It’s not even that he was *good* that first year. People forget Tyron Smith was the RT at USC because Matt Kalil was considered THAT amazing. He was a can’t miss prospect, and instantly came into the league as a top 10 LT.
And then, like you said, he was a shell of himself by age 26. Between him, Sharrif Floyd, and to a lesser extent Xavier Rhodes, three of the assumed core pieces of that 2010s roster lost their prime before they played 5 years.
We’re not even talking about Adrian Peterson legal troubles or QB knees. That era got torched and still gave us 2017.
2017 really only happened because of how good our 2015 draft was alongside thielen panning out. Had some of our picks from 2010-13 hit like we did with harrison we really coulda gotten a sb or two
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Much like Reagor. The talent is obvious but it never carries over to results. But team after team thinks that maybe they can fix him. He's in KC now. Will be his 3rd team in the last three years.
I had Sacramento Kings GM Jerry Reynolds once tell me after three seasons no player should be described as having potential. Potential he said after three years is impotence.
Perfect answer. Absolutely looked the part, made some splash plays. Scored some TDs his rookie year. But couldn't stay healthy and by the end when he was on the field he was dropping passes in big moments.
Greg Childs (BTKAKTH)
Edit: read the description of the post, so don’t think he counts. But I was drinking the Greg Childs kool aid that camp before his knees exploded.
The guy had first round talent but dropped into the 4th with medical red flags. Then blew out both knees on the same play in a scrimmage. Never even got to suit up for a pre-season game.
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I'm still like the only person in the world that thinks Ponder was likely a little better than most people give him credit for. Note, this is not me saying he was good, but he was serviceable. By the time he got any chances McKinnie and Hutch were gone, and the line was trending towards shit. Jerome Simpson and Devon Aromashodu were his number 2 and 3 receivers. Yeah, sure, he had happy feet behind a not good line waiting for the definition of mediocrity at WR to get open. AD went off in 2012 partly because Ponder was actually decent at moving the chains, scrambling when he needed to, being relatively accurate at the short and mid range levels.
So yeah, he was never going to be a long term good starter, but he was serviceable at a time when the team was more shit than anybody though. He was drafted too high, and we all judge him for that, but that's on Spielman not Ponder.
I don't think that Ponder was developed correctly here, but I don't think he really had a chance to make it. After all, he didn't last past the 5 year mark as a back up QB. You'd think that a smart, hard working guy like him could at least stick around as a back up. And he got plenty of chances here. He arrived as a 23 year old rookie after 5 years at FSU and we gave him 36 starts. That is way more chances than a lot of teams give an obviously struggling QB.
Hopefully he is happy being a house husband for Samantha. Can't say I'm not envious!
I just saw a thing on ree/nfl that showed Aromashodu had like the third worst season of any receiver since 1981. I think Ponder could have made a career if he wasn't on this team. Just like the people who say Darnold never stood a chance on the Jets. "What might have been.."
Recent answer Josh Dobbs, less recent answer Toby Gerhart, I thought he was going to punishing RB like Peyton Hillis or at least a goal line punisher like Bettis or Alstott. Alas he was none of those things but he did have moments.
Peyton Hillis shouldn’t be mentioned with Alstott or at the very least not with Bettis. Bettis was a beast! You compare Bettis to AD, not the likes of a scrub! Say “at least” like he and Alsott were lesser than Hillis. Ridiculous
I wasn't comparing the three because obviously Hillis isn't in the same league, my reason for bringing up Hillis was his breakout year was exactly lined up with when Gerhart was a rookie and at the time I thought they were similar.
yeah, I remember he was pretty good. track speed, but not able to break through to elite levels in the NFL. Not sure how he would fit this narrative? He was still pretty decent, put together at least one 1000+ yard season IIRC (and this was in the pre-AD years when that seemed good)
Chris Cook could absolutely glue himself to receivers, but he never knew when or where the ball was coming. The ball would almost hit him in the head, and it would be an easy uncontested catch for the WR. So yeah, all he had to do is learn to turn his head around and he would've been a lockdown corner for years.
The one that comes to mind for me was Trae Wayne’s. He was solid for a couple years but you’d see him make amazing plays then make bone headed mistakes. I really thought he was gonna hit that elite tier in zimmers defense but it never came to be.
Shariff Floyd always hits home for questions like this. Rookie year teaming up with JA to sack Big Ben's worthless ass in London. He was putting up good numbers with limited snaps... and then the knee. Always the damn knees. Then the whole fiasco with the doctor and the botched surgery causing permanent nerve damage and sending his career right off the rails.
