Chris Evans leaving for NFL
Sure looked like had a lot of promise in 2016, and was pretty much wasted ever since. Good luck to him.
December 26th, 2020 at 3:44 PM ^
Good luck, but I'm not sure he has a strong case just yet.
December 26th, 2020 at 3:47 PM ^
Is it possible he got a firm handshake?
December 26th, 2020 at 4:04 PM ^
Certainly, but then why not go transfer portal? I'm guessing he tests his draft stock and goes from there.
December 26th, 2020 at 10:14 PM ^
He's already older, and he has been "in" college 5 years including a year of really hard work just to get back to the team. He may just be done with the being in college thing and want to try to make some money while he can. He was always going to be drafted more on athletic ability and testing numbers than production anyway, another year isnt going to do anything for him
8.5.5December 26th, 2020 at 4:55 PM ^
He turned 23 this year. He's probably just ready to try to earn a paycheck.
December 26th, 2020 at 7:16 PM ^
My first thought too. Guys (esp running backs) have a very finite number of years they're viable in the NFL usually. Evans is probably looking at returning and getting 5 carries and 1 reception per game...or try to go pro and hope you can exist on a practice squad or maybe stick on a roster somewhere. Neither is great, but going pro is probably the right call if he thinks he has any shot at the next level
December 27th, 2020 at 10:11 AM ^
This is too bad. I thought he was going to compete with Donovan Edwards for the top (7 carries per game) RB position. /s
December 27th, 2020 at 12:17 PM ^
The NFL might be in a right time - he clearly isn't a prototype power back (Derrick Henry) or speed back (Chris Johnson) but many teams realize having a good pass catching RB who can also run draws and screens is a good asset to the roster.
December 27th, 2020 at 9:16 AM ^
I hope so. His talent may have been underutilized here at M but his character and perseverance were something noteworthy for sure. I’d love to see this kid make it in some capacity in the NFL. Seems like he could also be good coaching material down the road.
December 27th, 2020 at 10:30 AM ^
probable
December 26th, 2020 at 5:12 PM ^
He’d be a good fit on the Patriots, like how they use Burkhead and a bunch of other running back/receiver combos. Dunno about other teams, though. At least Belichick has seemed to like Michigan players recently.
December 26th, 2020 at 6:23 PM ^
I'm not saying you're wrong (I honestly have no clue). it's just funny how it seems every Michigan draftee ever would be a good fit for the Patriots.
December 26th, 2020 at 10:19 PM ^
I’m pretty sure I’m guilty of saying the same thing about some other player on this very board.
But what the Patriots do more than any other team is double their running backs as WRs. It allows them to change the play from 4-wide to 5-wide once the defense is set to create a mismatch. Like Burkhead, Evans isn’t an elite runner or an elite WR, but his ability to do both well make him valuable in the eyes of Belichick. Plus, they could probably pick him up undrafted and avoid paying him very much (another Patriots thing to do).
December 26th, 2020 at 3:51 PM ^
Typical Harbaugh wasting talent
December 26th, 2020 at 8:51 PM ^
Not nearly enough up-votes for this comment.
December 26th, 2020 at 3:51 PM ^
Grossly underutilized- but one heckuva player. I hope he makes some money in the NFL. We also know he has a future coaching in football as well. He made a mistake, and then he owned up to it and has moved on beyond it.
Congrats on a good career at Michigan Chris - good luck at the next level!
December 26th, 2020 at 5:16 PM ^
What was the mistake he made???
December 26th, 2020 at 8:36 PM ^
You have to pay attention. If you don’t pay attention for 2-3 years, you’ll miss things.
December 26th, 2020 at 3:51 PM ^
More wasted talent. Harbaugh has become know for this. And yet for some reason there are some that are excited for this incoming recruiting class. Someone please explain why? Harbaugh hasn’t shown the ability to develop anyone on the offensive side of the ball. What he has shown is transfers and disappointments
December 26th, 2020 at 4:02 PM ^
Man, it's been months, and I still see you complaining about Harbaugh is most threads. Calm down.
December 26th, 2020 at 4:35 PM ^
I see the Harbaugh defenders have come crawling back.
December 26th, 2020 at 5:00 PM ^
No, we're just sick of hearing from complainers who hijack threads that have nothing to do with Harbaugh, and acting as if their complaints haven't already already been stated a million times before.
December 26th, 2020 at 6:53 PM ^
And yet you continue to defend the guy millions of times over. Haven’t we heard your stupid defense of the man enough? I was stating a fact about the man. Didn’t realize that facts scare you that much
December 26th, 2020 at 7:02 PM ^
Dude, he didn't defend Harbaugh. He only said that your schtick is annoying. And I think you need to look up the definition of "fact" because, as far as I can see, you haven't provide any.
December 26th, 2020 at 11:27 PM ^
You stayed an opinion, with self delusion that your take is a fact. It is a fact that you feel a certain way, and another fact that we comprehend your feelings.
December 26th, 2020 at 8:58 PM ^
There’s literally one degree of separation. It’s not a stretch to bring Harbaugh into the conversation.
December 26th, 2020 at 6:54 PM ^
If you haven't convinced people in your months of complaining, perhaps you're not good at presenting your argument. By all means, keep covering yourself in clown sauce and raging on line dude. We'll have you to thank one day.
