Players that weren't outrights busts, but generally disappointing?

[ronjon1990]

4 minutes ago, Vladimir L said:

Smith was a late bloomer

 

He looked like a bust but turned it around he also was from an era where qb just didn’t come into the nfl lighting it up 

A healthy Alex Smith probably means Tampa Bay doesn't get past the Wildcard round last year too lol

[rich homie]

1 hour ago, Jakuvious said:

So, was he top 5 every healthy year of his prime, or was he top 5 in 2014, but only if we agree to put him above two hall of fame QBs playing great football at the time? Because I feel like your argument has already shifted downward, here. First of all, I absolutely will not agree he was top 3 that year. TDs are the only thing that got him where he is in any of those stats you list, as all of them include TD count to some degree. He was 7th in YPA, 23rd in completion %, just shy of Blake Bortles with the 6th most INTs. He continued to be what he always was, which was a bulky but inefficient statistical passer. There was no way his year was better than Romo, Rodgers, or Ben. And I would definitely take what Manning or Brady did over him as well, for a few less TDs, but fewer INTs, a higher completion %, fewer sacks, a higher passer rating, etc.

Even if we were to agree that Luck was a top 5 statistically performing QB that season, it still does not mean he was ever one of the 5 best QBs in football. One year of top 5 performance does not necessarily make you a top 5 player at that position. He no more belonged in top 5 QB rankings in 2014 than Kirk Cousins does today, despite clearly being a top 5 statistical QB. Joe Mixon is top 5 in yards and TDs right now, but no one is going to rank him over Chubb/Henry/Kamara/Cook/Jones/Taylor. Top 5 in a few stats does not inherently equate to a top 5 player. Throwing 616 times helps the statline, as it turns out.

Well my first argument was that he was a top 5 QB when he was healthy in his prime, an entirely subjective take that I will still stand by. Your take was that he was never top 5 at any point in his career, a foolish notion that I have easily dismissed. 

I'm not sure why you would disregard AY/A, ANY/A, or TD% in favor of YPA and completion % as 'better' metrics. Either way, none of these stats are affected by high volume, and if anything, the volume should (and does) hurt Luck's efficiency, but Luck still placed top 5 in those stats. Throwing 616 times doesn't increase the percentage of touchdowns you throw, as it turns out. I would also not even consider Ben's 2014 to be anywhere near the top. Statistically it looks nice when you see the overall but they are wildly inflated because of a two week period against the Colts and the Ravens. 

Your second paragraph we can just agree to disagree on, and it was the basis of my point as well. I think Luck was a top 5 QB in the league when he was healthy. You can disagree with that based on stats but I would insist based on the same reasoning you have Brees and Brady in your top 5 QBs in 2014 I guess.

[Bolts223]

Sammy Watkins 

[MKnight82]

On 12/4/2021 at 9:12 PM, JAF-N72EX said:

Does Keef Rivers qualify?

Only if you like bananas.  

[fluhartz]

On 12/4/2021 at 7:47 PM, ET80 said:

Jadevion Clowney? Was billed as a freak of nature type at DE/Edge with an unreal size/speed/strength profile. The athleticism was off the charts for the guy; The right situation would turn him into an LT type pass rusher (and lining up next to JJ Watt wouldn't hurt that development...)

He was good, but never the 13 sack/helmet popping monster from South Carolina. He's starting to develop into a very good player in Cleveland, but he's not THE guy he was supposed to be.

Him disintegrating that meatchicken RB in the bowl game is my best memory of him.. 

[Xenos]

On 12/5/2021 at 11:03 AM, berlin calling said:

sorry not sorry to say Joey Bosa is nowhere near worth 27m per. Oft injured, 12.5 sacks career high? Thats not the guy the Chargers envisioned when picking him i guess. Educate me.

Because sacks aren’t the end all. He’s the one player that still brings the pressure and hurried while also being the guy that the OL doubles up on because no one else can win their match ups one on one. We’re a much better team when he’s playing. The only other defensive player close to Bosa is Derwin James. And unfortunately DJ plays a less important position.

