Originally posted by IdahoNiner:
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I think Lockette is as good as gone. I never understood the man crush this board had on him anyways. Sure he is a specimen to look at, but thats about it.
Where it gets interesting IMO is if Jenkins truely struggles the rest of camp and into preseason, and Jacobs/Hall have great camps and preseasons, does the FO/coaching staff play favorites with draft position. IMO it would be hard to cut Jenkins this early purely based on his draft position, and i dont think we could move him, maybe get a late round pick, but at the same time we cant really afford to carry a guy that is not atleast improving with this current WR group, and if Jacobs/Hall have great camps it could get real interesting.
I think that some posters, not you, are being a little rabid on this Jenkins issue. With them, it's more like a personal vendetta than a reasoned approach.
It's early days. Give it a few weeks to work itself out, instead of frothing at the mouth after only two days of padded practice.
OK. Harangue over.
You pose a reasoned and interesting scenario. Namely, would the coaching staff play favorites, because of draft position?
That's a legitimate concern. Consider: They've probably done a ton of homework on the player before they make a high draft pick, especially #1. So the scouting team and FO has got a lot invested professionally and emotionally. However, it's not the coaches who did the complete evaluation on the player, so they're a little less on the hook.
I just feel that this coaching staff is too good to fall into the trap of wasting a roster spot on an undeserving player. Doesn't matter where he's drafted. They would move him (even for a late rounder as you say; Taylor Mays comes to mind) and I'm sure that there would be a taker for a #1. Before it comes to that. let's not forget that:
1. Jenkins has not actually been given a real opportunity in a game situation for some two years, whatever the reason (and we don't know what they all may be). He's ever had the opportunity to get comfortable or in any kind of rythmn. Can we permit him a few dropped balls to get accustomed to playing again?
2. Jenkins was injured when he first came to camp, so he was behind in his development last season and only now has the opportunity to be on an equal footing. However, he was deemed to have first round talent, let's not forget.
3. His team mates (CK7 and KW) have affirmed that he is light years ahead of where he was last season in understanding the playbook and that his speed is an important contributing quality to the WR position. You can't teach that; you either have it or you don't.
4. Jerry Rice was also criticized for dropping an inordinate number of balls over his first couple of seasons (and he had had the benefit of a lot more playing time), so can we at least give this kid a chance before we castigate him?
As for Lockette: I think people may be excited because Harbaugh made some hopeful statements about him. But to me he is an enigma. I, too, am skeptical and I would have less expectations of him than I would Jenkins (or even the others). Also because, I think that, while he has speed he never been mentioned as being shifty, which I think is a more important quatity. We'll see.,
For some reason, I just hope Moore makes it. My gut instinct (not to be relied upon) tells me that this guy is a player. I hope that Hall and Jacobs get to show what they have. May the best guys win.
