Antonio Chatman back at practice

[CaliforniaCheez]

From The Cincinnati Post

Bengals receiver Antonio Chatman practiced on Monday for the first time since the first weekend of training camp. Chatman, signed as a free agent from Green Bay, had been sidelined with pelvic strain.

"He seems to be smart mentally and stays abreast of what we're doing," said Lewis. "We want to make sure he's healthy. His injury is one of those things where if you don't let it heal it can be a nagging thing that can last a lot longer and it would limit his effectiveness for what he's doing."


http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060822/SPT03/608220322/1022

He has missed practice since the first weekend of camp??

[woodbuck27]

Do we have anybody better than Antonioooo in TC to return punt? That little "Big Man" certainly had good hands and tried his heart out.

I thought for what he brought to the table, his bonus for signing with ....
"the Bengals" (about 250 K ) was decent.

He put some points on the board, and in my eyes, improved while in Green Bay, even if most of you will say he had nomore upside.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Do we have anybody better than Antonioooo in TC to return punt? That little "Big Man" certainly had good hands and tried his heart out.

I thought for what he brought to the table, his bonus for signing with ....
"the Bengals" (about 250 K ) was decent.

He put some points on the board, and in my eyes, improved while in Green Bay, even if most of you will say he had nomore upside.

Yep, he has some of best hands in the league. If we still had him on our team he would of bet out evreryone for the punt return job. To bad though, I really liked him.

[red]

i liked him a lot too. he was super speedy with pretty good hands. and he was halfway dependable

if only they made lifts for cleats

[the_idle_threat]

Chatman, signed as a free agent from Green Bay, had been sidelined with pelvic strain.

With all the jailbirds on that team, I'm not surprised the little guy ended up with a "pelvic strain."

[pbmax]

I like to think the moment Antonio stepped back into practice, a shudder went up Cliff Christls spine. Other then Hawthorne, Chatman was Christl's favorite whipping boy for the lost season.

[bigcoz75]

The little man helped me win some FF games late last year when he was getting time as receiver. So I can't say a bad word about him.

[retailguy]

I really hope this guy succeeds. I liked him. Waiving him and signing Boerighter sure didn't work out so well, did it? Maybe we just need the "right" short guys?

If we could have transplanted Chatman's work ethic into Boerighters body, we'd have had something there...

[HarveyWallbangers]

Chatman was below average. Somebody had to catch some balls, but if he's getting a lot of time at receiver, your team is in trouble.

[retailguy]

Chatman was below average.


There was a time when Donald Driver was considered "below average". The fact that Chatman made it to the NFL after his upbringing was a major miracle.

again, my point was, I admire his work ethic and I hope he does well. Trading him for Boerigter didn't work out so well. C'est la vie....

[Bretsky]

I really hope this guy succeeds. I liked him. Waiving him and signing Boerighter sure didn't work out so well, did it? Maybe we just need the "right" short guys?

If we could have transplanted Chatman's work ethic into Boerighters body, we'd have had something there...

I don't think Marc B's work ethic was that bad. He was below average before the injury. Tore his knee up so he's worse off. He's just not that good.

Chatman, I truly admire the guy. A little frickin warrior.

But he's too slow for a premier WR or punt returner. Donald Driver had serious upside. With Chatman you see what you get. A decent option. I dont' blame TT for trying to get more. It's nice to have a game changer as a returner; I sure miss Allen Rossum.

[retailguy]

[quote=retailguy]
Donald Driver had serious upside. With Chatman you see what you get. A decent option.


Driver almost didn't make the roster in 2001, 2002. I'm not sure anyone "saw" the upside, though today, it was clearly there.

I believe the reason that Driver succeeded had more to do with his work ethic than his upside. Chatman just needs the "right" environment. He'll never be a Steve Smith, but I think, and hope, he'll get better...

[Bretsky]

[quote=retailguy]
Donald Driver had serious upside. With Chatman you see what you get. A decent option.


Driver almost didn't make the roster in 2001, 2002. I'm not sure anyone "saw" the upside, though today, it was clearly there.

I believe the reason that Driver succeeded had more to do with his work ethic than his upside. Chatman just needs the "right" environment. He'll never be a Steve Smith, but I think, and hope, he'll get better...


Honestly I saw solid upside with Driver in 2002 and liked to compare him ...prematurely at the time...with a young Robert Brooks. Part of that was knowing of his incredible work ethic....workout regiment.....and seeing what Favre did to some of the WR's.

I also thought Cory Bradford had huge upside as well and he hasn't turned out to be nearly as good as I thought he would.

