Can Polk be fixed?

[PWRxWLF]

I just love it when others choose to be ignorant so they have something to argue over online. Smith's statements were really good and applicable. You have no intelligent reply to them except, you just want to argue. Try actually watching the video before you sound off. Such a waste of time.

You’re not picking up what Im throwing down. Smith’s statements were not really good and applicable. They were excuse making. Simple as that, and I don’t agree with his assessment. Im telling you i dont agree and the reasons why. Im not trying to sway your opinion.

 

[dliverey44]

You’re not picking up what Im throwing down. Smith’s statements were not really good and applicable. They were excuse making. Simple as that, and I don’t agree with his assessment. Im telling you i dont agree and the reasons why. Im not trying to sway your opinion.

Wow, the dude you responded to seems like an angry hobgoblin.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Wow, the dude you responded to seems like an angry hobgoblin.

I don't think she is a dude

 

[Boomer B]

Can he better? Sure, cause he can’t be worse. Should we expect much? No, cause he’s below average athletically. He can’t get separation. Here was his NFL.Com draft write up:

• Formational release help won't be available in the league.
• Must prove he can play with better burst and suddenness.
• Too gradual getting into the top of the route.
• Below-average salesmanship and burst at break points.
• Takes too long transitioning from catch to run.

"He can go get it, but he doesn't play all that fast and I see him more as a zone beater." -- NFC regional scout

 

[dliverey44]

I don't think she is a dude

Sorry angry hobgoblin for the incorrect assumption. I should and will do better.

 

[VJCPatriot]

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

I have more faith in Boutte than Polk.

But it's true he's only been BAD for one year. It's possibly they can fix him up.

He was a decent WR in college. Maybe he was just coached up wrong.

He's on a 2nd rounder 4 year deal so we might as well see if Josh McD can fix the dude.

But the Dude also has to LEARN our complex new offense that is even trickier than the West Coast. Why, because option routes. The WR must read the same thing as the QB and then pick the correct option route based on how he reads the defense.

MANY, MANY Patriots WRs have flunked learning this offense.

How well Polk can pick it up will determine his fate. If his head spins and he can't get the playbook and the reads down, he will soon be a goner just like Tyquan Thornton.

 

[Nunchucks]

I think that Polk looked like a good receiver in training camp. It's really weird that once the games were for real he fell apart.

Maybe he can be productive. I don't know.

 

[n1997y]

I think the core thing to remember is that Polk had bad coaching. He will now have much better coaching, although the offense will also become a bit more difficult too. I think he can become a productive player if he stays committed. Baker will probably have a harder time, but the same sort of logic applies there.

I’m a little concerned about how much better the WR coaching will be this year.

Overall Vrabel has put together a very impressive staff. But I see only one WR coach, Todd Downing, who has never coached the receivers group for an NFL team. There’s no assistant coach for WRs, so he’s it for the entire group. There are two general “Offensive coaching assistants” who are both former QBs and have never coached the receivers group specifically in their entire careers. So I’m a little worried that there isn’t going to be anyone who can really teach receivers how to play the position, as well as installing the weekly game plan.

bad player? or bad coaching? the key role of a WR coach is not teaching a player how to catch the ball. it is teaching a player the game plan, and that players role in the game plan.

the job of the coaching staff is to get the players ready to win. That means teaching the players how to improve whatever they’re deficient on, as well as teaching the playbook and installing the game plans. If receivers can improve their technique the coaches should help them, whether it’s better hand placement catching the ball, tapping toes, hand fighting, whatever. Players must work on those things, but leaving them to figure it out for themselves is much less efficient and effective than having a knowledgeable coach help show them where and how to focus. That’s why I’m concerned that there’s just the one WR coach, with no experience playing or coaching WR.

 

[Thelonious]

If he had been merely "disappointing," the excuses here might be reasonable, but he wasn't dissapppointing, he was downright pathetic and showed no aptitude or inclination to get any better. I'd say it's about 60/40 he's a bum. He's pretty cheap, so I'd let him come to camp, but unless we see a version of him which is very different than what we've seen so far, I'd dump him pretty early on for a promising undrafted guy, or a promising free agent, or whatever. He hasn't earned any more consideration than that.

 

[lancerman]

I’m a little concerned about how much better the WR coaching will be this year.

