Lots of other guys have their own threads so lets get one going for Connor Cook-QB from Michigan State. From the little I've seen of him, I'm very impressed. Cook has the size that many of us would like to see in a QB, listed at 6'04" and 218 lbs.. That might be a little light on the weight but adding weight to a frame of that size should be easy. He's got a quick, easy throwing motion, light on his feet, doesn't seem to run alot but looks athletic so that if he had to I have no doubt he could. Good touch on his passes, hits WR's in motion unlike many QB's that quite often throw to stationary receivers, good vision through his check downs, etc... He also seems to have that undefineable IT factor. Anyone else with opinions, surely we have some Big 10 football experts here? IMO he's second only to Mariota because I have no interest in Winston. I'll give an early prediction that he's a top 5 pick in 2015.
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Connor Cook
- Thread starter Wolf6151
- Start date
Texian
Hall of Fame
I watched Cook vs Oregon. At the time I thought Cook the better pocket passer than Mariota. IMO I thought Cook saw the field better and had better touch and accuracy on his passes than Mariota. Now many are going to attack my opinion siting Mariota's comp %, TDs vs INTs. To that I say Mariota's comp. % is skewed by the inordinate number of passes he throws under 5 yards.
xtruroyaltyx
Hall of Fame
If you are watching their game against Neb this weekend, lookout for my lil bro Givens Price, #78 on the O-line for Nebraska. He's been getting a lot of reps at tackle this year...
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
That was a question I had, watching him vs. Oregon he looked thicker than 218 lbs. relative to his listed height of 6'4"... and seeing how sometimes listed height doesn't always match actual height, I was wondering if Cook really is 6'4" or maybe 6'2 & change?
bah007
Hall of Fame
Agree.
I'm not as high on Mariota as most. I do not think he is a guy that will just step in and be a superstar pro. But I do think he has the mental makeup and physical qualities to get there eventually.
I'd say Mariota has the higher ceiling, but Cook is further along in his development.
WolverineFan
Hall of Fame
Mariota is one of the few spread QB's in recent years that I've actually liked. He most definitely won't come in and light it up right away. He will need to sit and learn an NFL offense. He definitely has the mental makeup to make the transition.
Cook is definitely further along and remind's me of a poor man's Andrew Luck.
Blake
MMQB
I am still higher on Mariota than Cook. I just havent seen anything from Cook that makes me say wow. His games again Jacksonville State, Eastern Michigan, or Wyoming dont impress me much. I did watch the game against Oregon, and Cook looked mediocre at best. Oregon figured MSU out and shut them down in the 2nd half.
Mariota should win the Heisman and be a top 5 pick. To this point he is playing pretty close to mistake free football.
Mariota should win the Heisman and be a top 5 pick. To this point he is playing pretty close to mistake free football.
xtruroyaltyx
Hall of Fame
I like mariota as a better version of manziel. Like what I've seen from cook too.
I think we'll be in a position to grab cook.
I think we'll be in a position to grab cook.
Really like Mariota, he reminds me of a better Kaepernick.
Really like Cook too. He's the kind of QB I believe BOB is looking for. Hopefully Savage is the answer. He has as much ability as Cook, but needs experience in learning how to read defenses and looking off DB's.
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
bah007
Hall of Fame
Yea, I see Kaepernick more than Manziel.
They have the same body type and the same long, fluid stride. I don't think he is quite as athletic as Kaepernick, but I think his mental makeup is better, his intangibles are better, and he is a better thrower from the pocket.
xtruroyaltyx
Hall of Fame
My comparison to Manziel was simply in regards to the type of offense he plays in and what he's seemingly asked to do on the field.
I really don't get into comparing players to other players beyond the types of schemes they play in and what they're asked to do.
To me it looks like Mariota and Manziel played in similar type offenses that didn't have them make a lot of difficult reads. Lots of opportunities to use their athleticism. Short throws...designed throws...
I think Mariota has a better shot at being successful in the NFL though because he seems to operate better within the pocket than Manziel did/does. Plus he seems more mature.
