Is It Really Easier Than Ever for Rookie QBs to Assume Starting Roles?

Much to the chagrin of your dad, the NFL purest, five rookie quarterbacks will start for their respective teams when the 2012 regular season begins.

In 2011, that number was three.

Years ago, most rookie quarterbacks would have loved the chance to hold the clipboard while standing close to the head coach in their first professional seasons. 

Not anymore. 

The game has officially been changed. 

But why? 

On the precipice of a historic beginning to this approaching NFL season, let's breakdown why, recently, a wave of rookie signal-callers have been given the starting nod in Year One.

Collegiate Offensive Systems

As NFL's true farm system, the play in college football theoretically dictates future play in the NFL. Think about it. The NFL is a league filled with former collegiate players who were taught certain techniques, philosophies and schemes before being drafted into the professional ranks.

No, the option quarterback never caught on in the NFL, mainly due to the increased speed of defenders, but nearly a decade-old collegiate trend has finally permeated to the pro game. 

The spread offense.

College quarterbacks have been taught the nuances of the spread 'em out system. So have their offensive linemen, wide receivers, tight ends and running backs. Defenders have been coached to stop it. 

What's great about the spread for young signal-callers is in the name of the system itself—everything is spread. 

With a more "spread out" offense, throwing lanes are larger, there's more space between defenders and wideouts, and YAC is given a higher priority. Quarterbacks don't have to look for two or maybe three pass-catching targets running among seven secondary members in close quarters. The spread makes man-to-man coverage much more difficult and takes advantage of softer zone schemes. 

The reads are quick and simple, and the vast majority of spreads across the college landscape have been tremendously successful. 

Why make a 21-year-old quarterback start under center and take steps away from where he'll throw the football when the shotgun is an available starting formation? 

Due to the collegiate experience in the spread, it should come as no surprise that spreads are popping up in today's NFL. It's what many are familiar with and the system in which many flourished.

So, because it's logical for coaches at all levels—even in the NFL—to implement an offensive system that's easy to comprehend for their quarterbacks, this partially explains why rookie quarterbacks have been quicker to acclimate to the big leagues.

How much longer can we call an I-formation with two receivers split out wide a "pro-style" formation? 

Even for the quarterbacks who didn't operate an Oklahoma- or Florida-type spread, their college systems have been tailored to imitate offenses run in the NFL, with a greater emphasis on throwing the football. 

Team Situation

Many teams have drafted a rookie quarterback with the thought that someday, that rookie quarterback would be the organization's franchise signal-caller. 

In the past, there was such a vast difference between collegiate and professional offenses, especially when it came to throwing the football, the overwhelming majority of quarterbacks weren't ready to step in and instantly contribute.

From there, a consensus was formulated that only after a year, or even two in the NFL, should a quarterback take the field as a starter. 

A college virtuoso like Peyton Manning somewhat bucked the trend, but remember, Manning's 1998 Colts went 3-13 and he threw 28 interceptions. 

Because of the perceived lack of capability regarding rookie quarterbacks, teams often made sure they had at least one viable veteran to start the upcoming season as No. 1 on the depth chart. 

No, teams aren't totally neglecting to add an experienced starter as insurance to the rookie quarterback they take with a high draft selection. But due to coaches' increased confidence that a first-year signal-caller can play from day one because of the way college has prepared him for the NFL better than ever before, organizations aren't heavily investing in veteran quarterbacks the way they used to.

Actually, they've seemed to be content with someone who's good enough to play on a rebuilding team with low expectations, but bad enough to lose out to the rookie during the summer months. 

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, teams aren't nearly as patient as they used to be. After guys like Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan, Andy Dalton and Cam Newton have clearly demonstrated that a quarterback can be productive in his rookie season, clubs and their fans don't want to wait two years on the first-round quarterback while clinging to false hope that the career backup who's played on three different teams will have a miraculous resurgence. 

Is it easier for rookie quarterbacks to assume starting roles in today's NFL? 

What do you think?

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