Official James Starks/C.J. Wilson Thread

[SkinBasket]

Because I don't want to search through 100+ pages for info on each of our picks...

And I bet neither guy makes the team.

[Chubbyhubby]

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[SkinBasket]

http://www.youtube.com/v/MaMmHWpXwZg

[RashanGary]

CJ Wilson is by far my favorite pick in this draft for where he was selected. That guy had the production and athletic ability that compares with almost any lineman in this draft (including Neal and guys who went earlier than Neal even). I have no doubt he will make the team.

Starks missed his whole senior season because of shoulder surgery. Comes from a small school. But in his first three years, he has school record breaking production, was a great pass catching RB, and his athletic testing compares with the 2nd round picks. Also a great fit in a one cut scheme.

These guys have a chance to be diamonds. Every single player in this draft is exciting.

[Bretsky]

Skin Skin Skin
we got a guy that might take Bigby's spot in the lineup !!

[Chubbyhubby]

http://www.youtube.com/v/MaMmHWpXwZg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1

Check this clip out on Starks 92 yard run pretty impressive!

[SkinBasket]

Skin Skin Skin
we got a guy that might take Bigby's spot in the lineup !!

Might my ass!

But he has his own thread already, which I've been meaning to stop by.

[wist43]

Starks looks okay... but he missed a lot of time with the shoulder. Wilson looks like JAG at a position of existing strength.

As TT said, he won't chase need, and he won't move up to fill needs... he will only move up to draft players... and so we are stuck with TE's and 3-4 DE's coming out of our ears, who will contribute in 3-4 years :D

Starks will replace Green or Wynn on the roster though... so I expect him to make it. Wilson has a chance, Montgomery is gone, Harrell is a bust and needs to be flipping burgers somewhere.

Maybe this draft will look okay in a few years... but I'd bet the farm those few years won't be including any championships. TT never concerns himself with now - it's always about 3 years from now.

[OS PA]

Starks looks okay... but he missed a lot of time with the shoulder. Wilson looks like JAG at a position of existing strength.

As TT said, he won't chase need, and he won't move up to fill needs... he will only move up to draft players... and so we are stuck with TE's and 3-4 DE's coming out of our ears, who will contribute in 3-4 years :D

Starks will replace Green or Wynn on the roster though... so I expect him to make it. Wilson has a chance, Montgomery is gone, Harrell is a bust and needs to be flipping burgers somewhere.

Maybe this draft will look okay in a few years... but I'd bet the farm those few years won't be including any championships. TT never concerns himself with now - it's always about 3 years from now.

Deshawn Wynn and Ahman Green aren't on the roster. The only RBs we have signed are Grant, Jackson, and Lumpkin. So the competition going into TC is going to be Starks vs. Lumpkin for that 3rd spot.

[gbgary]

cj wilson

http://mimi.mlblogs.com/cjwilson.jpg

Born: 11/18/1980 in Newport Beach, CA; Bats/Throws: L/L HT: 6'1'' WT: 210

:D

[Maxie the Taxi]

http://www.youtube.com/v/MaMmHWpXwZg

This looks like a carbon-copy of Ryan Grant. Seen him do it quite a few times.

[Chubbyhubby]

cj wilson

http://mimi.mlblogs.com/cjwilson.jpg

Born: 11/18/1980 in Newport Beach, CA; Bats/Throws: L/L HT: 6'1'' WT: 210

:D

That can't be him.. That would mean he would be 30!

[Freak Out]

I have to say I wasn't that shocked when I saw we drafted a guy that didn't play in 2009.

[swede]

http://www.packers.com/news/stories/2010/04/24/3/

This was the year of rummaging through the scratch and dent bin to find really interesting bargains. This RB could be good for us.
Here are a few chunks from a longer article.
For the rest see the link above.

by Mike Spofford, Packers.com
posted 04/24/2010"

There's no doubting running back James Starks' production during his college career
at the University of Buffalo.

The only question with Starks is whether he can be the same player after missing
his final collegiate season due to shoulder surgery.

Starks, whom the Packers selected in the sixth round on Saturday with the 193rd
overall pick, already had notched Buffalo's career records for rushing yards (3,140),
rushing touchdowns (34) and points scored (222) when a shoulder injury prevented
him from finishing his career with a flourish.

...

"It was very painful," Starks said. "I tried to play through it...so Starks had surgery
to repair the torn labrum, and even though sitting out last season probably led to
him dropping all the way to the sixth round, he vows to make the most of the
opportunity he's been given and not look back.

...

