"Hard Knocks" Star Shines For Other Team
by dvdvil on Nov 27, 2010 6:00 AM EST
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Let me tell you about Danny. He is a short football player who came into the league undrafted in 2008. He was featured on "Hard Knocks" and received much praise for his work in training camp. However, the team let him go, and he ended up on the division rival. He is now a big part of his current team's offense.
Do you know who I'm writing about?
In 2010, he is a starter for the St. Louis Rams, who have like, nobody else. At least, no one I've heard of. So now he's got a chance and he's clearly taking advantage. But I certainly can't fault Dallas or Philadelphia for moving on without him.
That's the same thing that happened with our own former RB Danny Woodhead.
Danny was signed in 2008 but was injured for most of the season. Last year, he was playing behind two experienced backs in Thomas Jones and Leon Washington, as well as a rookie with high potential, Shonn Greene. This year, he was playing behind two experienced backs in LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene, as well as a rookie with high potential, Joe McKnight.
We did what we could to keep him last year, but a four game suspension complicated things. We waived him and signed him back. We made him a WR and added him to the roster. This year, another suspension complicated things, and we waived him but lost him because the Patriots put him on their 53-man roster.
The guy we used to call White Chocolate is now producing in New England, where they simply call him Woody. They had some injuries at running back, and so he is taking advantage of his chance.
If Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk were healthy, and if Denver HC Josh McDaniels and Belichick weren't buddies on very good terms and reached a deal on Laurence Maroney, I don't know how much playing time Woodhead would have gotten. If the Patriots weren't playing the Jets on Week 2, I don't know know if he would have ended up in New England. If we would have kept him and let McKnight go, I don't know if Joe wouldn't be starting for the Patriots. Or Chauncey Washington, for that matter.
Danny Woodhead is making the Jets look bad for letting him go, just as any player would want to do. I'm actually happy for the guy, while I'm happy that we have been winning without him. Just like I'm happy that we let LB Jonathan Vilma go to the Saints because we have David Harris. Just like I'm happy Jonathan Goodwin found success with New Orleans while we have the best center in that league.
We still haven't seen what Joe McKnight is capable of. We're seeing Woodhead because he is the next man up after the guys in front fell to injury. We didn't see much of Shonn Greene while Jones and Washington were playing well. Derrick Blaylock, Kevan Barlow and Cedric Houston were all ahead of Litlle Leon before we found out just how great he was.
So what's my point? Sometimes players find success somewhere else. Let's commend Danny for making the best of his chances. But let's not condemn the Jets for having to let him go.
Also, I'm just really tired of hearing about all this.
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I feel like I’ve heard enough commentary about Danny Woodhead that the Jets made a huge mistake in letting him go. It’s ridiculous to assume that he’d have the exact same production in New York, especially since the Jets would not give him the same playing time as he gets in New England. I just think that it’s enough to give Woodhead and the Patriots credit, but there’s no reason to insinuate that the Jets made a grave mistake.
Even if he had the playing time, I doubt he would be as productive in the Jets running scheme
He had his chances. New England spreads the field making it easier to find running lanes. I admit he’s good, but not good enough to make the Jets.
And if NE had Tomlinson and Greene he wouldn’t be playing over there either.
by Crackback on Nov 27, 2010 10:33 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Disagree...
he never really had his chances, aside from the presason the last two years, where he looked as good as he does now in NE. But honestly as Crack said the reason was there were better backs on the roster, in NE their is not.
Meaning...
he’s not good enough to get playing time on the Jets because of the depth, but I think if he did he would have been very successful.
Another thing is sometimes players improve. Woodhead’s doing things in New England I never saw him do in New York like break tackles or contribute on special teams.
I think in a way this is a credit to the team Tannenbaum has built. Woodhead is showing he’s a good player, but he just wasn’t as good as the guys this team already has.
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Disagree John...
I saw him do that a ton (mostly against the Eagels the last two years) in the pre-season, but I also saw Clowney do great thing too. Difference is Clowney got his chances but could never translate that to the regular season, I really don’t think we ever gave Woodhead a chance, it is because as you said he still wasn’t as good as the players in front of him. Still most totally under appreciated his talent here. (case in point CWash, could never put up the numbers Woodhead is putting up now, in any offense)
However, I also think Woodheads success in NE is an amazing insight as to just how bad the rest of their RBs are. I think Green-Ellis and Woodhead are still practice squad players on most teams in the NFL.
I'm happy for Danny
and Johnny Vilma, too. I wish they had found their success with us but unless someone is a genuine brat or classless player I’m always happy to see them find a place in the NFL. It’s a hard enough business to stay in, they don’t need me against them.
Yeah it’s hard to see a guy we had producing for our greatest nemesis. But like dvdvil said apart from Chauncey there was nobody to let go in his place. Whoever our throw away had been, they’d be playing for someone else for sure right now. It’s just too bad Woodhead and Vilma didn’t land with crap teams.
GGN Moderator, House pessimist, veteran arm chair coach.
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i'm fine w/ it
look if danny woodhead is the major mistake that tannenbaum makes in his tenure here thats not a big deal. how about we jsut focus on all the great moves we’ve had under him. seriously, the fact that he’s doing decent in NE is nce but its not a huge deal. both greene and tomlinson are better than him. of all the things i’m worried about in the pats he is not very high on the list
metsjetsknicksrangers.............can it get any worse?
The only reason I ever heard of Woody was through Hard Knocks
He won a ton of supporters from that show, even from Jets-haters. You can’t help root for tough, hard-working guys like that no matter what team they end up on. It was obvious Ryan liked him, but you’re right in that it was a numbers game and sometimes very good players get bumped because better players have already filled the position.
Keep the faith!
A Football Player
Easy to say, but a lot guys collecting checks are great athletes thatPLAY football ,Woody is a Football player pure and smple,Chrebet and a bunch of no names around the league .They say you can’t measure heart ,but you know it when you see it!!
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