Here are a few QBs beyond Kyler Murray who appear to fit the Petzing system QB profile
Last off-season, in what appeared to be a surprising move, Monti Ossenfort traded WR Rondale Moore to the Falcons for QB Desmond Ridder. This gave the Cardinals a backup QB in Ridder with a career 8-9 record as a starter.
I wondered at the time whether the coaches had lost some faith in 2nd-year 2023 5th round draft pick Clayton Tune. When fans were already proclaiming Ridder as the sure-fire QB2, I issued a “not so fast” caveat, because after studying Clayton Tune’s college tapes, I was still of the belief (and Mel Kiper’s btw) that Tune was one of the real QB steals of his draft.
Turns out, in training camp Clayton Tune ran away with the QB2 competition. Ridder was waived, then signed to the practice squad and then poached during the second half of the season by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Back in August of 2023, here was my pitch for the Cardinals to start Clayton Tune Week 1 versus the Commanders.
Are the Cardinals right in Tune in the QB room? – Revenge of the Birds
Trading a 5th round pick for Josh Dobbs two weeks before Week 1 made no sense to me then and it still makes no sense to me today.
Mostly because the Cardinals chose to pay for a 9-game rental when they could have gotten some valuable equity by playing and developing their own draft pick, whom Cardinals’ QB coach, Israel Woolfork, coached and favored of at the Senior Bowl.
I am still of the belief that if, when the occasion presents itself, the Cardinals give Clayton Tune a legitimate chance to prove himself, with his big-time arm, sneaky good mobility and impressive ability to stand tall and maneuver around the pocket in an effort to deliver dimes into the areas behind the linebackers and in from of the safeties, then he will very likely run Drew Petzing’s offense with consistent efficiency and aplomb.
This is a superb video made by Carl of Raiders Films who, before the 2023 NFL Draft had picked Clayton Tune to be the Raiders QBOF. He starts off with showcasing some mistakes Tune made at Houston but then puts up an array of plays that highlight his strengths as a passer and runner. Please take to time to watch this video. It confirms many of the assessments I made of Tune’s game when I watched his tapes.
What’s to appreciate most about Clayton Tune are the nifty ways in which he uses his feet to set himself up to display his big-time arm talent. Look at the variety of ways in which Tune fed the diminutive but cat-quick WR Tank Dell (#1). This provides added confidence, for example, in how he could make much stronger use in Petzing’s offense with a true slot like Greg Dortch.
The question I keep asking myself is —-if an effective pocket floater like Brock Purdy can be successful in the NFL, why couldn’t Clayton Tune, who is bigger, faster and stronger?
Here is a 2-minute highlight video —- just watch Tune’s feet and his quick release. Look at the snap he gets on his throws. Often from right behind his ear, which is textbook.
Beyond Clayton Tune’s underrated physical gifts for playing QB, he is unshakably resolute in his goal to become a top-notch NFL QB. Did Clayton Tune get discouraged when the Cardinals unmercifully threw him to the wolves in Cleveland? Was he the least bit deterred after learning that the Cardinals traded for Desmond Ridder? Not one iota.
Cardinals’ QB room in 2025:
It could be that the Cardinals, after having recently signed QB Anthony Brown to a future’s contract are set at QB position this year with Kyler Murray as QB1, Clayton Tune as QB2 and Anthony Brown on the team’s practice squad to help run the scout team offenses.
While I will at some point before the draft highlight the mid-round QBs who look like system fits for the Cardinals, my early favorites: Kurtis Rourke of Indiana, Will Howard of Ohio St., Kyle McCord, Syracuse and Jaxson Dart of Mississippi, I believe that if Clayton Tune were in this year’s draft, he would be in the top 3-4. Therefore, I do not feel an urgency, per se, for the Cardinals to draft a QB this year.
If the Cardinals stick with the current room and, due to injury or some sort of setback, need another QB, there are two trade candidates who, in my opinion, are highly intriguing:
- Jake Browning, 6-2, 209, Washington, 4 years NFL experience (CIN)
- At Folsom H.S. (CA) : 44-2, 16, 767 yards, 229 TDs., 40 ints., 130.9 RTG —- 2-time CA Gatorade Player of the Year in 2013 and 2014.
- At University of Washington: 39–14 record, 64.6%,1 2,296 yards, 94 TDs, 34 ints, 150.5 RTG
- At Cincinnati Bengals: 4-3 record, 70.4%, 1,936 yards, 12 TDs, 7 ints. 98.4 RTG, plus 125 yards rushing, 4.3 ypc and 3 TDs.
Here are Colt McCoy’s assessments of Jake Browning’s performances in 2023:
Cardinals’ connection: Jake Browning’s LT at Folsom H.S. (CA) was Jonah Williams.
2. Tanner McKee, 6-6, 233, Stanford, 2 years NFL experience (PHI)
- At Stanford University: 6-16, 5,336 yards, 63.2%, 28 TDs, 15 ints. 131.5 RTG
- At Philadelphia Eagles: 1-0, 323 yards, 55.7%, 4 TDs, 0 ints., 117.2 RTG
Cardinals’ connection: Tanner McKee was Michael Wilson’s and Elijah Higgins’ QB at Stanford. Plus, the Cardinals WR coach and passing game coordinator Drew Terrell is a big-time Stanford alum.