Vontaze Burfict

[KoryMac5]

Burfict is going to be good! He showed me a lot yesterday with great instincts. Kid played great and is playing on the outside for the first time in his career. You can't teach what he is doing. Big difference watching him play and watching Rey run around out there. Nice to see him doing well.

[Todd Gack]

Originally Posted by KoryMac5

Burfict is going to be good! He showed me a lot yesterday with great instincts. Kid played great and is playing on the outside for the first time in his career. You can't teach what he is doing. Big difference watching him play and watching Rey run around out there. Nice to see him doing well.

THe big question with Burfict was never his athletic ability.

The question is how long will this guy be in the NFL?

[LoganBuck]

Originally Posted by Todd Gack

THe big question with Burfict was never his athletic ability.

The question is how long will this guy be in the NFL?

Burfict isn't a get in trouble with the law type. As long as he is playing with his emotions under control, he will be fine.

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by Todd Gack

THe big question with Burfict was never his athletic ability.

The question is how long will this guy be in the NFL?

When he got arrested all those times, there were questions about how long he'd be in the NFL. Oh wait, that never happened. Nevermind.

When Burfict ran a 4.93 then a 5.10 40 at the Combine, there were questions about his athletic ability. Yeah, that happened.

[Sea Ray]

Originally Posted by wolfboy

When he got arrested all those times, there were questions about how long he'd be in the NFL. Oh wait, that never happened. Nevermind.

When Burfict ran a 4.93 then a 5.10 40 at the Combine, there were questions about his athletic ability. Yeah, that happened.

Here's a good article about his reputation in college:

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-foo...ontaze-burfict

It is worth noting that his issues were not legal in nature but controlling his emotions on the field. So far he seems to have seen the ($$) benefit of keeping those in check. Early in yesterday's game he was involved in some post-play shoving and to his credit he raised his arms and allowed his opponent to get in the last shove.

[LoganBuck]

The ESPN magazine article on Burfict from before the draft.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/draft2012/sto...-espn-magazine

[medford]

Burfcit has mostly shown nothing but maturity since becoming a Bengal. If he keeps his head on straight he has a bright future in the NFL.

[traderumor]

Sounds like Burfict is the quintessential Kent/Superman alter ego.

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by Sea Ray

Here's a good article about his reputation in college:

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-foo...ontaze-burfict

It is worth noting that his issues were not legal in nature but controlling his emotions on the field. So far he seems to have seen the ($$) benefit of keeping those in check. Early in yesterday's game he was involved in some post-play shoving and to his credit he raised his arms and allowed his opponent to get in the last shove.

He was still considered a first round prospect until the combine. I'd argue that his time at ASU had little to do with his free fall in the draft.

[Todd Gack]

Originally Posted by wolfboy

When he got arrested all those times, there were questions about how long he'd be in the NFL. Oh wait, that never happened. Nevermind.

When Burfict ran a 4.93 then a 5.10 40 at the Combine, there were questions about his athletic ability. Yeah, that happened.

And yet some how, Maurice Clarett was drafted in the 3rd round and no one sniffed Vontaze.

There were character concerns about Burfict in his recruiting coming out of HS as well as the draft. His combine performance simply cemented him from a late round pick to a 'this guy's not worth it.'

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by Todd Gack

And yet some how, Maurice Clarett was drafted in the 3rd round and no one sniffed Vontaze.

There were character concerns about Burfict in his recruiting coming out of HS as well as the draft. His combine performance simply cemented him from a late round pick to a 'this guy's not worth it.'

Uh huh. And what about Janoris Jenkins, who ended up being drafted in the second round? Jenkins nailed it at the combine:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...rds/index.html

• In All Honesty award -- Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama: Rarely have I seen a combine prospect enter the media work room and open a vein for reporters quite like Jenkins did Sunday afternoon in his 10-minute interview session. I'll say this, Jenkins is no Ryan Mallett, the Arkansas quarterback who took the stage in the 2011 combine and defiantly refused to shed any light on the rumors of collegiate drug use in his background. Jenkins turned the spotlight on his own behavior and filled in all the blanks. In detail. If the first step toward overcoming mistakes is acknowledging them, Jenkins is well on his way.

Jenkins, the ex-Gators star, talked about his three arrests, two of them for marijuana possession. He talked about his bar fight arrest. His failed drug test at Florida. Being kicked off the team by new Gators head coach Will Muschamp last spring and winding up at Division II North Alabama. And his four children, all age 3 and under. It was a remarkably revealing Q&A, and he struck just the right tone of remorse and responsibility throughout. No Vontaze Burfict, he.

On Tuesday, Jenkins went out and dazzled the scouts on the field, running a blazing 4.46 in the 40, broad-jumping 10-1 and looking smooth and athletic in all the defensive back drills. He's a first-round talent, and he may have earned himself a fresh look from a handful of wary teams with his stellar combine performance.

Counter that with what people thought of Burfict's combine performance:

• Career Self-Destruction award -- Vontaze Burfict, ILB, Arizona State: Burfict had a nice week. He proclaimed himself the "best linebacker in this draft,'' blamed everyone else but himself for his shaky 2011 season, defended his decision to "swing on'' a teammate in a locker-room fight last year, and then ran a disappointing 5.09 and broad-jumped just 8 feet, 7 inches. This is a guy who came across to the league as having blind spots the size of, well, the Grand Canyon, which coincidentally is in Arizona.

Burfict thinks he's a misunderstood first-round talent. The league is more likely to give him an underachiever's third-round grade. And factoring in his winning personality and personal baggage, don't be surprised if you don't hear his name called on draft weekend until the third and final day.

If Burfict would have nailed the combine interviews and drills like Jenkins did, he would have still been a first or second round talent. Bottom line is he had the worst combine anyone could possibly have and that's the reason he wasn't drafted.

[Todd Gack]

Originally Posted by wolfboy

Uh huh. And what about Janoris Jenkins, who ended up being drafted in the second round? Jenkins nailed it at the combine:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...rds/index.html



Counter that with what people thought of Burfict's combine performance:



If Burfict would have nailed the combine interviews and drills like Jenkins did, he would have still been a first or second round talent. Bottom line is he had the worst combine anyone could possibly have and that's the reason he wasn't drafted.

I think you're confusing 'trouble with the law' and 'character concerns.' Burfict has MAJOR character concerns at ASU. He was a headache. . .think TO.

I don't think someone like Odell Thurman was dropped to the 2nd round because of arrests. Thurman just couldn't stay out of trouble with the law.

[wolfboy]

Originally Posted by Todd Gack

I think you're confusing 'trouble with the law' and 'character concerns.' Burfict has MAJOR character concerns at ASU. He was a headache. . .think TO.

I don't think someone like Odell Thurman was dropped to the 2nd round because of arrests. Thurman just couldn't stay out of trouble with the law.

And Janoris Jenkins didn't have character concerns? I don't deny that Burfict had character concerns; however, most teams seemed willing to overlook them until his sterling performance (drills and otherwise) at the combine. He had a chance to pull a Janoris Jenkins and make teams feel at ease. He failed miserably. That's when he went from first day to not at all. Especially when he ran a 40 over 5.

[Boss-Hog]

Do you guys have any objections if I move the Burfict-specific posts to a new thread so we can get back to a generalized Bengals discussion?

[camisadelgolf]

I'd prefer we just stop talking about Burfict for a moment, but a new thread sounds good to me, too.