The Pinkie Previews: UofL QBs

We are start our football coverage this week in preparation for the big battle for the Governor’s Cup on September 4th. Starting today, we will preview each position for both the Cards and Cats leading up to the big game. To starts things off, we will take a look at the quarterback situation for the Louisville Cardinals.

The Cards have just begun fall practice and Charlie Strong has not named a starter yet. Even though the first two practices were open to everyone, there was not much to take from the initial two days. The Cards were just in helmets and shoulder pads, and the majority of practice was relegated to positional drills. Also, Charlie Strong has not given too much detail into what he’s looking for from his quarterback, but he has said he is looking for a leader and someone to manage the game.

Having said that, I will base most of my evaluation of the quarterbacks on the previous year’s performance, plus spring ball from earlier this year.

The Favorite – Adam Froman

I said two weeks ago I believe Adam Froman will get the nod when they kick off on September 4th, and I still believe that. From what I saw, Froman got the majority of the reps with the first unit and I think at this point, he’s the best option as starting quarterback. While I think Froman and Justin Burke are pretty similar, I believe Froman is better on the move in situations where the play has broken down and he needs to make something happen.

Froman does not have the strongest arm, but none of the current quarterbacks do either. Froman is the most mobile and I believe the best at throwing on the run. Aside from the physical attributes, I think Adam’s intagibles also work in his favor. From the moment he arrived at Louisville as a Juco transfer, people close to the program constantly mentioned his leadership capabilities.

During the past season, Froman was a consistent presence on the UofL sideline and could be seen many times each game encouraging his teammates, offense and defense as well. However, the one thing that really stood out to me with Froman occurred during the time in which he did not start. In 2009, Froman sustained an injury and had to sit as Will Stein got the starting reps. Froman eventually healed, but still found himself watching from the sidelines.

Despite not starting, Froman would still be in the huddles shouting words of encouragment. He would also help Stein and provide insight as to what he was seeing from the sideline. Bottom line, Froman was still acting like a leader even though he was not playing. To me, that says a lot about him. It shows me he doesn’t just lead when he plays; he leads all the time, regardless of playing time. I think that’s an attribute a quarterback needs to have.

The Contenders – Justin Burke, Will Stein

Even though I believe it’s Adam Froman’s job to lose, Justin Burke and to a somewhat lesser extent, Will Stein are very much under consideration for the quarterback job. Last season, Burke showed flashes of his talent, particularly in the UK game in which the Cards came within an eyelash of winning.

Justin does not have a very strong arm, but it’s adequate. He is not fast, but he is mobile. However, I think the biggest thing Justin struggles with is decision making. In 2009, he was prone to forcing things too much, specifically trying to thread the needle when the play just wasn’t there. As I mentioned above, Charlie Strong is looking for a game manager and forcing things is not a good attribute for that position. Having said that, it is not inconceivable for Burke to see the field if he has a solid camp.

As for Will Stein, I don’t think there’s a good chance he plays. While his intangibles are excellent for the quarterback position (leadership, competitiveness, etc), I think his lack of size just hurts him too much. Even though he did win a game last year, and quite frankly did not play bad when he got his chance, he still only played because of injuries to those in front of him. He’s a great teammate and I think the Cards are better having Will Stein on the team, as opposed to not having him.

The Darkhorse – Dominique Brown

Before anyone gets too excited, I do not expect Dominique Brown to start a game, but I can envision a scenario in which he works himself into a potential QB rotation in certain packages. Brown is a tremendous talent and when I watched a few of his highlight videos, I saw several plays that reminded me of Michael Bush in high school. I definitely think there’s a chance he gets some meaningful snaps in 2010.

Let’s say the three quarterbacks already mentioned have sub-par performances in the fall. Let’s also say Brown has a big fall camp. With a new coaching staff and fresh slates for all, it seems possible, not likely, but possible that Brown gets a shot.

However, Brown still has a long, long way to go before that happens. He comes from a run oriented high school offense and did not look particularly good throwing the ball in the first couple practices. As many plays as he can make with his legs, if he can’t throw the ball, he can’t play. I still think he will get some snaps in either WildCard packages or perhaps even goal line situations, but as far as the vast majority of time, it probably won’t happen.

That’s it for this installment, tomorrow we’ll look at the quarterback options for the Cats.