Story of James Wright testament to LSU’s sheer talent, Bengals’ scouting

[Arkansas Bengal]

Story of James Wright testament to LSU’s sheer talent, Bengals’ scouting

 

Posted by Mike Wilkening on May 29, 2015, 10:37 AM EDT

AP

Odell Beckham Jr. Jeremy Hill. Zach Mettenberger. Jarvis Landry. La’El Collins. Alfred Blue.

All were contributors on offense for LSU two years ago, and all have spots in the NFL. Beckham, the Giants’ leading receiver as a rookie, is already a superstar, while Landry hauled in 84 passes for Miami. Hill, meanwhile, emerged as the Bengals’ featured back down the stretch.

However, another member of that 2013 LSU offense is also quietly trying to make a name for himself: second-year Bengals wide receiver James Wright, a seventh-round pick of Cincinnati in 2014 despite not catching a single pass in his final collegiate season.

In a story published Friday, Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com noted that Wright’s blocking, special teams play, pro day workout and pre-draft visit were key in Cincinnati’s decision to take a flier on the wideout, who hauled in just 25 passes for 304 yards and no TDs in four seasons in Baton Rouge.

And the move appears to have worked out well.

The 23-year-old Wright played in 11 games for Cincinnati as a rookie, catching five passes before suffering a season-ending knee injury. However, he was back for OTAs this week, and he is seeing time at all of the WR spots, per the club’s website.

“I have a lot of trust in James with his speed, athleticism and toughness,” Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson told Bengals.com. “He knows how to play. He knows what to do. He does it with confidence.”

And he appears to be proof that if you do your job well, no matter where it is on the field, the NFL might just take notice.

The Bengals particularly might be paying attention, given their thorough scouting of an LSU team with so much starpower right at the surface.

 

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/05/29/story-of-james-wright-testament-to-lsus-sheer-talent-bengals-scouting/

 

[fredtoast]

Hopefully Uzomah will be this year's James Wright.

[EnglishBengal]

Hopefully Uzomah will be this year's James Wright.

 

Good point.

[MaddChatter]

Hopefully Uzomah will be this year's James Wright.

Five receptions and a knee injury ?.........ugh, ok .
Not quite sure those are the aspirations of a promising rookie.

[sparky151]

I expect we'll have a TE on the PS, maybe Uzomah, maybe Lengel or Peterson. CJ does seem to have good tools while lacking polish. He'd benefit from a red shirt year but may be thrown into the fire.

[jhowdy54]

So we have 2 rookie TEs that are listed at 6'8 in Lengel and Peters. Jeez just put them on the outside and just throw fades every single play. Even if they knew it was coming they would still need Shaquille O'neal out there to defend it.

[MichaelWeston]

Wright has had more articles written about him this offseason then catches in his entire pro and college career. We need a jump to conclusions mat.

[alleycat]

Wright has had more articles written about him this offseason then catches in his entire pro and college career. We need a jump to conclusions mat.

 

Funny, but I don't think Wright has had enough written about him.  I was sorry to see him injured, but thankfully, I got to watch him on several plays last year and saw all that I needed to reach the conclusion that he's a gamer, and someone we hope continues to develop here.  Count me among those that wouldn't be at all surprised to see him turn into a reliable #3, and perhaps even become a kind of go-to guy ala another 7th rounder we had here, TJ Houshmanzadeh.

 

The reason?  He's CLUTCH.

[JC]

Wright has had more articles written about him this offseason then catches in his entire pro and college career. We need a jump to conclusions mat.

 

No joke.  He's not stealing snaps from Marvin Jones at X this year.  I really don't see his skillset as a guy who can work out of the Y position either.

 

Good special teamer though.

[Madieu Superstar]

Wright has had more articles written about him this offseason then catches in his entire pro and college career. We need a jump to conclusions mat.

Lamur was like that last offseason. Only difference was that I had never seem him do one impressive thing to earn that. I bought the hype anyway. Should have known...

[MichaelWeston]

 

Funny, but I don't think Wright has had enough written about him.  I was sorry to see him injured, but thankfully, I got to watch him on several plays last year and saw all that I needed to reach the conclusion that he's a gamer, and someone we hope continues to develop here.  Count me among those that wouldn't be at all surprised to see him turn into a reliable #3, and perhaps even become a kind of go-to guy ala another 7th rounder we had here, TJ Houshmanzadeh.

