Malcolm Kelly/Devin Thomas Discussion

All-

After reading today's article in the WP, it got me thinking about something regarding our two WR's that we drafted this year.

Has anyone noticed that there's been alot of talk about Kelly being a better WR than Thomas so far? It seems as if Kelly is getting more pub than Thomas, which leads me to ask this question. If Kelly is the more superior talent why did we draft him after Thomas?

I know Thomas has a ton of physical talent but it would just seem to me that we'd pick someone that is going to help us right away in the 2nd round rather than a project. I mean, who's to say Kelly would even be on the board at the time we came back around to pick again in the 2nd round. If Thomas is that special, how come nobody is singing his praise? Its been made to seem like Thomas is just another face in the crowd and Kelly is this substantial talent.

Maybe some of your ES'ers can shed some light on this for me.

:point2sky

Kelly has the downside of possibly career-ending knee problems, i believe that is the main reason why he dropped on draft day.

I thought the reason he dropped in the draft was because he's injury prone and his 40 times was slow? I think the knee injury was just something from this training camp.

I consider them both to be bums, wastes of another stupid draft, until they prove otherwise

I thought the reason he dropped in the draft was because he's injury prone and his 40 times was slow? I think the knee injury was just something from this training camp.

He had a history of knee problems before camp.

Thomas' upside was so strong, that many NFL scouts thought it was worth him being a high pick. Kelly came with the whole knee issue thing, plus the slow forty time. He missed a good amount of time in college due to injury.

I think the injuries were mainly the reason kelly dropped...I will maintain til I die that 40 times without pads on are not as important as "football speed" which is how fast you are on game days with all your gear on....

How come nobody is talking about Thomas? He was supposed to be the best WR in the draft and nobody is talking him up as some super prospect like they are Kelly.

I consider them both to be bums, wastes of another stupid draft, until they prove otherwise

What would you of done instead Mr. Casserly?

Because we seem to have a known quantity in Thomas.

We don't have a known quantity in Kelly, which allows speculation and hope.

At the time, Most experts believed Thomas was the better reciever, thus the higher draft pick.

Because we seem to have a known quantity in Thomas.

We don't have a known quantity in Kelly, which allows speculation and hope.

How can you consider him an known quantity when he hasn't played football for that very long? That was one of his knocks coming out of college.

How can you consider him an known quantity when he hasn't played football for that very long? That was one of his knocks coming out of college.

I mean compared to Kelly. The coaches have seen what he can do in training camp and were disappointed. We've seen what he's done in a couple of preseason games and one regular season game and we're disappointed.

Kelly, we know next to nothing about.

How can you consider him an known quantity when he hasn't played football for that very long? That was one of his knocks coming out of college.

What is a 'known quantity"?

What would you of done instead Mr. Casserly?

:rotflmao:

I think Thomas has more raw talant, but he is raw. Kelly is more ready to play in the NFL now.

I think Thomas has more raw talant, but he is raw. Kelly is more ready to play in the NFL now.

Right, that's why I was asking if we knew that going into our first pick in the 2nd round, wouldn't you select a guy you knew would help you out more so now, rather than later on down the road? See what I'm saying?

Remember what most of the GM's say, raw talent is what gets GM's and coaches fired.

Thomas was more of a risk because he only had one real college season. But he was very productive. Kelly was a risk because although he demonstrated consistency, he was injury prone. That being said, I'm having a hard time thinking of a worse receiver in the league the Thomas right now. He's ****in' terrible. Put him on punt returns or ****in' cut him. We'll all have to reserve judgment on Kelly until he plays.

I for one STILL can't believe they cut Caldwell AND McCardell. So stupid. So, so stupid.

Thomas has all the physical attributes to be a legit #1 WR in the NFL. He really only has one year of college performance that indicates that the physical attributes can translate into on-the-field success.

Thomas was not the most polished WR coming out of the draft. But he was the highest rated one because he has all the physical skills plus evidence of performance which suggests he could be great. In other words, he has potential and some evidence that the potential can be met in important ways. That's why he was the #1 WR in the draft.

