Gasper on Chad Jackson

[dhamz]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2008/07/19/hes_ready_to_play_catch_up/

Jackson's ridiculous popularity on this board aside, there is no doubt he is one of the players to watch in camp.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2008/07/19/hes_ready_to_play_catch_up/

Jackson's ridiculous popularity on this board aside, there is no doubt he is one of the players to watch in camp.

Here's a reminder of one of the reasons he's so popular:

Three of the Patriots' draft picks from April, cornerback Jonathan Wilhite and linebackers Shawn Crable and Bo Ruud, are older than Jackson.

Born March 6, 1985, Jackson is more than a year younger than Wilhite, and he's only two months older than second-rounder Terrence Wheatley and third-rounder Kevin O'Connell.

 

[BelizePats]

That is a really good article in that it seems like CJ has matured a great deal and is finally "getting it". Many CJ bashers have neglected the fact that he is still a young guy. Being younger than 3 of the guys in this years draft class is very telling, especuially when you consider that he's already been in the league for two years.
It appears as though he has his head on straight and the last paragraph of the article is very telling. That is the Patriots way of thinking for sure!!!
I hope he stays healthy and takes advantage of the opportunity.

 

[cstjohn17]

That is a really good article in that it seems like CJ has matured a great deal and is finally "getting it". Many CJ bashers have neglected the fact that he is still a young guy. Being younger than 3 of the guys in this years draft class is very telling, especuially when you consider that he's already been in the league for two years.
It appears as though he has his head on straight and the last paragraph of the article is very telling. That is the Patriots way of thinking for sure!!!
I hope he stays healthy and takes advantage of the opportunity.

This is professional football not junior high volleyball. Jackson was a high second round pick, top 40 overall. He has almost zero impact to the team, I hope he can turn the corner and at least supply a Bethel Johnson type impact (deep threat plus kick returns).

The 2:1 trade the Patriots made to select Jackson was one of the Patriots worst draft decisions under BB. He is now in year 3 of a 4 year contract, lets hope "Kid Potential" can learn some of the plays. Right now I slot him in for 25 catches and 4 TDs.

 

[BelichickFan]

Good stuff - I'm a sucker and I still have hope for him; I wish Gasper had asked about his releationship with Moss - from a distance they seemed to connect fairly well last year.

 

[Crazyeechrispats1]

Get ready league C Jack is ready to breakout!
I really can see him doing more damage than Stalworth cause he can line up at multiple receiving spots in our system.
How sweet would it be for C Jack and David Thomas to make a impact along with our defensive rookies?
I would of liked to see some high profile lineman brought in, I guess we can say the only game they screwed the pooch was the 19th game of the season, as big as that was!
Well if Kazcur can up his level by being sober and O callaghan who I still have high hopes for can at least be a rotational guy than the protection should remain solid for number 12!

 

[fgssand]

Nice that at least he is finally saying the right things and acting the right way - that is the first sign of maturity I have seen from the kid (and he is a kid).

Hopefully, he has matured on the field as well.

The position is his to lose, but he has to win it first.

 

[BelichickFan]

Believe it or not I've had Chad on my keeper fantasy league team his whole career - waiting, scared to cut him We can keep players with less than 30 receptions free so it hasn't cost me anything. While he has had some maturing to do, it is unfair to just look at his career numbers given that he was coming off a torn ACL last year.

 

[PromisedLand]

I'm hopeful that CJ can fulfill his sky-high potential this season, but as far as the article is concerned, while all that is well and good, words are cheap. He has to go out on the field and show it to me before I'll believe in him.

 

[Metaphors]

This is professional football not junior high volleyball. Jackson was a high second round pick, top 40 overall. He has almost zero impact to the team, I hope he can turn the corner and at least supply a Bethel Johnson type impact (deep threat plus kick returns).

The 2:1 trade the Patriots made to select Jackson was one of the Patriots worst draft decisions under BB. He is now in year 3 of a 4 year contract, lets hope "Kid Potential" can learn some of the plays. Right now I slot him in for 25 catches and 4 TDs.