Uncle Rico
Ur apology should be as loud as Ur disrespect was
Comparison to Savage is about right
Uncle Rico
Ur apology should be as loud as Ur disrespect was
234 yards 1TD 1INT QBR 38.2
TD and INT came early. Managed the game the rest of the way. I wouldn't say he had a good game. MSU's defense stepped up big, but NEB almost came back. Fun game to watch. Cook has skills.
WolverineFan
Hall of Fame
What game were you watching?
17/22 for 227 yards with 2 TD's and 1 INT. That was his first half.
He finished the game 24/32 for 332 yards with 3 TD's and 1 INT and that's without throwing a single pass in the 4th quarter.
If he played for Florida State he would have thrown for 500 yards and 5 TD's against that defense today. MSU doesn't pad stats though.
beerlover
Hall of Fame
Connor Cook sure looks like a future pro QB despite his lack of hops or athletic ability. Once upon a time there was some skinny, seemingly non athletic kid who played for Michigan http://www.maizenbluenation.com/2011/04/brady-6-video-clips.html I'm not anointing Connor just yet, he must shine through the process, work his butt off & show determination to cut back on mental lapses & forced throws into coverage (if not open throw it away, not expecting him to run for markers like a Russell Wilson or Marcus Mariota) important to note Cook doesn't dwell or get down on himself & that could be a real plus because like Bortles is now & Peyton did as a rookie coming into the NFL takes a lot of perseverance to survive your rookie season if thrown to the wolfs. I Like how he stands tall in the pocket going through progressions. Ball is out quick, smooth & effortless. His mechanics are really good that will help him tighten his windows & make all the throws needed next level.
How do you compare Cook's talent level/upside to Savage?
beerlover
Hall of Fame
Cook has a much larger sample size of game film than Savage did in evaluation process, still very risky solution whether Savage pan's out or not? Until Texans have that answer they must continue to evolve & address position as possible. Both seem like good fits in O'Brain's scheme. I would like to see what Texans have in Mallet now after settling back in O'Brian's system. He is the wildcard in this whole QB equation, we already know what Texans have in Fitzpatrick!
Savage is more athletic, will pull the ball down & run for it. Prone to try doing too much & leaving pocket early using his speed over finding crease in coverage. Both have good velocity, Savage is most definitely the stronger of the two. Cook has great mechanics, fluid release, stands tall in pocket & makes better reads/decisions. Will be more Pro-Ready even with Savage up one year in NFL unless he suddenly sees significant playing time.
AngryNateFTW
Veteran
In this class I like Cook and Carden a lot.
I like Cook more and think coaches are going to like his height and arm strength. Can be sporadic at times but can put some elite level touch on the ball. Needs to work on consistently setting his feet.
I like Cook more and think coaches are going to like his height and arm strength. Can be sporadic at times but can put some elite level touch on the ball. Needs to work on consistently setting his feet.
badboy
Hall of Fame
yep and accuracy not very sharp but he really had good avg per pass. 12/22 227 10.32 and I was impressed he had no INTs
nero THE zero
All Pro
Don't know if it's just me, but I feel like Cook's almost destined to be our next QB.
Also, had Dane Brugler tweet this at me:
Also, had Dane Brugler tweet this at me:
WolverineFan
Hall of Fame
There had been some talk that Cook might go back for his senior year, but with guys like Petty and Hundley falling and the red flags around Winston I see it as an almost certainty that Cook comes out this year.
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
I haven't watched much of him, but does he have a bit of an unusual motion? Short arms it? Lot of nose-up balls? Or is it just my small sample size?
bah007
Hall of Fame
He has a tendency to throw off his back foot, which he gets away with because his arm is so strong.
He did some work on his mechanics during the offseason and you can tell it doesn't quite feel natural yet. He's inconsistent play to play. Just needs more coaching and more repetition.
I think it's correctable with proper NFL coaching.