I'll be cheering for Chatman too; but he'll have to do it on that huge heart because the huge talent isn't there.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Driver almost didn't make the roster in 2001, 2002. I'm not sure anyone "saw" the upside, though today, it was clearly there.

Actually, I think you prove the point. He didn't do much, but people saw the upside, so they hung on. People have this notion that Driver isn't that talented. That is such a crock. He's quick. He's fast. He has world class hops. I'm sure the Packers saw that and felt it was worth developing him for a couple of years.

You aren't seriously comparing Antonio Chatman to Donald Driver, are you? The talent level isn't even remotely comparable.

[retailguy]

You aren't seriously comparing Antonio Chatman to Donald Driver, are you? The talent level isn't even remotely comparable.

No, I'm comparing the work ethic and the opportunity. Those, to me at least are very similar.

I thought I was pretty clear a few posts earlier what I thought of Chatman.

I really would like to see this guy succeed. He's just an all around good guy with sure hands and the willingness to do whatever is asked of him. What's wrong with that?

[HarveyWallbangers]

Was he a good guy? I just remember him always bitching about not getting the opportunity to show his skills, and his agent claiming he was Steve Smith without the opportunities. He seemed like a guy who thought he was much better than he was. Kind of like Junius Coston's wife.

[Bretsky]

I like Chatman's attitude and all, but I don't know of anybody in GB who I'd measure up to Donald Driver in terms of work ethic. I've read about his weight and training regiment; similar to Robert Brooks. The little WR is in the best shape of any Packer IMO and it's because of that. He's about as ripped as he can be for his body. The Packers WR's would all be better if they had the work ethic of Driver.

I read back when Brooks was with the team Antonio Freeman showed up and Brooks put Freeman through his workout; Freeman said he'd never do it again because he was so burned and frickin sore the next few days.

In the right system, Chatman should be a nice fill in #5 and steady returner. But if you are rebuilding it's certainly worth rolling the dice to find better.

[Bretsky]

Was he a good guy? I just remember him always bitching about not getting the opportunity to show his skills, and his agent claiming he was Steve Smith without the opportunities. He seemed like a guy who thought he was much better than he was. Kind of like Junius Coston's wife.


I think this was only once and his agent did most of the whining followed up by an article in which the reporter probed him and then wrote the article in JS; the Steve Smith comment certainly was not smart, but it could have been some media spinning too.

Ferguson had got the tissues out about not getting the chance much more than Chatman on an annual basis.

[retailguy]

Was he a good guy? I just remember him always bitching about not getting the opportunity to show his skills, and his agent claiming he was Steve Smith without the opportunities. He seemed like a guy who thought he was much better than he was. Kind of like Junius Coston's wife.

I guess I always interpreted that to be a good thing. I remember Sherman saying at the beginning of TC, (2003 or 2004) that Chatman had to improve as a receiver or he'd be gone, and he did that. I just admired the effort.

I don't think he's a bad football player and I'd take him over most of the receiver the Falcons, the Jags (minus Jimmy Smith) and the 49ers have trotted out the last few years.

I guess I do understand how you could take that comment as arrogant, but I sure didn't.

[Bretsky]

Was he a good guy? I just remember him always bitching about not getting the opportunity to show his skills, and his agent claiming he was Steve Smith without the opportunities. He seemed like a guy who thought he was much better than he was. Kind of like Junius Coston's wife.

I guess I always interpreted that to be a good thing. I remember Sherman saying at the beginning of TC, (2003 or 2004) that Chatman had to improve as a receiver or he'd be gone, and he did that. I just admired the effort.

I don't think he's a bad football player and I'd take him over most of the receiver the Falcons, the Jags (minus Jimmy Smith) and the 49ers have trotted out the last few years.

I guess I do understand how you could take that comment as arrogant, but I sure didn't.

Just tying to think of them, but IMO

Roddy White and Michael Jenkins and Earnest Wilford and Matt Jones and Regie Williams Brandon Lloyd and A MBattle all are > Antonio Chatman

[retailguy]

Just tying to think of them, but IMO

Roddy White and Michael Jenkins and Earnest Wilford and Matt Jones and Regie Williams Brandon Lloyd and A MBattle all are > Antonio Chatman


I should have been clearer.... The last few years was prior to Roddy White and Matt Jones.

I don't like Earnest Wilford or Brandon Lloyd.

Jury is out for me on Michael Jenkins and Battle.

I was thinking of a couple of those guys, plus Finnernan and guy SD waived a few weeks back, that was in SF, and the first round bust in Jacksonville.... Can't recall his name.

No real good 'effort' guys in the bunch. but you're right about White & Jones and possibly the other two...