I remember on this forum when everyone doubted Aaron.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/03/18/SPGHIBR9F41.DTL&hw=aaron+rodgers&sn=010&sc=386 This article on his pro day was interesting. I wish he would still use
the high ball carry.
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If Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a vindictive sort, he could have stood up after his 40-minute workout at Memorial Stadium on Thursday and said, "Take that, Alex Smith!"
A day after Utah quarterback Smith reportedly missed three throws in 80 passes at his workout for NFL teams in Salt Lake City, Rodgers threw one bad pass in 92 attempts in Berkeley. The two quarterbacks are vying to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft on April 23.
The owners of the pick, the 49ers, seemed impressed with Rodgers, who threw to two wide receivers, a tight end and a running back during a workout seen by at least seven NFL teams. The 49ers contingent was comprised of coach Mike Nolan, offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy, director of personnel Scot McCloughan and quarterbacks coach Jim Hostler.
"He is as polished as I've seen," Nolan said after attending both workouts and watching several other quarterbacks on tape.
In fact, Nolan touted Rodgers as a more complete quarterback than Jeff Tedford proteges Joey Harrington (Lions) and former Bengals quarterback Akili Smith.
Those players, along with Houston quarterback David Carr and Baltimore quarterback Kyle Boller, were all coached by Cal's Tedford at one time. None of those players has reached stardom in the NFL, which has become a question mark against Rodgers.
"You can't lump Aaron in with anybody else," Tedford protested. "They are all individuals. He's very mature and very mentally tough."
Rodgers has been quizzed about Tedford's influence on him and the aforementioned quarterbacks many times by prospective teams.
"I really don't believe in the Tedford curse," Rodgers said. "It's been mentioned by a few teams, the Packers in particular."
In evaluating a quarterback, Nolan focuses on mental attributes more than physical characteristics. The 49ers have devised a list of 10 criteria in which to evaluate a quarterback and seven deal with the mental aspect. That's why Nolan took Rodgers to lunch after Thursday's workout.
"You can talk about arm this, move the pocket to the left, move to the right," Nolan said. "What guy is going to lead 10 guys down the field and stick it in the end zone to win a game?"
Tedford believes that's where Rodgers excels, citing his 21 straight completions in the near upset of top-ranked USC last season in Los Angeles. Also, when Cal's receivers were injured during the season, Tedford started using the running game more, and Rodgers accepted the switch graciously.
Another criticism of Rodgers is his mobility. But Rodgers looked plenty nimble, rolling out to his left and right and making accurate throws. "He's mobile enough," Nolan said.
Smith appears to be more of a gamble, because his mechanics aren't as sound and he's coming from a pass-happy offense that primarily used the shotgun formation.
However, Smith is taller (6-foot-4 compared to Rodgers' 6-1) and runs more. While their 40-yard dash times were comparable at last month's combine, Smith was faster in the cone drills.
"I think I bring more to the table than anyone out there," Smith told the Salt Lake City Tribune.
Rodgers has the advantage of coming from a West Coast-style offense.
"Being from Northern California, I would love to be with the 49ers," the Chico native said. "I followed them growing up."
E-mail Kevin Lynch at klynch@sfchronicle.com.
This article appeared on page D - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/03/18/SPGHIBR9F41.DTL&hw=aaron+rodgers&sn=010&sc=386#ixzz0lxAS262I