New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com

Yeah pakowitz I read that earlier today on draftcountdown. The more research I do on this guy the more I like him. It seems like he has as much raw potential as any player in recent history. Yeah, he didn't play until his senior year but you can look at that a couple of different ways. The optimist will say that since he hasn't played alot ball he'll be like a blank canvas. He hasn't had time to develop alot of bad habits that come from poor coaching. He will be a DB coach's dream project player. Right now he has the raw tools to be a good player but with the right coaching he could be a great player.

The pessimist on the other hand will ask how long will it take a player who has such limited experience to develop into a starter who can be relied on play to play and game to game. A freakish athlete can get by on talent alone in high school and college but in the NFL it's not that easy. To be a consistent NFL starter a player needs to be complete. He needs to be able to understand the game and his team's specific system. He needs instincts to go along with athletisism. Just look at Levar Arrington's career. When he was at Penn State that guy was a super freak. He might have been the most rediculous athlete I've ever seen at that level (see the Levar Leaps 1 & 2) and he was drafted in the top 3 because of that raw athletisism and playmaking ability. You basically have to be superman to be drafted that high as a linebacker and he was...in college. While he was with the Redskins he was a solid but highly overrated player. He made alot of highlight reel plays that got fans excited but what went unnoticed is how many times he was freelancing and blowing assignments. Anybody remember Moran Norris? That guy put up some insane workout numbers but didn't pan out. The same year we drafted Norris we drafted Sedrick Hodge also. He had crazy numbers too but he never played up to those numbers. I just can't see the FO spending the 10th pick of the draft on a guy so raw. He's the definition of a boom or bust player and it would take some huge onions to go up and get him there. Maybe we could trade down, pick up another couple of picks and then get him a little later. At least then if he busted instead of boomed we might get lucky on a player we drafted with the extra picks.