Roger Lewis eligible for the draft

[Rollo83]

Selfishly, I hope Roger decides to return for his junior year. BUT, I get him leaving after this year. Conventional wisdom says his draft stock will never be higher than it is right now. His quarterback next year will not throw for 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns...even with a similar offense. He was third team All-American on several post-season lists.

Does he need work on his game? Hell yes! He has the deep ball routes figured out but has had trouble catching the ball over the middle. Too many drops this year. But, another year of beating up on MAC defensive backs won't help his draft status.

In almost all professional sports today, many young athletes have to "learn the game" at the pro level. That's just what its evolved into. Roger won't come into the league and have a Randy Moss immediate impact, but I could see him learning to run different routes and having a career similar to Toledo's Lance Moore.

Every scout, agent or adviser that's looking at it objectively has to be telling him to enter the draft. He's at they peak of his draft status now and can only go down from here. Not to mention the injury factor if he continues to play college ball.

Thanks Roger for two great years!

[BGSU33]

Every scout, agent or adviser that's looking at it objectively has to be telling him to enter the draft. He's at they peak of his draft status now and can only go down from here. Not to mention the injury factor if he continues to play college ball.

Um, no they don't. If they're looking at it objectively, they "need" to be telling him exactly what they think, whether that means he's likely to go in the low, middle or high rounds, or not at all. What it boils down to is if he leaves right now, is he likely to make a team, or make a team's practice squad? There's a big difference. He's also in a somewhat unique situation that he has two years remaining in college, and not just one like most underclassmen who can declare. He also has the ability to take out an insurance policy if he chooses too which many more players are doing.

If he's not all but assured a low to middle round pick this year he should come back. He could still leave early next year too. As for guys leaving early after putting up huge numbers with people questioning if the stock could be any higher, we have to look no further than our own Omar Jacobs for what could go wrong. He had a monster year, left early, was drafted late, was cut by multiple teams and plays arena football. I'm not saying if he would've return for one more year it would've changed that path, but if you're leaving early, that's not the career path you left early to follow.

We'll find out in the next week or so either way.

[Globetrotter]

Every scout, agent or adviser that's looking at it objectively has to be telling him to enter the draft. He's at they peak of his draft status now and can only go down from here. Not to mention the injury factor if he continues to play college ball.

Um, no they don't. If they're looking at it objectively, they "need" to be telling him exactly what they think, whether that means he's likely to go in the low, middle or high rounds, or not at all. What it boils down to is if he leaves right now, is he likely to make a team, or make a team's practice squad? There's a big difference. He's also in a somewhat unique situation that he has two years remaining in college, and not just one like most underclassmen who can declare. He also has the ability to take out an insurance policy if he chooses too which many more players are doing.

If he's not all but assured a low to middle round pick this year he should come back. He could still leave early next year too. As for guys leaving early after putting up huge numbers with people questioning if the stock could be any higher, we have to look no further than our own Omar Jacobs for what could go wrong. He had a monster year, left early, was drafted late, was cut by multiple teams and plays arena football. I'm not saying if he would've return for one more year it would've changed that path, but if you're leaving early, that's not the career path you left early to follow.

We'll find out in the next week or so either way.

Cardale Jones.

He should leave.

[Rollo83]

Every scout, agent or adviser that's looking at it objectively has to be telling him to enter the draft. He's at they peak of his draft status now and can only go down from here. Not to mention the injury factor if he continues to play college ball.

Um, no they don't. If they're looking at it objectively, they "need" to be telling him exactly what they think, whether that means he's likely to go in the low, middle or high rounds, or not at all. What it boils down to is if he leaves right now, is he likely to make a team, or make a team's practice squad? There's a big difference. He's also in a somewhat unique situation that he has two years remaining in college, and not just one like most underclassmen who can declare. He also has the ability to take out an insurance policy if he chooses too which many more players are doing.

