ckparrothead
Premium Member
Bit of a unique situation going on with Rakeem Cato.
Most of these rookie quarterbacks will have to wait another three weeks before they get a chance to play some football again in the NFL preseason. Rakeem Cato has already started and played all the way through three CFL games and will have played six CFL games by the time the other rookies play their first one.
Cato wasn't drafted. He wasn't even signed as a UDFA. Teams were too scared by his size (5'11" to 6'0", 171 to 178 lbs), his offensive background at Marshall, and a perceived lack of intelligence. The Browns invited he and like 60 other undrafted players to their rookie mini camp but only signed like 2 or 3 guys and with McCown, Manziel, Connor Shaw and Thaddeus Lewis already on roster, Cato wasn't one of the few they signed (they do that as a practice, bring in tons of undrafted players for a tryout weekend and only sign a few).
Jim Popp the GM of the Montral Alouettes (who was interviewed for the Colts GM job back in 2012) invited Cato up to compete as a 4th or 5th quarterback. The Alouettes had drafted Brandon Bridge, who is Canadian-born. Jonathan Crompton was their holdover starter from a year ago who took over the team after a disastrous 1-7 start and helped lead them to an Eastern Conference Final appearance. They also had Dan LeFevour who had some skins on the wall up in the CFL as a starter. They even toyed around with Chris Bonner (another rookie from this 2015 Draft class) I believe. It was a crowded quarterback field up there.
The coach was set on Crompton and LeFevour as the 1st and 2nd string guys and he did not really put their jobs up for competition. The competition for the third spot settled between Bridge and Cato and the coach decided neither had won the job from the other so he would rotate them as the 3rd active quarterback on game day. During the very first game of the season, Crompton got injured, and then LeFevour (who was already recovering from injuries) lasted only a few plays. It was Bridge's turn as the 3rd active quarterback so he was thrust into action for the entire second half against the Ottawa Redblacks (arguably the worst team in the CFL). Bridge did alright at first but then threw a bad interception that lost the game. Heading into the next game week with both Crompton and LeFevour unable to go, the coach decided to compete Bridge and Cato on an even playing field over the next three practices by splitting their reps with the 1st string. Bridge was sure that he'd get the start. Most fans wanted him to as he'd be the first Canadian-born quarterback to start a CFL game in a decade. But on game day, Turk Schonert (who was an NFL quarterbacks coach for near two decades) insisted Rakeem Cato get the nod based on his gut feeling.
This was a bit unusual. I know most people think anyone can go up to the CFL and start but that's not really the case. There are only 10 teams up there first off, and secondly people around the CFL game seem to generally be of the belief that you have to learn the game for quite a while before you get the hang of dealing with the new rules. The main difference is the fact there are 12 men on the field on defense. There's an extra rover defensive back position which makes the reads different. You also have an extra skill player on offense, some of your offensive players can get a running head start before the snap (which actually takes some getting used to in terms of timing and running the offense) and the defensive line has to line up a yard off the ball (which makes Cameron Wake's production up there all the more absurd). There are only three downs as opposed to four downs, so you generally have to get a first down within two plays, or at least get to a 3rd & 1 situation so that you can go for it.
Throw in the offense you've got to learn under a long time pro coach like Turk Schonert, calling plays in the huddle for the first time, lining up under center, turning your back to the defense on play-action, this is a hell of a lot for a true rookie straight from college to try and absorb. Especially if you spent all of camp getting 4th string reps and only got as much as half of the 1st string reps for a total of three practices.
Oh and to add to all of that, you've got to face the defending Grey Cup champions.
Obviously the Alouettes coaches were nervous about all this. You could see it in the game planning and the play calling. They were run-heavy (whereas the CFL is not a run-oriented game). They called a lot of screens to take pressure of Rakeem Cato. Nonetheless he had a brilliant outing, one that has been dubbed by most of the CFL analysts to be among the top 10 quarterback debuts in CFL history. He garnered the CFL Player of the Week award, having beaten the defending Grey Cup champions 29-11 off a 20 of 25 for 241 yards, 3 TD and 0 INT showing.
