardinals, at the top of the western division, would be playing in a de-facto championship game, as the winner would ultimately clinch the best record in the NFL.

The Pottsville Maroons would go onto defeat the Cardinals 21-7 on December 6, 1925. For all intents and purposes, the Maroons had secured their first NFL championship.

Broken Rules

Here is where the story becomes murky. The Pottsville Maroons, now eastern division champions, earned the right to play in the game mentioned earlier against Notre Dame. Although Notre Dame wasn’t an NFL team, the game was expected to draw a very large audience and generate a great deal of ticket revenue. After all, college football had existed for several decades prior to the NFL’s existence. Because of this, the Pottsville Maroons worried that Minersville Park (their home stadium) would not be able to accommodate the crowd, so they decided to hold the game at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

Herein lies the main crux of this story: At the time, the NFL had rules prohibiting teams from hosting games in an opponent’s area. For example, the Bears couldn’t hold an exhibition game in Green Bay as this would infringe on the Packers’ territory. The Frankfurt Yellow Jackets played in Philadelphia, so the idea of Pottsville hosting a popular exhibition game in their city was strongly protested.

Within days of the Pottsville-Chicago game, the NFL provided a written warning to the Maroons, stating that any game played in Philadelphia would result in harsh penalties and suspensions.

Allegedly, Pottsville owner John Streigel called NFL commissioner Joseph Carr and received oral confirmation that the Pottsville-Notre Dame game could take place. However, there is no written record of this call ever occurring, and the NFL denies any such communication. Nevertheless, the game happened, Pottsville won 9-7, and the NFL suspended the team for the remainder of the year. This denied their championship claim, despite having the league’s best record and defeating the second-best team in a head-to-head matchup.

As of December 12, 1925, the NFL had no clear champion.

Broken Rules: Deep-Dish Style

All while this was unfolding, the Chicago Cardinals were hastily scheduling two additional games for the end of their season. One game was to be played on December 10 against the Milwaukee Badgers, and another was to be played on December 12 against the Hammond Pros. These two teams had a combined record of 1-8 at the time, and had discontinued play for several weeks. The Cardinals won these games by a whopping 72-0.

Many Pottsville supporters point to these hastily scheduled games as a “smoking gun”, alleging that the Cardinals used these two games as a chance to steal the championship from Pottsville by inflating their record. However, the team was within their rights to schedule these games. Personally, I also disagree with this sentiment due to the timing of these games. The Pottsville-ND game, along with the subsequent suspension, occurred on December 12, after the two Cardinals games already concluded.

Additionally, Cardinals owner Chris O’Brien later announced they would not accept an NFL championship, as they had not won it fairly (good on him tbh). According to him, these two games were simply scheduled to make some extra cash.

While the scheduling of these games were entirely legal for Chicago, what happened during one of these games is where the plot thickens further.

Days before their game against the Milwaukee Badgers, Cardinals player Art Folz hired a group of high school football players to assume different identities and play for Milwaukee. He allegedly told the high schoolers that the game was “just practice” and would not count against their amateur status. This essentially guaranteed that Chicago would be playing an inferior opponent, and they defeated Milwaukee 58-0. Not only did Folz fix the game, he also hired minors to play in a league game, which was strictly forbidden.

The league quickly became aware of the scandal regarding the Chicago-Milwaukee game and determined the following:

1. Art Folz was barred for life from the NFL.

2. The Milwaukee Badgers must be sold within 90 days.

3. The game would be stricken from NFL records and would not count as a win for the Cardinals.

4. Chris O’Brien must pay a $1,000 fine to the league.

However, only the first two of these ended up being enforced. The NFL still counts the game in its official records and rescinded the fine as it would have driven the Cardinals out of business.

So, to recap:

Chicago Cardinals: 11-2-1. Owner declines championship.

Pottsville Maroons: 10-2. League denies championship claim.

Aftermath

Several years passed as the 1925 championship remained a hotly debated topic. Following the 1925 season, the Pottsville Maroons insisted that they were the rightful NFL champions, despite their unsanctioned game against the Notre Dame All-Stars. Unfortunately, the club went out of business following the 1928 season, and never regained the success they achieved in 1925.

