Name the player below. Analysis reprinted without any kind of permission from NFL.com.
ANALYSIS
Positives: Has a well-proportioned, muscular frame with tight skin, low body fat, good arm length, tight bubble and nicely developed legs and thighs … Has outstanding quickness in and out of his cuts … Stays active with his hands to escape the jam and is very fluid getting into his routes … Has the ability to easily find the open area and the instincts to know where the pursuit is coming from … Uses his superb acceleration to separate, and while known as a deep threat, he is also effective on underneath routes … Will catch with his hands outside his framework and shows excellent concentration going over the middle … Does a fine job of tracking and locating the ball, using his speed well to stretch the defense … Shows good hip swerve, wiggle and juking moves to make the initial tackler miss … Has the long arms and strength needed to hold up vs. press coverage … Shows great depth in his routes and can sneak up on a defender and separate with his vertical speed … Not shy combating for the ball and will work hard to take the pigskin away from the defender … Has above-average body control to adjust when making over-the-shoulder grabs … Very hard to contain after the catch.
Negatives: Drops his hands a bit when breaking patterns … While he maintains eye contact on the ball, his concentration will wander when he is not involved in the play … Will get in the way of defenders, but will not over-exert himself when called upon to block.
CAREER NOTES
One of the finest athletes to ever wear a [team] uniform … Consummate team player who is a sensational home-run threat bursting down the sidelines … Emotional leader who can handle hard coaching; he could be the ruler that future pro receivers are measured against.
Answer: Charles Rogers, who was selected second overall by the Detroit Lions in 2003. Rogers got injured in his first year, was quickly pushed to third string, then deactivated, then released altogether. He tried out for three teams in 2006 but was never signed. He is currently living in a van by the river. All that stuff about “team player” and “emotional leader” never surfaced in the pros, where he was widely considered selfish and lazy once he got his signing bonus. Does NFL.com’s draft analysis remind you of anyone else you’ve heard of? I’m not saying this will be the fate of Calvin Johnson. I actually like Johnson now a whole lot more than I did a few weeks ago. This is just a cautionary tale about being so blinded by one player in the first round. There’s no such thing as a “can’t miss” pick.
Posted by Shawn Golan, Los Angeles, California on 02/27 at 11:46 AM
I agree whole-heartedly…there is no such thing as “can’t miss,” But you can get pretty close. I think there are a few close to “can’t miss” prospects this year. They include Calvin Johnson, Brady Quinn, Justin Blaylock, Adrian Peterson. All offense. Though, i concede, more offensive players end up being dubbed “busts,” its the defensive players that have the bigger problem getting used to the speed of the game.
As far as Charles Rogers-he is universally considered a bust. However, put that kid in a uniform that doesn’t say “Lions” on it and we’re probably singing a different tune. He came into Detroit and was expected to change the fortune of the team…didn’t happen. I’m not sure anything can fix detroit.
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Posted by James R. Kinzer, 351 Winfield Ave. Winfield WV 25213 on 02/27 at 03:15 PM
I thought you were talking about “Can’t Catch Clayton”! He has had 1 good year and 2 bad years, that gives him a “33% Grade”! It’s sad, but there are a lot of current Bucs players that are playing at that same level! Can we find him a trailer along the river also?