Saints Rookie Revealed: Sean Canfield

by Dave Cariello on Apr 27, 2010 6:00 AM CDT

When the Saints selected Oregon State quarterback Sean Canfield with their seventh round pick in last weeks draft, many fans of Who Dat Nation, including myself, had the same surprised reaction: Who!? Naturally, Saints fans had limited knowledge of available quarterbacks in this years draft other than the big names because, well, that's not really a position of need for the team.

In an effort to get better acquainted with Sean Payton's newest toy, I decided to take advantage of the awesome network we have here at SB Nation and enlisted the help of our very own Oregon St. blogger, Jake Bertalotto of Building the Dam. Who better to clue us in on what to expect from Canfield than the guy who has been following his college career the entire time.

Jake made some time to chat with me and answer a few questions about Sean Canfield that I thought would educate us all and perhaps shed some light on why the Saints were so high on this guy. Our conversation can be found after the jump. Thanks a bunch to him for all of this. Hopefully we'll be able to do this for many or all of this years draft picks.

Dave: Selecting a quarterback in the seventh round of the draft was quite a surprise to many Saints fans. Give us a little background on Sean Canfield. A primer, if you will.

Jake: Sean was a guy who spent a lot of time in the Oregon State system. He showed up in Corvallis in the spring before his redshirt freshman year, so he had plenty of time to learn the Mike Riley pro-style offense. Still, he had his troubles when he was thrust into the starting role as a sophomore -- much in the same way Derek Anderson was in 2002. While he did have his share of injury issues, he developed into the Pac-10's most prolific passer last year. While the conference wasn't stacked full of talent, that's still a big accomplishment for a guy following in the foosteps of the aformentioned Anderson and Matt Moore.

It's tough to say how his skills will translate to the professional game-- his arm strength is probably below average, but he could make up for that with his accuracy. He can also be a bit awkward in the pocket at times. But from what I've read following the draft, both sides seem happy. He should be able to learn a lot from Drew Brees and Chase Daniel. Sean was a sophomore when the Beavers (led then by Matt Moore) defeated Daniel and Missouri in the 2006 Sun Bowl, interestingly enough.

Dave: Yeah, I saw the ESPN quarterback challenge video on YouTube that someone posted on CSC. Is that his big thing? Accuracy?

Jake: Yeah, I'd say so. He threw 15 interceptions as a sophomore, when he started for most of the season. Five of those were in one game -- and the Beavers still only lost by twelve points. He whittled that number all the way down to seven in his senior season, which was a big improvement.

I'm not sure if this is an anonomoly or not, but Sean tended to develop relationships with a couple receivers who he could find seemingly anywhere on the field. This year, it was his tight end. Oregon State's receivers were good -- not great -- during Sean's tenure, but I would argue that he put the ball where he needed to in order for them to be successful.

So yeah, accuracy. Unless the wind is howling, as it was in the Vegas Bowl.

Dave: Okay, accuracy is a strength. What about weaknesses. What's the one thing Sean will need to improve most?

Jake: Looking back on just this year, his pocket presence could improve. He did make great strides (no pun intended!) in improving this aspect of his game over his college career, though. So that's one...

I'd say his arm strength is sub-par for NFL quarterbacks as well. But here at Oregon State we like screens, so it was never that big of a deal. But I'd point to pocket presnce and footwork as the big area of concern.

Dave: Screens you say? Hmmm...interesting. Sounds right up Sean Payton's alley. What do you think Payton sees in Canfield that he might not see in other quarterbacks and that made him worth drafting? Is it just the fact that they have the same name?

Jake: That's hard to say. I don't know much about Coach Payton, but I'm guessing he likes the system Sean has played in while at Oregon State. That's the thing -- Oregon State quarterbacks from the Riley era (Derek Anderson and Matt Moore) have typically entered the pros and been successful relatively quickly. More or less. That probably gave Canfield the edge in the eyes of the Saints when they surveyed the quarterbacks still left on the board in the seventh round. There's something about the Oregon State system that gives quarterbacks an edge once they get to the pros.

Dave: Think he's got a chance to beat out Chase Daniel in training camp and become the number two?

Jake: Well, I'm obviously going to biased towards Sean. I think he has the ability to learn the system well. From what I remember about Chase from that Sun Bowl game a couple of years ago, he has more physical tools than Sean. Would you say that's still the case? I haven't really followed what Daniel has done in the past couple of years. Has he made progress in the system? I think Sean can handle the rigors of an NFL system, though.

