Ted Ginn Jr., labeled a bust and a one-dimensional player, has found redemption in Carolina and New Orleans

12-03-2017, 09:45 AM

Evaluating talent in the NFL can be a lot like an enormous Rorschach test, each player like an ink blot open to interpretation by every scout, coach and general manager.

A few dozen of those splashes of ink, blots with names like Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees, look roughly the same to everyone, shaped like stars that can light up any city in the country.

The rest depend on the eyes doing the evaluating.

Ted Ginn Jr. has looked differently to a lot of different teams. The Miami Dolphins saw a first-round bust. Mike Singletary and Jim Harbaugh saw a return specialist, a man with blinding speed that didn't translate to a primary role in San Francisco's passing game. Bruce Arians saw a poor fit for his offense in Arizona.

"When you get in this league, you get labeled," Ginn said. "Guys say who you are. Sometimes it's not really true."

The Carolina Panthers saw something else.

A bolt of lightning, a game-breaking talent whose maddening inconsistency could be overcome with momentum-shifting, secondary-crushing touchdowns, the kind of plays that can break open a game in a heartbeat.

Saints coach Sean Payton saw all of those qualities and more.

"People say, 'Oh, that guy is just a return guy; he can just run deep,' but they’ve never really seen a guy run a slant or a comeback or a dig," Ginn said. "What I’m doing now, I had this type of talent back in the day."

read more on The Advocate

SmashMouth · 12-03-2017, 09:54 AM

Nice comments from Davis.

"I hate watching that speed over there with Drew Brees," Davis said. "What he’s able to do not only from a stretching-the-field standpoint, but (also what) he’s able to do with different looks, reverses."

New Orleans had a hunch Ginn could do more than just beat teams deep with his speed.

The same skills that made him a dangerous return man — natural ability in the open field — make Ginn a perfect fit for today's NFL offenses, which are increasingly tailored to produce short, high-percentage throws and rely on receivers to pick up yards after the catch.

"My perception, always, was an extremely explosive player, obviously a great vertical threat everywhere he had been," Brees said. "That seemed to be the way that teams used him, but it seemed to be as the only way teams used him. Whereas I feel like he’s come in to this offense and really flourished, and I feel like we’ve given him the opportunity to showcase a lot of the other things that he can do."

homerj07 · 12-03-2017, 10:19 AM

Good for us.

Sucks to be those other teams.

I would love to see him go over a 100 yards today and have e a TD

12-03-2017, 09:45 AM	#1
Threaded by SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,211 Blog Entries: 29 Rating: (0 votes - average) Evaluating talent in the NFL can be a lot like an enormous Rorschach test, each player like an ink blot open to interpretation by every scout, coach and general manager. A few dozen of those splashes of ink, blots with names like Aaron Rodgers or Drew Brees, look roughly the same to everyone, shaped like stars that can light up any city in the country. The rest depend on the eyes doing the evaluating. Ted Ginn Jr. has looked differently to a lot of different teams. The Miami Dolphins saw a first-round bust. Mike Singletary and Jim Harbaugh saw a return specialist, a man with blinding speed that didn't translate to a primary role in San Francisco's passing game. Bruce Arians saw a poor fit for his offense in Arizona. "When you get in this league, you get labeled," Ginn said. "Guys say who you are. Sometimes it's not really true." The Carolina Panthers saw something else. A bolt of lightning, a game-breaking talent whose maddening inconsistency could be overcome with momentum-shifting, secondary-crushing touchdowns, the kind of plays that can break open a game in a heartbeat. Saints coach Sean Payton saw all of those qualities and more. "People say, 'Oh, that guy is just a return guy; he can just run deep,' but they’ve never really seen a guy run a slant or a comeback or a dig," Ginn said. "What I’m doing now, I had this type of talent back in the day." read more on The Advocate
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12-03-2017, 09:54 AM	#2
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,211 Blog Entries: 29	Re: Ted Ginn Jr., labeled a bust and a one-dimensional player, has found redemption in Carolina and New Orleans Nice comments from Davis. "I hate watching that speed over there with Drew Brees," Davis said. "What he’s able to do not only from a stretching-the-field standpoint, but (also what) he’s able to do with different looks, reverses." New Orleans had a hunch Ginn could do more than just beat teams deep with his speed. The same skills that made him a dangerous return man — natural ability in the open field — make Ginn a perfect fit for today's NFL offenses, which are increasingly tailored to produce short, high-percentage throws and rely on receivers to pick up yards after the catch. "My perception, always, was an extremely explosive player, obviously a great vertical threat everywhere he had been," Brees said. "That seemed to be the way that teams used him, but it seemed to be as the only way teams used him. Whereas I feel like he’s come in to this offense and really flourished, and I feel like we’ve given him the opportunity to showcase a lot of the other things that he can do."

12-03-2017, 10:19 AM	#3
homerj07 In Doh We Trust Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Central Florida Posts: 7,027 Blog Entries: 16	Re: Ted Ginn Jr., labeled a bust and a one-dimensional player, has found redemption in Carolina and New Orleans Good for us. Sucks to be those other teams. I would love to see him go over a 100 yards today and have e a TD

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