Jalen Carter

[dplank]

Even after his horrible Pro Day, the Bears are flying him up for interviews. No word if pizza joints in town are going on high alert ....

I usually shoot out a DEFCON text when I’m coming to town. Just shut Gino’s down for the weekend!

[The Cooler King]

Even after his horrible Pro Day, the Bears are flying him up for interviews. No word if pizza joints in town are going on high alert ....

Wonder when they'll have him visit. Is two weeks enough time to see if he rebounds from the poor pro day? Do you run up as close to thr draft as you can?

[karhu]

Even after his horrible Pro Day, the Bears are flying him up for interviews. No word if pizza joints in town are going on high alert ....

Wonder when they'll have him visit. Is two weeks enough time to see if he rebounds from the poor pro day? Do you run up as close to thr draft as you can?

Fascinating question. He was clean and sober in the wee hours after winning the national championship, but I can see a guy his age in that stressful a situation letting his diet and exercise habits go to hell for a while. They've already interviewed him down in Athens, right? If they're flying him up, there's every possibility that he admitted to holing up with delivery pizza, pop, and video games for a few weeks there when he should've been training, and that they want to see if he's gotten his head screwed back on straight.

[dplank]

I suppose I haven’t completely tossed out the idea of taking him at 9

[Heinz D.]

Let's take this a step further... would you trade #9 and #53 to move up to #5 knowing that Seattle may be interested in him?

Absolutely not.

I'd rather trade down from #9, and take Gervon Dexter.

It most likely is a moot point, though. Poles will stay put and draft a DE...maybe an OT...

[Grizzled]

Wonder when they'll have him visit. Is two weeks enough time to see if he rebounds from the poor pro day? Do you run up as close to thr draft as you can?

Fascinating question. He was clean and sober in the wee hours after winning the national championship, but I can see a guy his age in that stressful a situation letting his diet and exercise habits go to hell for a while. They've already interviewed him down in Athens, right? If they're flying him up, there's every possibility that he admitted to holing up with delivery pizza, pop, and video games for a few weeks there when he should've been training, and that they want to see if he's gotten his head screwed back on straight.

Not sure if they interviewed him at the Combine and/or his Pro Day. Flying him up is a sign of somewhat serious interest. What could they ask: "so, are you done being a giant pudding and will put in the work now to succeed?" Reminds me of that stupid question they used to ask on job interviews: "where do you want to be in 5 years". The honest answer was "ultra rich, chilling on a tropical beach with a nympho Miss Universe" but I could never quite nerve myself to give it, just the usual "advancing in the company thru hard work".

[The Kaiser]

Fascinating question. He was clean and sober in the wee hours after winning the national championship, but I can see a guy his age in that stressful a situation letting his diet and exercise habits go to hell for a while. They've already interviewed him down in Athens, right? If they're flying him up, there's every possibility that he admitted to holing up with delivery pizza, pop, and video games for a few weeks there when he should've been training, and that they want to see if he's gotten his head screwed back on straight.

Not sure if they interviewed him at the Combine and/or his Pro Day. Flying him up is a sign of somewhat serious interest. What could they ask: "so, are you done being a giant pudding and will put in the work now to succeed?" Reminds me of that stupid question they used to ask on job interviews: "where do you want to be in 5 years". The honest answer was "ultra rich, chilling on a tropical beach with a nympho Miss Universe" but I could never quite nerve myself to give it, just the usual "advancing in the company thru hard work".

But... Can you really forgive him for being a giant pudding? Of course, as a human You forgive him without question, but as a draft pick? I think not. If he Can't handle the stress and complexities of the draft process, what's going to happen to him as a pro? It's just too risky. There are plenty of other holes and opportunities to upgrade this team at #9 where you can take a lot less risk.

[southdakbearfan]

Hard Pass. If you have an established D line and he is the icing on the cake you can take him. I don't think you can count on him fully given how he showed up for Pro Day.

I expect some excuse about an illness to pop up shortly, that either kept him from training or affected him that day.

It will be so tempting because I don't doubt he will drop to 9 or further due to this, and he could be a generational talent. But can you risk your 9th pick on a guy that can't stay motivated enough to stay in shape for a couple weeks after the combine.

