Hostile
06-14-2004, 08:35 PM
June 11, 2004
Clarett must play to keep league’s interest
ProFootballWeekly.com asks associate editor Jeff Reynolds for his thoughts on the hottest topics in the NFL.
Clarett has to consider all options in 2004
As former Ohio State RB Maurice Clarett’s case against the NFL is reduced to desperation, the talented runner has to consider another route to get on the field in 2004. If rumors that Clarett has taken money from an agent prove to be fact, he would not be readily welcomed to any NCAA Division I program. Even playing at a lower level, I-AA or Division III, in the college game is a long shot at this point because of Clarett’s off-the-field dealings.
PFW: What is Clarett’s future?
Reynolds: An NFC general manager this week said Clarett is destined to be a CFL legend. For that to happen, of course, Clarett must first agree to play at that level. His rights belong to the Montreal Alouettes, but Clarett is determined that his next snap will come as part of an NFL team.
“If he’s not on the field this year, you are talking about some serious rust,” the GM said. “You don’t play this game in the weight room or on the track. He has a lot of work to do, and all of it is football-related. He can be in the best shape of his life, but if he still cannot pick up a blitz or catch the ball, who cares?”
The GM estimated that Clarett could still be a first-day pick if he would play in the CFL or Arena Football League this year. He said any program that would allow Clarett to play this season at the collegiate level would be to “demean” its own name.
Another thing to consider with an idle Clarett, other than finding more bad than good, is conditioning. He showed up at the Indianapolis Scouting Combine weighing more than 230 pounds and looked soft and saggy. Now, with the potential for two-plus years between regular organized football activity before the 2005 draft, the longer Clarett stands still, the more likely it is he’ll drown in the quicksand of league evaluators' pens.
Clarett must play to keep league’s interest
ProFootballWeekly.com asks associate editor Jeff Reynolds for his thoughts on the hottest topics in the NFL.
Clarett has to consider all options in 2004
As former Ohio State RB Maurice Clarett’s case against the NFL is reduced to desperation, the talented runner has to consider another route to get on the field in 2004. If rumors that Clarett has taken money from an agent prove to be fact, he would not be readily welcomed to any NCAA Division I program. Even playing at a lower level, I-AA or Division III, in the college game is a long shot at this point because of Clarett’s off-the-field dealings.
PFW: What is Clarett’s future?
Reynolds: An NFC general manager this week said Clarett is destined to be a CFL legend. For that to happen, of course, Clarett must first agree to play at that level. His rights belong to the Montreal Alouettes, but Clarett is determined that his next snap will come as part of an NFL team.
“If he’s not on the field this year, you are talking about some serious rust,” the GM said. “You don’t play this game in the weight room or on the track. He has a lot of work to do, and all of it is football-related. He can be in the best shape of his life, but if he still cannot pick up a blitz or catch the ball, who cares?”
The GM estimated that Clarett could still be a first-day pick if he would play in the CFL or Arena Football League this year. He said any program that would allow Clarett to play this season at the collegiate level would be to “demean” its own name.
Another thing to consider with an idle Clarett, other than finding more bad than good, is conditioning. He showed up at the Indianapolis Scouting Combine weighing more than 230 pounds and looked soft and saggy. Now, with the potential for two-plus years between regular organized football activity before the 2005 draft, the longer Clarett stands still, the more likely it is he’ll drown in the quicksand of league evaluators' pens.