Can Polk be fixed?

[imahobgoblin]

This was an interesting watch as Steve Smith and James Palmer grade Polk's first season as a Patriot. I know some may not like Steve Smith, but he makes some good points here. The Patriots took their time developing Drake Maye. They coddled and spoon fed him until he became the starter by week six. This thread is not an argument over whether that should have happened or not. It happened. Ja'Lynn Polk, on the other hand, had the opposite approach. In training camp, he was thrown into the fire and reports came out that he was impressive and the steal of the draft. Then reality set in, and Polk failed miserably.

Smith gives some discussion as to why. Drake was given the tasks slowly. Polk was given the fire hose and expected to learn X, Z, and slot. IHis head was spinning, and he had no idea what to do on the field. They didn't do that to Drake, so why do it to Polk? I know there is a difference in position, but its still an interesting thought. Then Smith criticized the lack of ability to coach the WR room. AVP couldn't even figure out when to run or pass sometimes. There was no communication with Mayo. Tyler Hughes and Tiquan Underwood were pathetic and have no experience coaching WR in the NFL. Smith laughed at Underwood's inability to be a good WR playing out in the Pat's WR room. The dude did get cut right before the Super Bowl. Our WR room all played like Underwood. Polk got confused, was coached poorly, and mentally broke.

We now have a new regime. Josh is one of the best offensive minds in the game. Todd Downing has never coached WRs, although he has coached offense. How will these two try to fix Polk? As a second round pick, I think he is on this team for another year. I assume they have to start him slowly and teaching him to master one thing at a time at one position at a time. He has to gain his mental capacity back. What you guys think?

 

[farn]

Yes. But WILL he be fixed is a much murkier question / answer…

 

[lancerman]

He’s by far the worst starting WR in the league.

He can be fixed in the sense that “anything is possible”. But if he can even just become slightly below average that would be over performing at this point

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Very rarely do guys have a bad rookie year and recover to be good. Polk's rookie year was awful. There is the caveat that Mayo and AVP were the coaches and we do not know how bad they really were, so maybe this is an unusual situation.

 

[PatsFan2]

Very rarely do guys have a bad rookie year and recover to be good. Polk's rookie year was awful. There is the caveat that Mayo and AVP were the coaches and we do not know how bad they really were, so maybe this is an unusual situation.

Maybe on the Patriots: but on some Teams guys have a rough First Year and make that Second Year jump.

 

[lancerman]

Maybe on the Patriots: but on some Teams guys have a rough First Year and make that Second Year jump.

Very rarely are guys as bad as Polk and then turn it around. For posterity, N’Keal Harry was further along than Polk when he returned from injury and still couldn’t be salvaged.

There’s a difference between a guy underwhelming and then taking the leap and a guy sucking and looking like a total bust

 

[PatsFan2]

This was an interesting watch as Steve Smith and James Palmer grade Polk's first season as a Patriot. I know some may not like Steve Smith, but he makes some good points here. The Patriots took their time developing Drake Maye. They coddled and spoon fed him until he became the starter by week six. This thread is not an argument over whether that should have happened or not. It happened. Ja'Lynn Polk, on the other hand, had the opposite approach. In training camp, he was thrown into the fire and reports came out that he was impressive and the steal of the draft. Then reality set in, and Polk failed miserably.

Smith gives some discussion as to why. Drake was given the tasks slowly. Polk was given the fire hose and expected to learn X, Z, and slot. IHis head was spinning, and he had no idea what to do on the field. They didn't do that to Drake, so why do it to Polk? I know there is a difference in position, but its still an interesting thought. Then Smith criticized the lack of ability to coach the WR room. AVP couldn't even figure out when to run or pass sometimes. There was no communication with Mayo. Tyler Hughes and Tiquan Underwood were pathetic and have no experience coaching WR in the NFL. Smith laughed at Underwood's inability to be a good WR playing out in the Pat's WR room. The dude did get cut right before the Super Bowl. Our WR room all played like Underwood. Polk got confused, was coached poorly, and mentally broke.

We now have a new regime. Josh is one of the best offensive minds in the game. Todd Downing has never coached WRs, although he has coached offense. How will these two try to fix Polk? As a second round pick, I think he is on this team for another year. I assume they have to start him slowly and teaching him to master one thing at a time at one position at a time. He has to gain his mental capacity back. What you guys think?

Smith liked both Polk and Baker Pre Draft: he made me fall in love with Baker: who had a Great college tape. I am hoping at least one of them Translates in Year 2.

 

[Calhoun44]

I like the OP's positive approach to Polk. I have a feeling we will get a sense of things of his progress early on in TC. As long as he is wearing the NEP uniform I'll be pulling for him.

 

[Triumph]

Boutte has more promise IMO.

 

[Clonamery]

The homework doesn't get any easier at the WR position with McDaniels at the helm.

 

[PatsFan2]

Very rarely are guys as bad as Polk and then turn it around. For posterity, N’Keal Harry was further along than Polk when he returned from injury and still couldn’t be salvaged.

There’s a difference between a guy underwhelming and then taking the leap and a guy sucking and looking like a total bust

Harry was Flawed From Day 1 and Fooled BB in the Draft Process. He looked like he could run away from NFL CB's: but to their surprise not happening. Most of Harry's tape showed a Lack of Separation: that a blind man could clearly see. Regarding Polk I think he can run routes he's not fast but I think could thrive in an afterthought role: but we need a WR like Tee Higgins to make Polk work.

