Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

[Off The Grid]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

NFL.com's Marc Sessler had an interesting take on the Pats' interest in Demps:

Jeff Demps fits all Bill Belichick, Patriots stand for - NFL.com

Interesting reminder of BB's history of using small, quick RBs as all-purpose weaponse in his offensive repertoire.

A decent read (Bleacher report or not) on how Demps could be used in the short term:

Breaking Down How Jeff Demps Fits with the New England Patriots | Bleacher Report

Great stuff, Brother Mayo. Thanks!!

This was my favorite line of all, from the surprisingly meaty Bleacher Article:

"New England now fields the most versatile offense in the game today and arguably of all time."

Oh, HELL yeah!! :rocker:

With the evident Accession of our boy "Slashing" Shane Vereen, the return to health of "Uncanny" Danny WoodHead, Mad Bill's incredibly amazing coup of stealing "Jetting" Jeff Demps out from under 31 other teams, and Mad Bill's wild and wonderfull Tight End Extravaganza, ere these last few months...it appears that the Epic Versatility that you'nd I'ave been talking up ~ praying for and dreaming of!! ~ for the last couple years...is actually becoming sweet, sweet reality!!

 

[randomk1]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

What you say is an absolute truth, but Bolt is a slow starter for a 100 meter guy. if you watched Bolt run you see he is behind most of the competitors the first 10-20 meters, so there is some serious acceleration between 20-40 meters.

2012 USAIN BOLT 9.63 100M OLYMPIC FINAL! BEST QUALITY ON YOUTUBE - YouTube

Amazingly he would have beaten Carl Lewis by about 10 feet if Lewis ran the same time as his gold medal winning race in 1988.

I think that has to do with Bolt's size. Once he is in top gear there is nothing like it though.

 

[part-timer]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Don't think..Just watch...

Jeff Demps Highlights - YouTube

Yessss...

 

[mayoclinic]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

You could put Wilfork out there and they have to put a man on him.
Every defensive call ever made assigns every eligible receiver or every piece of the field to someone.
The key to a pass offense is to either have many guys who are difficult covers man to man and/or many guys who effective run the combination routes that stress the holes in a zone.
Demps being fast is useless in this regard unless he is a legitimate threat which is still tbd. If all he can do is run a fly any corner in the NFL can cover him one on one, or in a zone.

Andy, for a bright guy with a lot to contribute, sometimes you are just plain contrary.

Duh. Of course "every defensive call ever made assigns every eligible receiver or every place of the field to someone". But a guy with sub 4.3 speed who can blow by single man coverage and who is a home run threat presents a different challenge than a plodding receiver. Defenses would have to be aware of his potential to get open deep, and just that possibility could help open things up.

No one has suggested that Demps is more at this point than mainly a kick returner and perhaps an occasional threat on screens/reverses/trick plays and the occasional bomb. Matt Slater partcipated in 3.53% of the offensive snaps (40 plays) as a WR in 2011, about 2.5 snaps/game. I could see Demps taking over those snaps, which would be a good thing IMHO. Demps offers much more potential as a home run threat than Slater. Obviously Demps being a "legitimate threat" would be a huge asset, and I agree that that is TBD at this point, but based on his college tape the kid is enough of a threat to make defenses more conscious of the deep option than someone like Slater was.

The NFL has plenty of experience with track guys with great speed trying to make it as positional players. Renaldo Nehemiah never did much. Willie Gault had a respectable but not spectacular career as a "speed merchant" and deep threat. Demps has enough football experience and success as an all-purpose weapon to give some hope that he could be used effectively as more than a decoy. But even as just a decoy, I think he could be used to stretch the field a bit, and that could make a big difference given our other weapons.

 

[randomk1]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Don't think..Just watch...

Jeff Demps Highlights - YouTube

Yessss...

Heh - i've watched that HL quite a few times now. The speed is just ridiculous

 

[SHOWTIME15]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Demps will certainly be a threat on special teams. however, let's not go overboard here. teams will avoid demps and kick the ball out of the end zone and we'll start on our own 20, especially with kickoffs now at the 35 yard line.

