WEEI.com: Pats will work out Michigan State QB

[Christopher_Price]

Hey all ... hope this hasn't been posted yet (if it has, feel free to either merge or delete), but I just confirmed that the Pats will privately work out Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer. For more information, check out the blog:

It Is What It Is

 

[ScottieC]

Hey all ... hope this hasn't been posted yet (if it has, feel free to either merge or delete), but I just confirmed that the Pats will privately work out Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer. For more information, check out the blog:

It Is What It Is

A QB from a Michigan school? Sounds familiar.

If we get him with the 199th pick, I'm sold on him.

 

[sinned86]

Todd McShay has Hoyer as his 4th QB and thinks he can be a late round steal:

On a more positive note, Michigan State's Brian Hoyer could be this year's diamond in the rough. Hoyer was plagued by poor pass protection and a gross number of drops during his senior season, and his mobility and arm strength are vastly underrated. He is a very accurate passer with a quick release, and he has all the intangibles necessary to develop into a late-round steal.

(From an ESPN Insider article)

 

[Gumby]

anybody got the current % of number of guys drafted that Pats(BB) actually worked out. A couple of years ago it was like 1 out of 30. BB used to seemingly use the (individual) workouts as a smokescreen to protect the guys he really wanted (seen from game tape and group workouts).

 

[Christopher_Price]

anybody got the current % of number of guys drafted that Pats(BB) actually worked out. A couple of years ago it was like 1 out of 30. BB used to seemingly use the (individual) workouts as a smokescreen to protect the guys he really wanted (seen from game tape and group workouts).

Excellent point, Gumby. However, I think that number will actually decrease this year. He acknowledged last week that because of the turnover in the New England personnel department, he's doing more offseason work (namely scouting) than he's done in past years. That likely means less time to initiate those smokescreens.

 

[BradyFTW!]

Now watch the Browns or the Jets draft him in the 2nd-3rd round.

 

[unoriginal]

While MSU's pass protection and receivers weren't very good (they had a walk-on out there at the end of the year because nobody else could get open and catch the ball), MSU did have a great running back in Javon Ringer so it wasn't like Hoyer was being snowed under in jailhouse blitzes.

A lot of his problems were because of slow or no reactions and coverage reading.

 

[farn]

While MSU's pass protection and receivers weren't very good (they had a walk-on out there at the end of the year because nobody else could get open and catch the ball), MSU did have a great running back in Javon Ringer so it wasn't like Hoyer was being snowed under in jailhouse blitzes.

A lot of his problems were because of slow or no reactions and coverage reading.

The same kind of slow reactions we all hated about Cassel in the summer of 08 ?

 

[BradyBranch39]

After less than ten minutes of research, I can tell yall this: He's a NE Ohio kid, and this team had/has some serious connections to the area.

 

[dryheat44]

After less than ten minutes of research, I can tell yall this: He's a NE Ohio kid, and this team had/has some serious connections to the area.

Good arm, great leader in the huddle. He's as good as anybody else for a camp arm, although I'd probably prefer Teel or Carpenter.

 

[mayoclinic]

Path to the Draft has a segment on him in the "sleeper picks".

 

[Revman]

Showed he can listen to coaching. Smart-good work habits. Does not have a franchise arm. Can learn to manage a playbook. He doesn't have the 6'4 height that Pats really like. Could be a safe late round pick to place on IR and develop.

 

[BradyBranch39]

Path to the Draft has a segment on him in the "sleeper picks".

He's got the sleeper label in the SN annual, too.

 

[BradyBranch39]

Teel

Interesting. Just checked Youtube, and he's pretty good. Reminds me a little of Brees.

Britt is damn good too. I think he might impress me more than Crabtree, after seeing him play.

 

[unoriginal]

The same kind of slow reactions we all hated about Cassel in the summer of 08 ?

Yes. Except Cassel never had the benefit of Hoyer's collegiate playing time.

 

[farn]

Yes. Except Cassel never had the benefit of Hoyer's collegiate playing time.

Still, to sit in front of our screens and say we can project any QB prospect is quite "iffy". Truth is - a lot of people think that going WR in the draft is a difficult task... but projecting which QB has what it takes is even harder.

If the Pats are taking a peak, it must mean they see something they like. I am willing to play the waiting game before saying he has trouble reading plays. MAYBE he reads the play, realizes his WR sucks too much to risk it and loses a down.

 

[State]

Ah, he'll be drafted, but Hoyer caused MSU fans fits. He often chokes in the big games. Anyone remember two years ago against BC in the Champs Bowl when he threw four interceptions and dropped the ball for a fumble?

At times he can be great, like two years ago against Purdue and Penn St., which he personally won for the team. He is a great kid, has good work ethics, and has had multiple coaches to work with. (The current coach, Mark Dantonio, is very good, a Nick Saban protege who was also the defensive coordinator for the Buckeyes when they beat Miami for the national championship in early 2000s.) His receivers weren't as bad as people say, though there were a lot of dropped balls.

Here's a Q&A he conducted with the Browns:
Scout.com: Brian Hoyer Q&A

The O Line wasn't weak, either, except like the Patriots the Spartans have an undersized center who gets overpowered at times and a shaky RT who can get beaten on pass blocking because he's slow on his feet.

Any comparison to Drew Brees is crazy. Hoyer has shown he's a winner, but he'll make mental mistakes when the pressure's on. He's played great some games, then made too many mistakes in others. But his arm strength is definitely good, surprisingly so as he can make long passes on a rope required for the NFL, as is his mobility.

He's learned not to try to do too much. So a late round possibility for long-term grooming seems worth it.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

MSU has faced a lot of 8 and 9 men in the box defenses last year, so Hoyer had a lot of potential big plays against single coverage available on the outside, but for whatever reason, did not take full advantage of it.

My QB sleeper is the kid from Fresno State. Barnstarter or something like that. Big kid, with a nice arm and decent touch on the throws. You can see from watching games, that he knows how to read defenses. With some better talent around him and a bit of work on mechanics, he could develop very nicely in two or three years.

 

[unoriginal]

Well, obviously I was a little too strong in my criticism there. Give Hoyer a stable system and some WRs and he looks pretty good.

In my defense I was mostly responding to the Todd McShay "4th QB on the draft board," people-are-going-to-fight-to-draft-him angle.

 

[captain stone]

Don't be too hard on yourself yet. The pressure of playing in the 4th pre-season game - even if a place on the 53 might be at stake - does not compare favorably to playing in a regular-season game, when 1st-string defenders are chasing you, with very bad intentions. And as State has noted, grace under pressure does not seem to be Hoyer's strong suit.