Chad Jackson 2006 - 12 gm, 1 gs, 13 rec, 152 yds, 3 TD
Greg Jennings 2006 - 14 gm, 11 gs, 45 rec, 632 yds, 3 TD

Jennings got more opportunities their rookie year and had more production...but nothing spectacular. WRs not named Moss generally have a marginal impact on team success their first year. Jennings had a huge jump this past year which CJack missed due to the ACL (you can hold the injury against him if you want, but your arguments start to look petty).

That being said, this year is huge for CJack to show a jump in productivity. That productivity will be measured in snaps taken and ability for Brady to spread the field (not holding onto the ball waiting for Moss/Welker to come open).

The age aspect is interesting though:

Greg Jennings = 09/21/83
Donnie Avery = 06/12/84 (1st WR taken in 2008 draft)
Chad Jackson = 03/06/85

The age aspect is also interesting for the folks that feel like Hobbs has reached his ceiling and isn't a starting caliber CB:

Ellis Hobbs = 05/15/83
J. Wilhite = 02/23/84

Since Hobbs is only 9 months older than a draftee in this years draft, people might want to give him a little more time before drawing conclusions on his potential.

 

[PatsFan37]

It's instructive to look at the difference between Chad Jackson, Dave Thomas, and Meriweather. The precious ingredient is game-time snaps. Players need opportunities, and not just in practice.

In a way, what makes it easier for Meriweather and D.Thomas is there's no one else to get those snaps. While Harrison/Sanders could be the starting pair, the coaches have tremendous incentive to let Meriweather sink or swim, given Rodney's age and recent injuries.

D.Thomas has to get the snaps, he's both the present and the future.

Jackson, OTOH, has some serious competition. Gaffney may not be a prototypical flanker, but he can take the snaps and make the catches. K.Washington has the right body type and NFL experience. They're both young, Washington's signed and Gaff reportedly wanted a longer-term contract. Jackson's advantage, of course, is his outstanding physical talent.

But in Jackson's case, the coaches can much more easily bench him than they can Thomas or Meriweather, so he's not guaranteed an opportunity to show it on Sunday.

 

[signbabybrady]

Nice that at least he is finally saying the right things and acting the right way - that is the first sign of maturity I have seen from the kid (and he is a kid).

Hopefully, he has matured on the field as well.

The position is his to lose, but he has to win it first.

is it his to lose or does he have to win it first???


Count me as one who is excited to see if Chad Jack can contribute. There seems to be a spot for him so we will certainly see.

 

[BelichickFan]

is it his to lose or does he have to win it first???

He needs to win it. I don't think Belichick has ANY problem with Moss, Welker, Gaffney as the top WR. And, quite honestly, I doubt he has a problem with Washington as the #4 - despite his lack of use last year, Washington has been an effective sub WR in the past. Until further notice Jackson is the #5 WR in my book - but with huge upside.

 

[Metaphors]

He needs to win it. I don't think Belichick has ANY problem with Moss, Welker, Gaffney as the top WR. And, quite honestly, I doubt he has a problem with Washington as the #4 - despite his lack of use last year, Washington has been an effective sub WR in the past. Until further notice Jackson is the #5 WR in my book - but with huge upside.

That assumes that all WR positions are created equal and they obviously aren't. An ideal lineup based on skill set (from offensive left to right) is Moss (Split End), Welker (Slot), Watson (TE) and CJack (Flanker). Moss and CJack can flip-flop responsibilities to give a different look with the same players.

Gaffney is best suited as the inside guy opposite Welker in the 4-wide set...and backing up all the WR positions (the slot being the best fit). Washington is really only a split end so that limits his opportunities since Moss rarely comes off the field.

If you must assign a number to the receivers (and want to stay consistent with how most folks do it), that would make Moss #1, CJack #2, Welker #3, Gaffney #4 and Washington #5. Assigning numbers based on how good you think they are or by how many catches you anticipate they will get is confusing unless you specifically state what the numbers mean.

If you really believe that that Gaffney is positioned right now to be the guy split wide opposite Moss, that is fine but it is certainly not ideal. He generally doesn't threaten downfield which lets the defense slide to the offensive left (shading Moss and pinching Welker) without consequence. Just to be able to clear out the right side and take a safety with you is a great help. For me, that is enough to give CJack the first opportunity at the flanker spot...making it his to lose.

