Potential Bust: Donte' Stallworth
During the course of the preseason, we update our draft guide's bust list when appropriate. Donte' Stallworth is very close to getting added.
Full disclosure: I'm a Patriots fan and I have a soft spot for Stallworth after watching him play for the Saints. After Randy Moss signed, though, I just didn't see Stallworth having the sort of consistency that owners will desire with a WR3 pick (he's currently being taken as the 30th wideout). It's a complex offense, everyone will get their share of big games, everyone will get ignored at times. The reserves (Wes Welker, Reche Caldwell, perhaps Jabar Gaffney) are going to produce more than on most teams.
I'm not entirely convinced Stallworth will even make the team. He's barely practiced with New England all summer, and still hasn't suited up in training camp. He's ultimately on a one-year deal. He hasn't gained the trust of Brady or the coaching staff on the field where it matters. Here's a comment Bill Belichick made on Wednesday, courtesy of the Boston Globe. He speaks about the advantage Gaffney and Caldwell have because of their experience.
"Somebody that didn’t have all those practices and all those games, there’s no way they could go through all the situations and all the things those players went through ... Reche had a real good offseason. He had a better offseason than he did last year. He was able to do more, and is starting at a much higher point. And Gaff, he had a great offseason, and he’s having a real good camp. He’s showed up and made plays out there every day ... We have a long way to go and now we start seeing who can come out and perform and produce day after day, in a difficult environment. It’s a good time to evaluate your team, your players.”
I punched that into my Belichick translator and this came out: "Donte', get on the field fast or we'll leave you and your accent mark behind."
Comments
I'm a Stallworth fan from his days at Tennessee, but I wouldn't count on him for my fantasy team, much less expect much from him for a real NFL team... those hamstrings make me nervous.
Posted by: HT | August 1, 2007 02:49 PM
i agree with HT - huge vols fan and thus a stallworth fan, but let's be realistic.
stallworth is entering his 6th season in the league. he has never topped 1000 yards, nor played an entire season without injury. even when he's healthy, he's just a deep threat.
i'm not sure where the notion came from that stallworth was awesome (i think the hype started when he went to the eagles?), but it's unfounded.
stallworth is a fast guy with average hands and some very fragile legs.
i doubt he'll get cut from the pats, but i'd place a hefty wager that he will not be a starter.
Posted by: The Dox | August 1, 2007 04:24 PM
In New Orleans they called Stallworth Santa Claus.
It was because he showed up once a year.
He was hardly better in Philly, showing up three times. All hype.
Posted by: Brad Metzger | August 1, 2007 08:50 PM
We always call him Donte' Hamstrings. And have you noticed every year there's a story about how he's working with a special trainer so he won't have hamstring problems?
Posted by: Aias | August 2, 2007 12:36 AM
The sad thing is Ignorant Pats fans (and they are a-plenty) think Stallworth and Moss will be the next Harrison/Wayne combo or Holt/Bruce- anyone want to bet either of them are even starting by the end of the year?
Posted by: Vdogg | August 7, 2007 02:32 PM
Interesting points...plus, add that drafting Patriots is always sketchy anyhow due to Belichick's withholding of injury information. Even if Donte makes the team, we'd probably never know he was hurt until the game started and he wasn't playing. I will distance and let someone else take this risk...
Posted by: Kevin | August 11, 2007 12:58 AM