[Grizzled]

As has been pointed out numerous times, he just doesn't play hard every play and game. The guy the Loins drafted last year from Michigan, Hutinson, was noted before the draft as pretty talented but a nonstop motor. I read he worked his ass off in practices and it paid off, he had a great year for a rook. Give me Van Ness, Kancey, Bresee if they go DT. Anderson, Murphy, Wilson if they go DE. Not big on slogans such as HITS but the draft pick has to buy into there's lots of work ahead if he wants to succeed.

[o-pus #40 in B major]

Compassion and empathy for the kid is one thing.

But business is business and I think Poles is trying to run the team according to his (evolving?) business philosophy.

Maybe the invitation is part of a smokescreen. Poles has been open about a lot of stuff but gamesmanship generally includes deception and even bluff.

Or maybe they're actually checking him out for a later pick if they've already got a trade down strategy underway and/or somebody else in mind for their actual first pick.

So I'm still very skeptical about Carter at 9. He might end up as a Bear but Poles has demonstrated an aversion to baggage, particularly where high value transactions are concerned.

[dplank]

As has been pointed out numerous times, he just doesn't play hard every play and game. The guy the Loins drafted last year from Michigan, Hutinson, was noted before the draft as pretty talented but a nonstop motor. I read he worked his ass off in practices and it paid off, he had a great year for a rook. Give me Van Ness, Kancey, Bresee if they go DT. Anderson, Murphy, Wilson if they go DE. Not big on slogans such as HITS but the draft pick has to buy into there's lots of work ahead if he wants to succeed.

If this is true, why did Mel Kiper rank him as his #1 overall prospect based solely on his game film? Kiper surely watched all of his tape and saw something different.

I keep thinking about the JF1 label that he was a “last in, first out “ type - and that turned out to be utter bullshit. JF1 looks to be a super hard worker dedicated to football. So I heard the same “rumors” on Carter as everyone else, but I temper that with Kiper (who certainly heard them as well) and his view that he was the best prospect coming out pre-drama.

I caution against just accepting a random narrative that takes hold on a guy then bounces around the internet disguised as fact. We just saw it here with JF1 and thankfully Pace didn’t buy it.

Now, POST drama, there are new concerns to consider. I’m sure we see Carter fall in Kipers next mock. How far?

[o-pus #40 in B major]

Kiper's hair probably reflects off the video screen and messes up his visual of the tape.

[EricTighe]

As has been pointed out numerous times, he just doesn't play hard every play and game. The guy the Loins drafted last year from Michigan, Hutinson, was noted before the draft as pretty talented but a nonstop motor. I read he worked his ass off in practices and it paid off, he had a great year for a rook. Give me Van Ness, Kancey, Bresee if they go DT. Anderson, Murphy, Wilson if they go DE. Not big on slogans such as HITS but the draft pick has to buy into there's lots of work ahead if he wants to succeed.

If this is true, why did Mel Kiper rank him as his #1 overall prospect based solely on his game film? Kiper surely watched all of his tape and saw something different.

I keep thinking about the JF1 label that he was a “last in, first out “ type - and that turned out to be utter bullshit. JF1 looks to be a super hard worker dedicated to football. So I heard the same “rumors” on Carter as everyone else, but I temper that with Kiper (who certainly heard them as well) and his view that he was the best prospect coming out pre-drama.

I caution against just accepting a random narrative that takes hold on a guy then bounces around the internet disguised as fact. We just saw it here with JF1 and thankfully Pace didn’t buy it.

Now, POST drama, there are new concerns to consider. I’m sure we see Carter fall in Kipers next mock. How far?

Not to beat a dead horse but even Kiper is wrong.

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/4/4/5 ... us-russell

[dplank]

Of course he’s wrong, everyone is wrong when trying to predict into the future. I’m questioning people who watched a half of Georgianfootball all season and say that they know that Carter is lazy in the field. If that were true, no way does Kiper have him ranked the best prospect. And I do know that Kiper has watched every snap Carter took, it’s literally his job.

Kiper may ultimately be wrong on the player, but I can’t believe that he watched every snap, saw a lazy player, then ranked that player at the top of his board anyways. No chance. He saw a routinely disruptive force out there in order to rank him where he did.