Overall Vrabel has put together a very impressive staff. But I see only one WR coach, Todd Downing, who has never coached the receivers group for an NFL team. There’s no assistant coach for WRs, so he’s it for the entire group. There are two general “Offensive coaching assistants” who are both former QBs and have never coached the receivers group specifically in their entire careers. So I’m a little worried that there isn’t going to be anyone who can really teach receivers how to play the position, as well as installing the weekly game plan.

the job of the coaching staff is to get the players ready to win. That means teaching the players how to improve whatever they’re deficient on, as well as teaching the playbook and installing the game plans. If receivers can improve their technique the coaches should help them, whether it’s better hand placement catching the ball, tapping toes, hand fighting, whatever. Players must work on those things, but leaving them to figure it out for themselves is much less efficient and effective than having a knowledgeable coach help show them where and how to focus. That’s why I’m concerned that there’s just the one WR coach, with no experience playing or coaching WR.

Honestly, good coaching can take a player who shows flashes and put them in positions to show more of that and hide their flaws.

However a good coach isn't going to turn a league worst player into a good player.

We had the GOAT coach for years, we've seen plenty of players come in and just not work out despite the advantage of him.

It's not a magic wand where a coach comes in and all of a sudden every player gets a free 20% stat boost.

 

[PatsFan2]

Not a brutal 1st year like Polk had. They have a tough 1st year, but Polk was the worst in the league. I don't know if anyone ever recovered from a 1st year that bad. Maybe you don't understand how bad Polk was.

I watched him but he didn't have the Coaches to motivate him. Polk lost his Confidence now with a different Coaching staff it's up to him: I feel his ceiling is a decent complimentary Receiver. Now we Need to get that WR to make Polk happen. Whether it's Deebo Samuels or Tee Higgins.

 

[PatsFan2]

Ja'Lynn Polk - 12 receptions 33 targets 87 yards 7.3 avg 2 TD
Chris Carter - 5 receptions NA targets 84 yards 16.8 avg 2 TD

I think Chris Carter recovered. That does not mean Polk will, but Carter did.

Yep totally forgot about him: the point a WR can have an abysmal First year and turn it around the next. It's not far fetched but Polk and especially Baker have a lot of work to do. That said I'm wouldn't pass on a WR who I think have upside in this Draft. Build a competitive Roster let questionable Players know we are not depending on them.

 

[BennyBledsoe]

Anything's possible. But it's difficult to learn how to break open against NFL level corners. Even the 'bad ones'.

 

[varjao]

I have no hopes, in fact I would try to trade him while his value is still up in the air since you can blame the coaches and disfunctionality of the NEP as why he was so bad his rookie season, and then try to fool someone with lots of draft picks to maybe give a 4th or 5th for him, if you have a lot of picks that's not bad business, he wasn't a reach, he was rated a 2nd round WR and you're getting him under contract for 3 more years in a rookie salary for a 4th or 5th. You're making a bet and if it doesn't payout so be it you didn't spend a lot.

 

[jdlboot14]

It's wild to see how quick we as WR-scorned Pats fans turn on our rookie draftees.
It's not our fault, and it's not Polk's fault... It's a 25 year curse.
Funny thing is - I was about to write a defense for him, and show why he can overcome and emerge....
But then I realized through research - he probably won't. We should just move on.

 

[Rob0729]

Other than Boutte, pretty much every veteran WR on the roster regressed this season. So that speaks to coaching and the system.

Who knows if Polk and/or Baker can be salvaged to live up to their draft promise? But I think they never had a shot because they weren't coached well. There is a reason why last year's WR coach was not retained and is currently employed at Alabama in a completely different position (an analyst whatever that is).

 

[Hawaiipatsfan2]

Boutte has more promise IMO.

I personally believe Boutee will be a top 30 WR this year.

 

[Hawaiipatsfan2]

Because I'm not holding my breath on Polk and Baker. I would like a Combo in FA of either Deebo - Slayton or Higgins/Slayton. We Need Players who can grasp a Playbook: both Polk and Baker Struggled in that aspect. Not good for Rookies who had all TC to get it right.

To make matters worse, joshes offense is much more complicated. Hopefully he can negate that with better personal coaching.,

 

[Hawaiipatsfan2]

We obviously need to add another premier talent to the WR room. Whether that is through the draft or trade. Call me optimistic, but I feel like this WR room could go from to doom to gloom really quickly if certain things start to click.

It’s not as if they lact the talent. In fact, most of our WR’s have extremely high ceilings. If we can somehow turn the corner on our ability to develop WR’s, we have most of yhe foundational talent that is needed to have a good, even great WR room.

If I was Kraft, I’d go out and poach the best WR coach in the league and pay him 2-3x’s what his current team is paying him.

 

[PancakeBlockPaul]

Apologies if it was said before…couldn’t read through 5 pages of Polk….but I think the real question that needs to be asked is “Can he get any worse?”.