Dave: I wouldn't know. I've never seen Chase throw a football in a Saints uniform. Seriously. This training camp will be the first. What's Canfield like off the field? Good kid? Getting into any trouble? Does he take "the pot"?

Jake: I've only heard good things. The only thing is that he has the So-Cal, surfer boy air about him. I don't think that's anything that will get him into trouble though. I've never heard anything negative, but that doesn't mean he's a perfect citizen when nobody is watching. It's college, after all.

Dave: So-Cal surfer boy, huh? I'm picturing Jeff Spicoli from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." Does this often get mistaken for a lack of interest or a poor work ethic?

Jake: No, I don't think so. Sean was never handed the job. He had to compete for it every year, especially when he had to come back from injuries. He had tough competiton from Lyle Moevao -- who was the emotional leader of the team, even while on crutches -- so Sean really couldn't afford to get disinterested. Both guys benefited from that competition year in and year out; I think Sean would be the first one to tell you that. I'm sure he was frustrated at times when he couldn't just be "the guy", but I think he'll be better off in the long run becasue of it. Both of those guys are quality players and people who fed off of each other.

Dave: What was that injury situation you speak of?

Jake: Sean tore the labrum in his throwing shoulder on this play against USC in 2007, and it took him a long time to recover. It sort of dampened him from that point forward, and provided an opportunity for Lyle Moeavo (who also had injury issues) to take over the starting role.

Dave: Personally, what did you think about where Canfield got drafted? Did you think he'd go earlier? Or are you surprised he was even drafted at all?

Jake: To be honest, I'm not much of an NFL fan and I didn't follow the draft closely. He had a strong senior year and put up some big numbers, so I'm not surprised that he was drafted. At Oregon State, we're not really concerned about landing the highest caliber recruits because our coaches are great at doing more with less.

I'd say that the same mentality carries over to the draft. Order, rankings, rounds...we don't really care. I don't, anyway. Although I suppose a higher draft selection could have meant Sean would have had some extra cash to funnel Oregon State's way. We just lost our primary donor, ya know.

Dave: Any interesting or weird facts about Canfield? Like, can he juggle swords?

Jake: He has nice hair!! But that sort of relates to that whole So-Cal thing I was talking about earlier. He's a lefty quarterback, but he's right handed in everything else -- except ping pong!

Dave: Does he surf? Is he actually from So-Cal?

Jake: I'm sure he surfs, but I don't know that for sure. I used to be Facebook friends with him, but I think he's since deleted his profile, ya know, now that he's a celebrity. He was born in LaJolla, California but he attended Carsbad High School and lists Carlsbad as his hometown.

Dave: Is he on Twitter?

Jake: I don't think so. Lyle Moevao got into a little bit of trouble when he called out the Ducks (I think it was them...) on his Twitter page, so the team kind of backed away from that. Who knows if that's the reason why, though. He probably just has better things to do. He's from So-Cal, perhaps he's too cool for Twitter. Chase Daniel has a twitter page I see. Advantage: Sean?

Dave: Yeah, Chase loves him some Twitter.

Jake: I'm sure Sean would much rather prefer to do curls.

Dave: Haha. Dedicated; I like that. Okay, last question: Who should Saints fans keep their eye on this year at Oregon State?

Jake: The Rodgers brothers are our superstars; you may already know about them. Jacquizz is the 5'6" stud running back, and his brother James is a hair taller and is the speedier of the two. Not by much, however.

But an interesting guy to watch is defensive linemen Steven Paea. He's a guy who didn't know anything about football a few years ago. He's from Tonga and could have gone pro this year, but decided not to. The guy is a freak in the weight room -- an absolute freak. He can bench press 225 pounds 44 times. Forty-four times! He'll probably be a difference maker in the NFL someday.

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Comments

Nice interview

We have come to expect the best out of you Dave this may be hard to keep up the whole off season.

World Champions at last

by mississippisaintsfan on Apr 27, 2010 6:42 AM CDT reply actions

It more like competition for #3 spot

Payton said they will get a veteran sooner than later… but this guy looks a good project

Btw… we have a surf-dude already (Hartley) – well sort of…. – and worked out ok… lol

"Saints don't commit sins, they exorcise demons. The NFL most accurate passer was preaching, and the league MVP watched as the Game MVP delivered an impressive sermon"

by bondcrash on Apr 27, 2010 7:01 AM CDT reply actions

“It more like competition for #3 spot”

Agreed and I’m not sure why it should come as a surprise. I’ve heard it mentioned numerous times that they would likely go after a QB in the late rounds. In fact, I had them taking Mike Kafka (Northwestern) in the 7th round of my own mock. When Brunell’s contract expired, it became a position of need and let’s face it, we have no idea what we have with undrafted Chase Daniel. Odds are neither one of these guys are the future of the franchise. That being said, two grab bags are a whole lot more likely to land you a prize than one and what’s the downside really? Best case scenario, they both pan out and you wind up trading the lesser of the two for a higher pick, a la Charlie Whitehurst. Worst case scenario, a 7th round pick didn’t make the final roster, something that happens 99% of the time anyway.

