Tag: rookie

2019 Rookie report: T.J Hockenson

From snap counts to a historic start to his career, we review the rookie season of Detroit Lions first-round pick T.J. Hockenson.

Despite getting the top tight end prospect in a draft class loaded with talent at the position, many fans weren’t too thrilled with the Detroit Lions selecting T.J Hockenson with the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Just a month prior, the team signed veteran tight end Jesse James to a massive four-year $22.6 million contract, while also bringing in Logan Thomas to compete at the position, making the Hockenson pick even more of a head-scratcher.

The rookie had a historic start to his career, setting the league record for tight end receiving yards in an NFL debut. He ended his historic day with six receptions for 131 yards and a touchdown. While things looked bright for the rookie, his Week 1 stats ended up comprising over a third of his total season production.

Hockenson’s utilization on offense was mostly from the “F” tight end role; seeing more production as a slot receiver than a blocker. Lining up often in the slot, the rookie had some struggles getting open in the passing game, catching roughly 54-percent of the passes that came his way. Despite some disappointing results in the receiving game, Hockenson only dropped two passes throughout twelve games.

The rookie’s snap counts were indicative of Detroit’s committee approach at the tight end position. Hockenson shared his reps with both James and Thomas for most of the season, but the position group as a whole did not contribute much on offense.

His snaps on offense took a steady decline as the season went on. While part of this could be explained by his underwhelming play, the changes at quarterback are also to blame. With starting quarterback Matthew Stafford going down with a back injury, the Lions relied on both Jeff Driskel and David Blough to lead the offense for the second half of the season.

Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell had to adjust for these two backups’ playing styles and lack of NFL experience, leading to a decline in tight end usage as a whole.

His rookie season came to an unfortunate end after suffering a gruesome ankle injury at the end of this year’s Thanksgiving Day game. While this injury is the one that caused him to be placed on injured reserve, this was not the only injury that impacted his first year in the NFL. After trying to hurdle two defenders against the Kansas City Chiefs, Hockenson suffered a concussion and had to leave the game.

Hockenson’s freshman season in the NFL didn’t live up to the draft capital used to get him, but he did provide some optimistic glimpses into Detroit’s future. His play in the near-wins against both the Cardinals and Chiefs showed he is capable of being the Lions’ primary option at tight end.

The rookie out of Iowa finished the season with 32 receptions for 337 yards and two scores.

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Hopefully, he can enter the 2020 season healthy and ready to reunite with Stafford on offense. In year two, there’s much to look forward to from this rookie.

Jordan Poole’s career night vs. Magic snaps Warriors’ losing streak

Rookie Jordan Poole led the Warriors against the Orlando Magic to snap Golden State’s 10-game losing streak.

After winning four-consecutive games to end 2019, the Golden State Warriors have struggled through the start of the new decade, losing 10-straight games. However, with an unlikely hero in rookie Jordan Poole leading the way with Stephen Curry along the sideline, Golden State snapped their season-high losing streak with a 109-95 win against Orlando.

Golden State fell behind 10-0 in the opening minutes, yet was able to pick up the slack in the second and third quarters. Orlando started the fourth quarter with a burst of points to cut down the Warriors’ lead. With Golden State reeling, D’Angelo Russell took over the final period to seal Golden State’s first victory of 2020.

Rolling Rookie

After struggling throughout the start of his rookie season, the Warriors 2019 first-round draft pick has been fantastic since a short stint in the NBA’s G League.

Poole led Golden State in scoring with 21 points for a career-high. Poole has scored in double digits in his last four straight games, shooting 42.1% against the Orlando Magic, including 4-of-10 from beyond the arc.

After playing one half of a season at the NBA level, Poole seems to be finding his role in Steve Kerr’s rotation finally.

Stephen Curry on the call

In the third quarter, Golden State’s two-time Most Valuable Player joined the game, not as a player, but as a sideline analyst for the home-broadcast. With Curry on the call, the Warriors stormed out to an 82-71 lead behind a strong third-quarter.

The Warriors’ rookie tandem of Poole and Eric Paschall combined for 14 points in the third period. Golden State shot 13-of-20 from the field. Curry was proud of the Warriors’ performance while he was broadcasting.