Starks, an accomplished athlete who originally came to Buffalo as a
quarterback, switched to cornerback and then ultimately to running back, topped
1,000 yards rushing in back-to-back seasons (2007-08), the first time a Buffalo
player had accomplished that feat. His 127 career catches out of the backfield (for
898 yards) prove he's got an all-around offensive game as well.

His best season was in 2008, when he set single-season school records with
1,333 yards and 16 touchdowns on 272 carries (4.9 avg.) despite missing three
games with hip and toe injuries. He also caught 52 passes for 361 yards and a TD,
giving him 102 points scored and 1,694 all-purpose yards, both school records.


At 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds, Starks has been criticized for running too upright at
times. ...

With the pass-catching acumen, Starks already brings something to that
competition, and he could be given a chance as a returner as well. But one of the
key factors in becoming a reliable backup and third-down back in the NFL is blitz
pickup, a forte of Jackson's.

Any new back in the NFL has to work on that, and certainly Jackson was no expert
for his first couple of years in the league. Bennett sounded confident Starks could
develop in similar fashion.

...
He also gets a chance to make up for his lost season now. He says he's ready.

"I'm a hard worker, and I'm going to go in and give my all," Starks said. "I'm very
confident in my ability, and I'm going to prove to a lot of people that I'm healthy,
that I can do a lot of things. I can't wait to start working and do all I can to help
the Green Bay Packers.

[rbaloha1]

Starks actually reminds of Edgar Bennett. If he is able to execute the screen like EB then we may have something. Not a blazer.

IMO Lumpkin wins the third spot barring injury.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Starks actually reminds of Edgar Bennett. If he is able to execute the screen like EB then we may have something. Not a blazer.

IMO Lumpkin wins the third spot barring injury.

Bennett was a plodder. This kid isn't slow. Ran 4.51 40--which is probably above average for RB prospects. I was actually impressed with his accelaration. He seems to get to top speed quick.

[vince]

I can't wait to see Starks in the preseason. I'd say he's a practice squad addition, with strong potential for development at worst. He looks like he has a frame that could fill out nicely with another year of work. An Edgar project... Hold on to that ball man.
http://thematadorsports.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/James-Starks.jpg

[Scott Campbell]

http://www.youtube.com/v/MaMmHWpXwZg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1

Check this clip out on Starks 92 yard run pretty impressive!


It was long, but he didn't break any tackles. I'm not sure he even made a move.

[rbaloha1]

Starks actually reminds of Edgar Bennett. If he is able to execute the screen like EB then we may have something. Not a blazer.

IMO Lumpkin wins the third spot barring injury.

Bennett was a plodder. This kid isn't slow. Ran 4.51 40--which is probably above average for RB prospects. I was actually impressed with his accelaration. He seems to get to top speed quick.

EB likes this guy. IMO has a similar build and catches the ball well just like EB.

EB ran a similar 40 early in his career but perennial ankle injuries slowed him down. Played well on muddy fields.

Still like Lumpkin better.

[mission]

http://www.youtube.com/v/MaMmHWpXwZg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1

Check this clip out on Starks 92 yard run pretty impressive!


It was long, but he didn't break any tackles. I'm not sure he even made a move.

here's new video put up today.. guy has TONS of moves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ3dPkL0pr4

[TennesseePackerBacker]

http://www.youtube.com/v/MaMmHWpXwZg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1

Check this clip out on Starks 92 yard run pretty impressive!


It was long, but he didn't break any tackles. I'm not sure he even made a move.

here's new video put up today.. guy has TONS of moves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ3dPkL0pr4


I don't understand some of the hate and subsequent Lumpkin love. This guy looks like he could beat out Lumpkin pretty easily. I love his pass-catching ability as well. If not for his injury last year he probably could have went anywhere from rounds 2-4. Looks like he has a great skill set to add to this team. About the only thing you can't tell from the video is if he can block worth a damn.

[mission]

http://www.youtube.com/v/MaMmHWpXwZg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1

Check this clip out on Starks 92 yard run pretty impressive!


It was long, but he didn't break any tackles. I'm not sure he even made a move.

here's new video put up today.. guy has TONS of moves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ3dPkL0pr4


I don't understand some of the hate and subsequent Lumpkin love. This guy looks like he could beat out Lumpkin pretty easily. I love his pass-catching ability as well. If not for his injury last year he probably could have went anywhere from rounds 2-4. Looks like he has a great skill set to add to this team. About the only thing you can't tell from the video is if he can block worth a damn.

at 1:09 he's easily outrunning Louis Delmas (young, good detroit safety) to the endzone. hopefully signs of what's to come :P

[TennesseePackerBacker]

http://www.youtube.com/v/MaMmHWpXwZg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1

Check this clip out on Starks 92 yard run pretty impressive!