December 26th, 2020 at 6:58 PM ^
Who said I’m trying to convince you or anyone. We were 2-4 this season. If you actually watch Michigan football and you still need convicncing than you really a late a lost soul. My guess is your don’t actually watch any of the games can’t name more than 3 players on the team but feel the need to voice your opinion
December 26th, 2020 at 7:18 PM ^
Most on here can name years of M rosters up and down. We follow M football like a religion. Posters like yourself are the ones that make us look stupid and uneducated.
December 26th, 2020 at 6:56 PM ^
If the situation was reversed and harbaugh coached at Ohio state and we had the success Ohio state had those same defenders would be laughing their assess off calling for harbaugh to stay forever. The fact that these morons exist is just another example of how sad our fan base has become. A real head coach wouldn’t let the state of the program fall to this level. Unfortunately we aren’t getting a real head coach any time soon so the rats will continue to chirp from the gutters
December 26th, 2020 at 8:27 PM ^
Actually, knowing our fanbase, if we had OSU level success, we would be complaining about only 2 national titles in the past 20 years. We would be bitching about only winning B1G championships in a weak conference and lamenting all our missed opportunities to finish the job with some historically great teams, and say that our coach is wasting talent.
If UM's program was ever at the level of OSU's, our fanbase would complain about not having as many titles as Bama or constantly losing to Clemson - we would find a reason to complain.
That's who we are. Lloyd was a top 5 coach and ran a very successful and clean program and all we did was bitch about his 2-3 losses a year and wasting talent, despite multiple B1G titles, Rose Bowls, and our only national title in modern cfb history. We would do the same even with success at the level of current OSU because we are delusional and entitled.
Only Bama level results would shut up our fanbase.
December 26th, 2020 at 6:09 PM ^
RX is like a broken record, but worse. Same ol' shit in almost every thread. At least with a broken record you could turn the record player off.
December 26th, 2020 at 5:20 PM ^
December 26th, 2020 at 6:04 PM ^
^^^^^^nattering nabob of negativism
December 27th, 2020 at 3:51 AM ^
The "nattering nabobs of negativism" quote is from the pen of William Safire but spoken by Spiro T. Agnew, believe it or not. (Nixon's Veep).
December 26th, 2020 at 6:23 PM ^
I love how Harbaugh is both playing too many RBs and also not playing enough of them. The “blame Harbaugh for everything” narrative is exhausting
December 26th, 2020 at 7:05 PM ^
RB play isn’t even the worst part of this disaster of a coaching staff
December 26th, 2020 at 3:58 PM ^
A lesser man would have transferred for PT instead of serving the community during their suspension. Thank you Chris.
December 26th, 2020 at 6:08 PM ^
He definitely did not take the easy way out. Ton of respect for him. I selfishly would’ve loved to see him transfer and be an every down back somewhere else. He seems to have the skills and prototype size. If someone gives him a chance in the NFL, he could be an Alvin Komara type.
December 26th, 2020 at 7:00 PM ^
I'd like to see him go pro and become a very well paid 3rd down back.
December 26th, 2020 at 4:04 PM ^
Impressive career. Major setback but he persevered. That's character.
December 26th, 2020 at 4:05 PM ^
I've always maintained that his freshmen year was his best. He tried to gain weight to be an every down back and lost that burst that made him dangerous. Good luck in the NFL but I hope he is leaving with a degree.
December 26th, 2020 at 4:34 PM ^
"He" tried to gain weight? You think the coaches were just like "yeah sure Chris go ahead and get bigger and slower see how that works for you".
December 26th, 2020 at 5:12 PM ^
Maybe I'm just slow but I have no idea what you are trying to say here.
December 26th, 2020 at 6:01 PM ^
Your original comment makes it sound like it was his idea to gain weight when more than likely that was the coaches idea and not his.
December 26th, 2020 at 6:22 PM ^
Short of asking Chris himself, we dont really have a way of answering that. But since he did come in as an undersized RB, I would guess he proscribed to the all weight gain is good model. Outside of 350 lb linemen, I think most football players think like that.
December 27th, 2020 at 3:45 AM ^
*subscribed*
December 26th, 2020 at 6:16 PM ^
I have no idea if what you are saying is true, but I’d like to hear where you heard that his weight gain made him so slow that he could never be a starter. Given this staffs ability to identify talent (lack thereof), I have no confidence that any of us really know what Evans is/would’ve been capable of under this coaching staff. If he did get big and slow, I’d say this is on the coaching staff as well. Plenty of coaches could have found a way to use his talent and speed without making him “bulk up”.
December 26th, 2020 at 7:28 PM ^
I am giving my analysis. We know he bulked up. Undersized RBs do this all the time to become an every down RB. My eyes tell me he wasnt as dangerous with the ball after he bulked up. Are the two related? Are my eyes wrong? I dont have definitive answers to those questions.
December 26th, 2020 at 4:10 PM ^
For the people claiming that we “wasted his talent” I’m sorry but I have to question how close you paid attention to his career here. He saw significant PT in ‘16. Played the significant 3DRB role in ‘17 and ‘18 despite being injured for portions of both seasons. He tallied over 1700 rushing yards, over 400 receiving yards, and 17 total touchdowns. Sure these aren’t eye-popping numbers, but don’t downplay how well he thrived here. If you want to decry the talent development of the program, use accurate examples of players performing below their expected output. Chris Evans does not fit that bill. I wish him luck at the next level and thank him for providing some truly special Michigan football highlights over the years.