Finally: an explanation for Ja'Lynn Polk's putrid rookie season

[Ring 6]

If you have nothing else to play for just tell him he’s getting 20+ targets in week 18, let him know a lot won’t be quality and he probably won’t be able to catch half. Set low expectations…. See what happens

You can’t tell Maye to throw him if he can’t get open.

 

[Ring 6]

No one said he hit “ the rookie wall.”

AVP did

 

[Ring 6]

Last I heard he wasn't playing because he was struggling to learn the playbook...

Heard where?

 

[Ring 6]

It’s behind a paywall but all I saw was that he had some struggles and has been hard on himself.

The first thing he said was rookie wall

 

[PWRxWLF]

I still hold out hope for Polk, if he can get his head (and hands) connected to one another, I still think there could be a decent WR lurking in there somewhere. Yes he has been a disappointment since being drafted, but he wouldn't be the first to bounce back.

His first season has been very bad. Like you I hold out hope, but I wont be disappointed if it doesnt work out. Ive already mentally prepared myself for the dreaded B word for him and Baker both.

 

[Toofy]

I just have a feeling the coaching messed him up asking him to do too many things. He was really lighting it up during practice and in the first game also looked decent.

Somewhere during course of season there has been a cascade effect on Polk al either in a negative fashion. Can we just go back to basics and make him do things that he did well in college.

I was listening to a podcast today by Phil perry where they were discussing the low probability of Higgins joining us and one point really struck out to me -- where they mentioned tee Higgins does a few limited things well . Bengals also don't go beyond that and burrow places the ball impeccably well to Higgins aligned with his areas of strength ( contested catches , vertical separation ) and they attributed a good deal of higgins success to burrow , the scheming I.e. offensive game plan of sticking to Higgins strength. I think the pats org does a disservice to wide receivers and asks them to move mountains . The only guy who did it was Meyers and these idiots let him go..

 

[Love The Drake]

I just have a feeling the coaching messed him up asking him to do too many things. He was really lighting it up during practice and first game also looked decent.

Somewhere there has been a cascade effect . Can we go back to basics and make him do things that he did well in college.

I was listening to a podcast today by Phil perry where they were discussing probability of Higgins joining us and one point really struck out where they mentioned tee Higgins does limited things well and Bengals don't go beyond that and burrow places the ball impeccable well to Higgins for his areas of strength and they attributed a good deal of higfins success to burrow z the scheming and sticking to Higgins strength. I think the pats org does a disservice to wide receivers and asks them to move mountains. The only guy who did it was Meyers and these idiots let him go..

If we don’t rebuild from the front office up this team is going to be a joke for years.

 

[50-yard-line]

I just have a feeling the coaching messed him up asking him to do too many things. He was really lighting it up during practice and in the first game also looked decent.

Somewhere during course of season there has been a cascade effect on Polk al either in a negative fashion. Can we just go back to basics and make him do things that he did well in college.

I was listening to a podcast today by Phil perry where they were discussing the low probability of Higgins joining us and one point really struck out to me -- where they mentioned tee Higgins does a few limited things well . Bengals also don't go beyond that and burrow places the ball impeccably well to Higgins aligned with his areas of strength ( contested catches , vertical separation ) and they attributed a good deal of higgins success to burrow , the scheming I.e. offensive game plan of sticking to Higgins strength. I think the pats org does a disservice to wide receivers and asks them to move mountains . The only guy who did it was Meyers and these idiots let him go..

Repeat after me:

Deebo, Deebo, Deeeeeeeeebo

 

[Real fan 02]

I feel like so many of our failed WRs stem from trying to duplicate Deion Branch.

Branch was just made to be a patriots WR. He got with the program from day 1!.

 

[vicspats]

The honest truth is that Wolf just screwed up. He was trying to trade up for Xavier Worthy, Xavier Legette or Keon Coleman. There was tons of movement ahead of them in the late 20s with Buffalo trading down with KC (they took Worthy) and then again with Carolina (they took Legette). Then Buffalo themselves took Coleman. So the Pats were left without options and traded down and took a bigger dice roll on Polk. They could’ve taken McConkey but seemed to not want to due to medicals. So far that also looks like a mistake. Wolf was too green and mishandled things.