On a slightly grander scale, do you think Dallas regrets spending a supplemental 1st round pick on Steve Walsh, when they already had 1st round pick Troy Aikman in the fold? It was that trade to the Saints — along with the Hershel Walker deal to Minnesota — that helped build the Cowboys dynasty of the early 1990s. Unfortunately, we won’t be netting any Russell Marylands out of this selection, but it’s fun to dream, right?

Further, Drew Brees is entering his 10th season as a pro. Like it or not, in 4-5 years his skills set will inevitably begin to diminish, while Matt Ryan, Jimmy Clausen and Josh Freeman could all be reaching their prime. While I doubt Canfield will ever be looked upon as the fourth wheel on that wagon, it’s not exactly ridiculous to start grooming for the future this early. Not when quarterbacks like Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers and Matt Schaub all seem to have benefitted greatly from not being thrown to the wolves.

"I was not on the boat in question." -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 27, 2010 7:59 AM CDT reply actions

I saw a lot of film on the Rogers brothers

They are pretty darn good.

"We've got 27 ways to add up to 11 (players on the field). I came up with another one last night." -- Greg Williams

by DrWhoDat on Apr 27, 2010 9:50 AM CDT reply actions

You're not joking...

It’s been amazing what they’ve been able to do, given their size and their lack of high profiles coming out of college (well, James especially…). But will they be able to be successful in the league? I don’t know.

--Jake | (jake.buildingthedam@gmail.com)

by Jake Bertalotto on Apr 27, 2010 7:09 PM CDT up reply actions

Seems like a decent #3 QB

But I do take offense to him choosing to wear #4. There will be NO Brett Favre references on this team!

"I want to hand this trophy to the MVP of the Super Bowl -- and the MVP of the entire league.''
-- Saints coach Sean Payton, handing the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Drew Brees after Super Bowl 44.

by VAsaintsfan on Apr 27, 2010 10:07 AM CDT reply actions

Think of it as a Todd Bouman reference. Or Steve Walsh, if that’s giving him too much credit.

"I was not on the boat in question." -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 27, 2010 10:33 AM CDT up reply actions

"Sean Payton's newest toy"

by Andrew Juge on Apr 27, 2010 10:41 AM CDT reply actions

exactly

considering what he did with the trophy

I’m an independently wealthy methamphetamine enthusiast with a vivid imagination - Stujo4

by maybetoday on Apr 27, 2010 7:01 PM CDT up reply actions

Team needs

You keep saying that QB isn’t a team need. Why? STARTING QB isn’t a team need, but this team currently has one (1) NFL quarterback. If Brees gets hurt, do you trust Chase Daniel to run the ship? Last year the team was so enamored of Daniel that they had Billy Joe Hobert at #2 (I may be misremembering) and Daniel was cut on a week-to-week basis, depending on whether the team needed a backup long-snapper.

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by ugarte on Apr 27, 2010 12:50 PM CDT reply actions

I'm not supposed to trust Daniel

but I’m supposed to trust Canfield?

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by Dave Cariello on Apr 27, 2010 1:29 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs

boom rec'd it

But Canfield has uncanny accuracy. As long as there is no pass rush or giant defensive linemen pawing at him and he’s wearing a tshirt and shorts.

Everything, all the time.

by stujo4 on Apr 27, 2010 1:49 PM CDT up reply actions

I think you just upped the ante

In other words, we REALLY need a quarterback. But actually: if Brees gets hurt, it’s all over. There’s only a handful of quarterbacks in the NFL who could run Payton’s system, and none of them are going to sit on the bench and watch Drew.

But, if Payton needs a toy to keep him happy, I’m okay with that. I have this cap on that says “Super Bowl Champions,” so I figure coach has one free season at least.

This comment is sponsored by Southern Bell, the 'Then' Network.

by MtnExile on Apr 27, 2010 2:17 PM CDT up reply actions

“There’s only a handful of quarterbacks in the NFL who could run Payton’s system”

What makes you say this? Kerry Collins ran it with the Giants. It’s not an overly complicated system. I firmly believe the opposite. Not only could most starting QBs in the league run Payton’s system, most would be more productive running it, than they are in their current schemes. It’s a QB friendly offense … Brees just happens to be the above average talent currently benefitting from it.