 

[BelichickFan]

If you really believe that that Gaffney is positioned right now to be the guy split wide opposite Moss, that is fine but it is certainly not ideal. He generally doesn't threaten downfield which lets the defense slide to the offensive left (shading Moss and pinching Welker) without consequence. Just to be able to clear out the right side and take a safety with you is a great help. For me, that is enough to give CJack the first opportunity at the flanker spot...making it his to lose.

I agree that Gaffney isn't ideal but he can, and has, gotten the job done at that position. I like Jackson as much as anyone but I would be shocked if Belichick doesn't have Gaffney penciled in at the starting spot across from Moss right now. You're right, the ideal offense is what you say but if Week 1 were today Jackson would be on the sidelines most of the game IMO. Gaffney may not be a threat but he's viable at that spot and will be in the right place. Jackson has to show he will consistently read the defense, make the adjustment and run a good route before he's on the field over Gaffney.

 

[Metaphors]

I agree that Gaffney isn't ideal but he can, and has, gotten the job done at that position. I like Jackson as much as anyone but I would be shocked if Belichick doesn't have Gaffney penciled in at the starting spot across from Moss right now. You're right, the ideal offense is what you say but if Week 1 were today Jackson would be on the sidelines most of the game IMO. Gaffney may not be a threat but he's viable at that spot and will be in the right place. Jackson has to show he will consistently read the defense, make the adjustment and run a good route before he's on the field over Gaffney.

Agreed. The question for me for the preseason games is whether CJack gets to line up opposite Moss with the 1st team offense (job is his to lose) or if he gets time on the field with other units or in other positions to show what he can do (job is his to win). Impossible to know at this point but will be one of the first conclusions people reach on the first offensive snap in a couple of weeks.

 

[Deus Irae]

This is professional football not junior high volleyball. Jackson was a high second round pick, top 40 overall. He has almost zero impact to the team, I hope he can turn the corner and at least supply a Bethel Johnson type impact (deep threat plus kick returns).

The 2:1 trade the Patriots made to select Jackson was one of the Patriots worst draft decisions under BB. He is now in year 3 of a 4 year contract, lets hope "Kid Potential" can learn some of the plays. Right now I slot him in for 25 catches and 4 TDs.

I'm curious..... how many catches do you think Jennings would have had last season had he missed most of the year due to injury and then returned to a lineup featuring Moss, Welker, Stallworth, Gaffney and Washington?

 

[spacecrime]

This is professional football not junior high volleyball. Jackson was a high second round pick, top 40 overall. He has almost zero impact to the team, I hope he can turn the corner and at least supply a Bethel Johnson type impact (deep threat plus kick returns).

The 2:1 trade the Patriots made to select Jackson was one of the Patriots worst draft decisions under BB. He is now in year 3 of a 4 year contract, lets hope "Kid Potential" can learn some of the plays. Right now I slot him in for 25 catches and 4 TDs.

I see a big difference between a guy playing for two years and not doing squat. In such a case your post would make a lot of sense.

But to say a Jackson needs to turn the corner is silly. He missed the first training camp with an injury, and blew out an ACL in hte Colts championship game and that lingered way beyond his second training camp.

Having zero impact on a team for a year of two because you didn't play is not the same as having zero impact because you were ineffective on the field.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Well CJ is popular... depending on who you talk to, there are also plenty of people who have thrown eggs his way. Count me on one of the people who is still waiting for CJ's talent to blossom. Clearly this year he will get an opportunity to win a starting spot. But he's got to EARN it in training camp.

 

[BradyToMoss]

CJack is ready to explode he has so much inner anger to release on this league, it's going to be ugly. Chad is ready to take no prisoners and prove everyone wrong. I'm getting giddy over thoughts of watching Chad and Randy running roughshod deep in enemy secondaries. To quote the famous Flounder:
"Oh, this is going to be great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Chad Jackson..........Looks like Tarzan and now will play like Tarzan, kid is cut up like cole-slaw and is a touch down waiting to happen..............oh man....................CJack is in the house baby !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!