ESPN on Denard
I know this isn't news, but ESPN is ridiculous. On the SportsCenter preview it says "coming up, Denard Robinson and how his skills will transfer to the NFL". Come on, guys. Give me a freaking break. He is a sophomore and having one of the most special seasons anyone has had in a while. Can we just talk about his passion for the game, his improvement as a Quarterback, and him winning for Michigan. . . anything but this. Why do you have to talk about him becoming a slot receiver, cornerback or returner. Give it up, guess what, DENARD IS A QUARTERBACK, and a true Michigan Man that will remain at Quarterback for a couple more years. Enjoy it.
Update: Mel Kiper says for Denard to try to be a QB at the next level would be a mistake, citing that Pat White didn't work out. And says Denard needs to try to be an "all purpose offensive dynamo", and cites similarities to Antwan Randle-El.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:10 PM ^
If your first line is "I know this isn't news", you should follow the 24 hour rule and not post on impluse.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:36 PM ^
They said the same thing when Denard came out of high school. And Rich Rod saw what others didn't see and now he is rewriting the record books as a quarterback.
And much like Rich Rod saw something the others didn't see, there will be a scout and/or GM that sees the same thing and goes against convention by putting him at quarterback in the NFL. And he will succeed there. Maybe not as an every down signal caller but definitely as a #2 or change of pace quarterback.
And it should be noted that they said the same thing about former Iowa State quarterback Seneca Wallace. Scouts predicted that he would have to change to wideout. Scouts also said he was too small at 5'10 1/2". Seneca Wallace is now in his 8th year of playing quarterback in the NFL. And Denard is by far a better quarterback prospect than Seneca Wallace ever was.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:37 PM ^
It is way to early to speculate. One way or another.
October 7th, 2010 at 1:05 PM ^
When you look at guys like Seneca Wallace, Mike Vick, Dennis Dixon, or even Vince Young.... not saying he is as good as those guys yet.... but when you look at those guys at the same stage that Denard is at (2nd year player), they never came close to being as accurate as Denard is. Thus, I think it is safe to say that Denard can make it as an NFL QB.
I think it is easy to be enamored with his explosiveness. But once Scouts see him throw the ball, I think they will come away very impressed. And there will likely be a Scout or GM with enough vision (like Rich Rod) to put him at quarterback. And once given a shot there, I would never bet against this kid.
October 7th, 2010 at 1:09 PM ^
On the bench. Denard probably has higher aspirations than to sit on the bench and never be a legitimate starter.
October 8th, 2010 at 9:38 AM ^
I never said he would be stuck on the bench. I said that he may be a #2 or change of pace. And as we all know, once you are a #2 and prove yourself, you can always end up as the starter. It happens all the time in the NFL.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:12 PM ^
October 7th, 2010 at 12:34 PM ^
why, as a soph, he is already an "awful" NFL QB.
No one can answer that.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:14 PM ^
"FUCKESPN" - a new sniglet meaning "to ignore people whose opinions you don't care for".
October 7th, 2010 at 12:15 PM ^
Would you prefer a "ZOMG JUST HOW AWESOME IS DENARD" story, or a "OMG RICH ROD IS GONE" story? Enjoy the publicity.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:18 PM ^
Good point, gotta keep things in perspective.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:37 PM ^
the "ZOMG HOW AWSOME IS DENARD" stories never really get old for me. I hope we get plenty more.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:14 PM ^
... I'm interested in hearing what they said.
Did McShay or Kiper offer their two cents?
October 7th, 2010 at 12:22 PM ^
Not in the time I saw them this morning. They were asked who they were watching in the UM/MSU game this weekend. McShay said that obviously the key is trying to slow down Robinson so he mentioned Greg Jones. He also mentioned that while Jones has great size and plays smart and he rates him as the #3 inside linebacker prospect for the 2011 draft, he doesn't think he has elite athleticism at the position and it's a reason he thinks MIchigan will win Saturday.
Kiper said that people are calling Robinson a one-man show but that it's not really true, specifically calling out Molk as a guy to watch (something he did in his column this week on the website too), as well as talking about Roundtree.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:25 PM ^
Thanks.
I've always kind of wondered about Roundtree. I know his size isn't ideal, but neither was Steve Breaston's and he's turned himself into a very solid NFL WR. I guess the counter-argument to that is, Roundtree isn't as fast, but he's a much more skilled route-runner and pass catcher right now than Breaston was at Michigan.
