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Valentine Holmes NFL career

Chook Norris

First Grade
Messages
8,317
Some fairly mixed opinions on how he went. I don't understand NFL much but looks like it was nothing special. Hayne seemed to go better in the preseason games?
 

VictoryFC

Bench
Messages
3,786
Some fairly mixed opinions on how he went. I don't understand NFL much but looks like it was nothing special. Hayne seemed to go better in the preseason games?

Important to note that he's playing with and against 3th/4th stringers vying for a spot on the roster. NFL pre season is basically just tryouts. Hayne made some noise, made a couple of big plays. Holmes more low key but solid, on first showing he could easily make the Jets roster. Special teams most likely, which deal with kickoff/punt returns.
 

DC_fan

Coach
Messages
11,980
Important to note that he's playing with and against 3th/4th stringers vying for a spot on the roster. NFL pre season is basically just tryouts. Hayne made some noise, made a couple of big plays. Holmes more low key but solid, on first showing he could easily make the Jets roster. Special teams most likely, which deal with kickoff/punt returns.

Interesting to note he didn't play as kick returner. Holmes played ins the 4th quarter and you are right he was up against 3rd and 4th stringers. Regardless of that I thought he preformed well. We will know more about his longterm prospects in the next couple of weeks.
 

unforgiven

Bench
Messages
3,138
He did ok, I don't think the Jets will waste a roster spot on him when they can just sit him on the practice squad as an extra player. Unless he shows a lot more than he has then there won't be a risk of another team picking him up! He will get some more game time in the coming weeks, especially in week 4 of the preseason.
 

Exsilium

First Grade
Messages
9,568
Question for those that follow NFL.

IMO, an NRL back is suited to the punt return role. This seems ready made for a Valentine Holmes type player. Why do they try to be wide receivers, when they could be very effective kick returners?
 

T.S Quint

Coach
Messages
13,738
Question for those that follow NFL.

IMO, an NRL back is suited to the punt return role. This seems ready made for a Valentine Holmes type player. Why do they try to be wide receivers, when they could be very effective kick returners?

Kick returners are usually wide receivers or running backs. There’s no point having a player on tour team as a specialist punt/kick returner unless they can play another role on the team.
Hayne was a running back, not a wide receiver and it seems Holmes is going the same route.
 

Danish

Referee
Messages
31,906
If Holmes isn’t willing to giving himself at least 2 seasons to make a proper go of it, then he might as well come home now. Hayne had a genuine shot to make the transition, but threw it away on his rugby “dream” (or potentially having some reason to leave the country ASAP...)

Holmes looked pretty decent for a guy who has zero experience. He’s destined for the practice squad, then we’ll see how committed he actually is.

Would love to see a league player go at a younger age and get some college experience. The Polynesian youth is an untapped market for the NFL, and they probably don’t come with all the baggage of rising elephants to practice and what not
 

unforgiven

Bench
Messages
3,138
If Holmes isn’t willing to giving himself at least 2 seasons to make a proper go of it, then he might as well come home now.
100% he has a shot, but it won't be for this coming season, he needs to accept that the practice squad is his destination and spend the next 12 months learning all he can. Hopefully then this time next year he can get some game time on film that will make him a viable option for the Jets or another team, but it will be a long road. Based on yesterday's game he is a fair way down the jets depth chart!

The Polynesian youth is an untapped market for the NFL, and they probably don’t come with all the baggage of rising elephants to practice and what not

There are actually a lot of Polynesians in the NFL, apparently a boy born to Samoan parents is over 50 times more likely to play in the NFL than any other child in America. Basically per capita players of Polynesian and in particular Samoan descent are overrepresented in the NFL.
 

jaseg

Juniors
Messages
2,274
Some fairly mixed opinions on how he went. I don't understand NFL much but looks like it was nothing special. Hayne seemed to go better in the preseason games?

Holmes did fairly well (mostly as a check down guy rather than actually running the ball), but got very little opportunity - and no opportunity at the things he needs to dominate to have a chance at making the 53 (special teams, returner and gunner roles). The snaps he did get were on offense against the guys who aren't making any rosters - and the Giants don't look deep to begin with. He needs to hope that his performance translates into more snaps in the next 3 games.

Greg Dortch, a WR (less competition at his spot on offense) who looks like the biggest chance for the returner role, did it fairly well - so that's not good for Holmes.

The biggest difference between Holmes & Hayne at this point is opportunity - though Holmes has looked a little better so far on offense (Hayne shined on special teams).
 

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