Link: Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron will not play in Senior Bowl

[Chukker Veteran]

Being from here, there are many folks kinda miffed about this. It's almost like he figures he will prove it at the combines (will he even go?) and doesn't owe his hometown fans (who never had the chance to see him play live in college) anything.

I think AJ has given his fans everything they could ask for over his career. The hometown fans should be especially proud of what he's done. I'm trying to figure out why hometown fans might feel AJ "owes" them anything beyond what he's done over his college career.

Yes, I understand it would have been a treat for the hometown crowd to see him play, but if he decides to skip it that's his business in my humble opinion.

 

[mittman]

I'm with Chukker. A.J. is a known quantity with plenty of film in plenty of big game situations. If they want to see anything else there are pro day and combines.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I think it's a stupid decision for him personally. I couldn't care less about the fans. They can get over it. But he isn't a proven commodity to the scouts. Maybe to us, but not to them. A strong performance there could have been huge for him. Bad advice from his agent, in my view.

I think the scouts have pretty much locked in where AJ's value is and for him to drastically change that (for the good) he would have to have a monster day at the Senior Bowl. But just a subpar day could kill him. As a competitor I'd play but with the NFL you have to look at it as a business and use strategy. Plus he might be nursing an injury. Who knows?

 

[bamaslaw]

It's not the game at the Senior Bowl that matters, it's the practice sessions. I am a bit surprised AJ didn't want to go through that. Injury considerations and the potential to lower his stock are valid though.

 

[TideEngineer08]

I don't follow the NFL or the draft enough to know if this is a wise decision or not. Obviously there are differing opinions from those of you who do follow this stuff. But it is disappointing... I would have loved to see him play with that #10 helmet on one more time.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

It's not the game at the Senior Bowl that matters, it's the practice sessions. I am a bit surprised AJ didn't want to go through that. Injury considerations and the potential to lower his stock are valid though.

I have to believe he's got some type of injury. The only other thing is they have a pretty solid understanding of what the scouts think of him and what he has to gain may not be worth the risk of what he has to lose.

Think about it. He could go out there and have a very good showing and his stock more than likely is only going to rise so much. But his opportunity to kill whatever stock he already has is just as good or greater. So I can see both sides.

 

[Chukker Veteran]

Think about it. He could go out there and have a very good showing and his stock more than likely is only going to rise so much. But his opportunity to kill whatever stock he already has is just as good or greater. So I can see both sides.

That's what I think.

Or maybe...

His girlfriend looks like the high maintenance type, maybe she had other plans for him.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

That's what I think.

Or maybe...

His girlfriend looks like the high maintenance type, maybe she had other plans for him.

And if he doesn't tend to it someone else will... :biggrin2:

 

[Bamabuzzard]

This is the sort of story I hate to see about him. We all know what a competitor he is, but the national guys don't follow it as closely. Anyway, it might well be an injury he doesn't want to disclose. I hope it doesn't hurt his stock. I only wish him the best.

http://espn.go.com/blog/jacksonville-jaguars/post/_/id/3562/is-mccarrons-competitiveness-an-issue

Good. So hopefully he won't be picked by the Jags. Now maybe if Cleveland and Oakland will take the same approach AJ will be fine.

 

[Chukker Veteran]

This is the sort of story I hate to see about him. We all know what a competitor he is, but the national guys don't follow it as closely. Anyway, it might well be an injury he doesn't want to disclose. I hope it doesn't hurt his stock. I only wish him the best.

http://espn.go.com/blog/jacksonville-jaguars/post/_/id/3562/is-mccarrons-competitiveness-an-issue

I think this article highlights some of the down side of him not playing that other posters have brought up upstream in this thread.

 

[FitToBeTide]

SIAP. Adrian Hubbard has been added to the SB roster. With all the early departures, might need to have a Junior Bowl along with the Sr Bowl.

 

[B1GTide]

Unless he is injured, this is a foolish move. The number of NFL scouts at this game is only surpassed by the number of scouts at the combines. You just don't turn down these opportunities unless your stock is already assured (like CJ - surprised if he plays) or you are injured.

