In 1995, Steelers longtime commentator Myron Cope had the perfect nickname for Kordell Stewart.

Slash.

from Flickr

The Pittsburgh Steelers dual-threat quarterback could not only play behind center, but he could play rusher and receiver as well. Stewart was a quarterback/rusher/receiver. Stewart’s career began as a utility player before being moved into the starting quarterback role. In today’s NFL, we are seeing more of the opposite.

Athletic college quarterbacks that don’t have polished throwing mechanics are being moved from signal-caller to wide-receiver and running back. It wasn’t that long ago the Jets were trying to find a role for Tim Tebow when the football world was convinced he couldn’t be a full-time starting QB. Could Tebow play fullback? Punt blocker? Tight end? Tebow couldn’t find a role and is somehow doing okay at minor league baseball.

QB’s have only become more athletic in the last decade. Mariota. Watson. Prescott. Bridgewater. Wilson. Newton. To name a few. Statuesque quarterbacks are few and far between in today’s NFL. Even guys not known for being dual threats like Goff, Wentz, and Mahomes can make trouble for defenses in the run game. I nearly fell out of my seat watching Kirk Cousins dash for a casual 10 yards.

Despite the influx of athletically talented QB’s entering today’s NFL from the college ranks, the arm talent is still critical and the most difficult trait to find. College programs aren’t going to make finding the next best QB easy for NFL scouts either.

The heavy focus on the spread offense and the option offense means most college QB’s don’t get much experience in a pro-style offense. College QB’s are then allowed to develop a habit of being able to scramble for gains whenever their intended receivers are covered.

The result of college football systems is a lot of QB’s with average to decent arm talent, but wildly inconsistent accuracy, especially from the pocket. Elite-level footwork and polished throwing motions aren’t as high priorities for college teams when it comes to their starting signal caller. Alabama has been the shining example. The only QB they’ve had in the last decade with legitimate NFL prospects was AJ McCarron. Tagovailoa may have a chance to break this mold but he’s still far from a sure NFL prospect.

Good QB’s still lead major college football programs but starting-level passing talent has been discovered at smaller programs. Wentz (North Dakota State, of all places), Garoppolo (Eastern Illinois, Tony Romo’s alma mater), Goff (Cal), Carr (Fresno State).

Ohio State QB’s are much maligned to NFL success like the Bama QB’s, yet remain one of the best NCAA teams in the country. Terrelle Pryor, who was picked up in the supplemental draft in 2011, converted to a wide receiver and saw a season of success with the Browns. Pryor’s NFL success can be attributed to his athleticism and work ethic for completely changing positions, and now more college QB’s are following suit.

from SB Nation

As a recent graduate of USF, I saw the Quinton Flowers era firsthand as the option QB lead the Bulls to two of their most successful seasons ever racking up 21 wins to 4 losses. Flowers could throw two types of passes: Screens and deep balls. Where Flowers earned his accolades was in the option game where either he or Marlon Mack would be carrying the football. Flowers was quick, great at making cuts and juking defenders in the open field, and built strong from the legs up allowing him to take punishment from linebackers.

Flowers went undrafted in 2018 and was signed to Cincinnati’s practice squad… as a running back.

As the college offenses become more dynamic and allow for variability at quarterback, it would be no surprise to see more Kordell Stewart’s in the NFL in the coming years. Great football minds like Sean Payton and Andy Reid are often ahead of the game as far as trying new concepts, and Payton’s Saints have shown just that with their utilization of Taysom Hill.

from San Antonio Express-News

Taysom Hill went undrafted one year ago before being signed onto the Packers to play in the preseason. Hill was waived by the Packers on September 2nd. On September 3rd, Hill was a member of the New Orleans Saints.

At 6 foot 2, 220 lbs, Hill is built like an undersized linebacker but has the speed of a running back. Hill’s recorded 40-time is a blazing 4.44. For comparison, Saquon Barkley ran a 4.40.

Hill is the Saints primary kick returner. He’s lined up on the punt team where he successfully ran a fake punt run for a first down against the Giants this season. He’s lined up as a wide receiver and has two receptions on three targets for one yard (he’s not exactly Terrelle Pryor).

Most impressively though is Hill’s ability as an option quarterback.

Hill adds that extra dimension to a Saints offense that is already loaded with talent. Hill is often used as an option runner, but being that he’s a QB, Hill also had 3 pass attempts and has completed two of them. One completion was an underthrow to Michael Thomas for 44-yards. Hill recognized Thomas streaking down the field with the defender’s back turned and got the ball down the field to a spot Thomas could get it. Not the prettiest throw, but it got the job done.

The case study on Hill for the rest of the 2018 season will come down to how impactful Hill is in the Saints playoff run. In the playoffs, where one play can swing the tide of a game, could Hill be Payton’s secret weapon?

Is Hill’s role as an NFL player simply to be a gadget player? If the usage of Hill in an offense continues to exploit defensive weaknesses, how many more Taysom Hill’s do we see in the coming years?

Lamar Jackson, the Ravens backup quarterback, finds himself in Taysom Hill purgatory as the Ravens can’t come to grips with Joe Flacco’s declining mediocrity. Jackson’s rushing stats almost mirror Hill’s as Jackson has been used solely as an option quarterback.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see more progressive NFL playcallers and coaches continuing to seek out athletic QB prospects to mold into gadget players.

In the long term, as NFL offenses continue to evolve and adjust, we may become privy to a quarterback or two in the next decade who can pass, run, and catch at an elite level, and become integral parts of an NFL offense.