I spoke with a guy that plays on the offensive side of the ball for Cal. Says Allen is talented but lazy… just does not work hard at all. Now, that is his teammates POV but I would put more weight on that then some writers POV SO…
I am no scout.. I really dont spend a lot of time researching players like some of you guys do. BUT I have to wonder where you are getting your information from (nothing personal but it reminds me of the State Farm? commercial… I read it on the internet so it must be true)? I mean, do you know anyone in the Cal football program that can tell you how Allen took care of his business on a day to day basis? Personally, I dont know if what his teammate told me is true BUT I have to wonder why he would not give me his truthful opinion. It is not like I have any impact as to where Allen is going to go in the draft. Good or bad, his teammate had no reason to be untruthful to me. Having said all that, Allen is a gifted WR and IF he works hard he is going to be a star in the NFL… if he doesnt he is going to be an also ran. JMO
There are several things I like about Allen. His footwork is incredible. He legitimately runs like a running back with great vision with the ball in his hands and can twist defenders around with his footwork. Catching the ball, not only does Allen do a great job of high pointing the ball, but he will also wait to the last minute to extend his arms to catch the ball. He has a large catch radius because he does high point the ball and has long arms. From a technique standpoint, Keenan can play all three wide receiver positions. He can play split end, flanker, and in the slot. Keenan is a good route runner who does a great job of using his body to create separation. The one thing he needs to work on is the fact that he will tip off his routes at time by popping straight up before his break, and all young receivers can work on their route running no matter how good they are currently at doing it. IMO, Keenan Allen is definitely in the Justin Blackmon class of receivers. Justin Blackmon was not an elite talent coming out of Oklahoma State, IMO. He certainly is not on the level of Dez Bryant, Julio Jones, AJ Green, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Andre Johnson. IMO, Allen, Justin Blackmon, and Michael Crabtree are a step below those guys. The interesting thing about Cordarrelle Patterson is that from an athletic standpoint, he's in that upper tier of receivers. He could potentially be in that Dez Bryant, Julo Jones class of receivers. From a technical and overall skill standpoint though, he's a mid to late round project. This is where scouts and coaches will have to get on the same page and make their money. From a scouting standpoint, are you certain that with hard work and dedication, that he will learn the techniques of the position and translate his athleticism into skill? From a coaching standpoint, are you willing to use a young guy as a deep threat only early in his career while he learns the position? Are you willing to accept 2-3 seasons where your first round pick catches 35-40 passes or so for 700-800 yards and about 5 TDs before he puts the skill level together to be a 90 catch, 1,300 yard, 10+ TD player? Cordarrelle Patterson is the best athlete and has the best overall agility of any receiver, possibly player, in this draft. It's a marvel to watch him with the ball in his hands. That's the ability that tantilizes. Then, you watch him before the ball is in his hands. He's too upright coming off the line and in his routes. He doesn't extend his arms to catch the pass, giving him a small catch radius. He lets too many get into his body. He freelances on his routes a little too much. He doesn't win many battles when he is in tight coverage going up for a jump ball (small catch radius -- see a play where Johnthan Banks knocked the ball away from him against Mississippi State). From a technical standpoint, his route running is the least of the concerns. He needs work, but he needs to work on a lot of other things. IMO, Josh Gordon is the guy he currently reminds me of. Josh was better than I anticipated as a rookie, but he's still essentially little more than a deep threat for Cleveland right now. He may end up blossoming into a hell of a receiver. Same goes with Patterson. I just don't expect it to happen right off the bat, and if he doesn't master the techniques of the position that will allow him to translate his athleticism into skill, then he will ultimately end up being a limited receiver.
Roz when I responded to you you hadn't mentioned that you knew someone from the team, now that I see that you did, I believe you, I just thought you were coming to a conclusion based in the information that is available to all of us, interviews, coaching interviews, articles etc.. Well that sucks then, he's my favorite receiver but I wouldn't draft anyone who has questionable work ethic anymore.. Also, I'm not the kind of person who posts things just because I read them off the Internet, so not sure where that comment comes from. Boomer told me Once that a coach told him that Landry jones had great work ethic, for me, I couldn't just go on that because of what I saw with my eyes..I didnt want to disagree with him, hes boomer, but I saw things in Landrys body last year that led me to believe he wasn't workin out very hard. Before this past years college football season, it was announced on the broadcast that Landry spent more time in the gym combined with some new nutrition to lose 15 lbs..
yup no question from the waist down and how that correlates with his yac Patterson has serious skills, but were talking about all around receiver skills.. I agree on Allen's running ability, he does run like a back in space, spin moves all over the place.
True, that carries more weight than a magazine quote from his coach- a teammate of his saying that, not a good sign.