If he's not all but assured a low to middle round pick this year he should come back. He could still leave early next year too. As for guys leaving early after putting up huge numbers with people questioning if the stock could be any higher, we have to look no further than our own Omar Jacobs for what could go wrong. He had a monster year, left early, was drafted late, was cut by multiple teams and plays arena football. I'm not saying if he would've return for one more year it would've changed that path, but if you're leaving early, that's not the career path you left early to follow.

We'll find out in the next week or so either way.

Um, just how do you suppose he'll improve his draft stock the next two years? Catch 200 passes in a season? Get 2,000 yards receiving in one of those years? Make first team All-American? Win the Heisman? The fact is if he has aspirations of playing in the NFL, his path to that goal will never be clearer than this year.

I'd love to see him stay but he should strike while the irons hot.

[BGSU33]

Every scout, agent or adviser that's looking at it objectively has to be telling him to enter the draft. He's at they peak of his draft status now and can only go down from here. Not to mention the injury factor if he continues to play college ball.

Um, no they don't. If they're looking at it objectively, they "need" to be telling him exactly what they think, whether that means he's likely to go in the low, middle or high rounds, or not at all. What it boils down to is if he leaves right now, is he likely to make a team, or make a team's practice squad? There's a big difference. He's also in a somewhat unique situation that he has two years remaining in college, and not just one like most underclassmen who can declare. He also has the ability to take out an insurance policy if he chooses too which many more players are doing.

If he's not all but assured a low to middle round pick this year he should come back. He could still leave early next year too. As for guys leaving early after putting up huge numbers with people questioning if the stock could be any higher, we have to look no further than our own Omar Jacobs for what could go wrong. He had a monster year, left early, was drafted late, was cut by multiple teams and plays arena football. I'm not saying if he would've return for one more year it would've changed that path, but if you're leaving early, that's not the career path you left early to follow.

We'll find out in the next week or so either way.

Um, just how do you suppose he'll improve his draft stock the next two years? Catch 200 passes in a season? Get 2,000 yards receiving in one of those years? Make first team All-American? Win the Heisman? The fact is if he has aspirations of playing in the NFL, his path to that goal will never be clearer than this year.

I'd love to see him stay but he should strike while the irons hot.

By further DEVELOPING his game, which in turn increases his stock. It's not all about stats my friend. Do you think Freddie Barnes was the best WR in the nation simply because he had the most catches ever in a single season in the NCAA?? No way. Barnes had 155 catches for 1,770 yards in 2009. Conversely, AJ Greene had 53 catches for 808. TY Hilton had 57 for 632. Antonio Brown had 110 for 1,198. Was Barnes "better" than any of those guys? Maybe more productive, but he wasn't better. And at the next level it wasn't even close. Barnes was a good player with great stats. But you can also be a great player without great stats. It's not about him catching 200 passes or 2,000 yards. It's about Lewis improving running different routes, getting off blocks, increasing his strength, etc. Well all know when he's matched up man to man he can catch a deep ball like Memphis tried to play him. He killed them with it. That is where a huge majority of his yards come. But look at the game were teams jammed him at the line or zoned him and how if affected him. They exposed things he needs to work on, and he'll get more development in college than he will on a practice squad. By far. I want to see Lewis excel at the next level as much as anyone. But I also want to see him get there at his best as a player, not just with lofty stats. He has two year of eligibility remaining and I'm in the boat of where another year in college would benefit him greatly. I'd hate like heck to see him leave now to shag balls on a practice squad.

