nfl draft
devin funchess

Devin Funchess Enters NFL Draft Comment Count

Brian

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Goodbye, oh ye of many numbers

Not a surprise, even with the late slide in production:

"I would like to thank my family, coaches and teammates for their support," Funchess said in a statement. "It's always been a dream of mine to play in the NFL, and I am prepared to take the next step in my journey."

Funchess has some mouths to feed and should get drafted high despite the indifferent performance this year. He has a size/speed combo reminiscent of Mike Evans and someone's going to take a shot at him in the late first round.

Comments

jdon

December 9th, 2014 at 6:20 PM ^

I wish I could give you more upvotes, and I welcome the negs...

 

Funchess is the most overated player I have ever seen in the blue and maize. Maybe if he could catch a critical third down pass, or heaven forbid knock over a 5'10 corner, we would be bowling right now and maybe, just maybe if him and gardner weren't so bad at their jobs Hoke might still be here.

Gardner I respect and love.

Funchess not so much.

CYA!!!!

Joined: 09/28/2009

MGoPoints: 5906

True Blue Grit

December 9th, 2014 at 4:25 PM ^

At QB, it's a big unknown though.  But, with the coaching we've seen, it's hard to tell how dire things are.  A new coach who knows QB's (we know who that is) could turn either Morris or Speight into a very good player.

At WR, I like the guys coming back:  Darboh, Chesson, Canteen, Jones, and Ways.  And remember Drake Harris.  If he's healthy, he should have an immediate impact.  Brian Cole is also someone who could play next year (assuming he's still coming).  It really comes down to how they're coached and the overall offense. 

Joined: 01/21/2011

MGoPoints: 32232

Hail-Storm

December 9th, 2014 at 4:31 PM ^

lots of options if some of the guys can get healthy.  This may be one of those additions by subtraction (I know what you're all thinking but hear me out). Funchess is an elite talent that you had to have on the field, but his production at Michigan wasn't there this year.  He's one of those players you need to play if you have, but I think he took plays off and wasn't always putting in 100%.  If he wasn't putting on blocks, or running crisp great results, then he wasn't adding as much as we needed him to.

Now that his slot is opened up, it allows for a lot of unproven players a chance to compete, and competition is good.  Ways, Chessen, Norfleet, Darboh, Canteen, Dukes, Harris and others is a pretty good list of guys to fight for three spots. I also think Butt and Bunting will add a lot to the passing acumen of the team. I think Funchess is a loss, but if he wasn't playing 100%, it's less of a loss than you'd initiall think.

The QB situation is..well...I hope the next coach has simple reads so the QB can just play. 

Joined: 06/07/2010

MGoPoints: 9749

mgobluth

December 9th, 2014 at 3:56 PM ^

Evans was much more NFL-ready than Funchess is at this point. If it weren't for Sammy Watkins, the Bills probably would have went with Evans. 

At least we'll always have the first half against App State...

Joined: 11/23/2014

MGoPoints: 4470

Gr1mlock

December 9th, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^

Thanks for the memories, the highlights, and the ridiculous hurdling of Ohio guys. Best of luck next year, and may you carry me to Fantasy Football titles for years to come.



Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Joined: 12/24/2013

MGoPoints: 6241

Danwillhor

December 9th, 2014 at 3:59 PM ^

but can he technically come back if he doesn't find an agent by the time......ahhh...haha....haha. Sorry. I can't pretend this was anything but expected. Sorry. The biggest shame is how little was accomplished with such rare talent from a team and personal view.

Joined: 12/02/2008

MGoPoints: 8609

Wolverine 73

December 9th, 2014 at 4:53 PM ^

Neither became what we hoped to see, but with Mitch it was because of an injury.  With Devin, I just don't know.  He did not seem into playing hard some of the time, at least that was how it looked.  No one ever questioned Mitch's enthusiasm for the game.  I hope Devin has a nice career, but I am looking forward to seeing someone step up next year and play the game with more passion. Hopefully.

Joined: 08/03/2009

MGoPoints: 27114

Mr. Yost

December 9th, 2014 at 5:17 PM ^

Funchess dropped the ball over and over.

That will be their legacy. Fair or unfair..

You can just tell by the reaction. The majority of this board (which in some way represents the fanbase who actually pays attention to sports and the teams) couldn't care less about Funchess. Pitchforks were out in the name of McGary.

Funchess is more like Darius Morris than Mitch McGary.

Joined: 07/25/2011

MGoPoints: -9898220

Everyone Murders

December 9th, 2014 at 5:30 PM ^

You and the people replying above you make good points.  But another difference in the reaction is that Funchess chose to go on his own terms, while McGary left due to a mind-numbing (hah!) and Kafkaesque ruling that his use of weed (while not playing) was a sufficient rule violation to cause him to be suspended for an entire season.

My outrage mostly came from the issue that it was weed, and that while weed is illegal for recreational use in most of the country, it's hard to assert with a straight face that it's performance enhancing.  That's what sent me looking for ye olde trusty pitchfork.

Joined: 12/14/2010

MGoPoints: 65552

reshp1

December 9th, 2014 at 4:05 PM ^

Unless he does really well in the combine (which he probably will) I think this is a mistake for him. He's got size, decent speed and athleticism, but the few times I've watched him live, he never seemed to get the type of separation through his route running that you would think an NFL prospect would. Even on TV, a lot of his targets were with a DB or even sometimes a LB in his hip pocket. I think he'll get drafted, and probably not all that low, but he could have done better with another year to work on his game IMO. Can't really blame the guy on the other hand with the coaching transition looming I guess, but just the same, you'd think he'd at least wait to see who the next guy is before committing one way or the other.

Joined: 10/31/2011

MGoPoints: 34177

Michigan9

December 9th, 2014 at 4:15 PM ^

Tough year with high expectations for Funch but this is the smart move for him.  Yes, I would've liked to see him in the Maize and Blue, but can't be upset for a guy who has the chance to fulfill his dream. 

#GOBLUE

Joined: 10/13/2014

MGoPoints: 3476

Willis

December 9th, 2014 at 4:17 PM ^

I don't see him being a full time WR in the league. He had a lot of difficulty get separation on college CB's, and it's not going to get easier as he steps up a level of competition. His hands need a lot of work, but he could potentially be a big matchup problem as a flex type TE.

Joined: 12/09/2014

MGoPoints: 1508

bluebyyou

December 9th, 2014 at 4:25 PM ^

Good luck to Funchess.  Here's hoping that the dropsies go away in a hurry.

A good move on his part.  Next year's quarterbacking is very questionable. I see nothing he gains by staying in school, particularly now that there are provisions in place for him to get his degree after he completes his pro career if he so chooses.

Joined: 09/07/2009

MGoPoints: 18531