Double-double D-Lo

With Curry and Klay Thompson dealing with injuries, D’Angelo Russell has filled in as the Warriors key offensive piece. However, against the Magic, Russell turned into Golden State’s facilitator for a season-high 12 assists.

Russell finished the night with a double-double, scoring 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting from the field. When the Magic went on a run, Russell was able to step up and knock down a few big shots to close-out Orlando.

Warriors veteran says rookie Jordan Poole ‘got his swag back’

Jordan Poole had his third straight double-digit scoring performance and Glenn Robinson III thinks the Warriors’ rookie ‘got his swag back.’

During the Warriors’ 10-game losing streak, a bright spot has been the solid play of the team’s first-round draft pick, Jordan Poole. The Michigan Wolverine product took a quick detour to the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. However, since being back in San Francisco, Poole has put together one of his best stretches of the season.

Poole has scored double digits in each of his past three games, shooting 43.8 % from the field and 42.9 % from beyond the arc. A massive improvement in comparison to the rookie’s dreadful start to the season.

In a loss to the Denver Nuggets, Poole provided the Warriors an early spark, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to give Golden State the lead in the first quarter. Golden State couldn’t close out the game, but the first-year player’s performance impressed one veteran.

Glenn Robinson III spoke after the game and told the media that he’s happy to see Poole regain his confidence, while dropping a nickname for the rookie.

It’s great to see the young guys playing well — J.P; I told him he got his swag back — I started calling him ‘Microwave’ again, that’s his nickname — I call him ‘Wave.’

Robinson told the media that he knows Poole has what it takes to stick around the NBA, especially when he’s getting the Chase Center’s San Francisco crowd into it.

I’m glad to see able to him play —I know he’s an NBA player —I know he can stick in this league — to see him really find his role and he’s at his best when he keeps it simple knocking down shots — then he could get the crowd into it — that’s what he does best, he’s a great player.

Robinson III discusses the play of Poole at 2:00 in the link below.

With Jacob Evans in the NBA’s concussion protocol, Steve Kerr will have to continue to rely on Poole in the backcourt. With the rookie’s steady play of late, it’s an easy decision.

Seahawks hoping L.J. Collier can take 2nd-year leap in 2020

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll believes L.J. Collier can take a jump forward in year two, much like teammate Rasheem Green.

It’s no secret L.J. Collier’s first season in a Seattle Seahawks uniform didn’t go as planned. The rookie defensive end suffered a severe ankle injury in training camp, preventing him from gaining valuable playing time during the preseason and ultimately putting him behind the sticks development wise for the entire campaign.

All told, Collier only appeared in 11 games in 2019, often for just a handful of snaps, and he racked up just three combined tackles.

The lack of production by Collier, on a team that was desperate for any kind of help in the pass rush, was no doubt frustrating for all parties involved. However, coach Pete Carroll is confident that with more reps, Collier will get going and take a big step forward in 2020.

“I think he just needs to be in there,” Carroll said on Monday. “Get his play time, get going, get all of camp, get everything organized, he’s got it all together. We would like to play him inside and out, move him a little bit. I hope – I already talked to him about it – he can make the kind of jump that Rasheem [Green] made from year one to year two. I thought Rasheem had a terrific season this year to help us out and start to get his career rolling. Hopefully L.J. will make the same kind of advance.”

Green had a similarly absent rookie campaign, appearing in 10 games with just nine tackles in 2018. However, he burst onto the scene this past season, leading the team with four sacks and recording three forced fumbles, two passes defended and 27 combined tackles.

A Green-like step in the right direction for Collier in season two would be a huge boost for this Seattle defense.

At 24, Collier is already two years older than Green – which likely caps his overall growth. However, despite the rough campaign, there’s still plenty of optimism that Collier can be an impact player in the trenches for the Seahawks, both in the short and long-term.

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Sunday’s performance could open up big role for Phil Haynes in 2020

Seattle Seahawks guard Phil Haynes impressed on Sunday against the Packers, in what amounted to an audition for a bigger role in 2020.

For most of the second half in Sunday’s loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Seattle Seahawks employed rookie Phil Haynes at left guard in place of Jamarco Jones.

It was the first game action for Haynes, save for a single snap on special teams in the wild card game against Philadelphia.

Haynes battled a sports hernia during training camp and was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list for the first six weeks of the season. He was activated on November 5, but spent the rest of the year as a reserve, just trying to get caught up after missing so much time.