[mscarn]

By further DEVELOPING his game, which in turn increases his stock. It's not all about stats my friend. Do you think Freddie Barnes was the best WR in the nation simply because he had the most catches ever in a single season in the NCAA?? No way. Barnes had 155 catches for 1,770 yards in 2009. Conversely, AJ Greene had 53 catches for 808. TY Hilton had 57 for 632. Antonio Brown had 110 for 1,198. Was Barnes "better" than any of those guys? Maybe more productive, but he wasn't better. And at the next level it wasn't even close. Barnes was a good player with great stats. But you can also be a great player without great stats. It's not about him catching 200 passes or 2,000 yards. It's about Lewis improving running different routes, getting off blocks, increasing his strength, etc. Well all know when he's matched up man to man he can catch a deep ball like Memphis tried to play him. He killed them with it. That is where a huge majority of his yards come. But look at the game were teams jammed him at the line or zoned him and how if affected him. They exposed things he needs to work on, and he'll get more development in college than he will on a practice squad. By far. I want to see Lewis excel at the next level as much as anyone. But I also want to see him get there at his best as a player, not just with lofty stats. He has two year of eligibility remaining and I'm in the boat of where another year in college would benefit him greatly. I'd hate like heck to see him leave now to shag balls on a practice squad.

Completely agree, and the cautionary situation he should be looking at is former UT receiver Eric Page.

Khalil Mack made his reputation with NFL scouts primarily after a great game against Ohio State, and guess who we open with next year? As much as that game is a colossal stroke of over-scheduling that will impair the development of our team going forward by not allowing them to adjust to the brand new coaches and schemes going against an easier foe right off the bat would, if it gets us Lewis for another year it's worth it.

(Trigger warning: 2014 scheduling talk ahead. Brian Ward said during the bowl press conference that Tennessee was "the worst possible team at the worst possible time" for the team to have played. Just saying. )

[Flipper]

AFter that debacle in Mobile...I'm not sure I want to take Ward's word on anything.

Stats are next to meaningless in this context. Lewis caught a ton of passes, but he was thrown to a ton also. Is he a system WR in the sense that Kellen Moore was a system QB? I really don't know...but I don't think he's got the athleticism to overcome a deficet in the "craft" of the job in the NFL.

[BGSU33]

Lewis caught a ton of passes, but he was thrown to a ton also. Is he a system WR in the sense that Kellen Moore was a system QB? I really don't know...but I don't think he's got the athleticism to overcome a deficet in the "craft" of the job in the NFL.

I agree. I see a talented kid on the verge of becoming an NFL player. Key word being verge.

[Falconfreak90]

I don't see Ohio State as over-scheduling. They will lose a TON of talent to the NFL and graduation. Yes I know there are 5 star recruits right behind those leaving but playing them in the opener is the perfect time. They will have no film on the Jinks system so anything can happen. Sure we could get rolled...but maybe not.

[hammb]

Every scout, agent or adviser that's looking at it objectively has to be telling him to enter the draft. He's at they peak of his draft status now and can only go down from here. Not to mention the injury factor if he continues to play college ball.

Um, no they don't. If they're looking at it objectively, they "need" to be telling him exactly what they think, whether that means he's likely to go in the low, middle or high rounds, or not at all. What it boils down to is if he leaves right now, is he likely to make a team, or make a team's practice squad? There's a big difference. He's also in a somewhat unique situation that he has two years remaining in college, and not just one like most underclassmen who can declare. He also has the ability to take out an insurance policy if he chooses too which many more players are doing.

If he's not all but assured a low to middle round pick this year he should come back. He could still leave early next year too. As for guys leaving early after putting up huge numbers with people questioning if the stock could be any higher, we have to look no further than our own Omar Jacobs for what could go wrong. He had a monster year, left early, was drafted late, was cut by multiple teams and plays arena football. I'm not saying if he would've return for one more year it would've changed that path, but if you're leaving early, that's not the career path you left early to follow.

We'll find out in the next week or so either way.

Cardale Jones.

He should leave.

For every Cardale Jones who saw his draft stock drop (and I'm not convinced his stock will drop as much as you might think...largely because it wasn't nearly as high as the media would have had you believe), there are countless guys who A) left early and weren't drafted as high as they could have been, or B) returned for another year and improved their stock.

