The Paradox that is Dontayvion Wicks

[MadtownPacker]

I'm still with you as a Doubs fan, but 2 things. He isn't near as good as Wicks when it comes to breaking off routes which is where the separation comes. He is really good overall with few weaknesses and I'd be higher on him if not for 1 issue that is 2 issues. His head. Concussions scare the shit out of me as they end careers early. And teams get wary quick of guys who have depression issues and can't be relied on. If your center disappears the night before the Superb Owl it effects the entire team.

But suppose Doubs avoids concussions and does his Michael Thomas impression (always my comp for him). I'm not writing him off by any means.

Man I just have a feeling Doubs is like breaking your favorite mug. Put it back together but always have to be careful not to bang it around on anything. Still holds on to stuff but you know you should just put it on the shelf for the memories because the best days have past. Wicks is like those tricks cups that hold the water fine but when you try to take a drink it spills out.

[Fritz]

Man I just have a feeling Doubs is like breaking your favorite mug. Put it back together but always have to be careful not to bang it around on anything. Still holds on to stuff but you know you should just put it on the shelf for the memories because the best days have past. Wicks is like those tricks cups that hold the water fine but when you try to take a drink it spills out.

Don't try using a beer mug when you're wasted, Mad.

And stop drinking Bud Light or Miller Lite or whatever it is that tastes like water.

[MadtownPacker]

Mofo I mostly drink tequila shots and yes it taste like water!

[Upnorth]

Wicks is the player on the roster that reminds me the most of the bears off season every year.
Looks like a champion on paper, then they play the games.
I won't let him hurt me this year. That's the rookies job.

[bobblehead]

Wicks is the player on the roster that reminds me the most of the bears off season every year.
Looks like a champion on paper, then they play the games.
I won't let him hurt me this year. That's the rookies job.

My gripe with Golden is that there were some really great WR drafts recently. Some really good players slipped to our pick (sort of like Musgrave/Kraft slipping to us in a deep TE draft) but we passed for other positions. Now, in a fairly week WR draft, THAT is when we decide to pull the trigger on a guy in the first. In most drafts he'd be a mid-late 2nd. He wasn't overly productive in college. He's a tad small. But he is fast. Is Al Fucking Davis running our big board from the grave??

[Tony Oday]

My gripe with Golden is that there were some really great WR drafts recently. Some really good players slipped to our pick (sort of like Musgrave/Kraft slipping to us in a deep TE draft) but we passed for other positions. Now, in a fairly week WR draft, THAT is when we decide to pull the trigger on a guy in the first. In most drafts he'd be a mid-late 2nd. He wasn't overly productive in college. He's a tad small. But he is fast. Is Al Fucking Davis running our big board from the grave??

My problem is I dont know shit about fuck when it comes to evaluating talent before its on the field in the NFL.

[Joemailman]

My gripe with Golden is that there were some really great WR drafts recently. Some really good players slipped to our pick (sort of like Musgrave/Kraft slipping to us in a deep TE draft) but we passed for other positions. Now, in a fairly week WR draft, THAT is when we decide to pull the trigger on a guy in the first. In most drafts he'd be a mid-late 2nd. He wasn't overly productive in college. He's a tad small. But he is fast. Is Al Fucking Davis running our big board from the grave??

Gute has talked about Golden's route-running ability as a real asset. He didn't just draft a "speed guy". I don't buy that he would have been drafted in the 50's in other drafts. NFL.com gave Golden and Chris Olave (who was drafted 11th) almost identical overall grades coming into the draft. Not that they're clones. Olave is a smoother route runner. Golden is a little faster.

By Lance Zierlein NFL Analyst
Draft Projection Round 1
NFL Comparison Chris Olave
Overview

Golden works all three levels of the field with similar consistency and productivity. His route-running needs refinement, but he does a decent job of altering tempo and separating at break points. Golden has the ability to play all three receiver spots. He also has the agility and body control to turn near-misses into highlight catches. Focus drops still pepper his play, but he’s a willing participant in traffic and took command of contested catches with better physicality and catch strength in 2024. Golden’s starting-level traits and big leap forward as a go-to playmaker have him primed to become a productive catch-maker with the potential to develop into a WR1 in the future.

[CaptainKickass]

My problem is I dont know shit about fuck when it comes to evaluating talent before its on the field in the NFL.

It's awesome that you don't know shit about fuck when it comes to evaluating talent because I don't know fuck about shit when it comes to evaluating talent!

Perhaps if we work really hard, dedicating vast quantities of time and resources the likes of which have never been seen before to combine these obvious superpowers into a mecha-cuss-filled-lack-of-knowledge in the realm of NFL talent acquisition - we may mesmerize and inspire even bigger idiots than we with our ultra-zany, wild and over the top antics!

...and this sonically bizarre rock masterpiece gem from way back in the earlier internet days would be our theme song/intro music:

[ThunderDan]

Ditto, I spend almost zero time on college football anymore. With players jumping every year, it’s hard to keep interested. I probably watch half the Badger games and a handful of the playoff for the national Title.

