Anonymous NFL scouts on Cam Ward

[D7.]

Every year, Bob McGinn compiles quotes from anonymous scouts on the top prospects for golongtd.com. Below is the feedback for Cam Ward, his top-ranked QB prospect (I agree with the first guy):

1. CAM WARD, Miami (6-1 ½, 219, no 40, 1): First Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami since 2002. Finished fourth in the voting. “He’s the best by far — I don’t think there’s really a comparison between him and Shedeur,” one scout said. “I did him last year (2023) when he initially was going to come out. He was wild. Not a great feel. All over the place, really. But he’s gotten so much better this year. He’s a playmaker. He’s quick with his eyes and the decision-making. His release is quick. The arm is good. He can throw from all angles. He’s so calm and poised. When **** gets ramped up at the end of games he ratchets it up, too, where you see the competitor in him. He’s got (Patrick) Mahomes-like escapability. Very similar to Mahomes athletically. Mahomes doesn’t look like he’s a great athlete but he’s always getting away from people and running. That’s this guy. He’s got that backyard style but he has gotten so much better being on time and precise and with accuracy and quick decisions. Tennessee has to pick this guy (at No. 1).”

Started 19 games in two seasons at FCS Incarnate Word, compiling an NFL passer rating of 107.2. Started 25 games at Washington State in 2022-’23 before rewriting the Miami record book in 13 starts last year. His passer rating in Power 5 was 103.4. “He plays like a modern NFL quarterback,” another scout said. “He can play off schedule. He’s got some dynamic ability. There’s no doubt he needs some work. At this point, his physical traits outweigh his pure quarterback play but we have coaches. We can work with his feet and feel in the pocket and decision-making and processing. Fundamentally, he may not be perfect, but he’s fun to watch. I wish he was a little taller but he’s got a sturdy frame. I would say he’d be a 4.7 maybe.” Rushed 400 times for 486 yards (1.2-yard average) and 20 touchdowns.

“This will be the ideal kid if you can sit him for a year,” said a third scout. “It never happens except in Green Bay. I’ve watched him since he was at Incarnate Word. He’s got the most tools in this class and enough size to work with. It’s just the decision-making. Sometimes he doesn’t trust his eyes. Sometimes he trusts his arm too much. He needs a lot more coaching. He’s getting better but he still isn’t NFL-ready from the neck up.” His hands measured at 9 inches, tied for smallest at the position.

“He was a disaster at Washington State,” a fourth scout said. “I’m kind of laughing hearing he’s gonna go first. Two years ago, he was throwing interceptions like nobody’s business. Michael Penix and Bo Nix were no-brainers as NFL starters. Cam Ward is a backup to me. He better fit the system or it’s going to be a disaster. I’m really kind of flabbergasted he’s being talked about in the top five. That (desperation) is when you make those kinds of mistakes.” Outstanding high-school basketball player in West Columbia, Texas.

“The kid knows that if he’ll throw some sidearm shots outside like a second baseman or shortstop and loft a few deep balls with the scouts there everybody will be oohing and aahing,” said a fifth scout. “His arm talent has been his entrée ticket to every level, and the NFL will be no exception. Is he going to go where they’ll train him and coach him? Because I’m telling you, he’ll get sacked maybe 85 times his rookie year. He will set the record for sacks because he will not get rid of the ball. He just holds it and drifts around and the Wake Forest guy falls off him and the NC State guy can’t get him on the ground and the Louisville guy is just grasping at air. It’s laughable. It’s not even real. Bad body, lazy. This guy’s so unpolished. You recognize the arm talent but it begins and ends there.”

A sixth scout said Ward wasn’t as good a prospect as Baker Mayfield and wasn’t close to Jayden Daniels or Caleb Williams.

“He’s got talent but he’s got a bad body and he’s short,” a seventh scout said. “He’s the best guy but he ****ed me off as much as breaking down the good things. I don’t like the fact that a quarterback’s been to three schools. I guess it’s the time we’re in now.”

Some of those comments were wild. Clearly they never scouted the Wazzu Offensive Line as he was running for his life most of the time. Horrible takes by some questionable NFL scouts.

 

[OldhamA]

You know the guy is old and crusty if they think 6’1 and some change and almost 220 is too small. Those are the guys who draft Anthony Richardson because he’s a specimen and can sling it everywhere, despite the fact that he can’t really play quarterback.

To be fair, Richardson should have sat a year. He absolutely wasn't ready for the NFL - his footwork needed a ton of work.

 

[Alex_Dynamix]

I wish I could get paid good money to be as clueless as these guys dude really called Cam lazy lmao

 

[cowboycane]

I've been reading these McGinn columns for years and they're all like this. Fun reads but nothing to get too concerned about. Scouts are paid to have opinions and McGinn is an old dude who probably talks to salty old scouts. Two years ago, they were comparing Stroud to Dwayne Haskins.