Here is that performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghIBvDREuBk
From there obviously the other CFL teams were bound to get some tape on Cato, and especially some tape on how Schonert and the Alouettes were going to call plays in order to try and take pressure off him. So the following week, Winnipeg snagged two interceptions off Rakeem. One was a play that came straight from film study, an interception he nearly threw against Calgary turned into an interception he did throw against Winnipeg. The other was just a lack of chemistry with a receiver on a scramble drill. His chemistry with the receivers is actually remarkable considering how little time he's played with them, but the situation where you're bound to see chemistry problems most often is the scramble drill. Quarterback thinks you're zigging but the receiver is actually zagging, that sort of thing. I've seen it happen on a few plays. Aside from the two picks, Cato settled down and went 22 of 31 for 317 yards, making some big plays and losing the game by 23-25 with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown being the biggest difference in the score.
The following week he played the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and went 23 of 34 for 264 yards, 1 TD and 0 INT, also was the team's leading rusher with 4 runs for 30 yards. Here is that performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMzuyKutxjA
Overall in the three games he's 2-1 as a starter, 65 of 90 for 822 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT (105.9 passer rating), adding 10 runs for 64 yards, only having taken 2 sacks.
The question really is whether this is impressive or not. I think there's a natural assumption that crappy NFL quarterbacks go up to the CFL and play well. There is definitely truth to that. I wouldn't say Jonathan Crompton played "well" last year but his team did well while he was under center. Zach Collaros is a standout up there, as is Travis Lulay. But then again other NFL washouts like Troy Smith, Cleo Lemon, Crompton, Cody Pickett, Chris Leak, Michael Bishop and Adrian McPherson have tried their hand up there and really sucked. It's a league that tends to be dominated by a handful of quarterbacks year after year, the most notable over the years being Ricky Ray, Henry Burris, Anthony Calvillo, Travis Lulay, most recently Zach Collaros. Year after year those seem to be the guys that stand out.
Personally I'd have had three main criticisms of Cato coming out of school. Anyone that knows what they're looking at could tell that he can spin the ball well, good accuracy, agile as all get-out, keeps his eyes up on the scramble, shows a real knack for finding people downfield and recognizing threats quickly, great feel for pressure in the pocket, able to improvise, etc. But the size is a big deal, even if he's never missed a game due to injury and shows an unusual skill at protecting himself on the move. His communication skills are awful and it leads to questions about his intelligence. Then there's the offense he played in at the college level which will be very different from most offenses he'd go into at the NFL level, in terms of managing a huddle and calling plays, turning his back to the defense, dropping back from under center, read-progressions, etc. All significant concerns.
But I can't help but wonder if, in only a short time making an unlikely meteoric rise through the CFL ranks (to where some analysts believe he might already be the best quarterback in the CFL), he's already done some work to counter those last two fears. If he's dumb, how in the hell did he absorb not only a new offense, new verbiage, new surrounding cast, calling plays in the huddle, but also an entirely new set of rules like facing 12-man defenses, different 1st/2nd down priorities, different play clocks, etc.? And he did it getting 4th string reps in camp and then three days of sharing 1st string reps? I mean, that's not normal.
I've said it before, this guy is an NFL player. It is absurd that the NFL believes they have 128+ quarterbacks (1st thru 4th string) that they're taking to training camp that they think are better than Rakeem Cato. In a league where Tyrod Taylor goes to the Baltimore Ravens and becomes a primary backup as a rookie and for the next four years, and then goes off to the Bills where he is arguably the favorite to end up the starter, you can't tell me Rakeem Cato isn't even a 3rd quarterback that could run your scout team during practices and give you valuable dual-threat looks.
