phantom eel
First Grade
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Watched the Seattle v 49ers game yesterday.
There's absolutely no position that Jarryd Hayne could play at elite NFL level. While an amazing and skillful athlete, his skill set and body doesn't look like it would be up to any position other than as punter.
Running back - occasionally get to run in a broken field, but usually spend time getting smashed by the big boys attempting to make 3 yard gains up the middle
Wide Receiver - he's fast enough, has a swerve to lose his defender, but would have to jink turn and leap to catch any ball from the quarterback - different to the skill set of a league fullback, and something the other guys have been training a lifetime to master.
Tight end - forget it, couldn't hold a rushing linebacker from getting past to smash the quarterback
Linebacker - wouldn't be able to read and respond to the opposition playbook quickly enough to shut down unmarked players and restrict the other team's offense. Again, it's a different story to defence in league, and the other guys have been training all their lives to master this.
Defensive secondary - Looks like it could be possible, needing similar decision-making aspects to league fullback play in defence. But NFL is so quick, you don't get the chance to even take a step the wrong way and I don't think he'd be able to read the changes of play (left-right switches, aerial vs running games) quickly enough to make it to elite level above guys that have been used to it all their careers.
Punt return - When a team puts on a good punt and chase they are right in the face of the punt return guy when he catches the ball. That's kind of like playing a league team that is allowed to be 10m offside... Jarryd would clam up with the lack of space. Sure, like running back/wide receiver the position can look flashy on the occasions where they do get to run in a broken field, but it just isn't going to happen for him.
So, I've re-evaluated my take on Jarryd's NFL "experiment"... I think he's using it like long service leave - getting out of pre-season league training, taking the Telstra sponsorship to film his reality-style documentary about his USA trip, and will return to the Eels to take his spot in the Top 25 for 2015.
Hoppa will play fullback until Hayne plays his first game on the last weekend of May (having had his break, got back into league training, and avoiding selection for State of Origin and issues of player burn out etc)!!
There's absolutely no position that Jarryd Hayne could play at elite NFL level. While an amazing and skillful athlete, his skill set and body doesn't look like it would be up to any position other than as punter.
Running back - occasionally get to run in a broken field, but usually spend time getting smashed by the big boys attempting to make 3 yard gains up the middle
Wide Receiver - he's fast enough, has a swerve to lose his defender, but would have to jink turn and leap to catch any ball from the quarterback - different to the skill set of a league fullback, and something the other guys have been training a lifetime to master.
Tight end - forget it, couldn't hold a rushing linebacker from getting past to smash the quarterback
Linebacker - wouldn't be able to read and respond to the opposition playbook quickly enough to shut down unmarked players and restrict the other team's offense. Again, it's a different story to defence in league, and the other guys have been training all their lives to master this.
Defensive secondary - Looks like it could be possible, needing similar decision-making aspects to league fullback play in defence. But NFL is so quick, you don't get the chance to even take a step the wrong way and I don't think he'd be able to read the changes of play (left-right switches, aerial vs running games) quickly enough to make it to elite level above guys that have been used to it all their careers.
Punt return - When a team puts on a good punt and chase they are right in the face of the punt return guy when he catches the ball. That's kind of like playing a league team that is allowed to be 10m offside... Jarryd would clam up with the lack of space. Sure, like running back/wide receiver the position can look flashy on the occasions where they do get to run in a broken field, but it just isn't going to happen for him.
So, I've re-evaluated my take on Jarryd's NFL "experiment"... I think he's using it like long service leave - getting out of pre-season league training, taking the Telstra sponsorship to film his reality-style documentary about his USA trip, and will return to the Eels to take his spot in the Top 25 for 2015.
Hoppa will play fullback until Hayne plays his first game on the last weekend of May (having had his break, got back into league training, and avoiding selection for State of Origin and issues of player burn out etc)!!
