I’m not asking out of wishful thinking. I’m responding to something written and posted at Pro Football Focus. Rather than projecting Eason’s future based on his G-Day debut – yeah, don’t I know – take a look at the resumes of the other two candidates.
Lambert had a couple of really big performances for the Bulldogs in 2015, and there’s no taking away from that. Most notable was his performance against South Carolina in the third game of the year, when he completed 24-of-25 passes for 330 yards and three touchdowns. Simply put, it was one of the best single-game performances we saw from a quarterback all year. So what’s the problem? Well, as good as that performance was, that game was the outlier and there were plenty of struggles to go along with it.
His completion percentage over the course of the season was 63.0 percent, but he had five games where he completed less than 53 percent of his throws, and his adjusted completion percentage over the course of the year, which takes into consideration drops, batted passes, throwaways, spikes and throws while being hit, was just 72.0 percent, ranking 44th in the nation.
The 79th-highest graded quarterback in the nation last year, Lambert’s passing grade of +7.0 was equal to his grade in that game against South Carolina, with the rest of his year rounding out at average, with a lot of ups and downs helping him there. Heading into his senior season, the Bulldogs can’t trust which version of Lambert will turn up on a weekly basis.
Basically what he’s saying there is that the rest of Lambert’s 2015 season completely offset the good he did against South Carolina. Stats aside, it kind of felt that way to me, too.
As for Ramsey,
Ramsey arrived at Georgia as a four star recruit, but has yet to live up to that hype. In his defense, he’s yet to really get a chance, never attempting more than 14 passes in a single game in the past two seasons. Perhaps he would have had more opportunities however, if he had stood out a little bit more in those games. This past season he attempted four passes of 20 yards or further downfield, with three falling incomplete, and the other being intercepted. He was more consistent between 10 and 19 yards, going five-for-seven, for 84 yards and an interception, but his struggles to push the ball downfield when needed are noted.
571 players took at least one snap at quarterback in 2015, with Ramsey’s grade of -2.0 ranking tied for 390th in the nation. He also lacks the big time throws in his repertoire, with just two throws with a +1.0 grade from 78 passing attempts over the past two seasons, with seven throws grading at -1.0 or worse in that span. It’s hard to judge him fully based on such a small sample size, but he certainly hasn’t shown anything, even in flashes, to think that he can make this starting role for the Bulldogs his own.
It’s great to have a big arm, but if you can’t complete downfield passes, that negates the whole advantage to having that big arm.
So, yeah, while Eason is the greenest and needs to improve to win the job, it’s not like either Lambert or Ramsey can stand pat. Whoever of the three wins the job needs to be better than he’s been before.
Get The Picture 
My hope is that Lambert has been busting his tail since the day the season ended and we will find ourselves with a pretty solid option at QB. With his size, a decent season for the dawgs this year and the kid could make himself some coin in the NFL.
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NFL? Seriously? The guy made us miss a kid that got invited to have a cup of coffee at the redskins camp before being cut.
He doesn’t need to bust his tail. He needs to find a pair of balls.
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As I’ve said over and over again…..he needs bigger hands.
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Why? He’s not running for president.
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But I’d consider voting for him if he was!
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I’d consider Ryan Leaf given the current options
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Leaf was a solid college QB. Big hands too from what I hear.
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meh. I hope he can improve. If he improves I could see him in the NFL. Those guys love QBs with size. I not saying he will start and win the super bowl, but a couple of seasons with a ball cap and clipboard, why not.
Did you see the 2 QB jobbers at the top of the NFL draft this year?
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I say we get him a ball cap and a clipboard in 2016. It’s probably his last chance.
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Man, I’m sorry but the two “jobbers” at the top of the draft this year have legitimate shots at being proficient passers in the NFL. Lambert does not.
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Derek, they only let you throw one at the time. What would he do with a pair of balls, give one to the O-line?
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that’s the funniest fucking thing you have ever said…….NFL…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
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Sup Phanner. Lambert in the NFL? Lolololol
He should be 3rd string and I believe that’s where he will end up before the opener. He has decent talent but he holds the ball a second too long on every throw.
