Javier Arenas overrated? Prisco seems to think so

[UAB-CT]

All overrated: Mays, Tebow, Gerhart, Rolle part of class - NFL - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

How can he possibly think Arenas is overrated as a possible third round pick? 1st or 2nd I could see but 3rd?

 

[CrimsonSEC]

A .com writer voices his opinion. Any opinion voiced in this thread has as much validity as his and has a good chance of being more informed since most of us have seen about every game he's played. No offense Jesse.

My opinion is that Javy will make his impact in the NFL as a return man, and will spend the rest of his time as a nickel back. I don't see him as an every day starter at DB, but there's been many a well known and well paid return specialist that have had very successful careers in the NFL.

 

[Jack Bourbon]

If Prisco says it, it's probably wrong.

 

[bama peanut]

He will a good return man. I also think he will be a good DB. He has been underrated before.

 

[TommyMac]

He's overlooking one big thing about Javy, he's a WINNER.

Plus, he's one of the best tacklers I've ever seen. He might see some duty on kick coverage teams as well as returning kicks.

 

[CrimsonProf]

Most draft nerds have Javy going in the 3rd to 4th round. How on earth is that overrated?

 

[BamafanLSUland]

He is overlooking the biggest positives about Javy.... his heart, his want to be better, and his ability to player "bigger" than he is. Besides, who cares what Prisco thinks...

 

[RedStar]

Antoine Winfield.

 

[CullmanTide]

Javy will make some GM look like a genius. Most are football players. Arenas is a game changer.

 

[37bamagrl]

I've seen EVERY game Javy has played, so I think I will take my opinion over whoever this guy is....has he seen Javy return punts???? he's worth a 3rd round pick simply for his return ability - and I think he will surprise some people with his DB ability - after all, he is Saban coached.

and yeah, as someone said, Javy has been underestimated before - i'm sure he loves hearing this type stuff....

 

[Rasputin]

Taylor Mays, S, USC
He looks the part. He is fast, big for a safety, strong and he hits.
But he isn't a great cover player.
Fifteen years ago, he would have been an ideal safety prospect. But with the way the game is played now, he isn't anymore. The bigger, run-support safeties are being replaced by the cover players with range.
Mays isn't as good in coverage as you would like. He doesn't react well enough when the ball is in the air.
Some team will over-draft him based on his numbers. But I think there's a chance he could be another Roy Williams, who flopped with the Dallas Cowboys when the game evolved and he couldn't cover well enough.

I agree with this assessment, I have been saying the same sentiments of Mays...

I disagree with his gauge of Javier and Dunlap. He seems to be trying to push as many fan bases buttons as possible with this article. I mean he didn't leave a single BCS conference out of his assessment.

Well done again, national media, having someone write something just to tick off most of the nation to get ratings, bravo bravo! (Man I need to start writing a blog, I could be famous!)

 

[CHATTBRIT]

I've always liked Javier and being rated in the 3rd or 4th rounds as a 1st team All American is not over rated. He came to Alabama as an after thought but left as an important member of the NC winning team and an All American. The only reason he didn't become the all time NCAA return leader is that teams kicked away from him. I wish him all the best in his future NFL career.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

Being the nickel or dime and primary PR is not the worst of all worlds. Even at that, he'd be earning many more times over per annum what this hack earns...

 

[rgw]

Kareem Jackson was our best corner. Arenas was our best athlete. Marquis Johnson just hustled and worked his tail off to become a solid college corner.


Arenas was never our best cover guy. He did his job in coverage but his greatest asset defensively was his ability to rush off the corner from nickelback. You simply don't see that as much in the pros. Corners have to be cover guys and corner blitzes are something coordinators keep in their back pocket. QB and receiver play is too well tuned, if you start corner blitzing too much...it's going to lead to a bunch of nickel-n-dime receptions and eventually big plays with an interior guy getting over the top of a safety.

Still, it's not absurd to think Arenas could be a team's 3rd corner as exclusively an inside guy. Then you have to consider his abilities as a kick/punt returner. Punting is so good in the pros that having a guy who can steal yards and flip the field because of his shiftiness is a big asset. The difference between averaging drive start around the 20 and starting around the 30 is astronomical in terms of drive scoring rate. Arenas was huge factor in our ability to put points on the board the last four years and not just by the ones he took to the house. Look how Auburn and Texas went girly-man kicking game strategy against us. They hoped not letting Arenas get going early would throw our whole offensive tempo and comfort level off.

