The Spread

Curious about long term effects of the "spread" offense.

First, I guess almost anything these days is the spread so this could be a hard thing to get a grip on.  Some teams throw a lot out of their spread (Central Michigan, Mizzou, Kansas and FLorida) others are more run oriented like WVU.

Second, since this offense with a running QB or at least a strong threat of one is spreading (pun intended), I wonder what the long term effects will be.  I start with the assumption that the top recruits today want to one day play professional football.  

I do not see the pros adopting an offense that has its QB exposed frequently to very large players who run very fast.  While mobility is a factor, that usually means a bit of rolling out and only scrambling across the line of scrimmage when it is necessary.  For one thing, there is already a dearth of good QBs in the NFL so much so that QBs in their 40s and Todd Collins are still around.   With the millions and millions invested in these players and the salary cap what coach/owner will take the chance.  Another thing is that NFL coaches are a different breed (as evidenced by the few successful moves between the two at the head coaching level).  NFL coaches tend to coach from "the book" and conservatively.  As I recently heard it put, NFL coaches coach not to lose.

So what happens when these spread QBs like Pat White reach the end of their eligibility and they are not drafted?  Do they sign on as free agents and try to make it as a WR?  Is that an attractive option (and it has been successful in Hines Ward--albeit he played on a little QB at UGA--and Antwaan Randall-El and the Curry fellow for Oakland)?

If spread players do not go to the pro ranks, will QBs eventually start avoiding the programs with the spread offenses similar to what happened with wishbone and veer QBs many years ago?  Eventually colleges gave up the option for the most part (rule changes also opened up the passing game and made passing more attractive) and then high schools moved away from it as well.

Generally I do not care what the pros do as I watch very little pro football, but there can be no denying that pro football influences colleges and even high schools.

Just positing an idea.