It was long, but he didn't break any tackles. I'm not sure he even made a move.

here's new video put up today.. guy has TONS of moves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ3dPkL0pr4

Saw that as well. I also remember losing a pretty penny betting against Buffalo in '08 against Ball State. Starks was second on the team in catches that year with 52.

I don't understand some of the hate and subsequent Lumpkin love. This guy looks like he could beat out Lumpkin pretty easily. I love his pass-catching ability as well. If not for his injury last year he probably could have went anywhere from rounds 2-4. Looks like he has a great skill set to add to this team. About the only thing you can't tell from the video is if he can block worth a damn.

at 1:09 he's easily outrunning Louis Delmas (young, good detroit safety) to the endzone. hopefully signs of what's to come :P



edit: That's weird, none of my text showed up in this post. Basically, I was just stating that I bet against Buffalo vs. Ball State in the MAC title game in '08. James had a great game, and that year he was second on the team with 52 receptions. Quite impressive.

[Joemailman]

James Starks was seen as a 2-3 round talent heading into the 2009 season. If his shoulder is sound, he'll be easily the best backup for Grant the Packers have had.

Wilson was seen as a possible 3-4 round pick before the draft. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1274059?tag=pageRow;pageContainer Not flashy, but he is not just another 7th round long shot.

[Joemailman]

Starks was recruited to Buffalo as a QB. Could we finally see the wildcat in Green Bay? McCarthy said last year they haven't used the wildcat because they haven't had the right type of player to execute it.

[channtheman]

Starks actually reminds of Edgar Bennett. If he is able to execute the screen like EB then we may have something. Not a blazer.

IMO Lumpkin wins the third spot barring injury.

Bennett was a plodder. This kid isn't slow. Ran 4.51 40--which is probably above average for RB prospects. I was actually impressed with his accelaration. He seems to get to top speed quick.

EB likes this guy. IMO has a similar build and catches the ball well just like EB.

EB ran a similar 40 early in his career but perennial ankle injuries slowed him down. Played well on muddy fields.

Still like Lumpkin better.

Pshh. Lumpkin is so 2008. Starks is the new fan favorite.

[channtheman]

Actually the vibe I get with Starks is very similar to how I felt when we drafted Jennings. Comes from a small school but produced in college. I feel that is a much more important indicator of future success than a guy who comes from a big school but has only done it for one year. And as a few others have mentioned, if not for his shoulder injury this guys probably picked somewhere around round 3, right where Jennings was selected.

[Gunakor]

Starks was recruited to Buffalo as a QB. Could we finally see the wildcat in Green Bay? McCarthy said last year they haven't used the wildcat because they haven't had the right type of player to execute it.

I hope not. I hate the wildcat.

[Fritz]

"Lumpkin love." Sounds kinda perverted to me.

[Brandon494]

Green Bay Packers like James Starks' potential as receiving back

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20100424/PKR01/100424054/1954/pkr03

[GoPackGo]

James Starks 12/5/2008 vs. Ball State

Overall Strengths:
He has some of the best lateral cuts and change of direction I have seen from any back. He has a very smooth speed and burst with a good first step. He catches the ball with his hands. He is an aggressive pass protector with good footwork to stay in front of his opponent and uses his hands reasonably well. He's not as good as fellow prospect Brandon Minor in this area, but he's better than most I have seen thus far. He has very good vision to spot the cut back and he will carry a defender a few yards. He's stronger than he looks and runs with good pad level. He has good balance to take hits and stay upright. Turner Gill said that Starks is a stud, is as comparable to any back at Nebraska he played with (Mike Rozier), and he has an NFL future. At 6-2, 211, he could easily be 6-2 225 and retain his speed. I think he's the diamond in the rough in this draft at the RB position.

Overall Weaknesses:
He carries the ball under his right arm only and he needs to secure the ball earlier in his exchanges with the QB. If he could learn to switch the ball to his left arm he could be more versatile with a stiff arm to ward off defenders. He could use another 10 pounds of muscle to his core. He missed his senior season due to a labral tear in his shoulder that wasn't
detected until August.

Power:
Starks demonstrated good pad level midway through his 7-yard run on 2nd and 6 with 10:50 in the 1st QTR by attacking the defenders ahead of him with his head down and using his legs and body lean to gain three yards after contact. He ran out of two tackle wrap-ups to his legs on a 3rd and 1 run off left end for 18 yards.

