QB to WR Transition

If you fail at QB in the NFL, it seems automatically you are trained to be a WR. What about the quarterback position makes you qualified to be a wide reciever? I guess good hands, knowledge of routes, other than that I'm baffled.

 

Height.

 

Jaguars' WR Matt Jones was QB at Arkansas. He's like 6'6".

 

Brad Smith, the QB for Missouri a few years ago, was drafted by the Jets to be a WR. He seemed to do OK but obviously wasn't a superstar.

 

Whenever the Cowboys seem to draft a college QB they turn out to be a WR, with the exception of TR.

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been somewhat 'successful' at maximizing their draft-picks in terms QB/WR. Possessing such gifted athletes and dynamic players, the Steelers were a perennial playoff team and advanced to the Super Bowl when using such players creatively.

Kordell Stewart from Colorado Univ' started off as a multi-roll player, often dubbed "slash". He returned kickoffs/punts, lined up in the backfield as a RB or in the slot as a WR, and played QB on some plays. He eventually became a starter for a few seasons, but inconsistency plagued him and he was at times 'demoted' to WR.

Antwaan Randle El from Indiana Univ' started off as a special-teams player (kickoffs/punts, coverage-teams, etc') and then emerged as a 3rd down receiver. Eventually he became an every-down wide-out w/ the added novelty of running reverses, end-arounds, and other trick-plays w/ him throwing downfield.

Dennis Dixon from Oregon Univ' was just drafted in the 5th round by the Steelers. He will presumably follow in the foot-steps of Kordell Stewart and Atwaan Randle El as a high-skilled player w/ roles on special teams, WR, and occasional scenarios as a run/pass threat lining up as QB. Also, he might emerge as a back-up or 3rd-string QB as Big Ben is locked in to be the starter for years to come and backup Charlie Batch is getting old & expensive due to being an established NFL veteran.


To be a starting QB in the NFL is perhaps the most challenging thing in all of professional sports. Dual-threat QB's are incredibly rare to begin w/, and their ultimate success in the NFL is even more unlikely. Individuals like John Elway, Steve Young, Randall Cunningham, Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb are very special in that they were prolific at passing/running in the NFL. (It's still too early to form an opinion on Vince Young, as of now; as for Michael Vick, well there's not much more to say anymore)

I think it's imprudent to say failed QB's become WR's due to this-or-that. It's really simple in that these guys were such superb athletes to begin w/ that they simple swap over to another position when their shot at being QB seems unlikely. There are a great many 'failed' QB's who lack such athletic prowess and simply become footnotes in NFL history (ie. Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch, Eric Crouch, Dan McGwire, Akili Smith, Andre Ware, etc').

 

QB's spent their formative years visualizing and fantasizing about the best pass to the best route. That's fullfingness' first finale.
Their professional years can make the best route a reality, as the QB>WB knows what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and why the current QB has pass reception on his mind with all the X factors weighed in, and as such, the end zone justifies the means.

 

Name three THEY drafted please.

 

Patrick Crayton, Isiah Stanback, and Daniel Polk(wasn't drafted but picked up as an free agent)

 

this is the best example i know of, the guy was a running qb (i.e. vick and vince young) and made some plays that are faulk in his prime esque.

qb's can make excellent wr's, basically for all of the reasons stated, they know the routes, they've got excellent playmaking decision skills, they're generally tall enough to make it at the position, etc. wr is arguably the second most difficult position to play, behind qb, so mentally they're able to take the pressure from that position as well.