Stats (when you show baseline production) are not the deciding factor in a prospects status. NFL Scouts aren't stupid, they'll look at the tape of Roger and see what he does well and doesn't do well. And I"m sorry but the list of things he does well is pretty damned short. Now he's really freaking good at those things, and it's enough to put up huge stats when the coaches let him keep doing it, but he's raw as all hell as a route runner.

2 years of production in the MAC in an an air raid offense does nothing more than maybe get some guys to look up film of him. It's not a resume on its own. He ran about 2 routes all season long, and that will be noticed.

To say that he cannot improve his draft stock with another year of production is silly. I don't think he's a lock to get drafted, and certainly wouldn't go higher than the 5th round unless he's one helluva lot faster on the track than I think he is. The production isn't what matters. He needs to talk to coach Jinks and find out if the system here will be similar to TT, and if so he needs to talk to whoever he can that worked with Crabtree. Crabtree ran a myriad of routes, especially across the middle, while he was in college. Lewis should embrace THAT mixed in with his go routes.

Raw prospects from MAC schools should never even consider leaving early. If they're polished and top tier athletes, then fine, but those guys are pretty rare at the MAC level. I can probably count on one hand the number of MAC players in the past 20 years that would have benefited from leaving school early, or could not have upped their stock any by returning. I do not see Lewis in that group.

I want him to return for BG, but as a bigger fan of the NFL than college, I want him to return because I want him to succeed in the NFL. Leaving early, IMO, would be a colossal mistake that severely lessens his chances of success at the next level.

[BGSU33]

Every scout, agent or adviser that's looking at it objectively has to be telling him to enter the draft. He's at they peak of his draft status now and can only go down from here. Not to mention the injury factor if he continues to play college ball.

Um, no they don't. If they're looking at it objectively, they "need" to be telling him exactly what they think, whether that means he's likely to go in the low, middle or high rounds, or not at all. What it boils down to is if he leaves right now, is he likely to make a team, or make a team's practice squad? There's a big difference. He's also in a somewhat unique situation that he has two years remaining in college, and not just one like most underclassmen who can declare. He also has the ability to take out an insurance policy if he chooses too which many more players are doing.

If he's not all but assured a low to middle round pick this year he should come back. He could still leave early next year too. As for guys leaving early after putting up huge numbers with people questioning if the stock could be any higher, we have to look no further than our own Omar Jacobs for what could go wrong. He had a monster year, left early, was drafted late, was cut by multiple teams and plays arena football. I'm not saying if he would've return for one more year it would've changed that path, but if you're leaving early, that's not the career path you left early to follow.

We'll find out in the next week or so either way.

Cardale Jones.

He should leave.

For every Cardale Jones who saw his draft stock drop (and I'm not convinced his stock will drop as much as you might think...largely because it wasn't nearly as high as the media would have had you believe), there are countless guys who A) left early and weren't drafted as high as they could have been, or B) returned for another year and improved their stock.

Stats (when you show baseline production) are not the deciding factor in a prospects status. NFL Scouts aren't stupid, they'll look at the tape of Roger and see what he does well and doesn't do well. And I"m sorry but the list of things he does well is pretty damned short. Now he's really freaking good at those things, and it's enough to put up huge stats when the coaches let him keep doing it, but he's raw as all hell as a route runner.

2 years of production in the MAC in an an air raid offense does nothing more than maybe get some guys to look up film of him. It's not a resume on its own. He ran about 2 routes all season long, and that will be noticed.

To say that he cannot improve his draft stock with another year of production is silly. I don't think he's a lock to get drafted, and certainly wouldn't go higher than the 5th round unless he's one helluva lot faster on the track than I think he is. The production isn't what matters. He needs to talk to coach Jinks and find out if the system here will be similar to TT, and if so he needs to talk to whoever he can that worked with Crabtree. Crabtree ran a myriad of routes, especially across the middle, while he was in college. Lewis should embrace THAT mixed in with his go routes.

Raw prospects from MAC schools should never even consider leaving early. If they're polished and top tier athletes, then fine, but those guys are pretty rare at the MAC level. I can probably count on one hand the number of MAC players in the past 20 years that would have benefited from leaving school early, or could not have upped their stock any by returning. I do not see Lewis in that group.