Kelly on the other hand was a horrible, horrible, dreadful, and awful pick. There was plenty of discussion pre-draft that his knees were so bad that some teams had taken him entirely off their draft boards. Think about that. Some teams had said they wouldn't even waste a 7th rounder on the guy because his knees were so awful. This was compounded by his "hiding" during pre-draft workouts. He kept dodging workouts--which is a giant warning sign--and then when he had his first one, it went really, really poorly. That is another giant warning sign. Kelly then blamed the coaches who put on the workout instead of taking blame himself--another warning sign. Next he and his agent decided to do another workout, but not allow scouts to come and only allow them to see edited videotapes of the workout--another warning sign. This is why teams took him entirely off their boards. While Kelly may have been the most polished coming out of the pros in terms of route-running and catching, his knees are shot with degenerative and arthritic conditions which will only get worse. It is no surprise to anyone that followed him that he got here and immediately knee surgery again (and can't do anything without causing swelling and soreness in his knees). It makes him slow and unreliable. Granted, when he can rest enough to play, he is great at running routes and catching balls. But his knees are so awful that simple practice causes him problems. And it will always be like that with Kelly; he isn't going to get better. Simply, Kelly is a wasted pick.

Right, that's why I was asking if we knew that going into our first pick in the 2nd round, wouldn't you select a guy you knew would help you out more so now, rather than later on down the road? See what I'm saying?

Remember what most of the GM's say, raw talent is what gets GM's and coaches fired.

Thomas wasn't that raw, jeez... he just had played in JuCo because he was a bit of a dummy coming out of highschool, something a lot of ESers should be more sympathetic towards judging by their posts.

Thomas has all the physical attributes to be a legit #1 WR in the NFL. He really only has one year of college performance that indicates that the physical attributes can translate into on-the-field success.

Thomas was not the most polished WR coming out of the draft. But he was the highest rated one because he has all the physical skills plus evidence of performance which suggests he could be great. In other words, he has potential and some evidence that the potential can be met in important ways. That's why he was the #1 WR in the draft.

Kelly on the other hand was a horrible, horrible, dreadful, and awful pick. There was plenty of discussion pre-draft that his knees were so bad that some teams had taken him entirely off their draft boards. Think about that. Some teams had said they wouldn't even waste a 7th rounder on the guy because his knees were so awful. This was compounded by his "hiding" during pre-draft workouts. He kept dodging workouts--which is a giant warning sign--and then when he had his first one, it went really, really poorly. That is another giant warning sign. Kelly then blamed the coaches who put on the workout instead of taking blame himself--another warning sign. Next he and his agent decided to do another workout, but not allow scouts to come and only allow them to see edited videotapes of the workout--another warning sign. This is why teams took him entirely off their boards. While Kelly may have been the most polished coming out of the pros in terms of route-running and catching, his knees are shot with degenerative and arthritic conditions which will only get worse. It is no surprise to anyone that followed him that he got here and immediately knee surgery again (and can't do anything without causing swelling and soreness in his knees). It makes him slow and unreliable. Granted, when he can rest enough to play, he is great at running routes and catching balls. But his knees are so awful that simple practice causes him problems. And it will always be like that with Kelly; he isn't going to get better. Simply, Kelly is a wasted pick.

Thanks for that information. I'm wondering if the surgery he just had fixed all of these knee issues you say he had prior.

What would you of done instead Mr. Casserly?

I would have looked at the best available defensive lineman and said I pick him

Thanks for that information. I'm wondering if the surgery he just had fixed all of these knee issues you say he had prior.

No.

That's why it is a degenerative arthritic condition.

This isn't like a torn tendon that heals. The cartilage in his knees is disappearing. He has his knee scoped to "clean it out." Not to repair something. No matter what, every time he plays, the cartilage will get worn further, it will cause inflamation and pain, and the "junk" (cartilage fragments, bone spurs, etc) floating in his knees can even end up damaging the tendons. He can keep getting scopes, but it doesn't make him better. The only way to make him better is to give him total knee replacements.

I would have looked at the best available defensive lineman and said I pick him

the good ones were mostly drafted, coulda took a flyer on one with the 2nd or 3rd pick, but you act like we drafted 2 tubs of pudding and some garlic bread.

they both will contribute nothing to the team this year. maybe by year 3 you will see production.

No.

That's why it is a degenerative arthritic condition.

This isn't like a torn tendon that heals. The cartilage in his knees is disappearing. He has his knee scoped to "clean it out." Not to repair something. No matter what, every time he plays, the cartilage will get worn further, it will cause inflamation and pain, and the "junk" (cartilage fragments, bone spurs, etc) floating in his knees can even end up damaging the tendons. He can keep getting scopes, but it doesn't make him better. The only way to make him better is to give him total knee replacements.

If his knees were this bad coming into the draft why in the world would anyone select him? Is there anything out there stating his knee condition? I don't remember hearing arthritic knee. Thanks.