Former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones went from a third-stringer to a national championship-winning starter in 2014, but in 2015 he struggled and went back to the bench. So what kind of pro prospect is he?
According to the quarterback tutor George Whitfield, he’s a good one -- but one who needs a lot of polish. Whitfield acknowledged on ESPN that Jones hasn’t quite learned all the subtleties of playing the quarterback position.
“There’s been two main areas we’re trying to work with with Cardale,” Whitfield said. “His footwork, for one, has been under construction since he landed in San Diego. Bringing him from the shotgun up under center, just the mechanics of coming out with the center exchange, the first step from under center, three steps, five steps, seven-step drops.”
Whitfield also said Jones needs to go from being a guy with a big arm to being a guy with an accurate arm.
“His throwing, it’s like taking someone with superhero powers and getting him to use them more consistently,” Whitfield said. “He has an incredible arm. We really haven’t changed anything, but it’s more of trying to get him to be more consistent with that great, big arm.”
Whitfield compared Jones to Ben Roethlisberger and Carson Palmer. But Palmer was a first overall pick, and Roethlisberger led the Steelers to the playoffs as a rookie. Jones is more of a project, perhaps one with a Roethlisberger/Palmer upside.