I want him to return for BG, but as a bigger fan of the NFL than college, I want him to return because I want him to succeed in the NFL. Leaving early, IMO, would be a colossal mistake that severely lessens his chances of success at the next level.

Couldn't agree more! Very well said.

[gspointer]

AFter that debacle in Mobile...I'm not sure I want to take Ward's word on anything.

Stats are next to meaningless in this context. Lewis caught a ton of passes, but he was thrown to a ton also. Is he a system WR in the sense that Kellen Moore was a system QB? I really don't know...but I don't think he's got the athleticism to overcome a deficet in the "craft" of the job in the NFL.

Athleticism Did you even watch a game? That will not be an issue with him.

[Flipper]

Yes....I watched quite a few games... all of them actually. He was able to dominate MAC and bottom tier P5 defenses by running straight down the sideline or catching a WR screen and breaking a tackle. I don't think he has the level of athleticism to do only that against an NFL defense. Not many guys do. Can he do more? I don't know and neither does anyone else because that's all he was asked to do.

I hope he stays...I wish him nothing but the best if he leaves. He came here with that "checkered past" thing and he's been a solid kid by all accounts.... I'm glad he's found stability here and I hope his experience here serves him well whenever he moves on.

[Globetrotter]

Every scout, agent or adviser that's looking at it objectively has to be telling him to enter the draft. He's at they peak of his draft status now and can only go down from here. Not to mention the injury factor if he continues to play college ball.

Um, no they don't. If they're looking at it objectively, they "need" to be telling him exactly what they think, whether that means he's likely to go in the low, middle or high rounds, or not at all. What it boils down to is if he leaves right now, is he likely to make a team, or make a team's practice squad? There's a big difference. He's also in a somewhat unique situation that he has two years remaining in college, and not just one like most underclassmen who can declare. He also has the ability to take out an insurance policy if he chooses too which many more players are doing.

If he's not all but assured a low to middle round pick this year he should come back. He could still leave early next year too. As for guys leaving early after putting up huge numbers with people questioning if the stock could be any higher, we have to look no further than our own Omar Jacobs for what could go wrong. He had a monster year, left early, was drafted late, was cut by multiple teams and plays arena football. I'm not saying if he would've return for one more year it would've changed that path, but if you're leaving early, that's not the career path you left early to follow.

We'll find out in the next week or so either way.

Cardale Jones.

He should leave.

For every Cardale Jones who saw his draft stock drop (and I'm not convinced his stock will drop as much as you might think...largely because it wasn't nearly as high as the media would have had you believe), there are countless guys who A) left early and weren't drafted as high as they could have been, or B) returned for another year and improved their stock.

Stats (when you show baseline production) are not the deciding factor in a prospects status. NFL Scouts aren't stupid, they'll look at the tape of Roger and see what he does well and doesn't do well. And I"m sorry but the list of things he does well is pretty damned short. Now he's really freaking good at those things, and it's enough to put up huge stats when the coaches let him keep doing it, but he's raw as all hell as a route runner.

2 years of production in the MAC in an an air raid offense does nothing more than maybe get some guys to look up film of him. It's not a resume on its own. He ran about 2 routes all season long, and that will be noticed.

To say that he cannot improve his draft stock with another year of production is silly. I don't think he's a lock to get drafted, and certainly wouldn't go higher than the 5th round unless he's one helluva lot faster on the track than I think he is. The production isn't what matters. He needs to talk to coach Jinks and find out if the system here will be similar to TT, and if so he needs to talk to whoever he can that worked with Crabtree. Crabtree ran a myriad of routes, especially across the middle, while he was in college. Lewis should embrace THAT mixed in with his go routes.