Oh, but the Dolphins have McLeod Bethel-Thompson! (swoon)
Most of these rookie quarterbacks will have to wait another three weeks before they get a chance to play some football again in the NFL preseason. Rakeem Cato has already started and played all the way through three CFL games and will have played six CFL games by the time the other rookies play their first one.
Cato wasn't drafted. He wasn't even signed as a UDFA. Teams were too scared by his size (5'11" to 6'0", 171 to 178 lbs), his offensive background at Marshall, and a perceived lack of intelligence. The Browns invited he and like 60 other undrafted players to their rookie mini camp but only signed like 2 or 3 guys and with McCown, Manziel, Connor Shaw and Thaddeus Lewis already on roster, Cato wasn't one of the few they signed (they do that as a practice, bring in tons of undrafted players for a tryout weekend and only sign a few).
Jim Popp the GM of the Montral Alouettes (who was interviewed for the Colts GM job back in 2012) invited Cato up to compete as a 4th or 5th quarterback. The Alouettes had drafted Brandon Bridge, who is Canadian-born. Jonathan Crompton was their holdover starter from a year ago who took over the team after a disastrous 1-7 start and helped lead them to an Eastern Conference Final appearance. They also had Dan LeFevour who had some skins on the wall up in the CFL as a starter. They even toyed around with Chris Bonner (another rookie from this 2015 Draft class) I believe. It was a crowded quarterback field up there.
The coach was set on Crompton and LeFevour as the 1st and 2nd string guys and he did not really put their jobs up for competition. The competition for the third spot settled between Bridge and Cato and the coach decided neither had won the job from the other so he would rotate them as the 3rd active quarterback on game day. During the very first game of the season, Crompton got injured, and then LeFevour (who was already recovering from injuries) lasted only a few plays. It was Bridge's turn as the 3rd active quarterback so he was thrust into action for the entire second half against the Ottawa Redblacks (arguably the worst team in the CFL). Bridge did alright at first but then threw a bad interception that lost the game. Heading into the next game week with both Crompton and LeFevour unable to go, the coach decided to compete Bridge and Cato on an even playing field over the next three practices by splitting their reps with the 1st string. Bridge was sure that he'd get the start. Most fans wanted him to as he'd be the first Canadian-born quarterback to start a CFL game in a decade. But on game day, Turk Schonert (who was an NFL quarterbacks coach for near two decades) insisted Rakeem Cato get the nod based on his gut feeling.
This was a bit unusual. I know most people think anyone can go up to the CFL and start but that's not really the case. There are only 10 teams up there first off, and secondly people around the CFL game seem to generally be of the belief that you have to learn the game for quite a while before you get the hang of dealing with the new rules. The main difference is the fact there are 12 men on the field on defense. There's an extra rover defensive back position which makes the reads different. You also have an extra skill player on offense, some of your offensive players can get a running head start before the snap (which actually takes some getting used to in terms of timing and running the offense) and the defensive line has to line up a yard off the ball (which makes Cameron Wake's production up there all the more absurd). There are only three downs as opposed to four downs, so you generally have to get a first down within two plays, or at least get to a 3rd & 1 situation so that you can go for it.
Throw in the offense you've got to learn under a long time pro coach like Turk Schonert, calling plays in the huddle for the first time, lining up under center, turning your back to the defense on play-action, this is a hell of a lot for a true rookie straight from college to try and absorb. Especially if you spent all of camp getting 4th string reps and only got as much as half of the 1st string reps for a total of three practices.
Oh and to add to all of that, you've got to face the defending Grey Cup champions.
Obviously the Alouettes coaches were nervous about all this. You could see it in the game planning and the play calling. They were run-heavy (whereas the CFL is not a run-oriented game). They called a lot of screens to take pressure of Rakeem Cato. Nonetheless he had a brilliant outing, one that has been dubbed by most of the CFL analysts to be among the top 10 quarterback debuts in CFL history. He garnered the CFL Player of the Week award, having beaten the defending Grey Cup champions 29-11 off a 20 of 25 for 241 yards, 3 TD and 0 INT showing.