 

[randomk1]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Looking towards the start of the season. Who can emulate CJ2K and his speed in practice?

 

[UK_Pat37]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Demps will certainly be a threat on special teams. however, let's not go overboard here. teams will avoid demps and kick the ball out of the end zone and we'll start on our own 20, especially with kickoffs now at the 35 yard line.

That's not as easy as you suggest in an open air stadium...

I don't think it's far fetched to suggest he can be a prolific returner. The hype is real by his tape. He'd have been drafted hgh based in his tape and athleticism...he wouldn't have dropped past the 3rd.

Some people I've talked to who know their stuff think this guy can be more than just a gadget back. We will soon find out. I don't see it myself but he an be better than Woodhead.

 

[borg]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Happy to have the mini burner. Lord knows the return game needs some speed and wiggle. The kid certainly dominated FAU and Miami U in his highlight reel.
Here's his Olympic Time Trial Final video.....lane 7, white shirt. Helps you understand his move to football. Solid sprinter but not world class
Jeff Demps Videos | Flotrack

 

[mayoclinic]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Karen Guregian on how the Pats landed Demps:

Demps, a former Florida running back who won a silver medal in the 4x100-meter relay at the London Olympics, signed a three-year contract to join the Pats last night. Demps’ agents, Daniel Rose and Nohemy Baltodano, received interest from all 32 teams, and they were in regular communication with about 26 teams. The Patriots were among eight teams who were still in it yesterday morning, but Demps decided to sign with the Patriots due to the opportunity and a respect for the system and the organization. He worked out for the Pats on Thursday and returned to Orlando, Fla., yesterday to sign the contract with Baltodano.

Demps sees silver lining in Pats - BostonHerald.com

That suggests (1) that Demps must have gotten a pretty solid deal from the Pats, and believed pretty strongly that they had plans for how to use him, and (2) that the team valued him enough to out bid 32 other teams. It sounds like a bit more than the usual UDFA flier.

 

[RobertWeathers]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Karen Guregian on how the Pats landed Demps:



Demps sees silver lining in Pats - BostonHerald.com

That suggests (1) that Demps must have gotten a pretty solid deal from the Pats, and believed pretty strongly that they had plans for how to use him, and (2) that the team valued him enough to out bid 32 other teams. It sounds like a bit more than the usual UDFA flier.

This kid is gonna make the team.

 

[pencilneckgeek]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Some people I've talked to who know their stuff think this guy can be more than just a gadget back. We will soon find out. I don't see it myself but he an be better than Woodhead.

We won't find out the full story that soon. According to PFW, he dropped 15 pounds for the Olympics, Given that he had durability issues in his early years in Gainesville, he may be challenged to get into football shape/toughness in time for the regular season - at least until he puts much of that weight back on and get to practice using it effectively. Hopefully, he'll get better at holding onto the ball while he's at it. Fumbling on 1 of every 40 touches isn't close to the Patriot's standard.

 

[patchick]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

Demps sees silver lining in Pats - BostonHerald.com

That suggests (1) that Demps must have gotten a pretty solid deal from the Pats, and believed pretty strongly that they had plans for how to use him, and (2) that the team valued him enough to out bid 32 other teams. It sounds like a bit more than the usual UDFA flier.

This should be an interesting contract -- it will show the limits of creative compensation structure for rookies when there's next to nothing left in terms of the UDFA bonus pool, etc.

 

[ivanvamp]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

After watching the youtube videos of Demps, all I can say is wow. When this kid gets into space, it's over. Period. I know the NFL is faster than the college game, but there isn't a single person in the NFL who is faster than Demps. And he's not just fast - he's quick. He gets up to speed almost instantly.

The Pats already had a gazillion weapons, but this kid has some unreal athletic ability. What I like is that he's not just a sprinter that they're trying to convert. He's a legit football player. Career ypc of 6.73. Not too bad.

 

[BTTA]

re: Erik Frenz: Patriots sign Olympic track star & Florida UDFA RB/WR/KR Jeff Demps

And he's not just fast - he's quick. He gets up to speed almost instantly.

