Omar on Practice Squad
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Columbus_Zak
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Is part of the job an agent provides to an athlete is whether or not it's a smart idea to come out? Forgoing your final year of eligibility to sit on the practice squad...Seems to me his agent should be fired. Unless Omar truly is daft enough to have been told that this was a likely scenario and still came out.
Awoooooooooga!
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Jacobs4Heisman
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Columbus_Zak
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FalconKing
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Considering once you contact an agent, you kind of HAVE to come out, this isn't relevant.Columbus_Zak wrote:Is part of the job an agent provides to an athlete is whether or not it's a smart idea to come out? Forgoing your final year of eligibility to sit on the practice squad...Seems to me his agent should be fired. Unless Omar truly is daft enough to have been told that this was a likely scenario and still came out.
Or maybe it's once you *sign* with an agent you have to come out, but either way, what agent is going to tell a kid straight up "No, you shouldn't come out, really."
Omar and his family made the decision that was right for him. Apparently, it wasn't the right one...yet. But as it has been beaten into the ground for six weeks here, another year at BG may not have helped him. Or it may have helped him incredibly. The thing is, he's not here, so wish him the best (preferably somewhere else
) and move on. Personally, after what I saw against Wisconsin, his departure may be a blessing in disguise. This team could take some lumps this year and still do very well in the MAC, and next year have just about a whole team with some major playing time under their belt.
"I don't believe I can name a coach, anywhere, anytime, anyhow, who did it better than Doyt Perry."
-1955 BG Assistant Bo Schembechler
BGSUsports.com - Where ESPN.com goes for BG history.
-1955 BG Assistant Bo Schembechler
BGSUsports.com - Where ESPN.com goes for BG history.
I think the NFL provides some feedback to players that are considering entering the draft. They have scouts give them a determination for when they think said player would be drafted. (I think for Omar they told him 3rd to 4th round). Based on that opinion, he decided to enter the draft and then sign with an agent. Any contact with an agent prior to this time is a big no-no with the NCAA.
As TG points out, I think he did what was best for him, and I think it will also be best for the BGSU program. I think we added things to our playbook last year specifically with the intention of preparing Omar to look better for NFL scouts. We had him under center for certain plays is what I am refering too. If Omar stayed for this season, we probably would have seen more playcalling with the intention of making our superstar a better NFL prospect instead of doing what we need to make our program better. It is a tough spot for a coach, try to make one player look special, or have him play against what he is best suited to make the team better. So in interest of our team moving on and getting better this year, I think Omar and the BG football team are better off for his leaving.
As TG points out, I think he did what was best for him, and I think it will also be best for the BGSU program. I think we added things to our playbook last year specifically with the intention of preparing Omar to look better for NFL scouts. We had him under center for certain plays is what I am refering too. If Omar stayed for this season, we probably would have seen more playcalling with the intention of making our superstar a better NFL prospect instead of doing what we need to make our program better. It is a tough spot for a coach, try to make one player look special, or have him play against what he is best suited to make the team better. So in interest of our team moving on and getting better this year, I think Omar and the BG football team are better off for his leaving.
"An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools."
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As others have mentioned the agents' advice is ALWAYS telling the player to leave early. They want more clients, period. College players are not supposed to contact agents while they still have eligibility, but you can guarantee that the agents are contacting the players, trying to talk them into joining the draft. They tell them stories about how much higher they'll go if they sign with him.
The NFL does have a draft advisory committee, that let's potential early entry guys know where they are projected to be picked. As others have said Omar was told that he was a 3rd/4th round pick. The problem with those projections is that they are made before the combine, etc. It is apparent that Omar's interviews did not wow people at the combine so he dropped a little below that projection, still he was a 5th rounder, and had a shot to make a team.
He didn't progress as quickly as what you would've liked and was sent to the practice squad. He is not out of the league, and still has a chance to someday become a starting QB.
I'm of the belief that another year in our offense would not have improved his draft stock an appreciable amount. Similar to what Warthog said, as well, I prefer our offense with a more mobile QB behind center, it adds new wrinkles. I loved Omar, and I appreciate all he did for this team/program. It was great to see him back at the game Saturday supporting his former teammates.
I'll put it this way: If Omar EVER had the heart & dedication that it would take to become a starting QB, then this setback of getting sent to a practice squad will not stop him from achieving his maximum potential.