Fun CowboyCane fact…he was also my Babe Ruth League coach in Green Bay back in the day. Nice guy.

 

[Gocanes1990]

If scouts were good at evaluating QBs 20 of the w s in the league wouldn’t be complete asss

 

[San Amaro Dr]

Who do these gentlemen scout for? The Ku Klux Klan?

 

[Calinative]

QB is the hardest position there is to scout successfully. Scouting the pure arm talent and mobility, and all that is pretty easy. Its everything else that is difficult. And success is heavily dependent on the OC, OLine, and Weapons they're given. And they are pretty much all thrown in the fire so early that it can break them before they even have a real chance. The most talented QBs are often taken by teams that have the least talent which is why they are drafting so early. And many go to Franchises that are often drafting early like that and that ruins them. Like there is a reason the Packers have so much success at QB. There is a reason the Eagles have been able to drop 3 different Qbs into their team that is entirely built around the Trenches, and win. There is a Reason the 49ers have success on offense regardless who the Qb is. Andy Reid gets the most out of any QB he's given... So when those teams land a guy who has early 1st type of talent, and don't have the entire weight of the franchise on their back asap, they are put in the best position to succeed and often do by plenty of metrics.

Cam Ward is obviously the most talented QB in this draft. His pure arm talent is up there with any QB in the past few years. His mobility and strength in the pocket is too. He's got areas he clearly needs to improve. But ultimately all that is like 10%. The vast majority is about the team, leadership, management, and coaching/scheme, etc. If Cam Ward was going to be dropped onto the Vikings, Chiefs, 49ers, Packers, Eagles, etc I'd bet on him being the highest paid QB in the NFL when he goes to sign his extension (not that crazy given every new qb to sign basically does). But You could have said similar about Baker Mayfield. But he went to the Browns.... Ultimately I think this is about the Titans and their management and coaches.

QB has the most impact on winning once they are established, yet these young Qbs panning out is so heavily dependent on everything around them....

 

[TwentySix]

When was he throwing picks like he was crazy? lol some of these scouts are terrible

Absolute morons. Reeks of “I missed on him last year so I have to dig in.” Cam’s career high in INTs was 10, in a season he threw the ball almost 600 times. That’s a sub 1.7% INT rate. He’s never been an INT machine.

But anyone who thinks he was a disaster at Wazzu shouldn’t have a job with an NFL team regardless.

 

[BS85]

Lazy? Who are these assclowns?

Felt a little sprinkle of racism on a few of those.

 

[Ispyin]

If that report from the scouts was paper, I’d have enough toilet paper to wipe my *** for a year

 

[poncho0091]

To be fair, Richardson should have sat a year. He absolutely wasn't ready for the NFL - his footwork needed a ton of work.

Every couch QB who has ever watch Richardson play at UF already knew he lacks the consistency to succeed. He's shown a few flash games where he dominated, but never shown consistency and will come back the next week looking like garbage.

I agree he needed a year to sit, but he never should have gone #1 and honestly I have low expectations he'll ever have any real success in the NFL. Shame because he seems like a good kid.

 

[poncho0091]

The only real concern I have for Cam at the pro level is going to a team with a bad front office. The Titans are questionable, and the Browns are a disaster. I wish someone with a competent front office would trade up and get him.

 

[CanesFan20]

Every year, Bob McGinn compiles quotes from anonymous scouts on the top prospects for golongtd.com. Below is the feedback for Cam Ward, his top-ranked QB prospect (I agree with the first guy):

1. CAM WARD, Miami (6-1 ½, 219, no 40, 1): First Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami since 2002. Finished fourth in the voting. “He’s the best by far — I don’t think there’s really a comparison between him and Shedeur,” one scout said. “I did him last year (2023) when he initially was going to come out. He was wild. Not a great feel. All over the place, really. But he’s gotten so much better this year. He’s a playmaker. He’s quick with his eyes and the decision-making. His release is quick. The arm is good. He can throw from all angles. He’s so calm and poised. When **** gets ramped up at the end of games he ratchets it up, too, where you see the competitor in him. He’s got (Patrick) Mahomes-like escapability. Very similar to Mahomes athletically. Mahomes doesn’t look like he’s a great athlete but he’s always getting away from people and running. That’s this guy. He’s got that backyard style but he has gotten so much better being on time and precise and with accuracy and quick decisions. Tennessee has to pick this guy (at No. 1).”

