Jimmy Clausen and Colt McCoy Humbled by Current Backup Roles
The transition from a college quarterback (QB) to an NFL quarterback can be long and humbling. Imagine going from being a big fish in the sea of college football to being just another fish in the ocean of the NFL.
Some make an easy transition and are ready as rookies to make an impact, while others have to learn a few things before they’re ready.
Jimmy Clausen is going from being a high-profile, elite passer at Notre Dame to being a learning backup for the Carolina Panthers.
Colt McCoy was one of the country’s best and set a win record for all NCAA Division-I quarterbacks as he amassed 45 victories in his career at Texas. He’ll now likely be holding a clipboard and learning as well.
There were four quarterbacks everyone was talking about heading into this year’s draft: Clausen, McCoy, Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow. Bradford unsurprisingly was selected first overall by the Rams, while Tebow shockingly was picked ahead of the other two. Carolina and Cleveland were both very lucky to land Clausen and McCoy in the second and third rounds respectively.
Bradford and Tebow are likely to see much playing time. Bradford has little competition in St. Louis and Tebow has special skills that can be used in goal-line situations and gadget plays by the Broncos.
The other two, Clausen and McCoy, may be doing a lot of watching and learning this season unless both their teams are injury-riddled or start off very poorly.
Following Jake Delhomme’s season ending injury last season and his release by the Panthers, Matt Moore was granted the starting job. Meanwhile, Clausen and Hunter Cantwell will likely duel it out for the backup role.
The cocky Clausen that we saw in college seems to have disappeared now as the young quarterback sounded very humble heading into training camp. He did after all slip past the first round in the draft, which may have brought him down to Earth.
"I'm just going to work as hard as I can and let that play out down the road," he said. "It's not my decision."
The Browns' newest quarterback is likely to drop down to the third string as veteran Jake Delhomme will start and Seneca Wallace will be his backup. McCoy is being banked on as Cleveland’s QB of the future. Whether his future is this season remains to be seen,
What McCoy does know is that for all of his success at Texas, where his 45 career victories are the most by any quarterback in NCAA Division-I history, he faces a difficult learning process in the NFL.
"I'm learning as much as I can, I study as hard as I can," said McCoy. "I know I'm not perfect, but when I get out there, I try to produce. And that's what I did (during the offseason). In minicamps, when I had reps, I had positive plays."
McCoy has spent his offseason workouts taking snaps with the second and third string teams. He did get one series with the starters.
McCoy asked the Browns' offensive coaches what they expected of him. They simply told him to be a good leader among rookies, do his best, don't make the same mistake twice, and compete.
"I've done all those things," McCoy said. "That's what my focus is and I'm there for the team. If it's best for me to sit on the bench and write down the plays on a notepad and wait my time, then that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to do it to the best of my ability. But if it's being ready to play and something happens and I go in, my goal is not to come back off the field."
Clausen is taking a similar approach, trying to improve in all areas that he can including accuracy, footwork, play-action fakes, and sprint-outs.
Clausen has the advantage of working with a similar offence that he ran in Notre Dame as Panthers offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson was an assistant coach in New England when Charlie Weis, Clausen’s former coach at Notre Dame was New England’s offensive coordinator.
So for now, McCoy and Clausen will have to watch, learn, and wait their turn on the field.
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