 

The reason?  He's CLUTCH.

 

You saw he was clutch in 5 catches?

[MichaelWeston]

 

No joke.  He's not stealing snaps from Marvin Jones at X this year.  I really don't see his skillset as a guy who can work out of the Y position either.

 

Good special teamer though.

 

I hope he develops and does great. He could be solid but he is just another guy at this point. Lamur, Hunt, someone gets it every year. 

[alleycat]

 

You saw he was clutch in 5 catches?

 

Yup. 

[alleycat]

 

I hope he develops and does great. He could be solid but he is just another guy at this point. Lamur, Hunt, someone gets it every year. 

 

I don't remember Hunt ever getting the "he's going to explode or surprise" articles.  They've all been about his potential, and "once he gets it."

 

As for the others (Lamur, Iloka, etc.), I think part of what you're also seeing is that a player who makes a roster, let alone turns into a starter after the 3rd round or a meaningful contributor if they are 6-UDFA, is definitely hype-worthy.  

 

It's a definite score in drafting terms, and one of the reasons we haven't had to fill all sorts of holes in FA - and why we get those lovely 3rd round picks.

[MichaelWeston]

 

I don't remember Hunt ever getting the "he's going to explode or surprise" articles.  They've all been about his potential, and "once he gets it."

 

As for the others (Lamur, Iloka, etc.), I think part of what you're also seeing is that a player who makes a roster, let alone turns into a starter after the 3rd round or a meaningful contributor if they are 6-UDFA, is definitely hype-worthy.  

 

It's a definite score in drafting terms, and one of the reasons we haven't had to fill all sorts of holes in FA - and why we get those lovely 3rd round picks.

 

But I would argue they really have not done much other than hang around. In some cases they may get a lot of playing time, but are they playmakers? I get that it's summer but you could throw guys like Williams and Wright into a pool of about 20 guys who could develop and write similar articles, Burkhead, Hopkins, Hawkinson, Thompson, Hunt, Dimanche, Flowers, Nico Johnson, Lewis Harris, McCalleb, Porter, Cobi Hamilton, McCarron, Pryor, Clarke, Montgomery. It's like Mad Libbs. 

 

Coaches are high on (insert 2nd or 3rd year player who has been developing in different ways) due to his hard work and determination. He had (insert some obstacle or barrier to his success) but was able to work through it. "We really like what (player name) brings to the table. He has really worked on (insert a related skill to his position) and think he will step up this year." Said coach of that position. 

 

I get that it's a story...but it shouldn't be that many stories. He hasn't done squat yet. I would rather read one article about all of those guys, each of which I think is interesting and could make a jump to quality contributor, instead of 10 articles acting like James Wright has some how made it. 

[alleycat]

 

But I would argue they really have not done much other than hang around. They may get alot of playing time, but are they playmakers?

 

You, like so many on this board, have unreasonable expectations of what an NFL team is and how it is put together.  A Vontaze Burfict type UDFA comes along once every GENERATION.

 

Sure, you want playmakers on your team, but those guys tend to get drafted high or are brought in from outside.  

 

If you can get ANY kind of meaningful snaps from your 4th round through UDFA guys, you are well on your way to building a solid team.  And so much of that is built upon identifying and establishing role players.  By definition, those guys aren't playmakers, but they may do what they do very well and serve a very useful purpose in filling out your roster.  

 

Bill Bellicheck is the master at this.

 

It's like everyone on this team who isn't a superstar gets a heavy dose of hate, and I really don't get that.

[|kennethmw|]

You, like so many on this board, have unreasonable expectations of what an NFL team is and how it is put together.  A Vontaze Burfict type UDFA comes along once every GENERATION.
 
Sure, you want playmakers on your team, but those guys tend to get drafted high or are brought in from outside.  
 
If you can get ANY kind of meaningful snaps from your 4th round through UDFA guys, you are well on your way to building a solid team.  And so much of that is built upon identifying and establishing role players.  By definition, those guys aren't playmakers, but they may do what they do very well and serve a very useful purpose in filling out your roster.  
 
Bill Bellicheck is the master at this.
 
It's like everyone on this team who isn't a superstar gets a heavy dose of hate, and I really don't get that.

Well said.

[MichaelWeston]

 

You, like so many on this board, have unreasonable expectations of what an NFL team is and how it is put together.  A Vontaze Burfict type UDFA comes along once every GENERATION.

