Woolfork was a project in college. Great size and speed and ability, but he never put it all together at OU and he never put it all together in Tennessee. It never hurts to take a look though.
Derek Strait was a DB out of OU too and never really lived up to expectations. Did they play together in college?
Man, I was so disappointed in Derek Strait -- I watched him in college and was actually quite a fan. But his confidence just disappeared. It is true that Mangini treated him like a yo-yo. But releasing him and bringing him back and releasing him ...I don't think it was very good for his psyche. I don't think he has come back to playing good football anywhere he has landed since college. Maybe it was all a little too much for him.
If you want to have lasting success and a deep team you have to sign players like Woolfolk. Signings like this are just as important as a Faneca or Jenkins. He is still young and has to have some talent to be a 1st rounder. So you take a flier on those types of players. Once in a while it works out and you gain a good player for cheap. If not, it costs you barely anything.
I agree, Strait was a good ball player at OU and I was extremely happy the Jets drafted him. Just goes to show how some things don't work out...
This thread reminds me of the debates we had here with Dolphins fans about who would be the bigger star CB of the '04 Draft, Derrick Strait or Will Poole. Painful memories.
I think his expected role is nickle/dime packages and ST (which makes sense with his size and the scouting reports above). I read it somewhere...rotoworld probably?
As a Titans fan let me chime in. He could have physically played last year but wasnt going to make the squad and was placed on IR before a settlement was reached. He couldnt beat out Reylando Hill (a 7th rounder from the same year) to start for us two seasons ago and has obviously been a huge bust. Believe me Hill sucks but Woolfolk was worse. I know you all are taking a flier on him and got him cheap and maybe a change of scenery will be just what he needs. I just want to give you all a heads up about who you are getting. He does add depth but will most likely struggle to make your final roster.
Appreciate the input. We are already all too familiar with this FO bringing in borderline FA guys from other teams who dont work out at all, so he wouldnt be the first if it goes down that way.
Thanks for the info. The guy gets a shot; he makes of it what he will. The only thing I know; the only way he plays for us is if he earns it. So it is all on him. As for the TGG, Clement wasn't much better than Clarke. Unless we pick somebody else up in FA, which I doubt, I definitely think we are going to draft a tackle in the second round. It still would be nice somewhere, somehow to pick up a speed WR that doesn't have brick hands.
I agree. I have a feeling they go OG in the second. Plug him in as RG, and bump Moore down to backup. Brick-Faneca-Mangold-2nd Rd pick-Woody. Depth - Montgomery-Bender-Moore. That looks like a seriously good line to me.
Jeff Fisher is a pretty good judge of Defensive backs- he played the position on a national chanpionship team in college, played the position in the pros, and coached the position in the pros for about a decade. Fisher clearly liked him coming out of college but soured on him in 3-4 years of playing. As someone else mentioned, will probably never make the final roster but you never know...and it costs next to nothing.
Woolfork is close to the opposite of Strait. He's big, fast, and has all the athletic tools. He was good in college, but he was more toolsy than anything else. Chances are he doesn't do much, but he has some talent and athletic ability. Maybe he can be coached up. Probably not.
Yes Wade Smith is still on the roster on line. Well, Woolfolk is some no cost cannon fodder that just might break through if he has the heart to do it. I agree -- we need a bunch of those guys too.
Here's Andre Woolfork's Draft Profile http://sports.espn.go.com/nfldraft/tracker/player?id=6791 SELECTED BY TENNESSEE, ROUND 1, PICK 28, OVERALL PICK 28 CB | (6-1, 197, 4.46) | OKLAHOMA Notes: Redshirted in 1998. Began '99 as the team's starting split end but then ran into injury problems and missed three games. Wound up the year with 11 catches for 129 yards and a touchdown. Started all but one game at wide receiver in 2000 and also filled in in the secondary. Caught 39-573-5. Played both wide receiver and cornerback in '01 but missed the last three regular-season games with a sprained knee ligament. Had six catches for 134 yards to go along with 19 tackles, two passes defensed and one interception. Made 26 tackles, including four for losses, intercepted two passes, broke up five passes, forced two fumbles and blocked a pair of kicks in '02. Positives: Great upside but very raw. Gets a good jump and reacts to the ball. Excellent athletic ability. Good reading and reacting. Good but not great in man-to-man coverage. Good backpedal, recovery, speed and range. Good hands. Above-average hitting and tackling. Poised, tough and plays hurt. Decent instincts and football intelligence. Can be used as a returner and receiver. Good closing speed and catchup speed. His coaches love his hips and feet and flexibility for his size. Great changing directions, with quickest three-cone times of any cornerback (sub-6.8s) at the Combine. Negatives: Needs more strength to improve his tackling form. Durability is not an asset, having missed the spring of '99 and '01. Plays to athletic ability. Green as grass, not very fluid turning his hips and doesn't have a real good feel for coverage cushion. Forced to catch up too often. Does a lot of things good. More a cover corner than support player. Summary: Has the ease of movement, the hips and the quick-twitch to play cornerback at the next level, but just needs experience and technique work.