The Chicago Cardinals continued to refuse the championship until 1933, when Charles Bidwell purchased the team. The Bidwell family still asserts that they are the rightful owners of the championship, despite the 8 year gap from when the season was played to when it was claimed.

After repeated requests from surviving Pottsville players and coaches, the NFL agreed to open an investigation regarding the controversy in 1963. A committee ended up ruling 12-2 in favor of the Cardinals, who had since moved from Chicago. The two voters in favor of Pottsville were George Halas and Art Rooney. It is unknown exactly why each owner voted this way, but I find it hard to believe that owners would vote against one of their own in favor of a defunct team that folded 35 years prior.

In response, the Maroons presented a makeshift championship trophy made from anthracite coal to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where it still presides today. The case was re-opened in 2003 but was swiftly dismissed after a 30-2 vote, this time supported by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. Ironically, the territory rights owned by the Yellow Jackets were given to the Eagles after the team went out of business. In a way, the team that originally blocked Pottsville from its lone championship is also one that attempted to return it to them.

To this day, the Cardinals are considered the rightful champions of the 1925 season, despite the scandal surrounding their game against Milwaukee. The Cardinals would only win one more championship (this time fairly) in the 98 years following the 1925 controversy, leading to the belief of a curse placed on them by the Pottsville Maroons.

Conclusion

At this point, there will likely never be a resolution to this controversy that favors the Pottsville Maroons. Anyone involved with the situation has long since passed, and the 1925 season remains a small footnote on the league’s vast history. However, many have spoken in favor of the long-lost Pottsville team including the legendary Red Grange:

"The Pottsville Maroons were the most ferocious and most respected players I have ever faced. You know, I always believed the Maroons won the NFL championship in 1925 ... but were robbed of the honor."

Thanks to everyone who read through this rabbit hole of a post - I’m curious to see what you all think!

Hey everyone... this article is an NCAA coach breaking down Drake Maye's film. You can see all the clips by reading on the site:

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience, and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players in this draft class, with detailed insight into the strengths, weaknesses, and projections of future NFL standouts.

Scouting NFL draft prospects is about projecting translatable traits. There is often overlap between translatable traits and college performance, but there's a reason many top college players are not considered legitimate professionals. For example, a wide receiver being able to get in and out of breaks efficiently will not change from college to pro. On the flip side, an edge-rusher who got most of his sacks due to hustle or missed offensive line assignments may not have shown translatable traits on film.

The film clips used in this series show positive and negative traits of each pro prospect. Reading this article will give you a more in-depth look into each player with actual in-game visual evidence. We will continue our Coach Knows Ball scouting series with North Carolina QB .

Drake Maye Rookie Profile

Drake Maye burst onto the college football scene in 2022, passing for 4321 yards and 38 touchdowns on 66.2% completions as a redshirt freshman. Without , Maye's stats fell off in 2023, when he threw for 3608 yards, 24 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Maye has ideal size at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, and is athletic enough to scramble to throw or run. Let's dive into the film.

Confidence In Structure

When things are working around him, Drake Maye looks like the best player on the field. He makes good decisions within the context of the offense when protection holds up.

In the clip below, Maye works a quick game concept to the field where his No. 2 receiver runs a curl. Maye delivers a strike on time before the flat defender can play the route. Maye is accurate within the structure of his offense and naturally places the ball well.

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The clip below is an example of Maye placing a slot fade perfectly. If you give him a clean pocket, he can make every throw and excels down the field.

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The clip below is a quick game concept that might not require such a crow-hop hitch up. However, scouting is not about grading his college film. This clip shows Maye transfer his weight and drop a dot into the outside receiver's hands in stride. The middle of the field safety can't get over in time.

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In the clip below, Maye sees a free runner to his left and takes two hitches up right into interior pressure. He's still able to deliver a strike to his No. 2 receiver on the bender route.

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Maye looks like when he's at his best. He has confidence that he can make every throw, so when the offense is clicking, he fires strikes to all levels of the field.

Basketball on Grass

Maye's translation to the pro game won't be entirely smooth as it relates to under-center concepts and checking protections. However, his ability to learn how to execute an NFL offense is not the reason he'll be drafted highly. Maye's athletic instincts and craftiness on second-reaction plays is what makes him an intriguing pro prospect.

The clip below shows the type of breakdown in protection that was all too common in Maye's film. It's a positive in that Maye was able to find success while dealing with so much pressure.