[Burl]

And it's not just Kiper, it's CBS sports, Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com, Walterfootball.
Just google the guy's name and he's the top DT on just about everyone's board.

I'm thinking he's worth the risk at #9. Possible top player in the draft has a bad couple weeks and might fall into our laps.

Then again, how often is it that a guy with such questions about work ethic/motivation tend to put those concerns to rest with performance on the NFL field?
History is replete with guys who ultimately lacked the work ethic or focus to succeed.

I can think of a few WRs and RB who had "character issues" coming out but played well in the pros. I'm sure there's some DL.

[The Marshall Plan]

Jalen Carter is not lazy. You don't do what he does on the field and say he's lazy.

Jalen Carter IS stupid though.

Good grief this kid. The biggest month of his life and he falls apart.

Now does that mean the last few years of production should be tossed out the window, no.

But c'mon kid snap out of it FFS.

If this really is just him over celebrating the National Championship and quite honestly him shitting his pants about going to the pros that'll get ironed out in the preseason and the regular season.

[bbaker]

This article has already been quoted in a different thread, but it is remains extremely relevant. This is from April of 2022:

https://www.on3.com/college/georgia-bul ... -bulldogs/

EXCERPT:

"After losing three defensive lineman to the NFL Draft, Georgia must look to rebuild that unit as it hopes to repeat as national champions. Junior Jalen Carter leads the way as the biggest contributor from last season to return, but head coach Kirby Smart wants to see improvement as the role changes.

During a spring practice press conference, Kirby Smart provided the biggest area where Jalen Carter must improve entering the 2022 season for the Georgia defense to have success.

“Just consistency, I think he and I have talked about stamina,” said Smart. “He has flash plays and he’s really athletic, just playing with consistent effort. Because the talent is just oozing. It’s a matter of, can he play every play with maximum intensity and be able to sustain? He was in a three-man weave triangle last year and it was easy to sub him because you weren’t having any drop off when he went off the field.

“We need him to play more snaps this year. We need him to be on the field, we need him to be active, we need him to be able to play first, second, third in a row. Not first, second, and then some thirds. So can he do that? Can he go through offseason workouts and put himself in a position to be like Travon (Walker) from a stamina standpoint. And Devonte (Wyatt) worked so hard in practice that Devonte could play any number of snaps and still be fresh. We’ve got to get Jalen to be able to do that. And lead, set an example for the other players.”

He did NOT do that. This is nothing new with Carter. WORK ETHIC has been an issue with him for a long time.

[Z Bear]

This kid is immature, not stupid. Pretty sure very few of us on this board had our shit together at 21 years old, he obviously does not either. However, he has physical traits that very few people on Earth possess and should still be in consideration at 9. The kids life has been in chaos the last two months and I am sure it has effected his workouts. He is still #2 on my wish list behind Will Anderson and would be a coup with the 9th pick.

[Grizzled]

1

Pretty sure very few of us on this board had our shit together at 21 years old, he obviously does not either.

I'm ... offended. I was single-handedly trying to pump up the economy of Mexico ....

Never read that about Fields but more than one article on Carter. They'll take him if he makes a strong case to do so. I'll be satisfied.

[dplank]

And it's not just Kiper, it's CBS sports, Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com, Walterfootball.
Just google the guy's name and he's the top DT on just about everyone's board.

I'm thinking he's worth the risk at #9. Possible top player in the draft has a bad couple weeks and might fall into our laps.

Then again, how often is it that a guy with such questions about work ethic/motivation tend to put those concerns to rest with performance on the NFL field?
History is replete with guys who ultimately lacked the work ethic or focus to succeed.

I can think of a few WRs and RB who had "character issues" coming out but played well in the pros. I'm sure there's some DL.

It’s very much a high risk high reward. Considering that the potential best player in the draft happens to play the most important position on our defense and fills our biggest need by far, I am very tempted to take a shot.

I also think JF1s presence may help a lot as well, dude is a great leader and guys follow him. A peer may be able to motivate Carter better than a coach will.

[o-pus #40 in B major]

The number 9 pick should also be a leader and guys should follow him, I agree with this for sure.