 

[Love The Drake]

The homework doesn't get any easier at the WR position with McDaniels at the helm.

I think McDaniels needs to acclimate him slowly, question is does Josh see him being talented enough to spoonfield?
This is where his spot on the depth chart is not by any means guaranteed.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

He looked REALLY bad last year. You could argue that the drops might have been mental and that with more confidence that could go away. the inability to separate was a question mark coming in so it's hard to not be concerned about that. I get that AVP wasn't a great OC, but I don't think he was so bad that you can chalk up Polk's struggles to that. The WR coaches were so inexperienced that maybe you have a better case there, but even that feels like letting Polk off the hook.

Never say never, but he really looked like a flat out awful player last year. The camp reports were decent so MAYBE there's something there and maybe a new coaching staff can unlock it, but in game action there didn't look to be much to work with. Slow, not great route running, poor hands. Nothing to pin any hopes to.

 

[Thunderhead]

Call me crazy, but I don't have hope for the worst receiver in the entire NFL. Hard to root for him when the gulf between his off the field talk and on the field play was so immense.

 

[jimnance]

Can pigs fly?

 

[patfanken]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I have been waiting for MONTHS for this thread to happen. I have rarely seen a guy go from being someone people are really excited about seeing at the start of TC to a guy who made NKeel Harry look like he had a ROY type first season.

And of course we had no real idea WHY??? We just *****ed and moaned and blamed it on the player/coaches. teammates, etc, depending which side had the rash that day. NOW for the first time we start to understand at least what was happening to the kid and why as usual, it's never just one person's fault why it happening.

BUT - the great news, is that this is not unredeemable and we might VERY much get the player we hoped for, over the next few seasons and the wildly desperate chase so many of us want to join the posse for, might not so be so desperate after all. Maybe what we need to be doing is spending our efforts trying making the players we have already on the roster better, before we rush to dump them and get new ones at the first sign of displeasure.

That is to say, lets not spend too many of our assets chasing WR's just for the sake your are saying you are, chasing WR's

 

[Hugepatsfan]

I think McDaniels needs to acclimate him slowly, question is does Josh see him being talented enough to spoonfield?
This is where his spot on the depth chart is not by any means guaranteed.

Spot on the depth chart is key. Boutte and Douglas are ahead of him and both young still. Baker was behind him last year, but might have better physical tools. Hard to imagine they keep more than 6 WRs and there's a decent chance that Polk could be our 4th best young WR. And of those 4, we don't have a #1 or a #2. With $130M in cap space, have to figure they want to do something there. Maybe multiple guys. I didn't even consider Bourne yet. And it's very possible they like someone in the draft too. The numbers get crowded pretty quick. Hard to imagine we keep 7 WRs.

Draft status would say it's an outlier, but one of Polk and/or Baker are probably in real danger of getting cut. It wouldn't surprise me at all to think we sign 2 starting caliber WRs, cut Bourne, and draft someone in rounds 1-4 (guaranteed roster spot type of pick). Add in Boutte/Douglas and all of a sudden Baker/Polk could be fighting for one spot, and Baker seemingly has better physical tools.

 

[PatsFan2]

This was an interesting watch as Steve Smith and James Palmer grade Polk's first season as a Patriot. I know some may not like Steve Smith, but he makes some good points here. The Patriots took their time developing Drake Maye. They coddled and spoon fed him until he became the starter by week six. This thread is not an argument over whether that should have happened or not. It happened. Ja'Lynn Polk, on the other hand, had the opposite approach. In training camp, he was thrown into the fire and reports came out that he was impressive and the steal of the draft. Then reality set in, and Polk failed miserably.

Smith gives some discussion as to why. Drake was given the tasks slowly. Polk was given the fire hose and expected to learn X, Z, and slot. IHis head was spinning, and he had no idea what to do on the field. They didn't do that to Drake, so why do it to Polk? I know there is a difference in position, but its still an interesting thought. Then Smith criticized the lack of ability to coach the WR room. AVP couldn't even figure out when to run or pass sometimes. There was no communication with Mayo. Tyler Hughes and Tiquan Underwood were pathetic and have no experience coaching WR in the NFL. Smith laughed at Underwood's inability to be a good WR playing out in the Pat's WR room. The dude did get cut right before the Super Bowl. Our WR room all played like Underwood. Polk got confused, was coached poorly, and mentally broke.

We now have a new regime. Josh is one of the best offensive minds in the game. Todd Downing has never coached WRs, although he has coached offense. How will these two try to fix Polk? As a second round pick, I think he is on this team for another year. I assume they have to start him slowly and teaching him to master one thing at a time at one position at a time. He has to gain his mental capacity back. What you guys think?

What we need to worry about is if they can Grasp McDaniels Playbook: which can be unfriendly to young WR's. IF Polk and Baker Struggled with AVP's High School Playbook: compared to McDaniels: that's out of the frying pan and into the fire. I see Two Proven WR's coming in and I hope Tee Higgins is one of them.

 

[The Gr8est]

Maybe on the Patriots: but on some Teams guys have a rough First Year and make that Second Year jump.

David Givens comes to mind.

 

[Clonamery]

Can pigs fly?