The NFL does have a draft advisory committee, that let's potential early entry guys know where they are projected to be picked. As others have said Omar was told that he was a 3rd/4th round pick. The problem with those projections is that they are made before the combine, etc. It is apparent that Omar's interviews did not wow people at the combine so he dropped a little below that projection, still he was a 5th rounder, and had a shot to make a team.
He didn't progress as quickly as what you would've liked and was sent to the practice squad. He is not out of the league, and still has a chance to someday become a starting QB.
I'm of the belief that another year in our offense would not have improved his draft stock an appreciable amount. Similar to what Warthog said, as well, I prefer our offense with a more mobile QB behind center, it adds new wrinkles. I loved Omar, and I appreciate all he did for this team/program. It was great to see him back at the game Saturday supporting his former teammates.
I'll put it this way: If Omar EVER had the heart & dedication that it would take to become a starting QB, then this setback of getting sent to a practice squad will not stop him from achieving his maximum potential.
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gentlesatirist
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Omar's decision...
...has been regarded as a poor one overall since the draft ended.
A Steeler fan who follows the team very closely told me that Omar's had a hard time not only with taking snaps under center but also with grasping the offense and calling plays at the line.
Weren't these the same problems Josh Harris had during his stints with the Ravens and Browns? (Although Omar had a much more productive preseason than Harris did as a rookie with Baltimore in 04.)
If both of these guys end up flopping, does that mean it's the Meyer/Brandon system that makes these guys look like studs? Does that make us a NW Ohio version of the old BYU?
Proof will come if Turner throws for 3500 and 25 tds in the same system this year. Wouldn't it be nice?
- FE
A Steeler fan who follows the team very closely told me that Omar's had a hard time not only with taking snaps under center but also with grasping the offense and calling plays at the line.
Weren't these the same problems Josh Harris had during his stints with the Ravens and Browns? (Although Omar had a much more productive preseason than Harris did as a rookie with Baltimore in 04.)
If both of these guys end up flopping, does that mean it's the Meyer/Brandon system that makes these guys look like studs? Does that make us a NW Ohio version of the old BYU?
Proof will come if Turner throws for 3500 and 25 tds in the same system this year. Wouldn't it be nice?
- FE
I think it is almost an undeniable truth that our offensive system makes QBs look like better passers than they really are.
As far as Harris -vs- Omar's deficiencies, I don't think they're entirely similar. Josh & Omar have both struggled with the transition under center, so in that regard they have the same problem. However, I don't think Harris ever struggled with learning the offenses that he was in. Watching him play last year, when he got time in the pocket he seemed to make the right decisions. His problems were that A) he struggled making reads while dropping back, and held the ball too long, and B) he just didn't have an accurate enough arm to make the throws he needed to make.
Omar doesn't have the physical limitation of accuracy that Harris struggled with. His struggles seem mostly mental in the quickly recognizing the play that is being signaled in, then relaying that in the huddle in a timely fashion. Time can correct that issue.
Omar has a couple major advantages that Harris could never have acquired, as well. 1 is size. Omar is a prototype NFL QB, Harris was among the shortest QBs in the NFL. The second is instincts/style of play. Harris was a winner and I loved his style, but his instincts still favored running over passing. That was apparent in Cleveland when he would take off if things broke down. Unfortunately he wasn't Mike Vick out there, and he got hit...hard. Omar, OTOH, has his first instinct of get rid of the ball to the outlet guy. That instinct is a lot more condusive to NFL success than the run instinct.
As far as Harris -vs- Omar's deficiencies, I don't think they're entirely similar. Josh & Omar have both struggled with the transition under center, so in that regard they have the same problem. However, I don't think Harris ever struggled with learning the offenses that he was in. Watching him play last year, when he got time in the pocket he seemed to make the right decisions. His problems were that A) he struggled making reads while dropping back, and held the ball too long, and B) he just didn't have an accurate enough arm to make the throws he needed to make.
Omar doesn't have the physical limitation of accuracy that Harris struggled with. His struggles seem mostly mental in the quickly recognizing the play that is being signaled in, then relaying that in the huddle in a timely fashion. Time can correct that issue.
Omar has a couple major advantages that Harris could never have acquired, as well. 1 is size. Omar is a prototype NFL QB, Harris was among the shortest QBs in the NFL. The second is instincts/style of play. Harris was a winner and I loved his style, but his instincts still favored running over passing. That was apparent in Cleveland when he would take off if things broke down. Unfortunately he wasn't Mike Vick out there, and he got hit...hard. Omar, OTOH, has his first instinct of get rid of the ball to the outlet guy. That instinct is a lot more condusive to NFL success than the run instinct.
