Sean White and his arm

[cole256 17,038]

I didn't evaluate him from one play and that play where he threw the ball too hard wasn't a wind up, he has a windup with the downfield throws that requires more power and it's not the same motion as his other throws.

I was not saying he wasn't performing while under duress but no he doesn't have the type of arm to throw far downfield without setting up. The reason I mentioned the duress thing is saying every throw won't be set up and use your fundamentals, that's part of the game.

Like I also said this question as far as strong arm is subjective so I left it as he has the arm to make all the throws and arm strength isn't holding him back from being a good qb and I also showed that the overall qb right now was evaluated as not having the biggest arm....But no it's not the strongest arm in the world, but it doesn't have to be

[TitanTiger 20,459]

He doesn't have Marshall or Cam arm strength but he's got plenty for a college QB. I'd say he's about in the Aaron Murray category in terms of arm strength. And I think it can improve. He can make all the throws that he needs to make and he can put some extra mustard on it when he needs to. Only reason he wasn't in for the last attempted Hail Mary vs Ole Miss was his knee wouldn't let him really step into the throw like he'd need to.

[sevenlee36 1,654]

I said that was my only concern with him was his arm strength. It seems he can throw a 40-50 yarder well.

[slipadeedoodah 24]

Tom Brady hasn't thrown deep in years. To say that arm-strength is as important as IQ is just not true. Manning hasn't had a rocket arm for a long time either and up until this year it was working just fine for him.

[I_M4_AU 7,751]

I was not saying he wasn't performing while under duress but no he doesn't have the type of arm to throw far downfield without setting up. The reason I mentioned the duress thing is saying every throw won't be set up and use your fundamentals, that's part of the game.

I agree that SW needs time to setup his fundamental on throws. The thing I like about SW is he seems to know his limitations in these situations. He moves around in the pocket to give him time to setup or he limits his setup time depending on the throw required if time is running out. If he limits his fundamentals too much the interceptions will increase, SW seems to grasp this concept.

[War Knight 514]

SW's arm strength sure looked good when he hit RL over the middle for that TD or when he dropped him a pass down the sidelines for another long gain. As far as zip, if anything he needs to take some zip off some of his short passes and use a tad more touch. With his bad knee, the ball is going just a little high sometimes but that is temporary. Darn good QB if you ask me.

I have absolutely no certainty but I think the qb's are taught to throw high when it's one on one situations. SW has actually thrown high more than this game and JJ would do it to. I think the result is supposed to be like the td that tied the Jax st game up. I think the qb's should take in account who the wr is though, lead Ray for the jump ball but maybe not Davis. This is just my opinion from watching all the games as a whole

You're right. It usually puts the ball where only the receiver can get it.

[Rednilla 5,383]

From what I've seen, the deal with Sean White's arm strength is less that he doesn't have much and more that it's a matter of relativity. He can throw quickly, but he isn't able to get the same amount of zip on the ball that way as Johnson can or as Marshall did.

That having been said, he's just one of those guys that figures out a way around it. The anticipation mentioned in the article is a critical element to that, because it allows him to throw those drop-it-in-a-bucket type of throws over the linebackers and between the safeties (just as an example). Also, speaking as a former receiver whose QB was a pitcher at UGA (with a low-mid 90s fastball...and the same kind of velocity throwing the pigskin), I can tell you with absolute certainty that life is easier when the ball is not thrown on a laser beam.

However, sometimes the only way to fit the ball into a throwing lane is to be able to put it on a line, and to put some umph behind it too...he's shown me the ability to do the former, but I question whether he's to the point yet that he's developed his arm enough to add that something extra to make a 10 yard out route to the wide side of the field a completion that moves the chains rather than a pick 6.

Either way, I've been impressed with him. I still believe that Johnson is physically the better candidate (and that's as much because of his height to see over blockers and his bulk to absorb hits as it is his arm, which, as mentioned, is far less a deal at this level than the next), and my hope is that they can feed off of one another and grow because of pushing the other, regardless of who starts...but it sure is nice having a kid like Sean White to pick up the slack if Jeremy isn't able to have that lightbulb moment where everything clicks into place, isn't it?

[AU64 10,122]

Please don't turn this into a bash thread but I am really curious into the thinking that Sean has little arm strength.

How far of a deep ball does a QB need?

Do you feel he lacks "zip" on his shorter passes?

I don't see Sean as having a 70 yard arm like NM but his deep balls look fine and most have dropped with near perfect depth. Some have strayed a little to the left or right but his ball drops where it seems he wants it to.

OK..here we are at page 2 and did you really think you could pose some hypothetical question like that and not draw a bunch of negative analysis from people not qualified to make such analysis? Like tossing a steak into the lions cage at the zoo.

[johnnyAU 3,630]

I think Sean's inability to plant that front foot is affecting his throws right now. Puts too much weight on that back leg to protect the front leg, and the result can be a high pass.

I think he looks very good when healthy.

Just my two cents.

[Rednilla 5,383]

He doesn't have Marshall or Cam arm strength but he's got plenty for a college QB. I'd say he's about in the Aaron Murray category in terms of arm strength. And I think it can improve. He can make all the throws that he needs to make and he can put some extra mustard on it when he needs to. Only reason he wasn't in for the last attempted Hail Mary vs Ole Miss was his knee wouldn't let him really step into the throw like he'd need to.

Okay, this is essentially a much more concise and better put way of saying the same thing I did..wish I'd looked at page 2 before typing all that out so I could have just put a +1 on here..