Ball Handling:
Good job covering up with both arms in the hole when he lowered his shoulders into the defenders for a 7-yard gain with 10:50 in the 1st QTR. Starks holds the ball high and tight against his body, but he carried the ball on a swing pass to the left side of the field under his right arm, exposing it to backside pursuit on a this 1st and 10 play with 10:15 in the 1st QTR. He also carried the ball under his right arm on a gain around left end with 5:14 in the 1st QTR. Starks lost the ball on a run off RG versus a run blitz on 2nd and 1 with 1:00 in the half. However, he carried the ball with both hands in front of his stomach without securing it after getting the hand off and it was easily knocked away. This was a clear mental
lapse on his part. Starks lost the ball during an exchange with the QB. The hand off was put on the upper left arm at the last moment and literally tossed it up there at close range. It was credited as fumble on Starks, but it was his QB's responsibility. I'm not scoring it as fumble here.

Elusiveness:
Nice bounce to his change of direction on a four-yard gain from the one yard-line on the first run of the game. Good lateral cut from C to RG about two yards behind the LOS on 2nd and 6 to find a crease behind his lead FB and then veering to the right of his lead blocker through the hole for a few yards before bulldozing his way through three defenders for a seven-yard gain and a first down. His change of direction is very fluid and sharp for a 211-lb back. He turned 90 degrees on a run designed to go around right end and cut inside the right guard with such sharpness he got positive yardage on a play that should have been a loss with 7:39 in the 1st QTR. I liked how Starks finished his run after a catch on a circle route to begin the 2nd QTR. Instead of trying to split defenders by bulling through them, he used his speed and agility to get low and dive across the first down marker. Nice spin to the inside to run through the grasp of a defender at the LOS on a 2nd and 7 screen pass with 14:20 in the 3rd QTR. A terrific lateral cut at the sideline to turn up field and stay inbounds on a 10-yard run on a pitch to right end with 7:26 in the game. Starks made a great dip inside a seal block at full speed on 3rd and 1 to gain 15 yards through the left flat
to the one yard-line, nearly getting the pylon with a diving attempt with 3:33 in the game. He scored on the next play with a patient run for one yard.

Balance:
Excellent balance to stay upright and drag a defender grabbing him in pursuit to get three extra yards for the first down on a pitch to right end with 7:24 in the game. He ran through the grasp of one safety on pitch around left end and then ran through a big hit by the second safety to his side near the boundary, keeping his balance to gain a few more
yards and stay inbounds for 10 yards with 4:06 in the game.

Speed:
Starks has a noticeable burst when uses it. Starks displays a very quick first step to get around left end on a spread formation hand off to gain 15 yards down the left flat with 5:14 in the 1st QTR. He burst through two tackle attempts on a 3rd and 1 run early in the 3rd QTR. He has 10.8 - 100 M speed. A nice plant in the backfield followed by a change of direction and burst through the LOS for a six-yard gain with 8:45 in the game on 2nd and 10.

Blocking:
Good positioning in the pocket to pick up a CB blitz on 1st and 10 with 4:48 in the 1st QTR. Although he didn't get a clean shot on the CB, he altered the path of the pressure to give the QB room to slide to the left and at least throw the ball away. He slid through an opening off LG to engage the LB with a block on a 3rd and 15 pass attempt with 4:20 in the 1st QTR. On 3rd and 6 with 12:06 in the half, Starks aggressively charged to left end to pick up the blitzing DB off the corner and got his hands into the defender's body, doing a good job with his feet to slide with the DB to stay in front of him and keep him away from the QB, giving his teammate time to roll right and throw the ball away. Starks correctly diagnosed a blitz overload to the left side on 1st and 10 with 13:10 in the 3rd QTR and took the inside man, but so did his LT at the last moment and he found himself ducking under them. He turned back to the QB to make himself a target and the QB tossed him the ball at the last second and he had a lapse in concentration by turning up field before he secured the pass, incomplete. On the next play, he did a find job of shielding the edge rush away from the QB.

Vision:
Good patience on a 4-yard run off RT on a 1st and 10 from their own one yard-line to start their first drive. He got the ball in a two-TE I formation and pressed the hole off RT by veering towards LG with a slow approach and then bounced outside to his FB, actually running into his back momentarily and bulling forward for a four-yard gain. Although he took a
hand off from the Pistol towards right end and the Ball State defense pushed his linemen 1-3 yards into the backfield on that side, Starks managed to find a cutback off RG for a 1- yard gain when it should have been a 2-yard loss. He showed good vision to try to reverse his field back to left end where there was a huge opening but he just got tripped up from
behind as he was about to turn the corner and was down for a two-yard loss with 7:13 in the half. He got 18 yards on 3rd and 1 from the I-formation because of a great play design against Ball State's defense. The WR split left and the lead FB converged to left end to block down the CB in the left flat so Starks could sprint through left end for the first down. He then ran through two tackles at his legs eight and ten yards past the LOS before getting pushed down by the safety. Although he didn't gain any yardage on the play, he showed great reaction and recognition of a defender shooting the A gap just as he go the ball heading for the middle of the line and stopped on a dime to nearly avoid his grasp and change
direction. He avoided the grasp initially but couldn't move his feet without the defender wrapping him. All he could do was fall forward for no gain.