 

[bamafaninOhiO]

I don't know why AJ backed out of this event. For a QB of his ability - who will not wow people with his 40-yard or pure arm strength at the combine - the best way he could improve his stock was by showing some film study and practice habits to NFL scouts at the Senior Bowl. I think he's getting poorly advised by his agent.

There is very little he could demonstrate in the combine setting that will enhance his scouting report with franchises whereas the Senior Bowl was an opportunity to show some of the intangibles that the combine can't capture.

He's got three years of film being the starting QB, against SEc talent... so the scouts have plenty to evaluate him by. A QB, who depends on chemistry with his wide receivers, and tons of practice time with them for routes and timing, has more to lose by being off in thiose areas than they have to gain.

He'll be able to provide a better showing at Pro day and the combines, and will not be risking as much by possibly having a bad showing in one game.

I think his agent is evaluating the risks against posible reward, and steering him in the right direction. It may not be popular, but I get it...

 

[DothanTide]

Being evaluated and coached up by an actual NFL OC and QB coach is undeniably a good thing, though. Pro Days are controlled environments where he chooses what passes to throw and the Combine is a better setting for athletic freaks/other positions to get noticed. The Senior Bowl game isn't as important as the practices since literally all the scouts blow town by the time the game happens.

 

[TitleWave]

At this late date, just don't see him "growing" (developing) a bigger arm to make the timing pattern throws that NFL QBs live and die on. Somebody said he's a known quantity in shunning the Senior Bowl - how much quantity is the unknown. Unless there was something else behind his underthrowing the deep routes most of the year.

 

[bamaslaw]

The whole "looking badly with new WRs" is curious though, because ALL Senior Bowl QBs are in the same boat.

The whole "AJ isn't competitive" thing is a bunch of hogwash - go watch tape and see him not backing down from Barrett Jones in the championship last year. Whether AJ is competitive should be so far down the list of concerns a team has...

 

[BigEasyTider]

Re: "hiding" an injury from the NFL:

All of the teams are going to get all of your medical records and the ones legitimately interested in you will even have you evaluated by their own physicians. You are not going to "hide" anything from any of these guys, and to the contrary, the better chances are that they do so much due diligence that they find something wrong with you that you were never even aware of.

 

[BamaBuff24]

This is Jacksonville we are talking about not New England. When is the last time the Jaguars have had a competitive player. If they are going to use one game to evaluate a player then maybe that is why they are bad. CBB uses everything he can to evaluate a player even their GPA. Maybe that is why he comes down to play golf with CNS. This game is not going to hurt AJ or help him. Most experts already have him as the 8th best QB. I don’t see him approve that much more and don’t see 8 QBs going in the first round. Besides Andre Smith with all his baggage landed in the first round. If CNS can do that for Andre I think can help AJ. And besides I don’t think going in first to a bad team is all that good for QB. Asked RGIII.

 

[BamaBuff24]

One more thing. Tom Brady... 6th round pick, 3 super bowls and a hot wife. A.J. is almost there.

 

[DothanTide]

This is Jacksonville we are talking about not New England. When is the last time the Jaguars have had a competitive player. If they are going to use one game to evaluate a player then maybe that is why they are bad. CBB uses everything he can to evaluate a player even their GPA. Maybe that is why he comes down to play golf with CNS. This game is not going to hurt AJ or help him. Most experts already have him as the 8th best QB. I don’t see him approve that much more and don’t see 8 QBs going in the first round. Besides Andre Smith with all his baggage landed in the first round. If CNS can do that for Andre I think can help AJ. And besides I don’t think going in first to a bad team is all that good for QB. Asked RGIII.

Ummm... they have plenty of "competitive players". Stop being ignorant. And no one said they'd use the game itself to evaluate him, only that they'd be able to see how he responds to coaching. The Senior Bowl isn't a large part of evaluating certain prospects, but it can be a useful tool since you spend almost an entire week getting to know the players during the practices.

Also, Jacksonville not being NE is a stupid talking point, don't use it again.