Started 19 games in two seasons at FCS Incarnate Word, compiling an NFL passer rating of 107.2. Started 25 games at Washington State in 2022-’23 before rewriting the Miami record book in 13 starts last year. His passer rating in Power 5 was 103.4. “He plays like a modern NFL quarterback,” another scout said. “He can play off schedule. He’s got some dynamic ability. There’s no doubt he needs some work. At this point, his physical traits outweigh his pure quarterback play but we have coaches. We can work with his feet and feel in the pocket and decision-making and processing. Fundamentally, he may not be perfect, but he’s fun to watch. I wish he was a little taller but he’s got a sturdy frame. I would say he’d be a 4.7 maybe.” Rushed 400 times for 486 yards (1.2-yard average) and 20 touchdowns.

“This will be the ideal kid if you can sit him for a year,” said a third scout. “It never happens except in Green Bay. I’ve watched him since he was at Incarnate Word. He’s got the most tools in this class and enough size to work with. It’s just the decision-making. Sometimes he doesn’t trust his eyes. Sometimes he trusts his arm too much. He needs a lot more coaching. He’s getting better but he still isn’t NFL-ready from the neck up.” His hands measured at 9 inches, tied for smallest at the position.

“He was a disaster at Washington State,” a fourth scout said. “I’m kind of laughing hearing he’s gonna go first. Two years ago, he was throwing interceptions like nobody’s business. Michael Penix and Bo Nix were no-brainers as NFL starters. Cam Ward is a backup to me. He better fit the system or it’s going to be a disaster. I’m really kind of flabbergasted he’s being talked about in the top five. That (desperation) is when you make those kinds of mistakes.” Outstanding high-school basketball player in West Columbia, Texas.

“The kid knows that if he’ll throw some sidearm shots outside like a second baseman or shortstop and loft a few deep balls with the scouts there everybody will be oohing and aahing,” said a fifth scout. “His arm talent has been his entrée ticket to every level, and the NFL will be no exception. Is he going to go where they’ll train him and coach him? Because I’m telling you, he’ll get sacked maybe 85 times his rookie year. He will set the record for sacks because he will not get rid of the ball. He just holds it and drifts around and the Wake Forest guy falls off him and the NC State guy can’t get him on the ground and the Louisville guy is just grasping at air. It’s laughable. It’s not even real. Bad body, lazy. This guy’s so unpolished. You recognize the arm talent but it begins and ends there.”

A sixth scout said Ward wasn’t as good a prospect as Baker Mayfield and wasn’t close to Jayden Daniels or Caleb Williams.

“He’s got talent but he’s got a bad body and he’s short,” a seventh scout said. “He’s the best guy but he ****ed me off as much as breaking down the good things. I don’t like the fact that a quarterback’s been to three schools. I guess it’s the time we’re in now.”

Those scout's likely haven't been let behind the wheel in 5 years

 

[TemplarCane]

I believe many of these anonymous scouts just make things up.

Ward has never been an interception machine. He isn’t shorter than Baker Mayfield, Caleb Williams, Kyle Murray, and Jalen Hurts. He has never been accused of being lazy by any coach. You don’t rise from a zero star recruit to the potential first pick in the draft by being lazy.

Does he hold the ball too long? Sometimes, and he will have to break that habit in the NFL. Ward knows he has things to work on to improve his game. His best mental attribute is his confidence.

 

[Golsen82]

Joe Burrow has 9 inch hands. Patrick Mahomes 9-1/4 inch.

 

[rberryjr]

Absolute morons. Reeks of “I missed on him last year so I have to dig in.” Cam’s career high in INTs was 10, in a season he threw the ball almost 600 times. That’s a sub 1.7% INT rate. He’s never been an INT machine.

But anyone who thinks he was a disaster at Wazzu shouldn’t have a job with an NFL team regardless.

That guys take was so wild that he’s gotta be running a psyop thinking he can throw everyone off, then poof Cam falls right into his lap. Yeah guys he’s got them right where he wants them.

 

[CANE]

QB has the most impact on winning once they are established, yet these young Qbs panning out is so heavily dependent on everything around them....

Start with and OC that can run the same offense Cam's been running for years. Cam will be running that offense in no time, then his talent will shine. And he will make everyone around him better.

 

[DTP]

“He was a disaster at Washington State. He was throwing interceptions all over the place”

Over two seasons and 982 attempts, he threw 16 interceptions.

I swear some of these scouts don’t even pay attention to the players they’re scouting

 

[AlexCane]

The only criticism that has some validity is the sacks. I could see that being an issue. Cam is very elusive and was able to dodge a lot of defensive players but that won't hold up to the same degree at the next level. Other than that, some of those reports sounded like folks who made up their mind before this past season.

 

[CaneSinceForEver]

Some of these scouts sound like they're in their 70s or 80s.

"I don't like that he has small hands."

"I don't like that he's played 3 schools."

These are people who literally don't even watch games or study film.

That scout would've been on the first thing smoking out of Pullman if he got offered an 8 figure NIL deal, too. I've heard Pullman doesn't even have an airport, the closes one is in Moscow, Idaho.