[bobblehead]

Gute has talked about Golden's route-running ability as a real asset. He didn't just draft a "speed guy". I don't buy that he would have been drafted in the 50's in other drafts. NFL.com gave Golden and Chris Olave (who was drafted 11th) almost identical overall grades coming into the draft. Not that they're clones. Olave is a smoother route runner. Golden is a little faster.

By Lance Zierlein NFL Analyst
Draft Projection Round 1
NFL Comparison Chris Olave
Overview

Golden works all three levels of the field with similar consistency and productivity. His route-running needs refinement, but he does a decent job of altering tempo and separating at break points. Golden has the ability to play all three receiver spots. He also has the agility and body control to turn near-misses into highlight catches. Focus drops still pepper his play, but he’s a willing participant in traffic and took command of contested catches with better physicality and catch strength in 2024. Golden’s starting-level traits and big leap forward as a go-to playmaker have him primed to become a productive catch-maker with the potential to develop into a WR1 in the future.

No real way for either of us to prove/disprove this. I can only look at it this way. Golden is smallish for an NFL wideout. He only participated in the one thing he does well at the combine....run in a straight line. His 10 yard was 1.53 compared to Watsons 1.45. This despite a 5" height difference. Watson participated in every event and was stellar. Pickens ran a 1.5 split and is 6'3". He was a 5 star recruit who checked every box.

Last year Brian Thomas was the 23 pick. He is over 6'2" and ran the same 10 yard split and was a 9.97 overall ras....did everything. All these guys project as good or better than Golden at the NFL level. This years draft was bad, headlined by McMillan who is a big guy running a 4.5 40 and also didn't participate in most drills.

McMillan would have been a late 1st in most drafts, but in this draft he went top 10. This was a crap WR group. If we needed to go OL/WR in rounds 1 and 2 I think Josh Simmons / Jack Bech would have suited me much better. But again, this was a bad WR class overall. Naturally that is the year Gutes decided to break the streak.

[texaspackerbacker]

Did you see Golden actually play? I did. He just LOOKS fast and shifty. And that was against some of the top college competition. Golden is gonna be damn good - mark my words (barring injury anyway), distinctively better than whoever the hell you were imagining to be better than him.

[run pMc]

I think Golden will be fine if MLF uses him correctly. Dude seems to have a good attitude, has some talent and looks smooth as a receiver. The Olave conparison is a slight stretch but not that far off IMO. (Olave was better coming out of college)
I don't hate the pick, especially with who was left on the board at the time. All the CBs left had red flags (medical, character) and they didn't need another OL in R1. He was considered a top 15 pick, so you could argue GB got good value here.

Agree in the Aiyuk/Jefferson draft he's a high second rounder. I think he'd have been drafted before Christian Watson in that draft. Either way, I don't think it was a relative reach either.

I do know exactly what you mean about how this is the year (out of all the great WR draft classes) that they break the streak. I think if they had a shot at Jefferson or Aiyuk they would have broken the streak sooner. It's just how the board fell.

[bobblehead]

Did you see Golden actually play? I did. He just LOOKS fast and shifty. And that was against some of the top college competition. Golden is gonna be damn good - mark my words (barring injury anyway), distinctively better than whoever the hell you were imagining to be better than him.

I'm hoping for the best Tex, but your track record is insisting average players are good while insisting great players are over rated (Bahktiari). I don't mind a good contrarian, but you pimping Golden has me nervous.

I have watched some of his play, but didn't watch any of his actual games and even if I had, cameras only focus on WR if they are about the make the catch. He does look fast and shifty I'll grant you that. He reminds me of Mecole Hardman who we didn't give up a first for.

[texaspackerbacker]

Yeah, he sorta reminds me of Mecole Hardman too - a guy I was damn glad we got. Goldman should have that as his floor, and a ceiling a LOT higher.

Going way back, the first person I remember touting who wasn't very popular with media pukes or posters at the time was Donald Driver. That came through big time. Praising him as well as dissing Bakhtiari and maybe some others was based, as with Golden, on observation and perception - going with what can be seen over what statisticians and media dumbasses tell us.

[MadScientist]

Yeah, he sorta reminds me of Mecole Hardman too - a guy I was damn glad we got. Goldman should have that as his floor, and a ceiling a LOT higher.

Going way back, the first person I remember touting who wasn't very popular with media pukes or posters at the time was Donald Driver. That came through big time. Praising him as well as dissing Bakhtiari and maybe some others was based, as with Golden, on observation and perception - going with what can be seen over what statisticians and media dumbasses tell us.

I remember the media saying good things about DD once he got into training camp. Although there was some question about his dedication to football for a while, because he was looking at trying out for the USA Olympic team for the high jump. Thankfully he chose football.

Similarly, as soon as camp started, Shields was mentioned by the reporters every day for making plays. On the other hand, Janis had a lot of buzz during OTC's the season after his crazy playoff game, but once camp came around, the buzz evaporated.