NFL scouts have to be blunt. Their reports and recommendations have a huge say in what organizations do, and when one draft pick can make or break a franchise, it’s important that they be honest and get it right.
Still, though, when you see one describe Cardale Jones as “a poor man’s DeMarcus Russell,” you can’t help but feel a little bit bad for the kid over being the recipient of such a vicious insult.
Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel collected scout quotes for virtually all of the NFL Draft’s quarterback prospects, and Jones gets a rather unflattering comparison to the former first overall pick.
“Kind of reminds me of a poor man’s JaMarcus Russell,” McGinn quoted one scout as saying. “At least JaMarcus had some touch. This guy just throws the ball. His mechanics are all over the place.”
Another scout wasn’t a fan either: “Strong arm. Big, big body. Not the brightest cookie in the world. I worry about him when he gets money in his pocket. I just don’t know if it’s all there mentally.”
On the bright side for Jones, there is one scout who thinks he deserves an opportunity. “You can’t pass a talent like that,” the scout said. “If you’re going to bet on one, bet on a guy with all the talent if he shows you enough want-to.”
Jones’s own college coach would probably agree with the comment about Jones’s smarts, at least when it comes to academics. Still, any sort of comparison to JaMarcus Russell is not a good thing.
