Last year, for example, only three quarterbacks were drafted in the first round; Alex Smith of Utah, Aaron Rodgers of Cal and Jason Campbell of Auburn. Smith has struggled all year in San Francisco, while Rodgers and Campbell have recieved minimal playing time behind established starters for their respective teams.
   Suffice it to say, no one is jumping on the bandwagon for any of these players to be participating in a Pro Bowl anytime soon,
  This year, while a number of junior quarterbacks could help improve depth, there is likely to be only one senior quarterback drafted in the first round; Matt Leinart (with Jay Cutler possibly going later in the round).
   What has happened to the quarterback position? Why is it that, suddenly, young quarterbacks seem to be completely baffled by NFL systems?
   While the complicated zone-blitzing and man-zone schemes of NFL defenses have certainly contributed to the difficulty level for a young quarterback, that isn't the reason. So many coaches have gone back-and-forth between the NFL and college (Nick Saban, Al Groh, etc.) that systems at Division I-A schools are nearly as complicated as they are in the NFL.
   The answer is simple; the development of the spread offense at the college level. Over the last decade, an influx of wide-open offenses have bloated the passing numbers of mediocre college quarterbacks while allowing the coach to place his best athlete under center (actually, in shotgun).
   Look at Alex Smith, and you will understand why I couldn't figure out Smith's high draft grade last year. While his mobility and excellent arm strength are definite positives, Smith essentially never took a snap from under center at Utah. It is no minor issue to learn how to take a straight drop while reading the defense, then adjust your feet and make an accurate throw. On top of that, Smith played in a gimmicky offense in which most of the plays were based on the option - an offense that you simply don't see in the NFL. And finally, his decision to leave school early only accentuated his lack of passing game experience. Clearly, Smith was going to take a serious time and coaching investment, and never should have been taken number one with the expectation to step in as a savior for a franchise in disarray.
   You can jump from school to school, looking at some of the more successful spread passing attacks from the last decade, and the same trend develops.
   Florida's run-and-gun under Steve Spurrier yielded Heisman trophies and SEC titles, but successful NFL quarterbacks? No, with the jury still out on Rex Grossman.
   What about Texas Tech's record-setting passing games under Mike Leach? Again, no successful NFL quarterbacks.
   Even the consensus "quarterback-guru" among college coaches, Cal's Jeff Tedford, has been surprisingly unsuccessful in developing QB's for the professional level. His spread offense helped make a name for players like Akili Smith, Joey Harrington and Aaron Rodgers, but none have been successful yet in the NFL.
   Vince Young and Troy Smith were among the NCAA pass efficiency leaders this fall, but listen to any scout out there and he will explain that these players have some big-time adjustments to make to succeed in the passing game at the next level.
   While all this has been going on, a number of quarterbacks have been successful in more standard, less gimmicky, pro-style offenses.
   Top overall picks Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer are as talented as they come, but the systems they played in (Tennessee and USC, respectively) emphasized an NFL-style attack that developed each player for success in the NFL.
   Likewise at Michigan, where eight consecutive quarterbacks (among them Jim Harbaugh and Tom Brady) have played in the NFL after learning an offense that, while criticized by many fans, truly prepared them for the pros.
   Around the NFL, the same seems to hold true.
   Peyton Manning? Jake Plummer? Matt Hasselbeck? All of them were trained in college in a pro-style offense, with most snaps taken from under center and a mix of running and passing plays that was indicative of what they would see in the NFL.
   This isn't all to say that spread offenses are bad and that no quarterback that plays in a spread attack can be successful in the NFL. It's a system that has been used to bring college programs like Utah and Texas Tech back to life, and outstanding players like Drew Brees and Byron Leftwich have been able to translate their passing skills from a spread offense into the professional game.
   At the same time, though, NFL coaches and general managers should be aware of the growing trend that is contributing to the struggles of NFL offenses. Don't just look for the athletes with the good numbers. Find a quarterback with drop-back passing game skills and experience, and you will find a quarterback ready to succeed as a pro.