Is a blog still a blog without new content? Well, here we go...
Owen "Beer Truck" Schmitt is overwhelmingly the most impressive of the big three that also includes Patrick White and Steve Slaton.
Schmitt was picked up by the Eagles from the Seattle Seahawks at the beginning of the season and has since accumulated more receiving yards than in his previous two seasons. So far he has 70 yards on 7 receptions. The most in one game was 3 receptions for 43 years against the Washington Redskins, which included yet another impressive leap reminiscent of the good old days. That catch and one other can be seen in the video below.
Patrick White and Steve Slaton have, in comparison, have had less than ideal years.
Slaton, after an impressive outing during his rookie season with the Houston Texans, has floundered since the beginning of last season. In the previous season, he suffered through fumble troubles, dropping the ball 7 times, while competing for snaps with other tailbacks. This year, still not at the starting job, Slaton has only had 17 touches but has a 5.5 yards per carry average and no fumbles.
As if you didn't know, White was cut from the Miami Dolphins before the start of the season. Luckily, he's a talented guy and took a contract from the Kansas City Royals. Probably for the best, considering the looming NFL lockout and the fact that he has the potential for a significantly higher paycheck in the MLB than the NFL. Must be nice to have those kind of options.
An updated version of this blog post is available at WVUPros.com
Kay Jay Harris: Harris, a running back, was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and spent his first season on the practice squad.
Nick Saban, the Miami head coach, had high expectations for Harris's second season, saying, "We were really pleased with him last year in preseason. We were pleased with him all year on the practice squad. We really never had an opportunity to move him up...We're kind of anxious to see how he responds through camp and through this exhibition season." He was never given the chance to prove himself in Miami, Harris spent the first month of the season on the practice squad before he was waived.
Two months into the season, Harris was picked up by the Rams. Harris found some playing time in his partial season with St. Louis. His stats show nothing impressive: 3 rushes for 9 yards; 4 kick returns for 76 yards; and 1 reception for ten yards. Harris was released before the beginning of the 2007 season.
During the 2007 season, Harris was considered by the Panthers but was ultimately signed by the Giants practice squad just before their Super Bowl win. He practiced with the Giants during the offseason and was optimistic about his odds. However, before the begining of the 2008 season, he was released and not resigned by another team.
Marc Magro: Undrafted in 2008, linebacker Margo was signed to the Miami Dolphins practice squad. After this, there is some conflicting information. There are sources saying he was cut by the Dolphins in October but picked up by the Rams in September. Not possible. Either way, he ended up with the Buccaneers practice squad.
Johnny Dingle: The Kansas City Chiefs picked up Dingle, who left college early, after he was undrafted in 2008. The Chiefs played him during the preseason but released him before regular games began.
Keilen Dykes: The Arizona Cardinals signed Dykes, a defensive tackle. He was released before the beginning of the season but then resigned to the practice squad.
Darius Reynaud: The Vikings picked up Reynaud after the draft, released him, then re-signed him the the practice squad. During the season, he was given a chance as a kick returner. Reynaud returned eight kicks for 201 yards, a 25.5 yard average. He was limited during the latter portion of the season, due to a turf toe injury.
Eric Wicks: Wicks was signed by the Seattle Seahawks but was released before the regular season after two injuries.
Anthony Becht: The 2000 NFL draft has been pretty productive. Becht was drafted by the Jets in the first round (27th overall) but only managed to have 40 receptions in his college career. This tells us the guy was one hell of a blocker.
In five seasons with the Jets (2000-2004), Becht seems have been given more of a receiving role than anywhere else. He peaked in 2003 with 40 receptions for 356 yards, an impressive 8.6 yards a gain, while making 26 first downs. In 2004, however, he had a career low 100 receptions. The stats say he was on the roster for all the games in his last year with the Jets (only missing two in his career - his rookie year - so far).
Since his time with the Jets, Becht signed with the Buccaneers but has been hampered with injuries. Knee, ankle, hamstring, and most recently his elbow. He even had lasik eye surgery. He wasn’t used much as a receiver. In 2007, Becht became an unrestricted free agent and, although still sought after by the Bucs, signed with the Rams.
Coincidently, signing with the Rams as a free agent in 2008 teamed Becht up with former WVU teammates Mark Bulger and Marc Magro.
Jerry Porter: The Oakland Raiders drafted Porter in the second round (47th overall) as a wide receiver. Porter played for the Raiders for eight years (2000 to 2007). During his time there, 2004 and 2005 appeared to be his most productive and he had over 900 yards in each. 2006, with the hiring of head coach Art Shell, spelled the beginning of the end for Porter’s tenure in Oakland. He openly criticized Shell’s hiring and asked to be traded before the season began. He was suspended in August of that year due to open criticism during practice, though his sentiment was echoed by other players. After only playing in four games in 2006, Porter bounced back in 2007 while receiving 705 yards without Shell at the helm.
Porter became a free agent after the 2007 season and was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was plagued by both hamstring and groin injuries during the 2008 season. After only having 11 receptions, giving him about $1 million a catch, there’s some talk about him not being invited back.
Barrett Green: The Detroit Lions drafted green in the second round (50th overall) as a linebacker. He played four years in Detroit (2000-2003) and was generally productive. His pinnacle, both for the Lions and his career, came in 2003 with 93 tackles and 3 sacks.
Green was signed by the Giants in 2004, playing there for two years. His first year, he started in nine games and only had 37 tackles. During the 2005 season, Green was plagued by knee and ankle injuries and barely played at all.
Green attended a Miami Dolphins mini-camp in 2006 but was injured during practice. Shortly afterward, in May of 2006, he was signed to a one year contract with the Houston Texans. After re-aggravating his groin injury during practice, he was not able to suit up for pre-season games and was released in August before the beginning of regular season.
Although Avon Cobourne was one of WVU’s most decorated runners, he was undrafted. He was picked up by the Detroit Lions in 2003 and played seven games that year, rushing 10 times for 27 yards. In 2004, Cobourne was transferred to the NFL Europa Cologne Centurions where he played with fellow Mountaineer Lance Nimmo. In 2005, he signed with the Miami Dolphins but was let go before the season opener.
In 2006, Couburne made a move to Canada by joining the Montreal Alouettes and the CFL. He played as a backup running back for his first two years and gained the starting job in 2008. This past year he ran for 950 yards on 145 attempts, 6.6 yards a carry, and caught passes for 607 more yards. The Alouettes made it to the Grey Cup but lost 22-14 to the Calgary Stampeders. What’s the Grey Cup? The CFL’s Super Bowl and the most watched sports event in Canada. Huh.
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