WR,For a 3rd Round pick????

[pinnacle]

what was gage's 40 time? I thought he had slipped in the draft because of having a limited amount of time as a receiver (didn't he start out as a qb?) and a so so 40 time...but I have not seen his 40 time posted..I have been touting him for awhile..

 

[mizzoucardfan]

I beleive that you are correct, Justin was the QB for the state champion Jefferson City HS team. He started out at Mizzou as a QB and switched his soph year as I recall. I have looked everywhere that I can think of but I can't seem to find a 40 time for him . He didn't go to the combine.( If anyone else can find his 40 time post it for us please). In watching him this year the only time that I truely saw him stopped was against T. Newman and Kansas State. But regardless of his 40 time you know that he has a lot of quicks playing the level of basketball that he did. And as far as toughness was concerned in BBall he was usually assigned to defense the oponents best player. I honestly believe that Justin will be a star in this league (NFL) and although I have said that we should draft Defense- Defense- and more Defense, If Justin is available to us in the 3rd round we would be getting a steal.

 

[pinnacle]

I cannot find his 40 time either.. I have searched around for it..did missouri have their pro day? if not, probably come out then.. I am pretty sure he will available in the 3rd round..and maybe later..I would take him in round 3 - but I am biased. We have plenty of young receivers with potential..but gage is a different type of receiver - most of our guys (assuming martay is back - mcaddley, gilmore) are speed guys and Sanders (if he is back) and kasper are possession type guys..but gage is quite a bit bigger than our current crop..

 

[Zeno]

From the Sporting News...
Justin Gage
Height: 6-4 Weight: 217
40-yard dash: 4.65

Strengths: Is a tall with great body control. Has quick footwork for his size. Has excellent sideline awareness. Shows good concentration when the ball is in the air. Has soft, reliable hands. Catches the ball over his shoulder and away from his body. Runs smooth routes. Excels at using his body to shield defenders. Goes over the middle and makes tough catches in traffic. Is a sound blocker with the size and wingspan to produce for an NFL running game.

Weaknesses: Has marginal speed and lacks burst off the ball. Doesn't show great suddenness in his routes. Doesn't drive defenders off the ball. Wins jump balls, but rarely gets over the top of defensive backs off vertical routes. Is not as physical as he should be. Doesn't always get the most out of his size.

Bottom line: Gage, who also played power forward for Missouri's basketball team, has good athleticism and body control. He isn't a speedster, but he has the hands, route-running skills and size to develop into a very productive possession receiver. A team should take a chance on him early on Day 2.

Dan Pompei analysis
Is a big receiver with a basketball background who runs good routes and catches well. Is competitive. Is a possession receiver who has been productive. Lacks top speed and acceleration.

 

[JeffGollin]

Let's not forget that out 3rd round pick is a very early 3rd round pick. (Another way to view it is that it is an extremely late 2nd round pick).

Rather than try to scope out who we'd pick (kind of like hitting a moving dartboard blindfolded) I think the way the Cards should play it is like "the Catcher in the Rye."

Sit at the bottom of the cliff at #70 and see what drops over.

We might be surprised.

Regarding wide receiver - remember that we have a narrow job description because we already have a lot of fast guys with hands. The guy we want should ideally be 6-2+, 200+ lbs, run 4.45 or better, have most receiving skills and the ability to refine the skills he lacks.

Calico fits the profile. Bethel Johnson and Curtis are blazers but a bit short. Gage and Aiken are too slow. (If you like Gage, re-sign Tywan Mitchell). I don't think Tallman Gardner will drop down that far, but he's worth considering too.

But what do we do, for example, if we draft Leftwich, get Dewayne White with our 2nd round pick and a good CB like Weathersby or Sammy (No Relation) Davis are available along with Calico? Then it becomes of value judgement of who's best on the Cards' board.

 

[AzKarl]

Have to agree with Mrospi

Originally posted by Mrospi
Stout, you won't have to worry because he'll be gone by the 3rd for sure...........I watched the whole ND season and while that tends to make me a homer at times, I think I am right on this one.... guess we agree to disagree..... someone will get a steal of a pick

Arnaz is going to surprise a lot of folks and so called draft experts. Half the passes he dropped were either thrown behind him or not in sync. Battle had one full year as a receiver. He's deceptively fast and is someone who will get yards after the catch because he's a great open field runner. He's intelliigent, a leader ( ex QB) and would take well to Sullivan's coaching.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Originally posted by Zeno
On Arnaz Battle from the Sporting News...
"Florida State's Anquan Boldin (4.65), North Carolina's Sam Aiken (4.65), Notre Dame's Arnaz Battle (4.75) and Illinois' Brandon Lloyd (4.65) were among the possible first-day receiver prospects who ran disappointing times."

There are QBs and DTs that run better than 4.75. I wouldn't want any part of a WR that is that slow.

I agree. Why waste (and waste is the appropriate word) a pick on a guy that runs a pedestrian 40 time? Heck, I've ran a 4.75 before (couldn't do it now though ).

On my high school's football team, at least 6-7 guys ran faster than that (Bobby Wade ran a 4.6; a kid by the name of Chris Snow ran like a 4.3).

If his hands are questionable as well, and he wasn't THAT productive, then why even talk about him? We will need guys that are ready to play this year, not next year or the year after that. I'd rather draft Tyrone Talico, who is bigger, faster, a better athlete, and has played receiver for years...

 

[Cardiac]

Originally posted by JeffGollin
Let's not forget that out 3rd round pick is a very early 3rd round pick. (Another way to view it is that it is an extremely late 2nd round pick).

Rather than try to scope out who we'd pick (kind of like hitting a moving dartboard blindfolded) I think the way the Cards should play it is like "the Catcher in the Rye."

Sit at the bottom of the cliff at #70 and see what drops over.

We might be surprised.

Regarding wide receiver - remember that we have a narrow job description because we already have a lot of fast guys with hands. The guy we want should ideally be 6-2+, 200+ lbs, run 4.45 or better, have most receiving skills and the ability to refine the skills he lacks.

Calico fits the profile. Bethel Johnson and Curtis are blazers but a bit short. Gage and Aiken are too slow. (If you like Gage, re-sign Tywan Mitchell). I don't think Tallman Gardner will drop down that far, but he's worth considering too.

But what do we do, for example, if we draft Leftwich, get Dewayne White with our 2nd round pick and a good CB like Weathersby or Sammy (No Relation) Davis are available along with Calico? Then it becomes of value judgement of who's best on the Cards' board.

I couldn't agree more with 95 % of your post.

If the Cards have a CB rated closely to a WR in rd 3 then the decision should be based on need at this point and to me they need a CB more than a WR. I will take the potential and upside of our young WR's over our current depth at CB. If however the talent difference is more than slight then grab the more talented WR.