Haynes evidently did enough to earn playing time on Sunday, and he took advantage of the opportunity, impressing coach Pete Carroll in what amounted to an audition for a job in 2020.

“Phil did a good job,” Carroll said on Monday afternoon. “What we’ve seen in Phillip is that he’s really strong and he plays real square. He did it in that game, he did very well. Was really pleased to see him, he’s had such little play time since he’s been here, so it was great to see him do well.”

Starting left guard Mike Iupati is a free agent, and right guard D.J. Fluker could opt out of his contract and test free agency as well, so there’s definitely an opportunity for Haynes to step into a starting role in 2020.

Time will tell if he gets that chance, but having a strong performance under his belt, in a playoff game no less, certainly helps his odds.

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DK Metcalf could break NFL rookie record for playoff yards

Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf is 83 yards away from breaking Torry Holt’s record for receiving yards by a rookie in the playoffs.

Seattle Seahawks rookie receiver DK Metcalf broke a handful of team and NFL records on Sunday, when he hauled in seven receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown in the team’s 17-9 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now, Metcalf only needs 83 yards to pass Torry Holt for the most receiving yards by a rookie receiver in postseason history, a feat that will be difficult, but not impossible, for him to achieve on Sunday against the Packers.

Metcalf only topped 83 receiving yards three times this season, although he did have between 75 and 81 yards on three occasions – so it’s certainly not out of the question.

Metcalf will likely be marked by former University of Washington product Kevin King on Sunday, a matchup that should be fun to watch between two guys with a lot of size and athleticism at their respective positions.

“He’s real long,” coach Pete Carroll said of King. “He’s real fast. Good hands. Good competitor and all that. We really liked him. He’s exactly like the guys we like to look at. 4.4 flat, which is fast, fast. All the length that he has, too.”

Metcalf’s quest for 83 yards will be secondary to just winning the football game, of course, a feat that would give the dynamic rookie another shot at breaking Holt’s record – if he can’t get it done on Sunday.

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D.K. Metcalf’s historic playoff debut shows value of total scouting

Seattle Seahawks rookie wide receiver DK Metcalf posted an impressive performance in the wild-card win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

It’s easy to get caught up in combine and pro day numbers either way to the detriment of your organization. When Ole Miss receiver D.K. Metcalf ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the 2019 scouting combine at 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds, it seemed that all anybody wanted to talk about was his 20-yard shuttle and 3-cone drill times that were more appropriate for defensive tackles, and seemed to indicate that Metcalf, who caught 67 passes for 1,228 yards and 14 touchdowns in 21 college games, would not be able to run anywhere near a full route tree at the NFL level.

The next step was to observe Metcalf at Seattle’s rookie minicamp, which I did. Pete Carroll had no concerns about Metcalf’s ability to do more, and neither did Mississippi receivers coach Jacob Peeler, who said on a Seattle radio station around that time that most of Metcalf’s route limitations were schematic.

“These are things he did every day at practice,” Peeler said of Metcalf’s potentially expanded palette. “If you watch him run routes, and I know people are trying to find something to flaw him on. Because when you saw pictures of him — he’s got the height and everything else, so they’re trying to find something bad about him. The system we were running at the time, that’s what was called for during games. But you’ll see him — he runs slants, digs, comebacks, curls … you name it. He does it at top-level talent, and those will be things that fans will get to see once he gets there. But that’s something I never really questioned with him. He is 6-4, he is 225, so he has some things where big guys are going to be limited, but he was a tremendous asset to our offense. We were sitting at 5-2 when he had his injury, and we finished at 5-7.”

Okay, so, the question remained — if Metcalf could do those things, why wasn’t he?

“Just the ebbs and flows of the game,” Peeler said. “He did some of that in games — he wasn’t just running post and go routes. But his position, at the “X” position, that was the vertical aspect of that position, and he was the best at that.”

Metcalf wasn’t just running go routes in that minicamp. He was ripping the ball away from rookie cornerbacks in contested catch situations. He was running slants. He was running sideline patterns and creating serious problems for defenders with his ability to stretch for the ball. Most of all, he was getting Carroll very excited about his potential.

