Boldin is no longer an elite receiver

[Ryanwb]

Sad to say that Boldin has played his way out of consideration as an elite receiver and any sort of equating contract. He is at best a #2 and has shown serious deterioration of skills the last two seasons. His inability to hold on to the ball is of serious concern as according to KTAR, Boldin has more fumbles lost the past two seasons than any other WR in the NFL.

The Cardinals played their hand right and will rightfully let Boldin play out his contract. Seems they say what some of the fans with rose colored glasses failed to acknowledge; Anquan has taken too many hits and has already seen his peak come and go. Steve Breaston is the future of this team, not Boldin. You can argue this all you want, but the statistics speak loudly

 

[mrbyte]

I think you're right, Boldin is a good WR but he does fumble the ball A LOT. Lets not forget he fumbled against the Colts as well we just got luckey it went out of bounds.

 

[splitsecond]

I always forget how sports appeal to even the most soft skulled members of society, and then I see threads like this.

 

[cardpa]

From what I saw yesterday I started to get the same feeling, this team would not miss Boldin as much as many think. Watching Breaston just gave me the feeling that he can step into the position and this team would not miss a beat. It may not be the same as Boldin but the results would be similar. Breaston would be getting 70-80 receptions and 8 TDs at about 1200 yds.

 

[Doug]

I guess some of you are'nt aware that Breaston is playing every week with a very bad knee that won't heal all season long.Even if he makes it to the playoffs.

He's going to be on the injury list every week.His ankle could swell up on any given day and as the first game rolled around it just happened to be a Sunday with the 9ers that his knee swelled up like a softball.

I'm quite sure he's taking treatment as we speak right now and is in rather a lot of pain as the knee swells up after every game he plays.The guy is a stud for doing what he is doing for us.

I just wish we could get the ball to him more but he is the only one who can stretch the field for this team.We don't have any young rookie WR's like the two the colts have that can run like the wind.(Collie & Garcon) Yet we drafted Canfield and let him go right?

 

[Duckjake]

I think you're right, Boldin is a good WR but he does fumble the ball A LOT. Lets not forget he fumbled against the Colts as well we just got lucky it went out of bounds.

That seems to come and go with wideouts. Fitz used to put the ball on the ground a lot, the ball would come out almost every time he was tackled. But it doesn't happen much now.

 

[Pariah]

Boldin's style of play is always going to lead to some fumbles, IMO. That hasn't just popped up this season.

That said, he needs to be more aware of how he's carrying the ball. There was another time when he got tackles I thought he might fumbles, too. He was carrying the ball to the inside where the defenders were instead of the outside where there was only sideline. Football 101: switch the ball to the protected side of your body.

On another only semi-related note. Knowshawn Moreno has been having some fumbling problems, but at least everytime I looked up he was running with both hands on the ball--even when he was in semi-open space.

 

[joeshmo]

That seems to come and go with wideouts. Fitz used to put the ball on the ground a lot, the ball would come out almost every time he was tackled. But it doesn't happen much now.

???

Fitz has never put the ball on the ground "A lot". He has 5 fumbles going on his 6th season.

Where as Boldin has 15 going on his 7th season, this is not something that has come and gone with Boldin. Becuase of his style that will always be the case. But as he ages and takes more punishment it looks like he will do it more often. First 4 years(56 games total) he fumbled 7 times, the last 2 years and 5 games (28 games total) he has fumbled 8 times. But I wouldnt trade the last 7 years of Boldin for nothing.

 

[football karma]

???

Fitz has never put the ball on the ground "A lot". He has 5 fumbles going on his 6th season.

Where as Boldin has 15 going on his 7th season, this is not something that has come and gone with Boldin. Becuase of his style that will always be the case. But as he ages and takes more punishment it looks like he will do it more often. First 4 years(56 games total) he fumbled 7 times, the last 2 years and 5 games (28 games total) he has fumbled 8 times. But I wouldnt trade the last 7 years of Boldin for nothing.

on one hand, it comes with the territory. Anytime a WR fights for those last few yards -- all the time -- relative to a WR that simply hits the ground when he is cornered -- there will be more fumbles.