[thaitopher 807]

Please don't turn this into a bash thread but I am really curious into the thinking that Sean has little arm strength.

How far of a deep ball does a QB need?

Do you feel he lacks "zip" on his shorter passes?

I don't see Sean as having a 70 yard arm like NM but his deep balls look fine and most have dropped with near perfect depth. Some have strayed a little to the left or right but his ball drops where it seems he wants it to.

OK..here we are at page 2 and did you really think you could pose some hypothetical question like that and not draw a bunch of negative analysis from people not qualified to make such analysis? Like tossing a steak into the lions cage at the zoo.

I was worried about that too, but so far no one has been critical of him. Whose post are you referring to?

[alexava 6,972]

His arm is fine. No worries at all.

[cole256 17,038]

Please don't turn this into a bash thread but I am really curious into the thinking that Sean has little arm strength.

How far of a deep ball does a QB need?

Do you feel he lacks "zip" on his shorter passes?

I don't see Sean as having a 70 yard arm like NM but his deep balls look fine and most have dropped with near perfect depth. Some have strayed a little to the left or right but his ball drops where it seems he wants it to.

OK..here we are at page 2 and did you really think you could pose some hypothetical question like that and not draw a bunch of negative analysis from people not qualified to make such analysis? Like tossing a steak into the lions cage at the zoo.

I was worried about that too, but so far no one has been critical of him. Whose post are you referring to?

There are none, this post is for dramatic purposes

[aubfaninga 16]

Please don't turn this into a bash thread but I am really curious into the thinking that Sean has little arm strength.

How far of a deep ball does a QB need?

Do you feel he lacks "zip" on his shorter passes?

I don't see Sean as having a 70 yard arm like NM but his deep balls look fine and most have dropped with near perfect depth. Some have strayed a little to the left or right but his ball drops where it seems he wants it to.

OK..here we are at page 2 and did you really think you could pose some hypothetical question like that and not draw a bunch of negative analysis from people not qualified to make such analysis? Like tossing a steak into the lions cage at the zoo.

It was a genuine question for an answer (With my fingers crossed that people would actually explain their position). I was worried but it does not hurt to ask. The worse that could happen is it gets locked or golf posts a youtube video.

The thread did turn more informative, with the posters that have no concerns, than I thought it would.

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

Do we really need this same thread every week?

[slipadeedoodah 24]

Do we really need this same thread every week?

Some people will keep bringing it up until the coaching staff goes out and gets a dual-threat QB.

Personally, I can't remember the last time we had a QB as accurate as SW. Chris Todd maybe, but even then SW has potential to be as good as any pocket passer we have ever had at Auburn. Why would we want to pass that up? Besides I am sure Gus would enjoy proving that his offense can work without a DTQB.... again.

[aujeff11 6,243]

Great QBs can figure out how to get the ball to their WR even with no zip on the ball.

IE: Peyton Manning has pedestrian arm strength right now but he is startiing to connect with the WR. He has thrown more interceptions than usual but it is all about timing than velocity and he is figuring all that out.

[aubfaninga 16]

Do we really need this same thread every week?

I must have missed them

[cole256 17,038]

Lol....boy I tell you

[cole256 17,038]

Do we really need this same thread every week?

I must have missed them

There haven't been any at most a few statements here and there in other threads

[Rednilla 5,383]

Do we really need this same thread every week?

Some people will keep bringing it up until the coaching staff goes out and gets a dual-threat QB.

Personally, I can't remember the last time we had a QB as accurate as SW. Chris Todd maybe, but even then SW has potential to be as good as any pocket passer we have ever had at Auburn. Why would we want to pass that up? Besides I am sure Gus would enjoy proving that his offense can work without a DTQB.... again.

Brandon Cox had as good of accuracy, IMO, but he had medical issues that prevented him from being able to develop the way that White can (and hopefully will).

[AURex 1,978]

I'm less concerned about SW's arm than I am about the WRs hands.

[AUGoo 2,657]

I am likewise surprised at the criticism that he gets for not having much speed.

Most times I've seen him move he picks up yards and at least knows where the sticks are to make an intelligent decision on whether to slide or put his head down.

I have wished to see him actually run the zone read.

Appears to me he has only handed off and not really had an opportunity to show his foot work.

[Rednilla 5,383]

Great QBs can figure out how to get the ball to their WR even with no zip on the ball.

IE: Peyton Manning has pedestrian arm strength right now but he is startiing to connect with the WR. He has thrown more interceptions than usual but it is all about timing than velocity and he is figuring all that out.

Agreed; it's all a matter of using the tools you've got at your disposal. At quarterback, the absolute most powerful tool a player can have is his brain. That's true to some degree at all positions, but it's all the more true of whomever the point man is, regardless of the sport (the 1-guard in basketball, the catcher in baseball, the goalie/sweeper in soccer, etc).

That being said, having the other tools is more and more necessary the higher you get; fortunately for Sean, while he might not have quite the elite physical tools that some of our other great past QBs have had, he certainly has enough of them to be a superb college quarterback. He might not have the prototypical size to get much of a shot in the NFL, but again, he's just one of those guys that works things out so that he can get the job done properly, so who knows?

[weagl1 1,781]

If anything Sean is throwing too hard on many throw from what I have seen. His accuracy has obviously been affected by the knee injury and hopefully that has improved some this week. Danny Wuerffel is one of the best college QB's we have ever seen in the SEC and Sean's arm strength is much greater than his. As long as a QB is accurate and knows where to put the ball he doesn't have to be wearing a cannon.