October 7th, 2010 at 2:32 PM ^
I think Roundtree could really succed if he gets in the right offense. Specifically, I think Peyton Manning or Tom Brady would really love his route running.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:14 PM ^
Denard is the perfect person for Espn to fall in love with. He has the look, the personality, and the playmaking ability for them to slobber over. I agree though, he's only a sophomore and they are already giving him the Tebow treatment of how he will translate to the NFL. More than likely he's gonna stay for his senior year so they have this year and 2 more years to ponder over that as he keeps breaking records every week.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:14 PM ^
They are just trying to think up a new angle to talk about the guy. The "shoelace" thing and his ridiculous numbers and success have been pretty thoroughly explored. There's not much more that could be said about him that has not been said.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:20 PM ^
Edit: Whoops nevermind.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:20 PM ^
Denard will almost certainly not be a QB in the NFL. He could be a returner, a WR, or even a situational RB. His speed will allow him to do a bit of everything.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:25 PM ^
He has a lot that he needs to improve on in his passing game before he could even be considered as an NFL QB. However, if he makes those improvements over the next 2.5 years, I think at least one team would take him to at least try to make him a change of pace QB (teams like the Dolphins and the Broncos).
October 7th, 2010 at 12:23 PM ^
I'm sure Stephen Ross will find some room for another Michigan Man on his team.
October 7th, 2010 at 1:19 PM ^
Why do you think he cut Pat White, it was for Denard.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:22 PM ^
Man, posts are getting worse by the day. Next someone is going to post the DC voting system hacked by UM students article again.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:29 PM ^
Since the original round of stories stopped right at "U of Michigan professor," I thought people might be interested to find out which professor was actually involved, and what exploit the team used. That information is in his blog post.
October 7th, 2010 at 1:24 PM ^
Here's what they actually did to the site, note: wait 15 seconds.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:23 PM ^
Comes with the territory. If I'm making the choice between having Denard along with the slobberfest and not having Denard, I'll take the one where I shriek with pleasure numerous times per game.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:23 PM ^
Michael Vick seems to be doing fine in his first real playing time in a while.
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<br>He should NEVER have played a down again after what he did, it's disgusting and I am disappointed he is back.
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<br>But Denard seems like Vick x2 as he can actually make passes.
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<br>But I have a feeling we will have to wait 3 years before we Denard take his rookie snap. This kid is all in.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:51 PM ^
Say what you want about Mike Vick and his personal troubles but Mike Vick never had trouble completing passes. You may not like the guy but he was (and still is IME) a great QB. The guy lead the NCAA in pass efficiency as a red shirt freshman.
Is he a nice guy, maybe not, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he is a hell of a football player.
October 7th, 2010 at 1:14 PM ^
Arm strength is the difference between Denard and Vick. While Denard's arm is generally described as "pretty good," Vick already famously had a cannon at VT. Pro scouts are in love with arm strength, while they generally view accuracy as something that can be developed.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:24 PM ^
filling recruits' heads with full-on praise for athletes under RR and how they can be successful in the NFL, preemptively countering any pitches they hear about how the spread is dead, RR doesn't get kids to the NFL, etc. etc.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:28 PM ^
will they run out of stories by the time Denard graduates? I guess they can talk about his pursuit of a third consecutive heisman trophy. Yeah, that would be ok.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:35 PM ^
Denard Cribbs has been playing in the NFL for a few years now. He just moonlights as Michigan's QB to usurp his dominance over college kids.
Seriously though the similarities between Denard and Cribbs are crazy. Although Cribbs is nowhere near as fast. They could body double though.
October 7th, 2010 at 12:39 PM ^
Denard is living for today
October 7th, 2010 at 12:42 PM ^
is at full speed with respect to Denard. It is all Denard all the time. They are stretching to find a new angle. That is a good thing for Michigan recruiting. The topic they are discussing is simply noise.
October 7th, 2010 at 2:03 PM ^
Denard doesn't see/read very much of this garbage.
October 7th, 2010 at 3:05 PM ^
I dont understand why everyone is getting so upset about this. I for one was just happy that they were talking about him making it into the NFL, whatever the position would be. I mean lets be honest here. Do u guys look at D and think wow he is a great pocket passer and will be a mainstay in the NFL? No, I think of how Randel El, Cribbs, and Endelmon have had successful careers so far as slot guys or return specialists. I could care less what position he plays as long as he makes it into the NFL. I mean think back to the Miami game last year when they put Pat White in and he got hit by a defensive back and I thought he died. All that being said he is a sophomore and I really just want to enjoy the next two seasons and worry about all that later.