"I was not on the boat in question." -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 27, 2010 2:47 PM CDT up reply actions

CP, your favorite kind of argument: One that cannot likely be resolved by actual events any time soon, so you’re free to conjecture at will. Not criticizing, just sayin’.

Kerry Collins<<< one day at a time and all in the family with Julius Jones: Their careers are pushing daisies.

Got those pretty little straps around your ankles

by stujo4 on Apr 27, 2010 3:57 PM CDT up reply actions

trust?

No, of course you aren’t supposed to trust Canfield or Daniel for that matter. My point was that backup QB is a real weakness. It may not ever be exposed, but if it is…

To argue that the Saints are “set at QB” or to give the team a “C” on their 7th round pick because they used it on a potential backup QB shows a pretty poor understanding of both roster construction and the 7th round.

My point (and it isn’t brilliant or novel) isn’t that the Saints should sign JaMarcus Russell or have traded for Jason Campbell. It is simply that a team can only play one QB at a time but needs to have more than one competent QB on the roster as insurance.

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by ugarte on Apr 28, 2010 9:43 AM CDT up reply actions

needs to have more than one competent QB on the roster as insurance.

You mean like Curtis Painter?

Got those pretty little straps around your ankles

by stujo4 on Apr 28, 2010 9:59 AM CDT up reply actions

Or Brian Hoyer? Or should he be of the caliber of Billy Volek?

If Drew, Tom, Peyton, or that annoying Charger kid go down, all of their teams are in big trouble.

Got those pretty little straps around your ankles

by stujo4 on Apr 28, 2010 10:03 AM CDT up reply actions

no doubt

…that a lot of teams have unfit backup QBs. It is a tough roster spot to fill. That’s why spending a 7th round choice on a development project is a good idea, not a bad one.

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by ugarte on Apr 28, 2010 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions

I know I’m gonna get flamed (no pun intended) by Stu , but…

Another good idea would be to bring in a proven winner, a veteran with experience at leading a team into the playoffs after the starting QB went down, a QB with above average accuracy and awareness… let me re-present Jeff Garcia.

"I still think we're a team of destiny. Destiny is more powerful than a curse. Whatever is meant to be will happen. Faith." - Drew Brees

by Dan Kelly on Apr 28, 2010 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions

well...

Are you arguing that the Colts are doing the RIGHT thing by having Painter as the insurance policy? If Manning goes down, Indy would be in the same dire straits as New Orleans. That said, teams need to be able to develop young players for the future and Painter/Daniel/Canfield fits that mold.

Was there a linebacker sitting out there in the 7th round that you think could step in and replace Fujita? Not likely. 7th round picks are likely to be projects regardless of the position and the Saints need to develop a backup QB because the only guy on the roster besides Brees was an UDFA himself.

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by ugarte on Apr 28, 2010 10:03 AM CDT up reply actions

Agree and agree.

Got those pretty little straps around your ankles

by stujo4 on Apr 28, 2010 10:45 AM CDT up reply actions

Having spent most of my childhood

In Oregon, the Beavers and the college team I root for, and when he says Canfield is accurate, his stats don’t even reflect how clean and crisp his passes are when you watch them. Will make a good developmental guy.

I am a bear of very little brains and big words bother me.

by Topher Doll on Apr 27, 2010 5:41 PM CDT reply actions

It seems that all of you are missing the obvious ~

That picture looks like Tom Cruise with a boo-boo.

Discuss.

Fat, dumb, and happy. Hell, two out of three ain't bad!

I Want To Die In My Sleep Like My Grandpa – Not Screaming and Yelling Like His Passengers.

by Just 'Nother Day on Apr 28, 2010 1:35 AM CDT reply actions

LOL!

That’s actually the first thing I thought, when I saw the picture.

Payton: Sorry, son. You didn’t make the team.

Canfield: Oh. Ok.

Payton: Are you disappointed?

Canfield: Disappointed? Why should I be disappointed? I got rose bushes didn’t I? I got a
used car, didn’t I? This Chase guy … what’d you call him?

Payton: The beneficiary.

Canfield: Yeah him, he got $3M and the third string QB gig … but he didn’t get the rose bushes. I got the rose bushes. I definitely got the rose bushes. Those are rose bushes!

"I was not on the boat in question." -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 28, 2010 1:39 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs