Iowa needs to develop 3* players. The developement of those (NFL) players takes 3-5 years. Putting 1-2 players in the NFL isn't going to reflect a top 5 program because the NFL-calibre players are still a year or two from being NFL-calibre players.
While football is still a trenches game, and Iowa does well there, the difference is skill position players and, obviously, Iowa doesn't do well there.
Somebody said if we're not that far off from NC contenders if we plugged a Brad Banks, Tavian Banks, and Marvin McNutt in the skill spots.
yeah....okay. Like Iowa has
ever had "once-in-a-generation" players playing all at the same time at the skill spots.
I understand your point, but nobody can make the jump from high school to the NFL. Every school is a developmental school in that regard.
So if that's the case either we are taking kids who need to add so much weight and muscle they won't be ready for a couple of years. Which ok then.
Or we are taking kids that need more work in fundamentals and learning the game. Which is then the job of the coaches to get them up to speed very quickly. Which we have seen a bunch of underclassmen and freshman playing in the past couple of years. So I think we are good there.
Then you have the unteachable stuff. Wadley having great feel for where everyone is at on the field.
Speed. Cj's will and drive.
My point is yes I think we need to evaluate what we are looking for in skill positions. Goodson looks like a good get.
But we can't have a kid that is years away from physically being ready and who is also years away from understanding the technique and game.
If that's the case, either the coaches suck, which all evidence points to that not being the case. Or the system is to hard, which with so many freshman playing in the last couple of years, probably isn't the case. They need to gain weight and muscle. Which sucks, but ok. Or they just don't have the it factor, the drive or will or whatever the ones like CJ and Wadley and probably TJ have.
So what actually separates a top 5 school in producing NFL players from competing with the likes of Alabama??
Well I don't know, but it isn't rocket science and there is a reason.
As was said, our lines are pretty good most of the time. Alabama good? Well we don't know either way.
Our db's are pretty good most of the time.
So we know what is working. That's the first step in figuring out the problem.
As for weight?? Hmmm I could see that being a big factor on the lines, but come on I don't think anyone gives a crap if a wr is 6'2 or 6'3 (just saying an inch or so) or weighs 165 or 180. If they do they are they are not looking at the right things. So who cares if a wr out of hs is going to gain 10-20 pounds, question is can he play while doing it. Weight and muscle affect depth more than anything. Because if they have to gain before they are ready, they can't be in the running to play or be back up.
What we need is someone on the staff that is dedicated to nothing but watching football and who is very skilled at picking skill players. That's their job.
Now I would gladly move to ia city and do that. But I don't have a resume to say I would be good at it, but I just know.
Because we are to hit and miss in that area.
