''I'm doing everything I have to do every single year to make it happen," he said. ''But it's not up to me. I've asked the question for the last three years, really. Catch the ball better -- I stay and catch the ball. Run more routes -- I run more routes. Something's not there."
My vote is denial. Last season was a tough break injury wise, but whose to say he would have turned the corner had he not been injured. Remember there was lots of talk about Bethel turning over a new leaf and implanting himself under Deions wing after the 2004 season. That's the problem with not getting it done when you have the chance - sometimes you don't get that chance again.
I think Bethel was immature and ****y coming in, thought he'd get by in the pros like he did in college, on his speed. But it's precision he lacked, and I sense his focus wavers both in game situations and in practice. If he had been showing both consistently in practice BB would have found a way to get him more involved. It's not like we haven't needed WR every season he's been here. He's had chances to step up and he failed to make sufficiently consistent impressions when those opportunities arose. BB has a rule about not playing guys who have either not shown him they can do the job on the field or failed to alter that impression in practice. There are limited reps to go around and once you start to slide down the pecking order based on past performance, it's hard to regain the necessary momentum to even have the opportunity to redeem yourself.
As BB tries to tell them coming in, there are no red shirt do overs in the NFL. And I have a feeling when he reads or hears of these comments Bethel will have just made it harder on himself. He's had some of the best coaching and role models in the league and the best QB on the planet ready and willing to work with him for 4 years now. Time to look in the mirror and confront the one guy who is really causing your problems.