Looks like Mark Gronowski has a legit shot at making an NFL roster

85Bears

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Signing as an UDFA is in many ways better than being drafted in the 7th round.
It is, if you get drafted by a career killer incompetent franchise like Jacksonville , it’s much better to be a FA and have a chance to play for an intelligent well run franchise
 

Kceasthawk@77

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Well said. Beathard is one of those guys who was seldom healthy in college and who has never been in the right organization in the NFL to establish himself. But when healthy he was awesome at Iowa, and if he'd found the right situation in the NFL, he'd have been at least one of the top 15 QBs. Ask Chuck Long, among dozens and dozens of others, if being in the right place at the right time in the NFL matters.

If the top two QBs don't get hurt, nobody would've ever heard of Kurt Warner. But he got his chance in the perfect offense for him, and that made all the difference.

Grownowski came to Iowa with an injury, missed the spring, and had to run a complicated offense on the fly. In that context, he did a terrific job. And now that he's healthy, he should be able to find a spot in the NFL, and I hope he does.
Well said. Beathard is one of those guys who was seldom healthy in college and who has never been in the right organization in the NFL to establish himself. But when healthy he was awesome at Iowa, and if he'd found the right situation in the NFL, he'd have been at least one of the top 15 QBs. Ask Chuck Long, among dozens and dozens of others, if being in the right place at the right time in the NFL matters.

If the top two QBs don't get hurt, nobody would've ever heard of Kurt Warner. But he got his chance in the perfect offense for him, and that made all the difference.

Grownowski came to Iowa with an injury, missed the spring, and had to run a complicated offense on the fly. In that context, he did a terrific job. And now that he's healthy, he should be able to find a spot in the NFL, and I hope he does.
Same for Tom Brady, a skinny under developed 6th rounder. If Bledsoe hadn't been injured would we have ever heard of Tom Brady Super bowl winner?
 

Kceasthawk@77

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I'm not rooting against him but the reality is it's a longshot. Keep in mind most Iowa quarterbacks of the last 30 years were picked up as undrafted free agents and then got cut or made practice squads. The only guy that's actually 'played' in the NFL since Vlasic in '91 is Beathard. 2 if you count the handful of snaps Rudock managed to take in Detroit in one series when Stafford came out when they were getting blown out like 10 years ago.

Banks, Tate, Stanzi, Stanley are 4 examples of guys that had huge careers and never played. Even McCann and Vandenberg got chances as well. Major conference starting quarterbacks don't grow on trees. I'd guess at least a third to half of them get scouted by the NFL after college to some degree. Sadly, Iowa has just been that bad at the position in the Biff Ferentz era that finally having ANY team show interest in an Iowa QB seems like an anomaly.
??? So you just went on your rant about how no Iowa QB in the last 2+ decades has done squat in the league, and then (of course) right into the same stale tangent of how BF is somehow responsible for this track record. Maybe its time to stop making this crap up, and move on already.....
 
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85Bears

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Not taking sides at all, but just to moderate, several posters assured us that he'd get drafted. He was not drafted, so what exactly is the point of your comment?
Maybe read the whole thread before giving a lecture

saying “Gronowski will never see an nfl snap” is not proven just because MG wasn’t drafted. Free agents make rosters often.
 

o_waterboy4582

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He was outstanding at Pro Day and with the tape from the last 2 games plus Senior Bowl He will absolutely get taken in the Draft, Teams are aware that the Player they saw early last Year was still not recovered. I will die on this hill that out of this QB class He will be the 2nd most successful in the NFL after Mendoza . Jets and Dolphins would be perfect landing spots . Commanders would be for QB2 .
Hello Mrs G
 
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Kceasthawk@77

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Maybe read the whole thread before giving a lecture

saying “Gronowski will never see an nfl snap” is not proven just because MG wasn’t drafted. Free agents make rosters often.
Well, I just read the whole thread. Maybe you should do the same. The main comment was he wouldn't get drafted. Then YOU changed the goal post to " He'll never see a snap is not proven, and free gents make rosters often". That's not what they said. They said" he wouldn't get drafted". He didn't....
 