This is the key - 0-100 in the first five yards. Not only is he faster at 40 yards than anyone on any defense, but he's faster at 5 yards, too. He's spent his career learning how to accelerate.

Meanwhile, I love this:

New England has nothing to lose by acquiring Demps. He won't break the bank, but he will give Belichick another project to work on -- while Rex Ryan stares out of dark windows over New Jersey, wondering what could have been.

Jeff Demps fits all Bill Belichick, Patriots stand for - NFL.com

 

[mayoclinic]

From Reiss' Quick Hits today:

Here is what I believe is the story behind the story on why Jeff Demps ultimately decided to sign with the Patriots instead of a handful of other interested clubs: When it initially appeared Demps wouldn’t be going to the Olympics, the Patriots had arranged a trip for him to come to New England for a workout. They were the most aggressive of any team in the NFL at the time. But on the day Demps was supposed to travel to New England, he learned that an injury to Mike Rodgers opened a spot for him on the U.S. Olympic team. The Patriots had to eat the plane ticket, but Demps essentially showed the team loyalty by giving it the first opportunity to sign him upon his return from London.

Quick-hit thoughts around NFL & Pats - New England Patriots Blog - ESPN Boston

I think it took more than "loyalty" over a plane ticket for Demps to pick the Pats. The fact that they showed more interest in him prior to the Olympics than any other team probably helped, but more to convince him that the team had legitimate plans for him than anything else.

 

[UK_Pat37]

We won't find out the full story that soon. According to PFW, he dropped 15 pounds for the Olympics, Given that he had durability issues in his early years in Gainesville, he may be challenged to get into football shape/toughness in time for the regular season - at least until he puts much of that weight back on and get to practice using it effectively. Hopefully, he'll get better at holding onto the ball while he's at it. Fumbling on 1 of every 40 touches isn't close to the Patriot's standard.

Not that much lighter than Chris Rainey drafted in the 5th round by Philly. It won't take him long if his body is properly conditioned which, given his training for the Olympics, it should be.

He has plenty of time to add weight and I don't thnk it will take him any time to adjust to the weight.

 

[Sfpat]

After watching the youtube videos of Demps, all I can say is wow. When this kid gets into space, it's over. Period. I know the NFL is faster than the college game, but there isn't a single person in the NFL who is faster than Demps. And he's not just fast - he's quick. He gets up to speed almost instantly.

The Pats already had a gazillion weapons, but this kid has some unreal athletic ability. What I like is that he's not just a sprinter that they're trying to convert. He's a legit football player. Career ypc of 6.73. Not too bad.

Trindon Holliday of the Texans says hi.

Holliday has returned a KO and punt for TDs already this preseason. That said, Holliday has two issues in sticking with the Texans - injuries and fumbles. He's a little guy and when those big guys hit him.........

 

[Haley]

Trindon Holliday of the Texans says hi.

Holliday has returned a KO and punt for TDs already this preseason. That said, Holliday has two issues in sticking with the Texans - injuries and fumbles. He's a little guy and when those big guys hit him.........

I've been looking in to this a little. Correct me if I'm wrong but this is what I've found:

Trindon and Jeff are both listed at 4.18 for the 40 yard dash (2013 NFL Draft - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com).

Trindon: 40 Low: 4.18 40 Time: 4.21 40 High: 4.38
Jeff: 40 Low: 4.18 40 Time: 4.26 40 High: 4.38

However, Jeff Demps owns the fastest time at 10.01 for the 100 meter. Demps ran this as a high schooler and owns the national prep record for the event.

 

[patchick]

Trindon Holliday of the Texans says hi.

Holliday has returned a KO and punt for TDs already this preseason. That said, Holliday has two issues in sticking with the Texans - injuries and fumbles. He's a little guy and when those big guys hit him.........

Yep, Holliday and Demps are now the 2 fastest players in the league. But Holliday is moving a frame that's all of 5'5" 166 lbs. He makes Demps look huge, and is a super long shot to ever be a factor on offense.

And the Texans still spent a 6th rounder on him anyway.