I Know NFL Preseason Doesn’t Mean Squat But...

Northside Hawk

Northside Hawk

Well-Known Member
Ihmar Smith-Marsette is having a monster preseason with Kansas City. Today another 100 yard plus game with another TD.

After bouncing around with the Vikings and Bears, he wound up on KC's practice squad last year and ended up winning a ring. Now he looks to make the active roster and he plays for the greatest offensive mind in the game and one of the best quarterbacks. Things might end up working out for him yet.
 
guffus said:
It would be good to see an Iowa WR get some NFL success. It would be good for recruiting WR's to Iowa too.
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It's an astonishing stat, but - unless you count Kevin Kasper, whom Kirk inherited for his last two seasons - I believe ISM is the only WR under Ferentz that has ever even caught a pass during a regular season NFL game.

You would think that by sheer luck, he would have had at least a couple of WRs over 24 years make at least some impact at the next level. Pretty amazing when you think about the degree of success he's otherwise had developing NFL talent.
 
#1DieHardHawk said:
It's an astonishing stat, but - unless you count Kevin Kasper, whom Kirk inherited for his last two seasons - I believe ISM is the only WR under Ferentz that has ever even caught a pass during a regular season NFL game.

You would think that by sheer luck, he would have had at least a couple of WRs over 24 years make at least some impact at the next level. Pretty amazing when you think about the degree of success he's otherwise had developing NFL talent.
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Crazy to me McNutt didn’t get any run.
 
#1DieHardHawk said:
It's an astonishing stat, but - unless you count Kevin Kasper, whom Kirk inherited for his last two seasons - I believe ISM is the only WR under Ferentz that has ever even caught a pass during a regular season NFL game.

You would think that by sheer luck, he would have had at least a couple of WRs over 24 years make at least some impact at the next level. Pretty amazing when you think about the degree of success he's otherwise had developing NFL talent.
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How many receptions, yards, and TDs do you think Iowa TEs have in that same span? If we could just share the wealth a bit...
 
CP87 said:
How many receptions, yards, and TDs do you think Iowa TEs have in that same span? If we could just share the wealth a bit...
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No doubt. It's difficult to put a finger on it.

Iowa has always run a pro-style offense under Kirk so you would think there would be a fairly natural transition for WRs to grasp things at the next level. Some have made the argument that we've always emphasized the run game to the detriment of the receivers, but that alone doesn't explain it. With the flexbone offense, Georgia Tech ran an extremely run-heavy for years but still produced some outstanding WRs, including Calvin Johnson.

As others have pointed out, we've had some decent talent at the position over the years. Nothing close to the level of Calvin Johnson, but guys who athletically could have carved out a role in the NFL.

The only common denominator is the coaching staff, so one has to wonder if there is a certain malaise within the program in terms of emphasizing the importance and role of the receivers in the offense, hindering recruiting and development. Obviously, the staff would vehemently deny that, but something has been amiss for over two decades.
 
KF has noted before that some our excellent DBs (Hyde, King) could have been all-conference WRs. But they come here to play D, because they know our system will highlight them.

I think the KF system is really good at winning games, but the fact it doesn't highlight WRs makes it harder to get good WRs, which makes it harder to highlight them, which makes it harder to get them...

Someone with a longer-term view of things (e.g., a thoughtful AD) could have forced a change in the system. A coach will always take a medium- to short-term view (which is the best way to win this season? this game?), and that can lead to choices that maximize a year, but potentially limit the ceiling in the long-term.

I love the KF/Iowa system overall, and I am confident that if they lucked into a good WR, things would look different (look at the #s that McNutt posted). But at this point, what would bring a stud WR here other than luck?
 
#1DieHardHawk said:
It's an astonishing stat, but - unless you count Kevin Kasper, whom Kirk inherited for his last two seasons - I believe ISM is the only WR under Ferentz that has ever even caught a pass during a regular season NFL game.

You would think that by sheer luck, he would have had at least a couple of WRs over 24 years make at least some impact at the next level. Pretty amazing when you think about the degree of success he's otherwise had developing NFL talent.
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Yeah it's largely due to guys like Ragaini, Easley, Kevante Martin Manly being highlighted within the O. Guys with little pro potential at all.

I thought Mo Brown, CJ Jones, DJK, McNutt Keenan Davis, Tevaun Smith, Brandon Smith, ISM all had what it takes to do it at the pro level. I think Brandon is with AZ now still grinding. Tevaun is playing in Canada still. The others barely had cups of coffee and in DJKs case he thought he was railroaded by KF...
 
Assuming that we see a significant improvement in the OL play, the planets seem to be lining up for a much more effective passing attack this season. The TEs obviously will be a major focus (rightfully so), but the talent at WR is sufficient to see dramatic improvements there as well. Vines has some real untapped potential, and Brown is a terrific athlete. And, count me as one who thinks that when it's all said and done, Seth Anderson will be considered a portal steal.

It all starts up front, though. They can't be much worse, so we'll definitely see some improvement, but I'm still not convinced that Barnett is a talented coach. Hope he proves me wrong.
 
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