Timing, Anticipation, and release is what matters more than arm strength.
Arm strength doesn't really matter in the NFL, it's all about anticipation. But more than anything of that, it's about trusting your receivers. Here is an example for you.
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Preston Williams is running a deep out route. Lets say on his 8th step he decides to plant his inside foot, sink his hips and explode at angle for the out route.
Tua decides to throw is before he even plants his inside foot, causing the ball to be there when he breaks out of his cut. Ball arrives perfectly on time. Its bang bang and the DB has zero chance of picking it off.
Now lets take another player in Lynn Bowden. Bowden decides to shimmy and take a giant hop step at his 8th step. He stutters for another few steps then rounds out his cut and goes to the out. Tua holds and is unable to throw because he doesn't hit his marks when Tua is ready to let go before Lynn sinks and his hips and cuts. This messes up timing and anticipation. But what it does more than anything is mess up the trust.
Tua will start trusting Preston because he runs his routes and is where he needs to be when he needs to be. When Lynn Bowden runs routes, he isn't and that messes with a QB in a bad way like Tua.
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Lets take some real life examples.
So when you run a slant route in the NFL, you usually are taught to line up with your outside foot forward. on the LOS. Lets say we want to run a slant route from the left side. You line up your LEFT foot up on the LOS. You usually are taught to take 4 steps, then sink your outside foot and explode inside into the slant. So again, left foot up. You take 1(right)-2(left)-3(right) -> 4th step(left) explode into the slant. What that does is you "sync" up with your QB where they are supposed to throw it based off your 4th step and their drop or hitch. You usually want to push to the outside shoulder of the DB/LB if they have inside leverage shade. So if you were running a slant from right side, you line up with your right foot forward and so on. Here is a perfect example of some slants.
Check out the one Odell runs at 31 seconds below.
This doesn't mean how its only taught and theres only one way. There's so many different ways to run a slant, but this is usually the most efficient. What you start doing though is switching up what foot is lined up in front so the DB can't predict your routes.
Devontae Smith runs a PERFECT slant route. Thats why him and Tua and Mac are always hitting those quick scores.
Now lets take look at a REALLY bad slant route.
Check out 7:39 all the way to 8:05. Its the same play. Its Lynn Bowden running a slant route.
7:39 clip - He takes 2 steps then does a jump/hop step then stutters and takes an hour to come out of his break.
Now watch the next clip at 7:55
Tua holds and clutches the ball twice before he throws it. Again. TRUST and timing. If Bowden runs a damn normal slant route, Tua can release it and throw it to him.
This is not just about Tua, its more about the state of our wide receivers and their skill level and route running. Even if we get Deshaun Watson, these receivers need a complete overhaul.
At the end of the day the most important thing in the NFL for a receiver and QB is trust. Not how fast your 40 is. Not how far or hard you can throw the ball. It's being on the same page so you can consistently be at the same place at the same time mentally. Tua is all about anticipation and timing. Get receivers he trusts and he could have the weakest arm in the NFL and still dominate. Because a QB that can release it faster than anyone else with excellent anticipation and trust in his receivers is impossible to defend.
So please just stop worrying so much about someone's 40 time (because getting open literally has nothing to do with a 40), how tall or big they are, how far or hard they can throw the ball. Why do you think Jabar Gaffney of all people dominated with Tom Brady? It's because he ran crisp routes and Brady trusted him.