 

[Rasputin]

One last thing to add about Javier Arenas that only game tape will reveal...

Balance!

Javier has the best, if not one of the best, abilities to keep his feet as anybody I have ever seen with the ball in their hands. How many times have we seen him bounce off people and stumble, then spin, hurdle, bounce off another defender...and keep going. Truly an amazing athlete that is gifted with the ability to keep his feet and stay balanced while working north south towards the endzone.

As for the combine, they will not assess this trait there, but game film will...obviously something this "blogger" did not watch...

 

[GoBamaJags]

J.A. will make someone look pretty smart for drafting him.

Without clicking the link, I'll make the statement that if this is the same Pete Prisco who worked for the Times Union here in Jax covering the Jaguars, he'd have a hard time looking smart in a group of village idiots.

 

[GoBamaJags]

Someone also said the reason he didn't break the NCAA punt return record was that teams were kicking away from him...

I believe Welker had near 175 return attempts while Javy had around 125. Still only missed it by 9 yards.

I'm not normally one to dwell on personal records for a team sport, but...

:mad2: That really stinks! :mad2:

 

[Hal Bennett]

I don't know how well Jacob Hester is doing lately. I believe he is with the San Diego Chargers.

Well, nobody wanted Hester, a short, 2-star, chubby running back from Shreveport Evangel -- except Nick Saban.

Nobody wanted Javier Arenas -- except Mike Shula. And then Saban got ahold of him.

There is such a thing as being a football player. He might not have the size, even the speed -- but whatever some guys have, it somehow translates into winning football games.

Something that writer leaves out about Tim Tebow. Bobby Bowden put it sort of like this: "You've seen better passers than Tebow, and you've seen better runners than Tebow. But you've never seen a better leader than Tebow."

Arenas wound up as captain at Alabama. As was said of a former Alabama head coach, "I don't know what he had, but he had a lot of it."

 

[BamaSlama]

Without clicking the link, I'll make the statement that if this is the same Pete Prisco who worked for the Times Union here in Jax covering the Jaguars, he'd have a hard time looking smart in a group of village idiots.

It's the same arrogant Prisco. Finebaum would think this guy's a jerk. As hard as it was, I used to listen to his radio show on the drive home from work, because it was the only sports radio I could pick up where I live. I really got a kick out him eating his words in 2005 when all he talked about the week prior to the FLA game was how they were going to romp over "Boring Bama". Thank goodness I have an alternative to him now on my evening drive.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

All overrated: Mays, Tebow, Gerhart, Rolle part of class - NFL - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

How can he possibly think Arenas is overrated as a possible third round pick? 1st or 2nd I could see but 3rd?

The simple fact of the matter is that we don't know until it pans out, do we?

Ryan Leaf was going to be the next John Elway while Rick Mirer was going to be the next Joe Montana. Bill Walsh of all people said that about Mirer.

When did Tom Brady get drafted?

Better yet - when did KURT WARNER get drafted? Oh that's right - he didn't.


Spare me the number of 'can't miss' prospects. I'm not an NFL scout and don't have any of that training. I'm not worthy to tie Bill Walsh's shoes when it comes to evaluating football talent. But I always saw Rick Mirer as a joke even if he didn't. If Mirer had played for anybody except Notre Dame, he would not have even been drafted, much less #2 overall.

So the truth is we don't know.

Remember how Reggie Bush was being compared to Gale Sayers when he was just a sophomore? He hasn't panned out, either.

Remember the 2006 QB draft and how Matt Leinart was going to redefine the QB position while Vince Young was going to be Michael Vick with passing ability? Jay Cutler has probably been the best of those three, and he was an afterthought who played at Vandy of all places.

The funny thing to me about Tebow is this: if he were to go to say, New England, and back up Brady and get in a few games and do good, the same guys ripping him now would rip him then as a 'system QB' and say that this proves anybody can play in Belichick's system.


I think we all have a pretty good idea. I think Tebow will belly flop as a QB. But then I remember a lot of the same folks saying this thought Heath Shuler was going to be an all-time great.