Eh. White is still a rookie and he's going to struggle with drops and wrong routes for a few weeks into the reg. season. There's a lot to learn and an additional pressure being heaped on this small school kid. I'll start judging him after week 8 if he can make it that far healthy.
Football isn't something you learn to DO in the classroom.
Eh. White is still a rookie and he's going to struggle with drops and wrong routes for a few weeks into the reg. season. There's a lot to learn and an additional pressure being heaped on this small school kid. I'll start judging him after week 8 if he can make it that far healthy.
Football isn't something you learn to DO in the classroom.
And he is playing like someone who came from one of the simplified offensive programs that are so prevalent in the college game these days. There was a lot of discussion on how he ran a very limited route tree.
Here are the Weaknesses from his CBS Sports NFL draft profile:
WEAKNESSES: Relies on his acceleration downfield, lacking ideal burst to create clear separation...won't dance his way out of trouble or consistently make defenders miss in small spaces...shows the foot quickness to beat press at the line of scrimmage with a nice outside-in move, but rarely challenged or jammed in the Big 12 - methodical off press, counting his steps and not using his hands.
Will round some routes and needs to iron out some wrinkles with his patterns...good effort blocker, but struggles to consistently sustain and will get caught holding down the field...although it doesn't happen often, he will have focus drops off his hands...only one year of top production in an offensive system that creates a number of opportunities.
Sound familiar? Hopefully he will start really putting it all together after the first 4 - 6 games.
Eh. White is still a rookie and he's going to struggle with drops and wrong routes for a few weeks into the reg. season. There's a lot to learn and an additional pressure being heaped on this small school kid. I'll start judging him after week 8 if he can make it that far healthy.
Football isn't something you learn to DO in the classroom.
First off, he didn't go to a "small school". WVU may not be SEC but its a major football program that has sent a healthy number of guys to the NFL in the last 10 years. It isn't Div III or something.
Secondly, we all expect the guy to need time to learn the nuances you only get with physical reps and game snaps. But lining up wrong and not knowing the play is getting a little hard to rationalize when he had a whole year of mental prep time and is now nearing the end of a full offseason program. Reading between the lines, it seems that's what Cutler was (tactfully) saying in his presser on Saturday. Basically...."can't keep making those kind of mistakes at this point--get your shit together and get your head screwed on straight".
Well as far as a WR goes I'd have rather had Cooper and not just because hindsight is 20/20. He was clearly the more versatile, better prepared, and also better overall WR but he was gone. I just hope Pace wasn't oversold on an upside that may never come. I think about Cordarelle Patterson as a similar WR who just can't seem to produce as a WR although he's a great KR.
We'll see how it goes but as far as KW goes the clock is ticking.
Cooper does look like the better WR but unfortunately he went 4th overall so we went with the 2nd best WR
Eh. White is still a rookie and he's going to struggle with drops and wrong routes for a few weeks into the reg. season. There's a lot to learn and an additional pressure being heaped on this small school kid. I'll start judging him after week 8 if he can make it that far healthy.
Football isn't something you learn to DO in the classroom.
First off, he didn't go to a "small school". WVU may not be SEC but its a major football program that has sent a healthy number of guys to the NFL in the last 10 years. It isn't Div III or something.
Secondly, we all expect the guy to need time to learn the nuances you only get with physical reps and game snaps. But lining up wrong and not knowing the play is getting a little hard to rationalize when he had a whole year of mental prep time and is now nearing the end of a full offseason program. Reading between the lines, it seems that's what Cutler was (tactfully) saying in his presser on Saturday. Basically...."can't keep making those kind of mistakes at this point--get your shit together and get your head screwed on straight".
Cool. Judge him however you want. I'm gonna give him some time. I think classroom reps are far different than field reps. Prior to this year, he hasn't played football for a year and a half and still has never played a professional NFL game.
Both sides of the discussion are valid IMO. It DOES look like he doesn't have it down yet, and he HAS had a full year of digesting the offense. But he has not DONE it until recently.
So, reasons to monitor. Maybe even reasons for concern, but I do not think any reasons to come to any final conclusions. Let's see how he plays at the end of the year. Assuming we still have QB standing that can throw it to him by the end of the year.
Personally, I think White is going to be just fine. The old rule of thumb used to be 3 years for WR's, but I think that's an old thumb at this point. Still, He has to get at least a season in before we can even judge, and even then, I think you have to start judging next year based on what he learned this year. We are still OVER a year away from being able to tell what this kid really has.
Back to Cutler and the original thoughts of the thread, Houston, you are not alone. I think most logic based fans understand that over time, Cutler has been dealt some pretty shitty hands, whether they be an O-Line that allows him to be sacked 10 times in one game, a complete lack of receiving talent or an absolutely abysmal OC that has never understood what Cutlers talents are and how to build an offense around them. Having said all that, he has had periods where the talent around him was "good enough" if he was "good enough" as a leader. I hate the media that gives him shit for "pouty face" or "jerk face", but the reality is, he is the leader of the Offense and whether its his "fault" or not, he just does not appear to be the kind of guy that inspires those around him. The guy has talent and the patience has gotten better over the years, perhaps the leadership has too, but if we and the media see's an attitude, so do his teammates, regardless of what they say to support him. I think if we have a really good Offense around him in all respects, then Jay can be the guy, but he's not the guy to MAKE the team around him better. It's just not him.
I understand exactly where you are coming from when you ask what is the common denominator. It is, in fact, him; but it's never been him alone. There has always been another part that is a weakness that he just doesn't have the emotional strength or charisma, or just talent to overcome. Last year we had a pretty damn good OC, a reasonably good O-Line, a good pair of running backs, but our wideouts were always hurt. He had one of his best years, but not having those wideouts hampered him. The problem is, you are never going to have a season where all the other cards are dealt perfectly for you and offensive position groups remain fully healthy, but if we ever do, hey, Jay is our guy!
On a side note, I fully understand that Jay does have diabetes, and managing that can play a part in how he responds physically at times. No ones fault, just a fact. I'm also about 80% sure he suffers from Tourette syndrome, which is a neurological disorder that gives him those tics we see, but it can also be something that prevents him from fully focusing/engaging. Again, no ones fault and can't do anything about it, but there it is.