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When Lambert is pressured all accuracy seems to go away.
Ramsey looked to have the arm but made basic errors in his reads resulting in INTs.
Which can the staff coach out/up 1st? Both have the strength, height, etc to win for UGA.
If Eason starts would he be Stafford ’06 or Green his redshirt Freshman year?
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I meant to added Ramsey was constantly rumored to not put in the film room work. Can the process break it down in such a way to get him in a position to win?
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Yeah, but it’s gonna’ look pretty nasty by the time it passes his brain.
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To answer that question, I’m thinking somewhere between Stafford ’06 and Greene/Murray’s RFr years. Stafford I think even praised him as being a little further along than he was at this time.
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I think so too. If Chubb is healthy I think he and Sony can gash UNC for a boatload of yards.
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Yep. Those are some of the reasons I am coming around to having Eason play early. Maybe not start against the ‘heels, but if Lambert is looking like he’s going to spit the bit, I say put Eason in and give him some fairly simple things to do. This is going to be particularly true if Michel, Holyfield and – dare I say it? – Chubb are looking good. We really don’t need to stubbornly fart around with a guy that isn’t getting it done just on principle. I’m in favor of Lambert starting if he can embrace the role, but I don’t want us to wait nine games to figure out he isn’t going to do it.
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None of us want that, but shit happens. I’m sure the O-Coach will pick the QB as if his job depended upon it, no matter what kind of take any of us want to oracle about.
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Who gives us the best chance to win now? I trust Kirby and Chaney are going to identify that guy before mid-August. I know Chaney HAS to be a better strategist and play caller for the college game than Schottenheimer was. An offensive line that performs like ’14 rather than ’15 would help. A healthy #27 would be huge for the QB.
If all of these things happen, this offense could be powerful. If not, we’re going to be pulling hair out of collective heads as the team struggles to sustain drives and generate points.
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Anyone want to cut it short and bet who starts? Always we hear the stats and not a soul appreciates leadership through brain power. I’ll take Lambert as starter, first game. Any of us idiots can want Eason to get as much experience as soon as he can, but not at the expense of risking the first game of the year. If he doesn’t go in it’s because Lambert is handling it. If Lambert excels, then expect to see both Rankin and Eason in the game in the last qtr.
Baby steps, yall, baby steps. Maybe Eason goes in early of the Nicholls State game, but it will be planned and controlled by those hired to do a better job than any of us can conceive, no matter your ego. I’m pretty sure our new coaches aren’t here to dump shit on their careers.
Hey! How ’bout them Libertarians? Love the N.M Gov sayin’ he quit pot so as to concentrate on the election. When asked, he replied that he quit 7 weeks ago. My kinda honest Gov.
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If some of the voters had quit pot to concentrate on the election, then we might have better candidates.
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The Johnson / Weld ticket is honestly the most qualified and experienced presidential ticket in 100+ years.
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Another thing is, David Andrews made Murray and mason look real good. Last year we lost an experienced center calling defenses for the qb. With all the turn over on the O line, we still don’t have consistency and experience there to make a call and give the qb info quick and reliable. If smart wants to start Eason, he’s going to have to coach up the line/center and make the game as simple as they can. Doesn’t hurt having a good run game, but they still need to identify defense coverages.
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Good point about Andrews. He was one of the shiny cogs who could do it in the dirt. His importance can’t be overemphasized.
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So i might be one of the few that thinks that Lambert isnt that bad and he could certainly improve. Dont we need everyone on the team to improve from last year? isnt that what the whole experience and practice thing is for?
So Lambert was a top 50 QB last year. If he could be a top 25 QB this year we would be in the good shape.
Also 6-5 Qbs who finish in the top 25 of QBS get drafted.
If our returning 10-2 starter has been working hard and improving his game I would have a hard time thinking we should run a true freshman or a punter out there in the opening weekend, but i am not at practice or in the film room.
But I feel the same way about ramsey as some of you feel about Lambert.