Here is that performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghIBvDREuBk
From there obviously the other CFL teams were bound to get some tape on Cato, and especially some tape on how Schonert and the Alouettes were going to call plays in order to try and take pressure off him. So the following week, Winnipeg snagged two interceptions off Rakeem. One was a play that came straight from film study, an interception he nearly threw against Calgary turned into an interception he did throw against Winnipeg. The other was just a lack of chemistry with a receiver on a scramble drill. His chemistry with the receivers is actually remarkable considering how little time he's played with them, but the situation where you're bound to see chemistry problems most often is the scramble drill. Quarterback thinks you're zigging but the receiver is actually zagging, that sort of thing. I've seen it happen on a few plays. Aside from the two picks, Cato settled down and went 22 of 31 for 317 yards, making some big plays and losing the game by 23-25 with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown being the biggest difference in the score.
The following week he played the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and went 23 of 34 for 264 yards, 1 TD and 0 INT, also was the team's leading rusher with 4 runs for 30 yards. Here is that performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMzuyKutxjA
Overall in the three games he's 2-1 as a starter, 65 of 90 for 822 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT (105.9 passer rating), adding 10 runs for 64 yards, only having taken 2 sacks.
The question really is whether this is impressive or not. I think there's a natural assumption that crappy NFL quarterbacks go up to the CFL and play well. There is definitely truth to that. I wouldn't say Jonathan Crompton played "well" last year but his team did well while he was under center. Zach Collaros is a standout up there, as is Travis Lulay. But then again other NFL washouts like Troy Smith, Cleo Lemon, Crompton, Cody Pickett, Chris Leak, Michael Bishop and Adrian McPherson have tried their hand up there and really sucked. It's a league that tends to be dominated by a handful of quarterbacks year after year, the most notable over the years being Ricky Ray, Henry Burris, Anthony Calvillo, Travis Lulay, most recently Zach Collaros. Year after year those seem to be the guys that stand out.
Personally I'd have had three main criticisms of Cato coming out of school. Anyone that knows what they're looking at could tell that he can spin the ball well, good accuracy, agile as all get-out, keeps his eyes up on the scramble, shows a real knack for finding people downfield and recognizing threats quickly, great feel for pressure in the pocket, able to improvise, etc. But the size is a big deal, even if he's never missed a game due to injury and shows an unusual skill at protecting himself on the move. His communication skills are awful and it leads to questions about his intelligence. Then there's the offense he played in at the college level which will be very different from most offenses he'd go into at the NFL level, in terms of managing a huddle and calling plays, turning his back to the defense, dropping back from under center, read-progressions, etc. All significant concerns.
But I can't help but wonder if, in only a short time making an unlikely meteoric rise through the CFL ranks (to where some analysts believe he might already be the best quarterback in the CFL), he's already done some work to counter those last two fears. If he's dumb, how in the hell did he absorb not only a new offense, new verbiage, new surrounding cast, calling plays in the huddle, but also an entirely new set of rules like facing 12-man defenses, different 1st/2nd down priorities, different play clocks, etc.? And he did it getting 4th string reps in camp and then three days of sharing 1st string reps? I mean, that's not normal.
I've said it before, this guy is an NFL player. It is absurd that the NFL believes they have 128+ quarterbacks (1st thru 4th string) that they're taking to training camp that they think are better than Rakeem Cato. In a league where Tyrod Taylor goes to the Baltimore Ravens and becomes a primary backup as a rookie and for the next four years, and then goes off to the Bills where he is arguably the favorite to end up the starter, you can't tell me Rakeem Cato isn't even a 3rd quarterback that could run your scout team during practices and give you valuable dual-threat looks.
Oh, but the Dolphins have McLeod Bethel-Thompson! (swoon)