Jayb01

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??? So you just went on your rant about how no Iowa QB in the last 2+ decades has done squat in the league, and then (of course) right into the same stale tangent of how BF is somehow responsible for this track record. Maybe its time to stop making this crap up, and move on already.....
What part confused you? I'll simplify it for you. Iowa's QBs for 30 years were average to above average and almost all were at least scouted and given chances to make NFL rosters. Then there was a period of time that coincided with a certain OC where that stopped completely and none were capable of even transferring to another P5 (or some even FBS level) school. Now that someone else cleaned up that mess, Iowa again has a quarterback who was scouted and has a chance to make an NFL roster.
 
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Kceasthawk@77

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What part confused you? I'll simplify it for you. Iowa's QBs for 30 years were average to above average and almost all were at least scouted and given chances to make NFL rosters. Then there was a period of time that coincided with a certain OC where that stopped completely and none were capable of even transferring to another P5 (or some even FBS level) school. Now that someone else cleaned up that mess, Iowa again has a quarterback who was scouted and has a chance to make an NFL roster.
Thanks for the simplification. I guess it took all of that to actually get to the back handed point you were trying to make. I've never been on here defending the job he did as the OC, but people go way out of their way to try to put ALOT on him that was well out of his control. Just as an example just who did he have to work with most of those years as OC at the QB position?
 

TrojanHawkeye

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Maybe read the whole thread before giving a lecture

saying “Gronowski will never see an nfl snap” is not proven just because MG wasn’t drafted. Free agents make rosters often.
Undrafted qb's don't typically make a roster. It can happen but not likely
 

Jonesy5960

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Just as an example just who did he have to work with most of those years as OC at the QB position?
Soo.. Just to play devil's advocate here, how many legit OC''s aren't intimately involved in the recruiting and selection of the one position who is absolutely integral to their success? I think it's pretty clear that having Brian in that job was the number one factor in the quality of QB play and the collapse of Iowa's offense. Ultimately I guess you could say it was on Kirk as the man in charge, but we've seen how everything turned around when a competent OC was hired. It's not by coincidence.
 

Grayhair1981

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Thanks for the simplification. I guess it took all of that to actually get to the back handed point you were trying to make. I've never been on here defending the job he did as the OC, but people go way out of their way to try to put ALOT on him that was well out of his control. Just as an example just who did he have to work with most of those years as OC at the QB position?
Well, let's start in 2018. Had Zach Wilson scheduled for a visit and cancelled it when Petras committed. The guys they signed in succeeding years? Padilla, Hogan, Labas, May, Resar. All were going to be the next big thing. Things went completely off the tracks when KoK retired. KF added QB coach to Biff's responsibilities. And let us not kid ourselves: he would still be serving in both capacities if BG had not arrived on the scene.
 

Grayhair1981

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Well, let's start in 2018. Had Zach Wilson scheduled for a visit and cancelled it when Petras committed. The guys they signed in succeeding years? Padilla, Hogan, Labas, May, Resar. All were going to be the next big thing. Things went completely off the tracks when KoK retired. KF added QB coach to Biff's responsibilities. And let us not kid ourselves: he would still be serving in both capacities if BG had not arrived on the scene.
How could I forget? Also broke NCAA rules to land a physically-broken QB Michigan no longer wanted. The Ferentzes are the definition of inept at anything to do with QBs
 
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Kceasthawk@77

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How could I forget? Also broke NCAA rules to land a physically-broken QB Michigan no longer wanted. The Ferentzes are the definition of inept at anything to do with QBs
Sorry, I didn't know the NCAA had "rules" at this point, unless they pertain to Iowa evidently. I assume you mean the guy who Michigan ALREADY told they would not clear to EVER play at Michigan again because he went against their decision that he didn't need surgery. Funny how that's tampering, and all the stuff going on now with the portal and guys being headed somewhere before the portal is even open is not evidently. To be clear, (as I already posted) I'm not defended the job BF did at Iowa as OC, I just don't see the point of dragging it out in countless posts three years later. If that's what you guys think is beneficial then I'll try to do a better job and just ignore the uselessness of it all.
 