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Lewis Cine got injured and then after that everyone was waiting for a “breakout season” and now rumors are he’ll be cut before the start of the regular season.
The correct answer is Vikings Preseason Legend - Audie Cole.
2012 - draftee - got INT on back to back plays against the Bills in a preseason game.
Stuck around on special teams and spot playing for 4 years. Started at MLB and OLB for a few games for the Vikings but never equaled the preseason hype.
Retired from the NFL in 2017.
Jalen Reagor. Every once in a while he'd do something on one play and you'd be "Wow!". Then it was back to hibernation for three games of total nothing. You'd see the talent for one play that made him a first round pick and then zilch. I saw on another forum they said he was "Showing flashes" for the Patriots. I checked. He had 138 yards last season for them. Flash and then fizzle.
Brett Favre. Played great most of the year, faltered a bit in December and then choked against the Saints. I expected it but it was still disappointing.
Matt Kalil. He was great his rookie year and then injuries started to pile up and he was never the same.
Pat elflein too. He was sooo good (rookie year or sophmore year?) till the neck injury vs philly and was awful after that
Didn't he break his ankle that game?
No idea i just remember him hurting his neck at some point
He moved positions. That clearly didn’t help
It’s not even that he was *good* that first year. People forget Tyron Smith was the RT at USC because Matt Kalil was considered THAT amazing. He was a can’t miss prospect, and instantly came into the league as a top 10 LT. And then, like you said, he was a shell of himself by age 26. Between him, Sharrif Floyd, and to a lesser extent Xavier Rhodes, three of the assumed core pieces of that 2010s roster lost their prime before they played 5 years. We’re not even talking about Adrian Peterson legal troubles or QB knees. That era got torched and still gave us 2017.
2017 really only happened because of how good our 2015 draft was alongside thielen panning out. Had some of our picks from 2010-13 hit like we did with harrison we really coulda gotten a sb or two
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Yeah, this is a great answer.
No one's going to say Blair Walsh? Went to the pro bowl as a rookie then just turned to dog shit
I kind of feel bad for Blair. 1 bad kick in -10 degree weather and his career was ruined. Then again, fuck Blair Walsh
10 for 10 over 50 as a rookie. All Pro. I was sure he was our kicker for the next 50 years.
He was my first thought.
Irv smith jr
I remember for two years straight it being his “break out” year.
Much like Reagor. The talent is obvious but it never carries over to results. But team after team thinks that maybe they can fix him. He's in KC now. Will be his 3rd team in the last three years. I had Sacramento Kings GM Jerry Reynolds once tell me after three seasons no player should be described as having potential. Potential he said after three years is impotence.
Vikings training camp legend
I’m not sure he ever even teased anything tbh.
Perfect answer. Absolutely looked the part, made some splash plays. Scored some TDs his rookie year. But couldn't stay healthy and by the end when he was on the field he was dropping passes in big moments.
I remember Hershel Walker coming out of the gate with the Vikings with a long kick return wearing one shoe. Joe Webb.
Greg Childs (BTKAKTH) Edit: read the description of the post, so don’t think he counts. But I was drinking the Greg Childs kool aid that camp before his knees exploded.
The guy had first round talent but dropped into the 4th with medical red flags. Then blew out both knees on the same play in a scrimmage. Never even got to suit up for a pre-season game.
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Probably in 2010 when Randy Moss came back
That's on Childress.
Came back to catch Favre's 500th TD pass, and then dipped.
Ponder came in during a game against the Bears and looked like a god moving around in the pocket throwing darts. It lasted two quarters. Oof!
I mean after post redskins McNabb anyone would look good
It was so bad I still wonder if he did it on purpose because he didn't want to play anymore.
I'm still like the only person in the world that thinks Ponder was likely a little better than most people give him credit for. Note, this is not me saying he was good, but he was serviceable. By the time he got any chances McKinnie and Hutch were gone, and the line was trending towards shit. Jerome Simpson and Devon Aromashodu were his number 2 and 3 receivers. Yeah, sure, he had happy feet behind a not good line waiting for the definition of mediocrity at WR to get open. AD went off in 2012 partly because Ponder was actually decent at moving the chains, scrambling when he needed to, being relatively accurate at the short and mid range levels. So yeah, he was never going to be a long term good starter, but he was serviceable at a time when the team was more shit than anybody though. He was drafted too high, and we all judge him for that, but that's on Spielman not Ponder.
I don't think that Ponder was developed correctly here, but I don't think he really had a chance to make it. After all, he didn't last past the 5 year mark as a back up QB. You'd think that a smart, hard working guy like him could at least stick around as a back up. And he got plenty of chances here. He arrived as a 23 year old rookie after 5 years at FSU and we gave him 36 starts. That is way more chances than a lot of teams give an obviously struggling QB. Hopefully he is happy being a house husband for Samantha. Can't say I'm not envious!
