More impressive out of college Murphy or Jennings

[Willard]

I always liked Mark Murphy. Bald is beautiful!

[woodbuck27]

Terrence Murphy had solid creditials coming out of College and what was especially attractive from my perspective, was his rep. for being a leader.

Greg Jennings, is straight up - your athletic type WR with an impressive College resume even though he comes from a school that isn't high in the National rankings.

Jennings goes about his work on a matter of fact basis, and he seems to be adapting to the NFL without a bump. After Donald Driver, has there been a more consistent WR in all OUR practises this Off Season?

You answer that.

Terrence Murphy never gained this status last year in the Off Season. It's not hype or anything imaginary. Brett Favre is thrilled with Greg Jennings.

In my mind,at comparable points in their prospective NFL
futures, Greg Jennings today, is ahead of where Terrence Murphy was last year.

Not to take one thing away from Terrence Murphy. I believe he had it to develop, but Greg Jennings simply has it. He's a find for us.

GO PACKERS !

[RashanGary]

I go to practices. I focus almost entirely on the rookies. Collins stood out to me last year, Murphy did not. Jennings stands out to me this year. Murphy just seemed like one of the crowd. Kind of like Cory Rodgers but better hands. Now maybe Sherman played a part in that becuae he always showcased Ferguson and McCarthy is fair, I don't know but Murph never gave me a warm fuzzy. I just thought he was OK. Collins/Jennings gave me a warm fuzzy and I've been praising both long before the media gave any positive marks. I spent hours watching their games and had other NFL palyers in front of me to compare them to. It's not easy to judge if it was in a vacuum, but you can compare them to the other players who are doing the same things adn I knew both were special in relation to what they were competing against *NFL players*. Murph was just a guy IMO. Yes, he was an NFL guy, but I think Jennings is special. We'll never know, so it's just blabber, but Jennings should blow the top off of 5 catches in 3 games. I think he's the #2 already. Murphy never passed the vets and Wlaker went down in week 1.

[woodbuck27]

I go to practices. I focus almost entirely on the rookies. Collins stood out to me last year, Murphy did not. Jennings stands out to me this year. Murphy just seemed like one of the crowd. Kind of like Cory Rodgers but better hands. Now maybe Sherman played a part in that becuae he always showcased Ferguson and McCarthy is fair, I don't know but Murph never gave me a warm fuzzy. I just thought he was OK. Collins/Jennings gave me a warm fuzzy and I've been praising both long before the media gave any positive marks. I spent hours watching their games and had other NFL palyers in front of me to compare them to. It's not easy to judge if it was in a vacuum, but you can compare them to the other players who are doing the same things adn I knew both were special in relation to what they were competing against *NFL players*. Murph was just a guy IMO. Yes, he was an NFL guy, but I think Jennings is special. We'll never know, so it's just blabber, but Jennings should blow the top off of 5 catches in 3 games. I think he's the #2 already. Murphy never passed the vets and Wlaker went down in week 1.

Yes! Greg Jennings like Terrence Murphy had a shot with us. Both had very decent College resume's. Normally, you hope that a Rookie WR may produce numbers in season three, unless he is extremely gifted.

WR Greg Jennings is ahead of that normal curve, now by all the reports. We are fortunate to have him from what I'm getting (not even seeing - as you are so fortunate to do GregJennings).

For me to compare Terrence Murphy to Greg Jennings isn't something I felt I'd ever have to do, given Terrence Murphy's bad fortune.

Straight up. I see Jennings as a better WR, than what I knew of Terrence Murphy and I stand on shaky ground.

GO PACKERS !

[HarveyWallbangers]

I got news for you Jennings wouldn't have passed Driver and Walker last year, and he may not yet pass the likes of Gardner and Ferguson this year. I'm sorry for doubting a professional scout. I've been to those camps before with my notebook, and I know it's fun, and I know you are doing your best--but if you are insinuating that you've been right most of the time, then I got posts on JSO to bring back up. BTW, weren't you the guy who said Hawkins looked unbelievable and were predicting great things from him out of the gate? Murphy indeed had a ton of pub last year. Like this:

Murphy catches on quickly
Rookie receiver impresses Green Bay's coaches
By RICK BRAUN

Green Bay - Playing in an option offense in college, receivers do not generally get to be showcased. So when a receiver from an option offense goes as high as the second round, it's a pretty safe bet he has some impressive - as the scouts like to say - "measurables."

And when he says that despite going in the second round he feels he was underrated, that's a pretty good indication that he has - again, as scouts might say - "immeasurables." Chief among immeasurables would be confidence.

The Packers believe they've got such a player in second-round pick Terrence Murphy, a receiver out of Texas A&M.

Murphy made some impressions on the practice field in the minicamp that finished up last week, making numerous catches in traffic and showing good and quick hands away from his body to corral some quick slant passes.