WolverineFan
Hall of Fame
After diving into some more game tape he's starting to remind me a bit of Tannehill. His timing and mechanics break down against pressure and his decision making is not consistent. Sometimes he goes through his progressions and sometimes he locks onto his #1 guy.
Two things I really like when compared to Tannehill are that he throws a much more consistent deep ball and that, while he struggles making completions under pressure, he does a good job of avoiding sacks and turnovers.
Two things I really like when compared to Tannehill are that he throws a much more consistent deep ball and that, while he struggles making completions under pressure, he does a good job of avoiding sacks and turnovers.
toronto
Hall of Fame
I just cannot see this guy as a star NFL QB. Just too much wrong for me to say "please draft him."
He throws off his back foot a LOT, not just a little. Its a bad habit and I fear it leads to other ones. I can see some teams jumping on him, but his throwing delivery/footwork are major issues.
Hopefully it turns out for him like it did Luck, and not Leinhart et al.
AngryNateFTW
Veteran
He plans to stay but also said that the only way he might consider it is if he was given a VERY high grade. (Top 15)
Playoffs
Hall of Fame
So... not so solid after all.JMO, but I think he could be a top 10 pick so in the mean time he'll stay at the top of my latest Texans mock draft. If he does stay in school, Mariota is gone and Winston is out of the equation, we'll be looking at another position in the 1st round. I wouldn't mind Brett Hundley in the 2nd round but I think he'd need to sit for a year and learn before playing.
Hopefully Mallett plays well enough that QB is a moot point.
I get the feeling that some posters would be OK with Mallett failing. (See: Matrix)
I get the feeling that some posters would be OK with Mallett failing. (See: Matrix)
Michigan State ‏@Michigan_State
Quote:
Michigan State QB Connor Cook Says He Will Return For His Senior Season, Has “Unfinished Business” http://bit.ly/1DIHLp0 #Spartans
:kubepalm:
Matt Leinart had unfinished business as well, look how that worked out for him. I have to wonder if the coaches are convincing these kids to stay in school for the good of the player or for the good of the coach/university.
Quote:
Michigan State QB Connor Cook Says He Will Return For His Senior Season, Has “Unfinished Business” http://bit.ly/1DIHLp0 #Spartans
:kubepalm:
Matt Leinart had unfinished business as well, look how that worked out for him. I have to wonder if the coaches are convincing these kids to stay in school for the good of the player or for the good of the coach/university.
I was hoping Cook would come out. But with a really good 2015, he would be in the mix for going 1-1. He has no shot of that this year. So, it could benefit Cook to stay in school.
TexansFTW
Veteran
What did yall think of his game today against the Bears? Obviously the game winning drive to win the game stands out, but he missed a bit on that drive too only going 3/8, but definitely did what needed to be done when it needed to be done. Overall to me, a mediocre at best performance against a kind of soft defense the rest of the day.
I had this theory that this Bowl game was gonna determine if he declared for the pros. Assuming he played great, he would receive a strong pre draft grade and declare and hopefully the Texans would be able to poach him in the early teens, but I don't know anymore...
I know he said he wanted to come back, but with Urban Meyer and Harbaugh in his conference I don't know if it's wise to come back anymore especially if he's got a chance to be drafted in the top 15. What say yall about his performance today?
I had this theory that this Bowl game was gonna determine if he declared for the pros. Assuming he played great, he would receive a strong pre draft grade and declare and hopefully the Texans would be able to poach him in the early teens, but I don't know anymore...
I know he said he wanted to come back, but with Urban Meyer and Harbaugh in his conference I don't know if it's wise to come back anymore especially if he's got a chance to be drafted in the top 15. What say yall about his performance today?
He looked like I expected. Not great, but a very solid effort. That TD pass to win the game was a definite exclamation mark to me.
The Pencil Neck
Hall of Fame
I just watched occasionally. Although I saw some really good passes from him, he seemed to have accuracy issues. He missed some wide-open guys at times. Even on that last game-winning drive.
