Great article on his improvement during OTAs
http://bigeasybeliever.com/2015/05/28/as-first-round-of-saints-otas-end-wr-coleman-emerges/
http://bigeasybeliever.com/2015/05/28/as-first-round-of-saints-otas-end-wr-coleman-emerges/
Brandon Coleman Update
- Thread starter Veiox
- Start date
On a personal note he also went back to Rutgers and finished his degree.
1st class guy all the way, easy to root for.
1st class guy all the way, easy to root for.
Good stuff. I always thought the only thing Coleman was missing.. besides a WR-friendly QB.. was some drill that emphasize going up with 2 hands and catching the ball at the highest point.. at his height.. making it near impossible for a CB to break up. He always seemed physically capable of this.. he just needed technique and practice, practice, practice. That he went and got the degree.. shows drive and ambition beyond natural talent. He can be a good one.
He deserves all the credit in the world. He played through a torn MCL and was ripped by many fans for not doing enough his last season at RU. Got his degree and now will catch footballs from one of the best QBs in the game. He gave us many exciting moments during his time at Rutgers. Hope he does the same for fans in the Big Easy.
I am not sure he was really ripped by fans. I think you are wrong here.
It was obvious to ANYONE watching him that he was hurt that Junior season. He lacked the athletic explosiveness that he showed in his Sophomore season, that made him essentially uncoverable - and anyone with a half a brain could tell he was having trouble physically moving and cutting, and getting that explosive separation.
What had astounded me in his Freshman and Sophomore years that no matter who was covering him, on any route longer than 20 yards he ALWAYS managed to get separation ... always ... he simply could not be covered on the long pass. In his Junior season he almost never got separation.
While I am glad for him if he emerges, in retrospect, how much better off would he have been if he had sat out his Junior season to rehab (or have surgery on the MCL), and come back strong and then been a 2nd or 3rd round pick? How much money did that injury cost him?
Though if you think about it ... her did pretty well as a Junior considering he was playing on a torn MCL.
As a 2nd/3rd round pick the guaranteed money is in the $600K-2.5 mil range, which Coleman can make up with a new contract if he performs well this year. He's currently listed as a starter, so that's a great possibility. And don't forget, by coming out when he did, he will have already banked almost $900K during the two years he would have still been in school in your scenario. I think he'll eventually get his money.
While I agree that most everyone knew he was hurt, it's revisionist history to say he wasn't ripped by the fans. At least on the boards, there was a deluge of criticism during the season and on his decision.
Baffles me though that you are still questioning his decision. He has his degree now and he is in the league for the 2nd year. When/if he gets to his next contract the 2nd/3rd round money that you mention will go out the window. And his odds of doing that are now better than the chance that he would have become a 2nd/3rd round pick if he stuck around. How many players really come back that strong the first year after surgery? There are a ton of variables, but at the end of the day - again - he got his degree, he pursuing his goals and he got an extra year of earnings doing it.
No.. Jellyman is correct. Coleman was not ripped by fans. Nova was. And most fans thoughts on Coleman were that he should not be playing hurt and that other receivers should be developed.
There was a lot of back and forth as to whether he was hurt or that Nova forgot how to get him the ball. The consensus.. and A STRONG CONSENSUS that should represent what "the fans" thought... was that he was injured. That is not "getting ripped by fans".
I think the closest this fan ever came to "ripping" Coleman was to suggest they needed to throw fewer over the shoulder balls to him.. they should flatten out his routes because he sees that ball better and makes better plays on such throws. If we could ever suck in the safety on a play fake or a TE route and throw to Coleman on a post behind him.. wow would I have been happy.
That's pretty much how I remember it also. But diceman will spew what he wants to spew.
Are you kidding me? Barely any player survives the year without getting ripped on this board. He most certainly was ripped.
While, injury did impact his production, Nova and he were just not on the same page. This was best exemplified on one of the last plays of the Louisville-RU game in '12 where Nova threw the ball to the UL defender, expecting Coleman to be there.
I'm glad he has an opportunity. Now he has to make the most of it. Long Way to Opening day, and I hope to see him on the active roster. That will represent a great accomplishment.
While, injury did impact his production, Nova and he were just not on the same page. This was best exemplified on one of the last plays of the Louisville-RU game in '12 where Nova threw the ball to the UL defender, expecting Coleman to be there.
I'm glad he has an opportunity. Now he has to make the most of it. Long Way to Opening day, and I hope to see him on the active roster. That will represent a great accomplishment.
It is reasonable to question his decision because he'll never make that money back. Undrafted free agents, under the current CBA, can only get paid minimum wage and teams only have $75K to use in their salary pool for all undrafted free agents. A player like Coleman, who spent the entire season on the Practice Squad, was likely paid $107K whereas he would have been paid at least $420K if he spent the entire season on the active roster. Pick #96 (last non-compensation selection in the 3rd round) in 2013 signed a deal that paid a $515,000 signing bonus and a total contract value of $2,697,500. Also, because he spent the entire season on the Practice Squad, Coleman is no closer to free agency today than if he played at RU last season.