"I'm coming along," Murphy said last Monday. "Today was a good day. I had some nice catches and I'm just trying my best to be the best receiver I can be. I feel like I was underrated and I'm glad Green Bay gave me the chance to come here and play."

When Murphy's name was called by the Packers at No. 58 overall, a lot of eyebrows raised. Yes, Murphy had a solid second-round grade, but wide receiver did not appear to be one of the Packers' more pressing needs.

Even though he was rated in the second round by pre-draft publications, Murphy seems determined to prove he should have gone higher.

"It's just little things that I know that I can do that were overlooked," he said. "But apparently Green Bay saw it and they drafted me in the second round. So it's a blessing to be here."

New Packer receivers coach James Franklin would agree that Murphy donning the Green and Gold is a blessing.

"The biggest thing that stands out to me is he's got an unbelievable attitude," Franklin said. "He's one of the few guys that you'll be around that wants to be a great player on the field, wants to be a great player in the weight room, wants to be a great player in the meetings. He'll do all the things to work to be good. That's not very common. He's got great hands, a great work ethic. I think he's got a chance to be pretty good, and obviously he's got some impressive tools."

With Javon Walker AWOL from minicamp in a Drew Rosenhaus-induced holdout and sixth-round pick Craig Bragg out because of a pulled hamstring, Murphy got plenty of chances to show his tools.

"Walk and Bragg, that's their cases," Murphy said. "I can only be me and worry about what I have to do. If they're here, I'm going to keep playing. If they're not, I'm going to keep playing. Whatever they have to do, that's their personal business. I just want to go out and get better."

The last time the Packers took a Texas A&M receiver also came in the second round when they tabbed Robert Ferguson in 2001. Ferguson has turned into a solid player, but it took a full two seasons before he emerged.

One major difference is that Ferguson played just one season at A&M after junior college and then left early. Murphy, on the other hand, played the full four years with the Aggies.

Ferguson fell further and further behind in his first season with Green Bay, but Murphy has already impressed Packer coach Mike Sherman.

"He's made some plays out here and is ahead of where I thought he would be," Sherman said.

That being the case, Murphy appears ready to contribute a bit more quickly than Ferguson did. Still, he does admit that learning the Packers' West Coast offense is a bit trying.

"Yeah, it's complicated," Murphy said. "Because I never ran the West Coast offense, I just ran the option with a few basic routes. I've got a lot to learn, but I'm learning from the older guys. Donald Driver and all those guys are helping me out."

Franklin seems confident Murphy will learn the offense quickly enough.

"He's an intelligent kid, a coach's kid, so I'm not concerned about that," Franklin said. "He's picking up the offense well and he's doing a great job."

Even more encouraging for the Packers is that Murphy said he'd be sticking around in Green Bay to further school himself in the Packers' ways.

"I'll be here for about another month," he said. "I'm going to come in here and work out on my own because I think my work ethic is second to none."

When the Packers drafted Murphy, they talked about him also being a candidate to return punts. If he can win that job over incumbent Antonio Chatman, he'd likely also be the No. 4 receiver.

"He definitely is a potential return man," Sherman said. "There are a couple of guys vying for that spot and I'm pleased with that. But still, until they're in the game and someone's coming down the field to take your head off, it's really not a true evaluation until you get into those pre-season games. Buffalo will give us some of that, so we'll see how they look then."

Murphy returned just one punt in his four years at A&M but he has no worries about inexperience.

"I've just got to be me," he said. "If they want me to be a punt returner, I'll do it. If not, I'll do whatever I can do to help the team win."

[HarveyWallbangers]

Here's another:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/?id=343348

Coach Mike Sherman denied on draft day that Murphy was a leverage pick against a holdout by Walker. Maybe so, but if Murphy develops faster at a position that has been notoriously difficult for rookies to master, the Packers will have options galore.

Size and speed are pluses for Murphy, but what might help him most in '05 is a mature approach.

"He came in and was a big surprise," Franklin said. "We expected him to be good, don't get me wrong. But this kid is very smart and has a great work ethic. Those two things will put the kid in position to contribute."

[Patler]

I go to practices. I focus almost entirely on the rookies. Collins stood out to me last year, Murphy did not. Jennings stands out to me this year. Murphy just seemed like one of the crowd. Kind of like Cory Rodgers but better hands. Now maybe Sherman played a part in that becuae he always showcased Ferguson and McCarthy is fair, I don't know but Murph never gave me a warm fuzzy. I just thought he was OK. Collins/Jennings gave me a warm fuzzy and I've been praising both long before the media gave any positive marks. I spent hours watching their games and had other NFL palyers in front of me to compare them to. It's not easy to judge if it was in a vacuum, but you can compare them to the other players who are doing the same things adn I knew both were special in relation to what they were competing against *NFL players*. Murph was just a guy IMO. Yes, he was an NFL guy, but I think Jennings is special. We'll never know, so it's just blabber, but Jennings should blow the top off of 5 catches in 3 games. I think he's the #2 already. Murphy never passed the vets and Wlaker went down in week 1.

