Lamar Jackson play wide receiver? Cut the shit! Lamar Jackson is a quarterback at the NFL level and I'm gonna tell you why.
First off, what makes you think Jackson is a wide receiver because he can run fast? Just because he is fast from the pocket doesn't mean he can run routes, create separation, attack the ball in the air, or anything else that is required by a wide receiver. Being fast isn't the only criteria for playing wide receiver in the NFL. Just ask Terrelle Pryor how hard it is to play wide receiver when you were a QB your whole life. Jackson has a better chance at being a backup quarterback than switching to wide receiver.
My next point is my best point, there are some garbage quarterbacks in the league! Did anyone see Derek Anderson come in for Cam Newton and throw an interception on his first pass? Does Tom Savage still have a job? Is Trevor Siemian still in the league? Come on, Lamar Jackson can't be any worse than the cast of Jags that are backups now or fringe starting quarterbacks.
There aren't 32 quality starting quarterbacks in the NFL. It's a shortage of good quarterbacks around the entire league. It's the reason guys like Josh Allen are projected to go in the top 10. Ponder that for a second, a quarterback that played his college football at the University of Wyoming is projected to be a franchise quarterback. What competition did he play against? It sure wasn't Florida State or Clemson. What awards did Allen receive? It sure was the Heisman Trophy. Josh Allen is the product of a system that will take a chance on you if you’re over 6’3 and have a strong arm. Allen may go on and have a Hall of Fame career, but he hasn't done that yet and right now Jackson's body of work is light years better. Jackson being black is the only reason some people consider him a wide receiver. Jackson shouldn't have to suffer because the NFL hasn't evolved enough to be able to take advantage of the talents of a Lamar Jackson.
Let's quickly review the evolution of football and the quarterback position. In the 50s, 60s, and 70s quarterbacks were the leaders of the team. They got the offenses lined up and they handed the ball off to the running back. Quarterbacks didn't throw the ball 30 times a game like they do now (some throw more than 30). Great quarterbacks during this time like Bart Starr or Roger Staubach, could beat you with their arms or legs. The flexbone, wishbone, or power I formations weren't designed to get wide receivers the ball. Those formations were designed to pound the rock down the defenses throat.
Then in the late 70s and 80s the West Coast offense took off and it made throwing the ball safer and easier. That is because the routes were close to the line of scrimmage (short passes) and most of them were timed with the drop of the quarterback. If you were accurate and understood defenses then you were going to be successful in a West Coast offense. There was still heavy emphasis placed on the run game at this time. Teams were throwing more but the run game was still the basis for the offense.
The point I'm making is if quarterbacks could have success with run-heavy offenses, play actions passes, and a short passing game, why can't that be done now? If there aren't 32 quality starting quarterbacks then why are teams trying to throw the ball 30 times a game? The Jacksonville Jaguars understood that Blake Bottles was a bum. They drafted a workhorse running back, shored up the offensive line, and created a vicious defense. The Minnesota Vikings did the same thing for that bum Case Keenum. These two teams made the proper adjustments to account for mediocre quarterback play. I think Lamar Jackson is better than both those clowns. Whichever team drafts Lamar Jackson will have to make a commitment to building to his strengths. That's no different than getting Randy Moss for Tom Brady or Brandon Stokley for Peyton Manning! Giving your quarterback guys that he is comfortable with, will make him a better player.
The NFL still has some catching up to do as it pertains to the black quarterback. I offer you this if the white quarterbacks are stinking up the field wouldn't it make sense to create offenses that feature the dynamic element that a Black quarterback brings? Aren't we tired of seeing Brandon Weedon, Tom Savage, Matt Moore, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and the rest of the terrible quarterbacks that fall in their category? Wouldn’t we much rather see more Cam Newton’s, Russell Wilson, or Deshaun Watson?
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