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My post about Lambert was a pragmatic view of decision making by coaches. I don’t have a feeling about him or others, for or against. I think it’s good to have feelings about differing players that can’t be defended in reality of play. That’s why we are called “Fans” and that means we don’t have to defend feelings. Any one of these QBs can make it, but it easily can become sameole, sameole for two of them. We all cheer for all of them to have the best game of their lives, but D-lines have a way of throwing cold water on the best of their performances. As the team goes, so go the QBs and vice versa.
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DawgPhan-
Watch the combine…QBS means nothing. Arm strength means everything. v
You want to know why Lambert won’t be in the NFL…I direct you to a scout’s notes on Mason at the EW Shrine game.
Hutson Mason (Georgia) – 6021, 207. Was the steadiest in the game, hitting on 7 of 8 passes for 71 yards and directing the East offense to its only touchdown. A smart camp type quarterback with good touch. Lacks deep velocity.
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Short answer is that Lambert with Ramsey’s arm is an excellent QB. Ramsey with Lambert’s decision making would probably be pretty good, too.
I don’t think Ron Courson has arm swapping in his bag of tricks…that’s why it has to be Ramsey or Eason at some point in 2016….you just need some zip to play QB at a high level in the SEC (unless you have Andrews at center and combination of Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb, and Sony Michel in your backfield and then…only then…can you get away with a mediocre arm.) Add in the fact that Ramsey is seemingly the most athletic and I’d say the odds on Lambert, a senior who started all but 1 game last season, are 30-40% at best.
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I think you are incorrect concerning Lambert and the almighty long ball. He has moved us more consistently down the field, exercised more control over the correct signals and the O field lineup plus he is sharper in the head and able to adjust accordingly to changes with his experience under three college coaches. Too late to teach that to Ramsey, arm-swapping or not.
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Lambert hasn’t moved the offense. Not at 7.7 Yards per Attempt. You throw out the Carolina game and the empty yards against Florida and his numbers are TERRIBLE. He just doesn’t have the zip. It’s a 50 mile race and you take Lambert because he’s not going to wreck, but he’s driving a Toyota Camry compared to 7 other guys in Porsche 911s. He’ll finish ahead of a few guys that drive off the road, but he isn’t going to win the race, either. You are shooting for mediocrity…which I thought is exactly what we didn’t want. Give me the tools to win and try to keep the driver on the road any day over the ‘safe but with a ceiling’ guy.
Anyway, it’s not just the long ball. It’s the short and medium balls, too. Think about how many times he just didn’t have the umph to get the ball to the receiver on 3rd down.
You want the ultimate indictment? 20. That’s the TOTAL number of passing plays UGA called for Lambert in the Red Zone in 2015. When the space got tight, he didn’t have the arm strength to make passes. They called 20 pass plays for him compared to 66 rushing plays. He threw TD passes in the Red Zone against two P5 schools.. South Carolina and Kentucky. You absolutely can’t roll that guy out there next year if his arm is still rubber.
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They rolled him out last year for the same reason Smart says he will roll him out this year – he is smart and has ability to absorb new play calls rapidly and ability to take charge of the team on the field. You can make all the arguments for talent or the lack thereof, but we have two HCs who have and will start him for their first games of the season and what does that say for the other candidates you propose in his place?
Taking a guy’s ability out of context of the rest of the team’s actions says nothing to me about any QB’s worth to start SEC games.
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IF not for the UF debacle..we’ll never know if Lambert had what it took to win the East. That said, just based on talent alone, it’s fairly obvious at this point who the best QB is. Not Lambert nor Ramsey.
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Yep. People can scoff at G-Day all they like, but there was only one QB on the field that day with jaw-dropping precision, and drilling bullets – I don’t care which D was on the field.
An interesting question – if the 2016 Georgia Bulldogs opened the season against the 2016 Georgia Bulldogs, with the only difference being at QB, based on what we know right now, who would you pick?
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ps – Still rooting for Lambert to do well. If CKS starts him, I’ll be happy he won the job.
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yeah, I dont get the “there is no way that Lambert could possible improve” folks, who will then turn around and tell you that Ramsey could improve over being even worse than Lambert.
I know people love a backup qb, but it is so weird.
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