You didn't have an opportunity to develope an opinion about Murphy last year. None of the public did. For the most part he was withheld from training camp because of injuries.

Early in camp, others saw him differently than you apparently did:

Crystal's blog, Friday 7/29:
"Wide receiver Terrence Murphy, one of the Packers’ two second-round draft choices, picked up where he left off in the second mini-camp. On the first day of full squad, twice-a-day workouts, he popped out in both practices for making a batch of catches. He looked smooth in and out of his cuts, held onto the ball and suggested that he’ll push for playing time as a rookie. “He’s pretty polished in terms of fundamentals,” said James Franklin, the Packers’ wide receiver coach. Murphy also appears to be deceptively fast."

Three days later, on August 2 in the morning practice, Murphy sustained a hip-flexor injury, and was withheld from practices until August 14. Three days later he sprained an MCL on August 17 and did not return to practice until after the start of the season. He did not play in a preseason game. He was inactive for week 1 because of the MCL sprain and the minimal practice time he had had.

Rosseley Liked him:

"During training camp, offensive coordinator Tom Rossley said Murphy had strong hands, a good change of direction and was a good runner after the catch. When he did practice, he didn't leave an imprint on the coaches' minds with one flashy play. It was his general consistency and reliability that they liked.

"There are a lot of guys that are willing to put the time in the weight room," said Green Bay wide receivers assistant coach James Franklin. "There are a lot of guys trying to be the hardest working guy on the practice field. There are a lot of guys who will spend time in the playbook learning the plays.

"It's not very often you find a guy who is willing to do all three of those things. He's that type of guy. He truly wants to be great and he's willing to sacrifice for it."

[RashanGary]

Jennings has been by far the star of training camp, leading all receivers in catches during 11-on-11 drills with 10 and continually running routes like a 10-year veteran. The second-round pick from Western Michigan has picked up the West Coast offense faster than any rookie receiver the Packers have had since Antonio Freeman.

"He's precise on what he does," said receivers coach Jimmy Robinson, who has been coaching in the NFL since 1990, including a stop with the Indianapolis Colts. "He understands what he's doing. Marvin Harrison was a guy that came out and understood what was going on right away. He was a starter from the very beginning. Other than that I can't really think of too many rookies that have come in and understood things as quickly as he has."

On a broiling July afternoon the searing summer sun scorched everything it touched at Clarke Hinkle Field. The mercury screamed into the 90s, but the kid wearing No. 85 was coolly, calmly collecting passes with impressive regularity for the Green Bay Packers.

He looked like a polished professional, a seasoned veteran. Maybe even an All-Pro. But Greg Jennings is just a rookie. You know that only because the roster says so, or maybe you were paying attention on draft day in April when the Packers nabbed him in the second round out of Western Michigan.

But nothing about his game says, "rookie."

Watching Jennings shed cornerbacks like Charles Woodson at the line, break off crisp, precise pass routes, grab the pass and streak through the secondary, you are left wondering if your definition of a rookie needs an overhaul

"I trust that he's going to be a special wideout, he's going to have a great career in the National Football League. Right now, he's showing it," veteran Donald Driver said.




Forgive me if I don't go gaga over those snips Patler. You obviouly thought Murphy was comparable to Jennings. I do not. We'll never know because Murphy's career was cut short. If you want to go on clips though, I think we have a pretty clear idea of who was getting more hype . I'm just using my judgement so take it for what it's worth, jsut another know it all fan

[HarveyWallbangers]

I have to know though... were you the guy comparing Hawkins to Neon Deion?

[RashanGary]

I'll go dig up my stuff, but I gaurantee you I said "physically he was comparable"

[the_idle_threat]

Nawww ...

He was comparing Hawkins to Leon ... you know, from the Bud Lite commercials?


(Go with me on this one, kid )

[Bretsky]

I'm not sure Patler was arguing they were comparable; I think he was showing you evidence that you didn't have time to accurately assess T Murphy to make the comparison based off watching practices and also show Murphy was pretty well liked by the coaches as Jennings is.

Coming out of college these guys would have been rated very very close.

[RashanGary]

Uh oh...I did say that. He was impressive in camp. I've learned alot over the last year. Just being here and listenting to other opinions and getting a better feel for football. I dont' think I would make such statements now. That was one of my first posts ever. OUCH!!

[RashanGary]

I'll never live that down

[RashanGary]

CC said some things there too. Hawkins looked freaky athletic. He still is, he just can't play football