If you agree with Cosell after watching that all I can say is you only see what you want to see.
Parker gets open on all kinds of routes. You don't have such a high yards per catch as Parker has by only being a short to intermediate receiver.
Cosell had a really bad evaluation of Teddy Bridgewater too. He is just doubling down. If I had any doubt about Bridgewater it was because Parker is so good.
The issue, and it will be a defining one for many NFL coaches, is how Bridgewater threw the ball. He was a short-armer without the needed ability to drive the ball. He was a soft-tosser who threw the ball effectively in the short to intermediate areas inside the numbers, but struggled to make the more difficult throws outside the numbers. And he did not throw the deep ball well at all. He had to put a lot of body into those throws; as a result, he struggled with trajectory and accuracy. Bridgewater's throwing limitations were not a function of arm strength; they were more a result of his natural throwing motion. It was the reason many of his throws fell apart as they gained distance, and lost energy on the back end. Bridgewater doesn't spin it very well; too many passes came out wobbly. If you don't think that's a concern for NFL coaches, then you are not watching the NFL. Link
I guess Norv Turner isn't watching the NFL.
None of this is new, of course. Bridgewater probably displays the greatest amount of development on film. The question is whether that is enough to be an NFL starter, given limited arm strength and size.
"The issue with Bridgewater is he's very slight, he's not a big body, he's got a good arm, not a great arm. Theoretically he can make every throw, but making every throw when you have clean pockets is different than making every throw when you don't. He doesn't really drive the ball, Bridgewater, he's a bit of a short-armer.
"He bulked up to 214 lbs for the combine. I've spoken to people that late in the year he weighed 188 lbs, so he probably bulked up just for the combine so the number would be good. So, you know, that's something you have to think about. He's not a big kid, he's a slight kid."
Cosell ended his Bridgewater description with one line that seemed to sum up his thoughts on the college quarterback. "The question is how much does he need around him to be an effective player."
So, it seems Cosell may view Bridgewater as more of a game manager at quarterback. Someone who will run the offense effectively and efficiently, but who may struggle if the pieces surrounding him are suboptimal. Meanwhile, Blake Bortles is a very talented player, but the question is whether he can harness that talent and turn into a quality NFL starter. Link
Teddy Bridgewater's supporting cast last season would be the very definition of sub optimal. No Adrian Peterson. One of his favorite targets was Charles Johnson who the Vikings plucked off of the Cleveland Browns practice squad. Yet Bridgewater still excelled.
There is some consistency in how Cosell says that Bridgewater/Parker are no good at the deep passing game. He is just wrong on both counts.