Receiving
Starks' third consecutive touch on the first drive of the game was a swing pass to the left flat that he caught with his hands while running away from the QB and turned up field with his linemen leading the way to the left sideline. When he reached the LOS with a defender a yard from him in pursuit from the backside, Starks put his foot in the ground and burst
down hill, running through the backside defender's attempted tackle and falling forward another three yards after the safety's hit from the inside for an 11-yard gain. Starks caught circle route at the LOS on a 1st and 10 top open the 2nd QTR after releasing from the spread formation flanking the QB. He caught the ball with his hands close to his body and turned up field for 12 yards. He gained six yards on the second play of the 3rd QTR, catching a middle screen and running out of the grasp of a defender at the LOS as he caught the ball, spinning inside of the hit and then spinning to stay upright while in the grasp of second defender for another four yards to gain six on 2nd and 7.

Durability:
He missed his senior season with a labral tear in his shoulder that was detected in August just before the season began. He had surgery immediately and will be ready to showcase his skills in the NFL.

[vince]

I wouldn't pretend to project his career out to this, but Starks' running style and pass catching ability remind me a little bit of Roger Craig.

I couldn't find any fumble statistics for him, but the thing that could be an issue is the way he carries the ball too loosely and in his right arm only. NFL defenders are going to be much better at stripping the ball than his Mid-American Conference opponents at the University at Buffalo were.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Because I don't want to search through 100+ pages for info on each of our picks...

And I bet neither guy makes the team.

Oops. :)

[HarveyWallbangers]

Starks actually reminds of Edgar Bennett. If he is able to execute the screen like EB then we may have something. Not a blazer.

IMO Lumpkin wins the third spot barring injury.


Bennett was a plodder. This kid isn't slow. Ran 4.51 40--which is probably above average for RB prospects. I was actually impressed with his accelaration. He seems to get to top speed quick.

I was actually looking for this.

[gbgary]

:tup:

[Fred's Slacks]

Don't mean to pick on you Wist, but I had to chuckle when I read this line...


Maybe this draft will look okay in a few years... but I'd bet the farm those few years won't be including any championships. TT never concerns himself with now - it's always about 3 years from now.

[wist43]

Don't mean to pick on you Wist, but I had to chuckle when I read this line...

They got on an amazing run... I'll take it.

Besides, I don't have a farm :)

[mission]

proof that I was on his train very early... I'm a little miffed at my low standing in his fan club. :lol:

ive even gone as far as to call him eric dickerson lite on another website :tup:

[swede]

proof that I was on his train very early... I'm a little miffed at my low standing in his fan club. :lol:

ive even gone as far as to call him eric dickerson lite on another website :tup:

That name came into my mind just this morning as I was thinking about last night's big run at the family Night practice. Tall, quick to hit the hole, has some lateral quickness while running at speed, gets low at the right time to buy another three yards...

Did Dickerson run so upright, though?

[mission]

That name came into my mind just this morning as I was thinking about last night's big run at the family Night practice. Tall, quick to hit the hole, has some lateral quickness while running at speed, gets low at the right time to buy another three yards...

Did Dickerson run so upright, though?

Kind of, but they both get down upon impact. I don't think Starks style is abnormally upright like, say, Carl McCullough was for the Badgers. Starks is tall but he gets lower than his guy enough to drive the piles and break tackles. Has really good body lean. Adrian Peterson had the same knock but it doesn't seem to affect him.

The NFL has history of guys over 6'1" being able to run the ball-- Marcus Allen, OJ Simpson, Dickerson... heck, Dickerson was 6'3"! I think the media spin on "running tall" is a bit overblown.

Starks just really looks 'different' out there. 'It' factor-- :)

[gbgary]

That name came into my mind just this morning as I was thinking about last night's big run at the family Night practice. Tall, quick to hit the hole, has some lateral quickness while running at speed, gets low at the right time to buy another three yards...

Did Dickerson run so upright, though?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k7vZo8N_Ls

there's probably a better vid but i was lazy.