Grayhair1981

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Sorry, I didn't know the NCAA had "rules" at this point, unless they pertain to Iowa evidently. I assume you mean the guy who Michigan ALREADY told they would not clear to EVER play at Michigan again because he went against their decision that he didn't need surgery. Funny how that's tampering, and all the stuff going on now with the portal and guys being headed somewhere before the portal is even open is not evidently. To be clear, (as I already posted) I'm not defended the job BF did at Iowa as OC, I just don't see the point of dragging it out in countless posts three years later. If that's what you guys think is beneficial then I'll try to do a better job and just ignore the uselessness of it all.
The fact they "cheated" to get him is secondary to the fact he wasn't worth a ****. It is just another in a litany of examples that proves Ferentz is clueless when it comes to QBs. He would have been better served during the Biff years and installing the single wing.
 

UIAlumFireFighter

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The fact they "cheated" to get him is secondary to the fact he wasn't worth a ****. It is just another in a litany of examples that proves Ferentz is clueless when it comes to QBs. He would have been better served during the Biff years and installing the single wing.
As good of a coach, overall, that Kirk Ferentz is…I don’t want him looking at or speaking to any of our quarterbacks. Leave it ALL to Lester and whoever the QB coach is at this point.

And I’m only partially joking.
 

Kceasthawk@77

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As good of a coach, overall, that Kirk Ferentz is…I don’t want him looking at or speaking to any of our quarterbacks. Leave it ALL to Lester and whoever the QB coach is at this point.

And I’m only partially joking.
Frankly I wouldn't want him speaking or listening to most of the "couch coaches" who frequent this site or others like it......
 
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eyesofhawk

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Well, I just read the whole thread. Maybe you should do the same. The main comment was he wouldn't get drafted. Then YOU changed the goal post to " He'll never see a snap is not proven, and free gents make rosters often". That's not what they said. They said" he wouldn't get drafted". He didn't....
And what does the title of the thread say?
 
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BringBackBradBanks

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The fact they "cheated" to get him is secondary to the fact he wasn't worth a ****. It is just another in a litany of examples that proves Ferentz is clueless when it comes to QBs. He would have been better served during the Biff years and installing the single wing.
This is not entirely accurate about the single wing. Iowa would have been better served just taking three knees and punting every possession then trying to run offensive plays in games in 2022 and 2023. Ohio State and Illinois come to mind in 2022 and Minnesota in 2023. Thanks for the memories Brian!
 

HMB Trumpet

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The fact they "cheated" to get him is secondary to the fact he wasn't worth a ****. It is just another in a litany of examples that proves Ferentz is clueless when it comes to QBs. He would have been better served during the Biff years and installing the single wing.
Wasn't Kirk the HC when we got the previous guys who were much better? (Banks, Chandler, Tate, Stanzi, Beathard, Stanley)
 

HMB Trumpet

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As good of a coach, overall, that Kirk Ferentz is…I don’t want him looking at or speaking to any of our quarterbacks. Leave it ALL to Lester and whoever the QB coach is at this point.

And I’m only partially joking.
I think Kirk always has left it primarily to the QB coach. That was O'Keefe, Davis, and O'Keefe again 1999-2021.
 

Grayhair1981

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Wasn't Kirk the HC when we got the previous guys who were much better? (Banks, Chandler, Tate, Stanzi, Beathard, Stanley)
Yes and KoK was the OC for the first four of those. For the last one, that guy's father threatened to take his kid out of the program if changes weren't made.
 
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