Dwayne Robertson = BUST?

[The Gr8est]

Interesting note from Pro Football Weekly:

"Besides adding much-needed defensive-line depth, we hear another reason why the Jets were so active in bolstering their D-line right before the season is that they are uncomfortable with the progress Dewayne Robertson has made at nose tackle. In fact, Jets observers believe that the acquisitions of veteran DL Bobby Hamilton and young DT C.J. Mosley via trade and the signing of free-agent DT Rashad Moore are a clear sign that the team realizes Robertson, who is undersized and more effective using his quickness to rush upfield, was miscast as a 3-4 nose tackle. Word is that since Robertson is not the intense, hardworking kind of player that coach Eric Mangini prefers and he struggled mightily in the preseason, he could see his role shrink and eventually get traded, though more likely following the season. The 24-year-old has four years remaining on his rookie deal and will earn $4,669,994 in base salary this season. The Jets would incur a cap hit of $9,466,664 if he were cut."

So from the 2003 draft, BB snookered the Jets into jumping ahead of the Pats to grab Robertson. The Pats end up getting what was looked at as the consolation prize, Ty Warren, among the DLs from that draft after the Rams took Kennedy.

Hindsight shows that only Kevin Williams has been as good or better than Warren, and we've also got one of the other top DLs in Johnathan Sullivan (who shows signs he may be able to be a player in the Pats' environment).

Makes me feel even better about arming BB/SP with an extra #1 pick in a reportedly strong draft.

http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/The+Way+We+Hear+It/default.htm?mode=afceast

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

He played entire the Tennessee game at NT and got decent reviews for his performance. Mangini only has two developed 3-4 DL and both are older players, give him a season to work on Herm's leftovers and see what he can accomplish.

 

[upstater1]

Tell Deion Branch that Dwayne Robertson has all his money.

It's not the Patriots' fault that Gene Upshaw has screwed up the salary structure so badly in the NFL.

I can't figure out why top rookie contracts are like that. A player like Rodney Harrison can literally make a difference from day 1 and then for another decade, and he still won't get paid what Robertson gets. But the agents like it this way. They like the summer payoff. They don't want to work harder finding diamonds in the rough like Rodney Harrison. They'd rather simply line them up on draft day which railroads the teams into ludicrous contracts.

 

[Digger44]

i dont think he is a bust. he may not be playing at the hype that he had in college but much of this could be credited to the NT position. It is just not a glamour job. A great NT in the NFL does not get the credit they deserve. IMO robertson is a solid player.

 

[BelichickFan]

So from the 2003 draft, BB snookered the Jets into jumping ahead of the Pats to grab Robertson. The Pats end up getting what was looked at as the consolation prize, Ty Warren

Don't forget the other #1 we had that people said we would trade to get up there ended up being Eugene Wilson and Wilfork after trading down with Baltimore.

:rocker:

 

[BelichickFan]

i dont think he is a bust. he may not be playing at the hype that he had in college but much of this could be credited to the NT position. It is just not a glamour job. A great NT in the NFL does not get the credit they deserve. IMO robertson is a solid player.

If they're right about his role shrinking then I don't think this is a "lack of credit due to position" issue.

 

[brady2brown]

i dont think he is a bust. he may not be playing at the hype that he had in college but much of this could be credited to the NT position. It is just not a glamour job. A great NT in the NFL does not get the credit they deserve. IMO robertson is a solid player.

I agree that bust is too strong a word. I would say a disappointment, and that is based on where he was drafted.

He was the fourth p ick in the draft, and has only been serviceable. If he had been a middle second round pick, I would have no problem with his performance. The fourth pick in the draft ought to do better than he has the past few years.

He can't use the first year at NT as an excuse because he has been playing DT since he was drafted, and he has never been mentioned as one of the top DTs in the NFL. I don't think teams game-plan around him.

 

[fgssand]

Don't forget the other #1 we had that people said we would trade to get up there ended up being Eugene Wilson and Wilfork after trading down with Baltimore.

:rocker:

It was Wifork & Watson that were our two #'1's in 2004 - Wilson was a high #2 in 2003.

 

[stinkypete]

Not quite a bust, but wrong for the system. Robertson played fine in the Herm Edwards defense and looked like an emerging player during the 2004 season.

Remember too that Robertson was a late draft board riser and the benificiary of an anticipated run of defensive linemen. The guy probably should have been a late 1st round pick, but teams got swept up in the media buzz.

I still think Robertson can be a solid starter on a 4-3 team, but won't work with the Jets. Don't be surprised to see him in KC next year.

 

[RayClay]

I too think he is a good player that was drafted too high. He has injury concerns too, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[BelichickFan]

It was Wifork & Watson that were our two #'1's in 2004 - Wilson was a high #2 in 2003.

Yeah I know. We had two #1s in the 2003 draft that we were said to be traded for Robertson. We had just one in 2002 because Bledsoe was traded for a future #1.

I repeat, for what the rumor was that we would trade for Robertson (two #1s in 2003) we ended up with Warren, Wilfork, Wilson (minus the little we traded up for Wilson after trading down).

 

[JoeSixPat]

I don't think Robertson will be a bust if they've figured out that he's not an NT.

If they try to fit a round (very round!) peg into a square hole its just not going to work.

I give Mangini credit for realizing this.

 

[MrBigglesWorth]

It was Wifork & Watson that were our two #'1's in 2004 - Wilson was a high #2 in 2003.

I think that's what he meant becuase didn't they rec'v that pick form baltimore? in exchange for the pats #1

 

[BelichickFan]

I don't think Robertson will be a bust if they've figured out that he's not an NT.

If they try to fit a round (very round!) peg into a square hole its just not going to work.

I give Mangini credit for realizing this.

NT or not, he's still going to have to be a 2 gap plugger like Seymour and Warren, not an upfield pass rusher.

 

[zippo59]

If he's too small and quick to play NT why don't they play him at DE? 3-4 DE's are almost like DT's anyway.

 

[Alk]

The guy has like zero cartilage in his knees, he's toast.

 

[fnordcircle]

we've also got one of the other top DLs in Johnathan Sullivan (who shows signs he may be able to be a player in the Pats' environment).

In a thread suggesting that Dwayne Robertson is a bust the above was pretty laughtastic.

Sullivan has been far and away the bigger bust.

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

I guess he is a bowling ball with butter knives now.

 

[PATSNUTme]

I just saw BB on All Access.

He highlighted D-Rob on the Belistrator. Looks like he handled the nose pretty well last week.

As I recall the Jest used two #1's on him. Way too high a price for him. But, I would say that he is not a bust.

 

[D-cleater]

Not sure if this is accurate but the Jets depth chart , according to their site , has Robertson an Von Oelhoffen playing 4-3 DT's.

I always thought it was a major coup how we got Warren, who turned out to be the best of the lot along with the guy in Minnesota, and then turn around and get Wilfork the next year who is a better NT than any of them . Awesome.