The clip below is brilliant diagnosing of having only five blockers for six line-of-scrimmage rushers. Maye knows who will be free and that he has a man-beating corner route to his left. There's no need to evaluate footwork, but what this shows is spatial instincts, smarts, guts, and crazy arm talent. This play resulted in a touchdown.

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The clip below shows a mesh concept with five-man protection. The only way to beat the blitz with this concept is to buy time. Maye does an excellent job sneaking around the free runner and firing a strike to his mesh route. This looks like Justin Herbert.

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The clip below speaks for itself. Maye actually makes a mistake here, as he should give the ball to his running back. When he decides to keep it, the edge defender has an easy tackle for loss... until Maye pulls a rabbit out of his hat with his left hand while being contacted by two defenders. Special stuff.

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The clip below shows great placement and arm talent on the run to his left. The coaching staff clearly had no issue sprinting Maye out to his left. They may have hoped he hit the flat route, but a down-and-dirty laser for a touchdown is even better.

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The clip below shows more plus mobility and arm talent from Maye. This is a point guard drawing a double team, then dishing it out to his teammate. The release and arm talent shine through. Being able to win with craftiness on second-reaction plays is a huge plus in today's NFL.

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The clip below again shows Maye recognizing a six-man pressure against five-man protection. He slides right and shows off his touch on the well-placed slot fade. Maye's base, footwork, and mechanics aren't always sound, but he has a whippy arm and natural accuracy.

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Another positive trait Maye has is his ability to run the ball. Maye rushed for 1209 yards and 16 touchdowns as a two-year starter. While he won't be or , he has the rushing ability to make defenses respect his legs.

Translation Concerns

Drake Maye's numbers took a dip in 2023, and protection issues were surely part of it. He also lost his top receiver in to the NFL. However, there were discouraging signs of a lack of growth late in 2023. The most glaring concern shown on film is Maye's tendency to throw interceptions or interception-worthy passes all too often.

In the clip below, UNC is running a similar play to the mesh concept shown previously in this article. Clemson, however, only rushes three, and forces Maye to play hero ball. Maye's drifting is a bad habit, as there's no reason for him to willingly drop to 11+ yards behind the line of scrimmage with crossing routes and flat routes as his answers. He then misfires and throws a pick right to a defender.

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Here's mesh in the red zone again. Maye is wild with the pump fakes and probably doesn't need two hitches up in the pocket to get to his over-the-ball route. He has two tight windows to choose from but instead airmails a ball that should've been picked off.

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The clip below shows another example of a risky red zone decision. It's first down early in the game, there's no reason to try to fire a ball under duress to a route that's almost dead in the concept. These types of decisions show an overconfidence in his arm that will lead to turnovers at the next level.

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When Maye's fadeaway works, it's a special highlight. When it doesn't, the clip below happens. There is simply no excuse for throwing across his body against this man coverage. It's a bad decision and a weak throw.

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Maye hit plenty of deep balls on film, but I don't think his arm is above average in terms of velocity at the pro level. He tends to overcompensate by crow-hopping aggressively up or taking two hitches, both of which will mess up protection schemes and timing at the NFL level. He has a narrow base and drifts in the pocket as well. These are fixable traits, but obvious bad habits.

In the clip below, you can see all of Maye's issues. His base is super narrow and because he doesn't hitch up once or twice, he doesn't get great velocity on the sail throw. He also drifts to his right.

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Drake Maye has a ton of talent, and at just 21 years old, there's still a lot of potential. However, there are some concerning traits in terms of mechanics and decision-making that do put disappointing pro squarely in his range of outcomes.

NFL Outlook

Drake Maye has the size, accuracy, and playmaking ability to lead an NFL offense. His in-structure game needs work in terms of lower-body mechanics, but you can't teach his ability to create and place the ball well at all levels. Out of structure, his film shows craftiness that if it translates, can ignite an offense.

However, there are risks with his projection, as his decision-making, ball velocity, and ability to deal with pressure were inconsistent on film. A team will likely take him in the top 10, but he has a wide range of outcomes and I wouldn't be comfortable drafting him until late in the first round.

If you would like to read and watch some of my past film breakdowns, click on the links below.

To see the film clips, read the article here: