Official Leaguewide Rookie Watch Thread
 

After poring over a draft class so thoroughly, I love watching how they perform across the league. So I thought I'd offer this up as a forum for I-told-you-so's and I-never-would-have-guesseds.

Let's start out with 2 at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Danny Watkins was a major favorite on this board who was supposed to be "more mature" and "readier" than most of the class...but turned out to be thoroughly unready.

Cam Newton had as much doubt and controversy surrounding him as any #1 overall pick ever. If I were the Panters, I don't think I would have pulled the trigger. But he's come out of the gate as strongly as any rookie QB ever.

Re: Official Leaguewide Rookie Watch Thread
 

Jabaal Sheard and Phil Taylor seemed to have got off to a good start as well. Ryan Kerrigan is impressing as well as Karl Klug.

Re: Official Leaguewide Rookie Watch Thread
 

@17 i wanted (all of which went higher than 17)

JJ watt was a player i really wanted: He has done very well starting for the texans D.

Aldon Smith was another: I haven't seen him play much or if he has he hasn't turned up as much s i would have thought on the stat sheet. Throw rob Quinn in this category too.

Ryan Kerrigan was a player i really wanted at 17. He has done well in the games so far.

@28 i wanted

Mark Ingram was a guy i wanted at the end of the 1st. He has been average not good or bad.

Gabe Carimi: Seems to be going alright for the bears and has become their starting RT (to my knowledge) haven't gone into any great detail how he has going but starting is pretty good.

Muhamad Wilkerson: Starting on the jets DL. Has made some plays for them in pre season. He seems to be pretty solid there on the DLine.

@33 i wanted

Brooks Reed: Don't kow how reed is doing i think he is sharing time with he who shal not be names at OLb for the texans.

@56
Steve Wisniewski: I really liked this guy and hoped we'd pick him up with our 2nd 2nd. He has proven to be a starter as a rookie for Oakland.

Honerable mention

Leonard hankerson

Greg Little

Brandon Harris

I'd say BB has out drafted me again haha

Re: Official Leaguewide Rookie Watch Thread
 

JJ Watt is a stud, with plenty of pressure, a blocked kick, and a fumble recovery.
(Teammate and former binkie Connor Barwin has a sack and a PD.)
Karl Klug has vastly outplayed his draft position so far, with a sack and 2 FF against the Ravens.
Aldon Smith had 3.5 sacks and a FF in the preseason, and has two PDs in the regular season, plus two QB hits in his last game (don't know about week 1).
Jaiquawn Jarrett has been inactive both weeks after grabbing a PD and a pick in the first preseason game.
Danny Watkins has been a disappointment so far.
Will Yeatman... um... yeah.
Vereen will be awesome once the team trusts him in pass protection and therefore lets him on the field.


I hated Mark Ingram. He has a 3.4 YPA, no TDs, and 1 lost fumble.
Cameron Jordan has started 2 games but not accomplished much. I remember telling everyone he wasn't a 3-4 end. He's not much of a 4-3 end either so far.
Muhammad Wilkerson has started both games and has a sack for a safety, but it was still a 4-second sack.
Justin Houston is playing, but I've heard negative things about him.

Re: Official Leaguewide Rookie Watch Thread
 

- I was warming to Watt a bit but didnt see him as a 3-4 end, I thought he was a great fit as a 4-3 end and if I'd known BB was moving more towards a 4-3 I'd have been all over him.

- Danny Watkins, I liked him at 33, I hope the Eagles cut hm and BB scoops him up and delivers him to the O-lineman Whisperer (Scar), I still think he can be a magnificent RG and would like to see him here.

- Randall Cobb, a fast rising star in Green Bay, he's going to make an already explosive offense even more deadly, I fear Green Bay.

- Ricky Stanzi, apparently he had a great training camp and is a workaholic, unrelenting in his training and film study, I still want him here learning under BB and TFB.

- Michael Jasper was an UBER-binkie but only after the draft when I saw his youtube video. His athleticism is outstanding, and considering how heavy he is it's even more impressive. I still think that if you could get him to a solid 325lbs he'd be an absolute menace on the D-line. For everyone that wanted us to grab Mt. Cody, this guy is much more athletic at a fraction of the price.

Re: Official Leaguewide Rookie Watch Thread
 

Not to be facetious, but would you rather have him than Marcus Cannon?

I dunno, but I'm guessing this ain't happening, for multiple reasons. ;)

Re: Official Leaguewide Rookie Watch Thread
 

wouldn't really be him or marcus cannon, because A.) marcus was picked up in the 5th not the 1st/2nd so you could have both. B.) he never made it to 33 so it's him of the 1st we got from NO.

Re: Official Leaguewide Rookie Watch Thread
 

But you can only have one of them starting. So, assuming both of them were ready to start at RG at the start of next season, would you rather have Cannon or Watkins there?

Re: Official Leaguewide Rookie Watch Thread
 

I don't have anything against Cannon. And of course everyone wishes him the best with his health.

That being said, he really doesn't fit N.E.'s scheme. He has pretty good feet and movement skills for a roadgrader. But he's still a roadgrader. And we use guys around 40 lbs lighter than Cannon with superior movement skills (i.e. the opposite of roadgrader). I'm sure Dante will get every ounce of skill out of him. But I fear that even Dante can't change what Cannon is. Hopefully he was taken with an eye to coach him up and trade him to a team where he fits the scheme much better.

PS - Don't take this to mean I want Watkins. His major selling point was that he was a more mature, more finished product. And now that's been disproven. So apparently he just a JAG. But an older JAG.

Re: Official Leaguewide Rookie Watch Thread
 

I actually would. Neither one can play at the moment but if you can fix each of their respective issues Watkins works much better in our O-line, Watkins was a Guard and that's what he was expected to play, with Cannon being a former Tackle he's 1) sitting on the bench or 2) playing out of position.

I wonder if Cannon wasn't expected to be a guard but rather depth at tackle and/or trade bait. So, with our biggest weakness on the O-line being the interior I go for Watkins.