Was hoping for Xavier .. but Polka Pokey was drafted..

 

[TheRainMaker]

Repeat after me:

Deebo, Deebo, Deeeeeeeeebo

Absolutely not. He’s a gimmick WR.

The only guy who did it was Meyers and these idiots let him go..

He was not the savior and was actually part of the problem of their horrific offense. He should your 3rd option….at WR.

 

[Toofy]

Absolutely not. He’s a gimmick WR.

He was not the savior and was actually part of the problem of their horrific offense. He should your 3rd option….at WR.

He was a chains mover. When you have a 3rd and long Meyers was the best. Higgins might not solve that . He is more a deep threat or stretching the boundary type of guy along with end zone threat

We miss Meyers. Douglas isn't even half the player Meyers was for us.

 

[TinhWoodhead]

if he average 200yds/game for the last 4 games, he’d have a decent rookie year

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

His first season has been very bad. Like you I hold out hope, but I wont be disappointed if it doesnt work out. Ive already mentally prepared myself for the dreaded B word for him and Baker both.

I held out hope for Thornton. Not doing that again.

 

[Huckleberry1]

In that same article he briefly mentioned the rookie wall that I saw. It was more of a passing comment. I read the whole interview but can’t find it now. The below image briefly quotes it.

Thanks. I don’t think he understands what the rookie wall actually. That’s when players used to a college length season get too tired and beat up from playing the extra 7-10 games. Polk hasn’t been playing, so it’s hard to see that he’s tired out from all the work.

 

[Huckleberry1]

I still hold out hope for Polk, if he can get his head (and hands) connected to one another, I still think there could be a decent WR lurking in there somewhere. Yes he has been a disappointment since being drafted, but he wouldn't be the first to bounce back.

That’s normal. What is abnormal is fans who think that it’s 8 games or your a bust. The list of players who wouldn’t have made it in the NFL under that criteria is longer than the list of those who made it. It’s moronic.

 

[Huckleberry1]

Poor Tyler Hughes will never work in the NFL again, at least not sniff a wr room,
If Mayo is back next year his scape goats for execution are lined up, as a previous poster said you almost have to fire Mayo because that good coaches come and work under him. Knowing the situation.

No you have to clean up from top to bottom that means Wolf more than likely goes as well. You thank him for Maye and tell him he bombed the rest of the draft. And you go and snatch someone anyone from the Rams front office. And hire a Offensive HC.

Damn right. And if the new GM doesn’t turn the team around by training camp then fire his ass as well. It’s win the Super Bowl in the first 8 weeks of the season or nothing. Any GM who can’t do that SUCKS!!!!!!

 

[Force Zero Boomer]

if he average 200yds/game for the last 4 games, he’d have a decent rookie year

That would definitely be a "legendary story." We've got the QB for that kind of performance, but... If only Polk's mouth could catch footballs: most of his development effort has gone into talking.

 

[Toofy]

Damn right. And if the new GM doesn’t turn the team around by training camp then fire his ass as well. It’s win the Super Bowl in the first 8 weeks of the season or nothing. Any GM who can’t do that SUCKS!!!!!!

I think I would tend to agree with you. When you hire a GM and coach you need to go at least 2 years . Its sunk cost, but the probability of getting good GM and coach who can join you is so remote if you fire coaches after a year.

So when krafts hired wolf and mayo without search , it was a lazy process and its sunk cost for 2 years. We just hope both can get better in 2 years. Drake looks like a stud but that was not something planned and we got lucky. Let's just hope having AVP for 2 years solidifies his game. No point having a rolling parade of coaches and OCs.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

The list of players who wouldn’t have made it in the NFL under that criteria is longer than the list of those who made it. It’s moronic.

Where can I see this long list? Do you have a link.