That being said -- Q could do a better job securing the ball when he knows contact is coming.

 

[Duckjake]

???

Fitz has never put the ball on the ground "A lot". He has 5 fumbles going on his 6th season.

Where as Boldin has 15 going on his 7th season, this is not something that has come and gone with Boldin. Becuase of his style that will always be the case. But as he ages and takes more punishment it looks like he will do it more often. First 4 years(56 games total) he fumbled 7 times, the last 2 years and 5 games (28 games total) he has fumbled 8 times. But I wouldnt trade the last 7 years of Boldin for nothing.

Go back and read the posts from 2007. You will see people complaining about Fitz putting the ball on the ground when he had 3 fumbles and was losing the ball on contact with the ground. Not fumbles but it was something the fans complained about. Fitz doesn't do that anymore.

And it has come and gone with Boldin as he had 3 fumbles his rookie year then 1,2,1,2 and then 4 last season.

 

[JeffGollin]

I noticed the same thing about Q (i.e. not quite as reliable hands as he's had in the past) but suggest we should be nowhere near being ready to write him off.

I'm hoping it's a "concentration thing" - a temporary speed bump, and we'll be seeing Q back to his usual Super Hero self sooner not later.

Also - there were two times yesterday where I saw our receiver make a tough acrobatic in a crowd and naturally assumed it was either Q or Fitz. Turned out it was Breaston (who seems to be playing even "bigger" and tougher than he did a year ago).

 

[SeattleCard]

This team would obviously miss Boldin, but man, Breaston really is a great receiver. He makes great catches, and hangs on to the ball. Superb draft pick.

 

[fball13]

If it were just his fumbles it would be one thing... but he's got other knocks on him:
1. Fumbles
2. Injury issues (not broken face, which he was superhuman about... but hammies, knees...)
3. Speed, he just doesn't seem to be able to get open like he used to. Teams are gameplanning Fitz and Boldin still can't seem to take over a game.

He's starting to emerge as just a possession receiver, a guy who can run underneath routes and get open... but he drops passes and fumbles, not a good fit in that role. I'd much rather have a great TE than a tweener WR like Boldin.

With all that said, he's still a great player, just not a super star...

Blast away Q-lovers...

 

[bg7brd]

I don't think you can fault Boldin for the fumble yesterday. It was a quick slant and he didn't have time to adjust the ball after the catch before he got popped.

 

[chickenhead]

I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and hope it's just a slump. He was too good for too long to make me think he can't be an offensive threat again. I hope he gets in a rhythm soon.

 

[Duckjake]

Lost in the debacle that was the Colts game was a tough, GAM performance by Boldin.

 

[joeshmo]

Go back and read the posts from 2007. You will see people complaining about Fitz putting the ball on the ground when he had 3 fumbles and was losing the ball on contact with the ground. Not fumbles but it was something the fans complained about. Fitz doesn't do that anymore.

One year out of 6 is not coming and going. 5 Fumbles in 6 years is not coming and going, its an anomaly.

And it has come and gone with Boldin as he had 3 fumbles his rookie year then 1,2,1,2 and then 4 last season.

Fumbles every year, thats a constant. The last 2 years and 5 games (28 games total) he has fumbled 8 times, that is not coming and going, it is a constant.

You dont get the tag of "Boldin has more fumbles lost the past two seasons than any other WR in the NFL", becuase your fumble problems are coming and going, you get it because its a constant.

One more fumble stat of note I heard on the radio this morning, he has fumbled more times per touch then any other player since 2007 season. That doesnt happen becuase his fumblitits comes and goes.

 

[joeshmo]

I don't think you can fault Boldin for the fumble yesterday. It was a quick slant and he didn't have time to adjust the ball after the catch before he got popped.

Disagree, he caught the ball and made a move up field for the end zone. He had plenty of time to secure the ball, I mean the ball was already in his bread basket when it popped out.

All this said Teams would still kill to have Boldin on their team though, and am still glad he is on ours.