“Well, it’s almost like, what doesn’t, you know?” Carroll said in May when I asked him what excites him about Metcalf’s potential. “I mean, he’s big and he’s fast. He’s got really good feet, you know, and his catching range was exhibited today. And you know, we’ve got to figure it out, figure out where it is, maybe even more unique than we thought coming in. So, we just develop it as we go. But big and really fast and the catching range was really obvious today.”

I then asked Carroll where Metcalf’s route understanding is compared to where the Seahawks are going to need it to be.

“He’s been coached up well; he had a tremendous offseason working with Jerry Sullivan, one of the great receiver coaches in the history of the NFL. And I’m not taking anything away from where he was. I just know what we’re seeing right now. We’re seeing the guy work really hard at it, getting down and getting in and out of his breaks and stuff. Yeah, he looks like he’s ready to compete.”

Yeah, it looked like he was. In the regular season, Metcalf caught 58 passes on 100 targets for 900 yards and seven touchdowns, and that was just a warmup for what happened in Seattle’s 17-9 wild-card win over the Eagles on Sunday. There, Metcalf set an NFL record for a rookie receiver in his first playoff game, catching seven passes on nine targets for 160 yards and a touchdown. Had Russell Wilson not been hit on a couple of errant throws, Metcalf’s day could have been even bigger.

Not only that, but Metcalf set a franchise record for the most receiving yards in a playoff game. Not bad for a guy who supposedly couldn’t do anything but run in a straight line. Not that Metcalf running in a straight line is a bad thing, as he showed on this 53-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

And this 36-yard catch to ice the game with 1:47 left wasn’t too shabby, either.

 

This isn’t to say that three-cone times aren’t important. Everything is important to a greater or lesser degree when assessing the value of a prospect. But it’s easy to become fixated on the things a player supposedly can’t do at the expense of the things the player has already done, or may do in the future in the right system. Carroll and general manager John Schneider have preached the philosophy for years of focusing on what a player can do, and it’s allowed them to procure several major steals in the draft since 2010. Metcalf, who finished third among rookies in receptions, third in yards, and tied for second in touchdowns, is the most recent example.

We don’t know how many teams who passed on Metcalf did so because he ran a bad three-cone. Perhaps injury issues were also a focus; he missed all but seven games in 2018 with a neck issue. But we also don’t know how many teams talked to Mississippi’s staff about the routes Metcalf ran versus the routes he could run. We don’t know how many times teams saw Metcalf running a quick out to a slant to potentially devastating effect on plays where he didn’t get the ball. We don’t know how many teams followed up on Metcalf’s pre-draft work with Sullivan, of whom Larry Fitzgerald once said, “He’s forgotten more football than most people have ever seen.”

There were a lot of factors that went into D.K. Metcalf’s transition from supposedly one-dimensional draft prospect to dominant postseason performer. Right player, right scheme, right quarterback, right team. But the one common element among most draft steals, no matter the situation, is a commitment to total scouting that goes beyond the one pronounced liability, or the forwarded narrative, and instead dials up the entire picture.

The Seahawks did that with Metcalf, and they were rewarded with a historic performance when it was most needed.

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DK Metcalf sets NFL record with 160 receiving yards against Eagles

Seattle Seahawks rookie receiver DK Metcalf finished with 160 receiving yards on Sunday against the Eagles, a franchise playoff record.

The Seattle Seahawks advanced to the NFC divisional round following a hard-fought victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, 17-9, on Sunday afternoon.

The Seahawks won despite an atrocious running game, which saw Travis Homer and Marshawn Lynch combined for just 19 yards on 17 carries.

That forced Seattle to air the ball out more, and the biggest beneficiary was rookie receiver DK Metcalf, who finished with seven receptions (on nine targets) for 160 yards and a touchdown.

Metcalf’s 160 receiving yards was not only a career-high, it was a Seahawks franchise record for a playoff game, breaking the previous record of 142 held by tight end Zach Miller.

It is also the most by a rookie in a playoff game in the Super Bowl era.

Metcalf did most of his damage on a remarkable 53-yard touchdown reception that saw him go to the ground to catch the pass, get up and scramble his way into the end zone.

Metcalf’s record-breaking rookie season continues with Seattle’s trip to Green Bay to take on a 13-3 Packers team that is coming off a bye week.

Kickoff is slated for 3:40 p.m. PT.

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