Over the years in the NFL, there have been many trends in the league that have come and gone. But one type of trend that will never leave the National Football League is the pocket passer. No matter how complex defenses have become, the pocket passer has withstood the end of time. If you take a look at the successful quarterbacks right now, they’re all pocket quarterbacks.

Dan Marino was the perfect example of what a pocket passer should be like. Marino tore apart opposing defenses in the NFL for 16 seasons. Dan Marino worked hard to become a better signalman in the NFL. The only setback Marino had during his career as the Miami Dolphins quarterback is that he didn’t have a running game to back him up when he had an offside game.

I am in no way trying to stifle mobile quarterbacks. I think they provide a lot of excitement for football fans. However, my honest opinion is that the quarterback without mobility will always have longevity in the league. The only mobile quarterback that I think succeeded in his job was Steve Young. I know there were other mobile quarterbacks like Fran Tarkenton who had success throughout his NFL career.

However, I always go by what I have seen during my years of watching football. Steve Young succeeded because he had a precise arm and the escape ability to get out of the pocket when necessary. Today’s mobile quarterbacks possess none of the Steve Young traits at all. They’ll either have a strong arm but rely on his speed to get out of the pocket more than anything, or they’ll have the ability to climb and never rely on his arm at all. Traits like this have consistently shortened the careers of mobile quarterbacks.

You’ll always hear analysts say that if you have so-and-so play quarterback to beat him, you might have a chance to win the game. What they’re trying to say is that if you make a mobile quarterback so uncomfortable that he can’t get out of the pocket, you’ll succeed. Elite pocket quarterbacks in the NFL have always figured out how to shred opposing defenses no matter how difficult the task at hand.

I’m looking forward to seeing Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin succeed in the NFL; however, if he wants to be in this league for a long time, he’s going to have to learn how to shoot out of the pocket. If he can learn to use arm strength from him, he can become a very dangerous passer in the NFL for a long time. No matter how dynamic a mobile quarterback is, a smart defensive coordinator will always figure them out. His careers will be short-lived because they haven’t learned to develop the skills necessary to succeed in the pocket.