Why Giants QB Jaxson Dart's Transition to a Verbal Cadence isn't a Big Concern

The New York Giants traded up with the Houston Texans to draft Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Much of the criticism surrounding Dart's selection was based on the Ole Miss offense that he played in throughout college—an RPO-heavy offense that didn’t use a verbal cadence as is customary in the NFL but instead opted for a clap.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who runs an offense with a verbal cadence, doesn’t believe it will be a big transition for Dart to learn.

“I mean, it's not too hard to learn a cadence. You say a couple of words, voice inflection, you continue to learn from that, but I wouldn't say it's like rocket science to learn a cadence,” he said Friday, before the first of two rookie minicamp practices. 

Dart also downplayed the idea that learning a verbal cadence is a challenge.

“Yeah, did you guys hear me good when I was out there?” he said after his first practice. 

“Quite honestly, it's been something that I've always wanted to do. And I've always practiced it on my own or just messing around with buddies and whatnot. But I think it's always a little bit of a transition.  

“It really goes for anybody from the college to the NFL level.  The cadence is different no matter where you've been. So, you're always gonna have a little bit of a learning curve.  But it's something that really excites me.”

Dart and Daboll are correct in downplaying the magnitude of converting from a clapping system to a verbal one regarding the cadence. Most college offenses operate with an unorthodox snap count now, whether it’s a clap or a hand motion for the center to see.

There isn’t a sport where home-field advantage matters more than college football due to the level of communication and noise, which is why clapping might be more preferable at the college level, particularly among larger programs. 

Yes, the cadence is another task added to the developmental plan for a young quarterback, but it’s a minor one that doesn’t add significant time to the process. And even if that were the case, Dart could expect to have Daboll in his ear for every throw he makes.

“That’s what I want to be around. I want to be coached the hardest,” Dart said.

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