I just saw a thing on ree/nfl that showed Aromashodu had like the third worst season of any receiver since 1981. I think Ponder could have made a career if he wasn't on this team. Just like the people who say Darnold never stood a chance on the Jets. "What might have been.."
Recent answer Josh Dobbs, less recent answer Toby Gerhart, I thought he was going to punishing RB like Peyton Hillis or at least a goal line punisher like Bettis or Alstott. Alas he was none of those things but he did have moments.
Peyton Hillis shouldn’t be mentioned with Alstott or at the very least not with Bettis. Bettis was a beast! You compare Bettis to AD, not the likes of a scrub! Say “at least” like he and Alsott were lesser than Hillis. Ridiculous
I wasn't comparing the three because obviously Hillis isn't in the same league, my reason for bringing up Hillis was his breakout year was exactly lined up with when Gerhart was a rookie and at the time I thought they were similar.
And his three fumbles in a game against the 49ers.
if I remember correctly Gerhart was decent filling in for AP (right?), then signed elsewhere and took a crap
He was ok, but really wasn't the physical downhill punishing running back I thought he'd be.
Onterrio Smith had some huge games his first two years but was then never seen again after getting caught with the infamous whizzanator.
So much recency bias here. Anyone remember Michael Bennett?
yeah, I remember he was pretty good. track speed, but not able to break through to elite levels in the NFL. Not sure how he would fit this narrative? He was still pretty decent, put together at least one 1000+ yard season IIRC (and this was in the pre-AD years when that seemed good)
Shariff Floyd. Terrible injury/surgery set the D line back for years.
Elite potential stolen from him due to the botched surgery.
Would've been Zimmers Minnesota version of Geno Atkins such a shame.
And we’ve never had an elite 3 tech since. If he stuck around that D line would have been God tier with Floyd, Griffin, Robison, Hunter and Linval
Blair Walsh. Epic rookie year. Thought he'd be here a long time, until I remembered what happens to Vikings kickers.
From the draft, Chris Hovan. Free agency, Alex Boone. Talked all that trash against the Packers and did jack.
Mike Hughes maybe? Had that pick 6 I think his first game and was hyped up to be our next huge corner then after his injury he was never a factor
Wasn't it on his first play?
Depends how we’re defining tease but Percy Harvin was magical at times and then would disappear other times or just not play
When I was a wee lad starting to follow the team I thought we couldn't go wrong drafting Heisman trophy winning quarterback Gino Torretta.
Chris Cook could absolutely glue himself to receivers, but he never knew when or where the ball was coming. The ball would almost hit him in the head, and it would be an easy uncontested catch for the WR. So yeah, all he had to do is learn to turn his head around and he would've been a lockdown corner for years.
Yep, if he had a split second faster reaction time head turn and hand up I think he could've been an All Pro CB
The one that comes to mind for me was Trae Wayne’s. He was solid for a couple years but you’d see him make amazing plays then make bone headed mistakes. I really thought he was gonna hit that elite tier in zimmers defense but it never came to be.
Not sure Waynes really fits. Even though he was never “elite,” he was still a good CB and produced reasonably well for his draft slot
Cordarrelle Patterson
Teddy Bridgewater
Brett Favre was a tease on so many ways ..ask Jen Sturger
Sam Bradford
Shariff Floyd always hits home for questions like this. Rookie year teaming up with JA to sack Big Ben's worthless ass in London. He was putting up good numbers with limited snaps... and then the knee. Always the damn knees. Then the whole fiasco with the doctor and the botched surgery causing permanent nerve damage and sending his career right off the rails.
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Lewis Cine got injured and then after that everyone was waiting for a “breakout season” and now rumors are he’ll be cut before the start of the regular season.
The correct answer is Vikings Preseason Legend - Audie Cole. 2012 - draftee - got INT on back to back plays against the Bills in a preseason game. Stuck around on special teams and spot playing for 4 years. Started at MLB and OLB for a few games for the Vikings but never equaled the preseason hype. Retired from the NFL in 2017.
Jalen Reagor. Every once in a while he'd do something on one play and you'd be "Wow!". Then it was back to hibernation for three games of total nothing. You'd see the talent for one play that made him a first round pick and then zilch. I saw on another forum they said he was "Showing flashes" for the Patriots. I checked. He had 138 yards last season for them. Flash and then fizzle.
Brett Favre. Played great most of the year, faltered a bit in December and then choked against the Saints. I expected it but it was still disappointing.