Raw prospects from MAC schools should never even consider leaving early. If they're polished and top tier athletes, then fine, but those guys are pretty rare at the MAC level. I can probably count on one hand the number of MAC players in the past 20 years that would have benefited from leaving school early, or could not have upped their stock any by returning. I do not see Lewis in that group.

I want him to return for BG, but as a bigger fan of the NFL than college, I want him to return because I want him to succeed in the NFL. Leaving early, IMO, would be a colossal mistake that severely lessens his chances of success at the next level.

Couldn't agree more! Very well said.

Jones would have been the 3rd QB taken last year. It was a perfect storm for him. Likely a late first rounder. Now who knows. I would still bet he goes in the top 4.

The NFL is changing, more active strong, hands catching smaller WRs. And more 3 WR sets. You say he should talk to Jinks...Why can't he talk to coach Babers and find out how he can be Kendall Wright or Terrence Williams player. Or the Baylor WR that will go in the top rounds this year? You think for some reason the TT Offense is better for WRs then ours? He will start in the NFL by the time he is 25.

I've looked at the first 3 rosters in the draft. Cowboys, Chargers, Browns and Titans and 3 of them have needs at WR. He'd immediately be top 4 on the Chargers and Cowboys and maybe higher on the Browns. That's 1/8th of the NFL. WRs will go fast and furious this year.

Saying all he does is run go routes and he's not fast enough is not congruent. Somehow he's running past all these other DBs and no one else can do it. I don't think you guys are paying much attention. He ran fades, crossing patterns etc. etc. Just so happen he flew by all the DBs so often that the go routes were what we remember.

[hammb]

Saying all he does is run go routes and he's not fast enough is not congruent. Somehow he's running past all these other DBs and no one else can do it. I don't think you guys are paying much attention. He ran fades, crossing patterns etc. etc. Just so happen he flew by all the DBs so often that the go routes were what we remember.

I think I can count on one hand the times he beat a DB on anything other than a go or a stop route. Simply running those routes with little success at it is irrelevant.

And yes it is congruent if his only skill at the college level was running go routes, but the speed he possesses isn't such to run past NFL defenders. I don't think it is. There aren't 10 guys in the league that get by only running deep routes all day, and those guys are a helluva lot faster than Lewis.

I said he should talk to whoever worked with Crabtree (or Crabtree himself) because that would be an example of a guy who came out as a good route runner from the offense that BG is going to run. Kendall Wright is irrelevant unless he's going to teach Lewis how to run like the wind. Terrance Williams might not be a bad comp, but I don't see how that helps him now because we won't be running the Babers offense anymore.

My point in all of this is not that I don't think Lewis can play in the NFL. I've said for a long time that I think Roger is an NFL player. I think he's got a shot to find that #2-#4 WR slot and have a really nice NFL career. I don't think leaving now is conducive to that. You keep saying he'll be a starter by the time he's 25 years old, but he's young enough that he doesn't need to leave now to make that happen.

The NFL doesn't develop talent. It's something that I think is a flaw in how the league works, but by and large they do not invest in developing players nearly as much as they should...they're all worried about winning ASAP (or they'll get canned). As such they work mostly with guys that can help them now, and whatever development time they spend is with their highest draft picks. Going higher in the draft buys a LOT of leeway in years to develop your craft. I don't think he's going to go anywhere near highly enough in this class to be guaranteed a roster spot for a year or two. I do think he has the ability to develop further at BG and get high enough in the draft that he could be guaranteed a roster spot.

I'm always 100% about telling college players to do what is best for their NFL careers. College will always be there, and a year or two of NFL salary makes the costs of paying their own way a drop in the bucket. There are plenty of guys that I would say should leave early. I don't think there are many of those guys at the MAC because it's pretty rare for a MAC player to get the pub that scouts have seen him when he's leaving early. In the case of Roger I agree that another season of production doing what he did this past season won't help him much; but a season of learning more routes and beating defenses in different ways than he did this year WILL improve his stock. He is way too raw to leave early; raw WRs that get drafted high do so because of upper echelon measurables.