Edited December 7, 2021 by Xenos

[Dan_Bali]

Saquon Barkley 

[DannyB]

On 12/4/2021 at 9:08 PM, HerbertGOAT said:

I think Andrew Luck qualifies. He was damn good, but in my opinion he always left you wanting a little bit more from a 1st overall pick.

Not just the 1st overall pick. He was being essentially unanimously pegged as the best QB prospect since Manning then then Elway before him.

 

On 12/4/2021 at 9:17 PM, DreamKid said:

Felt like a lot of people morphed Andrew Luck's 'Can't Miss' QB prospect status into 'Guaranteed to be historically great'. Hard to not disappoint people when that happens. 

But "a lot of people", were, "the experts that we, the consumers, rely on to evaluate prospects and tell us what to expect". So, yes, when that's what EVERYBODY is saying about the guy, it is a bit disappointing when he only turned out to be pretty damn good for a few years. I mean that's what the thread is about.

 

On 12/4/2021 at 11:52 PM, RedGold said:

He was in the HOF before stepping on the field playboi 

I love that this running joke/reference is literally over a decade old but still going strong. I mean half the people here now couldn't have even been around then, right?? I love it.

 

On 12/5/2021 at 2:16 AM, rich homie said:

What more could you possibly have wanted from Luck? The guy was a top 5 QB in the three healthy years of his prime that he had. Nowhere near bust category.

This thread is EXPLICITLY about players that weren't busts. I mean that's literally the thread. If they're being mentioned, the person mentioning them is saying that they were NOT a bust.

 

4 hours ago, fluhartz said:

Him disintegrating that meatchicken RB in the bowl game is my best memory of him.. 

That's everybody's memory of him. That's the one play that everybody thinks of.

[sryan66611]

On 12/5/2021 at 11:03 AM, berlin calling said:

sorry not sorry to say Joey Bosa is nowhere near worth 27m per. Oft injured, 12.5 sacks career high? Thats not the guy the Chargers envisioned when picking him i guess. Educate me.

I think the injuries are a concern but nahh...     12.5 is a great year for a DE IMO and what are you thinking someone picked 4th overall should be?  15-20 sacks a year?  Julius Peppers most sacks he ever had was 14.5.   So far Bosa has had double digits sacks 3 out of 5 years and it seems he is on his way to that this year as well.  

[Matts4313]

Ricky. Dude was the most dominant runner ive ever seen play live. 

Also - side note- he coached my son for a bit. But that doesnt change what I thought that guy would be. I saw Emmitt reincarnate. 

[Spartacus]

This thread was made for AJ Hawk. At Ohio State he looked like he would be a perennial pro bowler. He had a really nice long average career but was never what was expected of the #5 pick. 

[CP3MVP]

On 12/4/2021 at 7:37 PM, biggie. said:

What are some players that weren't exactly busts, but were overall disappointing?

One example I have in mind is Carson Palmer. Looked like a franchise savior before having his knee shredded and was never more than above average after that. Left Cincinnati with a losing record.

One of the best deep balls ever. I remember reading articles about it when he was at USC

[CP3MVP]

On 12/4/2021 at 7:47 PM, ET80 said:

Jadevion Clowney? Was billed as a freak of nature type at DE/Edge with an unreal size/speed/strength profile. The athleticism was off the charts for the guy; The right situation would turn him into an LT type pass rusher (and lining up next to JJ Watt wouldn't hurt that development...)

He was good, but never the 13 sack/helmet popping monster from South Carolina. He's starting to develop into a very good player in Cleveland, but he's not THE guy he was supposed to be.

He’s the all time leader in almost sacks 

[ET80]

1 minute ago, CP3MVP said:

He’s the all time leader in almost sacks 

Warren Sapp (or was it Dee Ford?) was spot on: Jadevion Clowney was a blind dog in a butcher house. Clowney will run around in the butcher house, he'll smell the meat... but he can't get it because he doesn't see it.

https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2014/2/24/5442304/warren-sapp-explains-blind-dog-in-a-meat-house

[MWil23]

On 12/5/2021 at 2:40 PM, MWil23 said:

A.J. Hawk

Very solid 10+ year starter in the league who showed some flashes early in his career, but I honestly think most of us (myself included) saw him having a more impactful career ala Patrick Willis.

@Spartacus