Having just gotten home from Tech for the summer, I have been pretty bored lately. I decided to do some research on all these "NFL-type" throws that require "Great arm-strength" in order to be successful in a "Pro-style" offense and compare them to the throws that Harrell completed throughout his college career. As I watched many of these highlights, I was amazed at how similar a lot of the routes, formations, and throws were to the ones Harrell often made. What do ya'll think? Am I totally out of line here, or are there really 32 incompetent franchises that are too dumb to give Graham a chance based on his college performance? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvRhHuCohPc

---As for this highlight film, I feel like I'm essentially watching Harrell play in a Patriots uniform. Except for MAYBE the one deep ball at the end, I know for a fact that Harrell can and would make all the same throws that Brady does (though I think he would complete the deep ball too). A lot of the throws are short crossing routes (sound familiar Tech fans), that Harrell could make in his sleep and that don't require a "Rocket" arm. Also, there are a lot of shotgun formations being used, but no matter, Harrell is a system QB that was in the shotgun too much, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJMkDKBMpGE

----The throw that Brees makes at the 25 second mark in the video is an exact replica of the one Harrell made to Britton in the first quarter of the OSU game***.Great timing, accuracy, and touch. In fact, most of the throws he makes in that game look a lot like the one Brady is making against the Cowboys in the first highlight. As with the last video, there are many intermediate routes that Harrell could easily complete.  The lone knock on Brees besides his height is that he doesn't have a "rocket arm" either.

***Watch the 1:02 mark of this clip to see what i mean http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMCo1FI7NK8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ySmg1f8ZSM&feature=channel_page

---Now, here is a Crabtree highlight video in which, obviously, Harrell is completing all of the passes. I see several very similar routes in this highlight that I do in the Brees and Brady highlights. Basically every throw that Brees and Brady make, Harrell does too. Harrell even completes several deep posts (2:30 mark in the highlight)   go routes, and back shoulder fades and also takes several snaps from center and completes passes from this formation, thus revealing that he does, in fact, have at least a reasonably strong arm. He also zips the ball to Crabtree on several slant routes by the end zone...a play that every NFL team runs at many different places on the field AND in the red zone, again revealing his apparent arm strength. 

There you have it, two of the NFL's best quarterbacks can be easily compared to Harrell. When it comes down to it, you can look at highlights of any NFL QB and realize that a lot of these statements scouts make about needing a great arm just don't apply as often to the game as they think it does. Sure, every so often Brett Favre or Jay Cutler launch a ball to someone, but I would bet that about 75% of the throws they make don't need to be zipped in all the time. I just don't see where the Texas Tech offense is so radically different from a lot of what the NFL does. It would appear that the "great-arm" aspect of a QB has far too much emphasis placed on it and only comes in to play in an actual game every so often. These scouts act as if every throw requires an amazing arm and what not, when in reality a lot of these throws are extremely similar, if not identical to, the ones that Graham Harrell made in college.  

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Thoughts?