 

[bg7brd]

He never had a chance to secure the ball. I don't fault a receiver in that instance.

 

[redheat]

Its more the lack of speed and burst I have noticed with him the last year.. He has been caught from behind by weak arm tackles and just doesnt break as many as he used to. Seems to go through the motions on routes and thinks he still has and it can just turn it on.... Def heading on the downside of his career and still solid... Just should not be paid top money.

 

[juza76]

i think breaston is a much better receiver now,,we should try to trade him for pass rusher and promote doucet to third receiver

 

[john h]

on one hand, it comes with the territory. Anytime a WR fights for those last few yards -- all the time -- relative to a WR that simply hits the ground when he is cornered -- there will be more fumbles.

That being said -- Q could do a better job securing the ball when he knows contact is coming.

On the Q fumble the ball he was carrying was hit by the helmet of a tackler. That is not like ripping the ball out of your hands. That is like a sledge hammer hitting the ball. Few people are going to hang on to a ball hit it that manner. Rerun that film as you got a real good shot of how that fumble occured. It does no occur very often and is usually not be design but wen it happens it usually results in a fumble.

 

[CardLogic]

Its more the lack of speed and burst I have noticed with him the last year.. He has been caught from behind by weak arm tackles and just doesnt break as many as he used to. Seems to go through the motions on routes and thinks he still has and it can just turn it on.... Def heading on the downside of his career and still solid... Just should not be paid top money.

I really like Boldin and he has been a warrior for the Cardinals! But redheat is accurate. During the game yesterday I said to my son, "It's too bad the Boldin can't play the same as he did his first few years in the league." It's sad in a way, I love the style of football that Q plays, tough as nails, but it chews players up too quickly.

Remember some of those TD's that Boldin had; the one against SF and one against Carolina; when he tore through their secondarys like a maniacal pinball! It's been a while since we have seen that, and I am just not sure that Boldin physically has it in him any longer to do that.

And sadly, I don't think Boldin will ever see that next big contract that he was hoping to get.

 

[john h]

Sad to say that Boldin has played his way out of consideration as an elite receiver and any sort of equating contract. He is at best a #2 and has shown serious deterioration of skills the last two seasons. His inability to hold on to the ball is of serious concern as according to KTAR, Boldin has more fumbles lost the past two seasons than any other WR in the NFL.

The Cardinals played their hand right and will rightfully let Boldin play out his contract. Seems they say what some of the fans with rose colored glasses failed to acknowledge; Anquan has taken too many hits and has already seen his peak come and go. Steve Breaston is the future of this team, not Boldin. You can argue this all you want, but the statistics speak loudly

Let us wait until the season is over before we bury Boldin. A long way to go.

 

[Shane]

Yes I'm as big a Boldin homer as they come. However this thread is just plain ********!

You guys do realize that that guy you are calling no longer an elite WR just did all of this just last season: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n527PgTzSIw

You have guys in here making comments like these: "Its more the lack of speed and burst I have noticed with him the last year.. He has been caught from behind by weak arm tackles and just doesnt break as many as he used to."


For the last year??? WTF are you talking about? That video and last year having 2 TD's of 70+ yards says otherwise. I dont see anyone gaining on Q in those videos. Nor do I see any speed or getting open problems.

Now if you want to bitch that he has been hurt to much or fumbles to much that is one thing. But he has been that way HIS WHOLE CAREER! Now you are all looking for some imaginary excuse to call him not elite. When he has done that THE WHOLE TIME! This is really nothing new. With Q you are going to get some fumbles thats a fact.

The guy played hurt in the first game this year and was like 70%. Was about 85% in the second game and still played well. Against the Colts he was a STUD and was faking Marlin Jackson out of his freaking shoes with his crisp routes. This last game he was damn good too outside of the fumble. 7 for 81 yards and that sweet catch on the sideline is a pretty solid performance. He is on pace for 92 catches and over 1000 yards again even with the slow start. Odds are he will get even better as the years moves on.

Youy guys kill me with your short memories.