[RichH55]

As has been pointed out numerous times, he just doesn't play hard every play and game. The guy the Loins drafted last year from Michigan, Hutinson, was noted before the draft as pretty talented but a nonstop motor. I read he worked his ass off in practices and it paid off, he had a great year for a rook. Give me Van Ness, Kancey, Bresee if they go DT. Anderson, Murphy, Wilson if they go DE. Not big on slogans such as HITS but the draft pick has to buy into there's lots of work ahead if he wants to succeed.

If this is true, why did Mel Kiper rank him as his #1 overall prospect based solely on his game film? Kiper surely watched all of his tape and saw something different.

I keep thinking about the JF1 label that he was a “last in, first out “ type - and that turned out to be utter bullshit. JF1 looks to be a super hard worker dedicated to football. So I heard the same “rumors” on Carter as everyone else, but I temper that with Kiper (who certainly heard them as well) and his view that he was the best prospect coming out pre-drama.

I caution against just accepting a random narrative that takes hold on a guy then bounces around the internet disguised as fact. We just saw it here with JF1 and thankfully Pace didn’t buy it.

Now, POST drama, there are new concerns to consider. I’m sure we see Carter fall in Kipers next mock. How far?

We have no idea on most of this - I like that we just make assumptions based on vibes now.

Still beats scouting via Pressers

[RichH55]

And it's not just Kiper, it's CBS sports, Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com, Walterfootball.
Just google the guy's name and he's the top DT on just about everyone's board.

I'm thinking he's worth the risk at #9. Possible top player in the draft has a bad couple weeks and might fall into our laps.

Then again, how often is it that a guy with such questions about work ethic/motivation tend to put those concerns to rest with performance on the NFL field?
History is replete with guys who ultimately lacked the work ethic or focus to succeed.

I can think of a few WRs and RB who had "character issues" coming out but played well in the pros. I'm sure there's some DL.

He is a guy to acquire right before his last year before FA - ala Haynesworth

[The Marshall Plan]

And it's not just Kiper, it's CBS sports, Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com, Walterfootball.
Just google the guy's name and he's the top DT on just about everyone's board.

I'm thinking he's worth the risk at #9. Possible top player in the draft has a bad couple weeks and might fall into our laps.

Then again, how often is it that a guy with such questions about work ethic/motivation tend to put those concerns to rest with performance on the NFL field?
History is replete with guys who ultimately lacked the work ethic or focus to succeed.

I can think of a few WRs and RB who had "character issues" coming out but played well in the pros. I'm sure there's some DL.

It’s very much a high risk high reward. Considering that the potential best player in the draft happens to play the most important position on our defense and fills our biggest need by far, I am very tempted to take a shot.

I also think JF1s presence may help a lot as well, dude is a great leader and guys follow him. A peer may be able to motivate Carter better than a coach will.

This is also why signing a legit leader for that DL would've been valuable. Take Carter under his wing and straighten the rookie out.

[dplank]

Quinn could be that guy

[The Marshall Plan]

Quinn could be that guy

Yeah and probably for cheap too.

The DE problem is so fixable it's hilarious. Two guys out there, Ngakoue and Quinn, could fix one instantly.

[RichH55]

I didn't watch every Georgia game - and also they supposedly play a weird style on the DL (so its EXTRA odd to the layman where I'm looking for certain results that perhaps aren't the point of the play)

I do know that when I watched Carter v. tOSU - and I was focusing on him - I did not come back overly impressed

[RichH55]

I think Justin Houston is the guy we should bring in to be the veteran DL leader who can help out with situational pass rush as well

[IE]

They're just not going to sign 30 something guys until maybe the end to fill a hole.

[The Kaiser]

The Atlanta Journal Constitution has a full investigative report out today on the Jalen Carter crash. Its behind a pay wall but I was able to copy and paste it before being blocked.

I think the story is as expected with a few wrinkles including the fact that the police were considering charging Carter with vehicular homicide. And he is most definitely culpable in the affair based on the description of the race and his role "on pole position."

Legally, I think he got off relatively easy based on the story.

I must say though, seeing the photos and reading the details of the brutal crash really brings home what a tragedy it was; I can imagine why he's pretty shaken up about the whole thing.