wab wrote: ↑Thu Feb 06, 2020 4:32 pm
Not sure where the "not very bright" thing is coming from.
A couple clips from internet articles during his stint with the Vikes as Patterson's role diminished after his rookie year.
"While Patterson's snaps increased (582 vs. 446 in his rookie year), his targets dropped (from 78, to 67), and the consensus among Vikings reporters is that he struggled to grasp the nuances of Norv Turner's new offense, too often lining up in the wrong location or running the incorrect route.
"Cordarrelle is on a good track right now, OK," said Zimmer. "Now, can he sustain? Can he continue to sustain what he's doing? Because like today, I thought he had a good day. In OTAs, I thought he improved. He'll have really good days, and then he'll have some not-so-good days. Really, I think what he needs to do is just the consistency every single day and the consistency in studying, the consistency in getting extra help that he needs if he needs it, running the routes the same all the time and understanding that there's a lot of great athletes that play professional sports, and there's a lot of great athletes that don't make it in."
The way Zimmer finished frames the entire thing:
"To me, the biggest thing with him is that, does he want to be 'Flash' or does he want to be a great receiver? I'm not trying to dog him or anything, but that's really what it is."
In other words, Patterson needs to play disciplined. He needs to master the small things that are required to play receiver in this league. He needs to learn the option routes. He needs to read defenses. It takes more than just being a great athlete.
Another article, this from VikingsWire during the same time span struggling with Turner's O:
Spotrac says he's got $16m dead money, so I think that means this cut would be for cash savings. If BA wanted him in Tampa, how would the contract structure work? Some sort of offset situation? He looks SO shopworn, I wouldn't want to pay him more than $2-3m per year...
crueltyabc wrote: ↑Fri Feb 07, 2020 1:36 pm
Spotrac says he's got $16m dead money, so I think that means this cut would be for cash savings. If BA wanted him in Tampa, how would the contract structure work? Some sort of offset situation? He looks SO shopworn, I wouldn't want to pay him more than $2-3m per year...
Oh, I think he'll be cut. I just mean I think Tampa would be his destination of choice once that happens.
TJ was pretty good with the Jets, so I don't buy the lifting thing. That whole Benson/TJ thing was a debacle, and they wasted that pick & then went with the wrong guy because of it.
I heard Patterson wasn't very bright when he was a Vike, and was all too happy with believing that. And I really disliked him when he busted ST TDs on the Bears. Damn.
But I LOVE Patterson on the Bears. He's a monster on ST, and for that reason alone I want him around beyond next year.
I agree Patterson could run for 1000 yards. The guy averages like 6 ypc in a pretty large career sample. There are reasons though why he hasn't succeeded in either a WR role or transitioned well into a RB role (where the opportunity was there in NE). He doesn't run great routes or have great hands. But he had excellent skills with the ball in his hands. So why not put him at RB? The problem I believe on the RB side is he does not seem to be a willing or committed blocker. Maybe he's not a "set up your blocker, patience guy". Still, that's fine with me. I think he has some Henry-like traits and could be a bit threat. But he's going to have to block some times. And then while it would help if Holtz was in there too to take on some of that role, this is Nagy's offense and that doesn't seem likely.
2023 Chicago Bears... emerging from a long hibernation, and hungry!
crueltyabc wrote: ↑Fri Feb 07, 2020 1:46 pm
If he's not some sort of locker room cancer, why would you cut a guy who is going to cost you $16m in dead money? I don't see the angle
You are right, I stand corrected - he's not going anywhere.
I thought I'd read that they would save 10.5 million by cutting him.
Understandable. I just searched because I was confused and the reporting around this rumor has been terrible.
The only angle is the thing where they give TB, who has $85m in cap space, a draft pick to take him? The Browns did this recently, right? Paid a bad contract in exchange for a pick?
EDIT: Dolphins did it with Rams and Aqib Talib. Only in this case they'd actually try to play DJ