 

Sure, you want playmakers on your team, but those guys tend to get drafted high or are brought in from outside.  

 

If you can get ANY kind of meaningful snaps from your 4th round through UDFA guys, you are well on your way to building a solid team.  And so much of that is built upon identifying and establishing role players.  By definition, those guys aren't playmakers, but they may do what they do very well and serve a very useful purpose in filling out your roster.  

 

Bill Bellicheck is the master at this.

 

It's like everyone on this team who isn't a superstar gets a heavy dose of hate, and I really don't get that.

 

I disagree with your first statement, which is terribly elitist and arrogant, but agree with most of the rest. I completely understand how it is built. The problem is we have role players in positions where we need playmakers. And we are excited about the guys in those positions because they exceeded expectations. That really doesn't mean anything. A UDFA who gets playing time. That doesn't mean he is good, it might just mean we have no other talent that can beat him out. What this team is missing is playmakers.  We don't need 12 articles about James Wright catching 5 passes and covering kicks. 

[alleycat]

 

I disagree with your first statement, which is terribly elitist and arrogant, but agree with most of the rest. I completely understand how it is built. The problem is we have role players in positions where we need playmakers. And we are excited about the guys in those positions because they exceeded expectations. That really doesn't mean anything. A UDFA who gets playing time. That doesn't mean he is good, it might just mean we have no other talent that can beat him out. What this team is missing is playmakers.  We don't need 12 articles about James Wright catching 5 passes and covering kicks. 

 

I don't disagree that we need more playmakers, but how do you propose we get them?  It's like the Andy Dalton bullshit that so many have been perpetuating for so long.  

 

Just because it's easy to see we can improve somewhere doesn't mean it's a simple proposition to improve.  We haven't upgraded Andy Dalton because we haven't even SNIFFED a realistic chance to do so.

 

We don't have more playmakers at LB because every year that we go into the draft we have much higher needs at premier positions. (We've also drafted terribly at the position though we've been exceptional with our late picks and UDFA hauls there - because we've gotten one bona fide star and several other meaningful contributors there).  

[alleycat]

And I think this team has playmakers.  For SOME reason, though, those guys don't shine when the lights are brightest, almost without exception.  That, to me, isn't a player issue as much as a coaching one.

[Dautcom08]

And I think this team has playmakers.  For SOME reason, though, those guys don't shine when the lights are brightest, almost without exception.  That, to me, isn't a player issue as much as a coaching one.

 

A lot of good to great players have come and gone and good to great players even still exist on the roster to where you could argue on paper it's one of the best in the NFL.  There has been only one constant.

[|SF2|]

 

You, like so many on this board, have unreasonable expectations of what an NFL team is and how it is put together.  A Vontaze Burfict type UDFA comes along once every GENERATION.

 

Sure, you want playmakers on your team, but those guys tend to get drafted high or are brought in from outside.  

 

If you can get ANY kind of meaningful snaps from your 4th round through UDFA guys, you are well on your way to building a solid team.  And so much of that is built upon identifying and establishing role players.  By definition, those guys aren't playmakers, but they may do what they do very well and serve a very useful purpose in filling out your roster.  

 

Bill Bellicheck is the master at this.

 

It's like everyone on this team who isn't a superstar gets a heavy dose of hate, and I really don't get that.

Well said Alley.  Having decent players at most spots, 3 or 4  studs and a damn good QB is the recipe for success in the NFL.    

 

It can be broken down further:

 

1. You have to have good corners.....PERIOD.  If you are weak at any corner, good teams will eat your lunch.

2. Gotta have one damn good pass rusher who opposing OCs have to game plan around and makes QBs nervous. We didn't have one last year.

3. Must have a go to receiver. AJ obviously is ours but even a TJ Housh or Gronk is huge.  Gotta have one on the team.

4. Must have an offensive line.  There is NO WAY your team goes far without a good oline.

5. QB...enough said.

[MichaelWeston]

Well said Alley.  Having decent players at most spots, 3 or 4  studs and a damn good QB is the recipe for success in the NFL.    

 

It can be broken down further:

 

1. You have to have good corners.....PERIOD.  If you are weak at any corner, good teams will eat your lunch.

2. Gotta have one damn good pass rusher who opposing OCs have to game plan around and makes QBs nervous. We didn't have one last year.

3. Must have a go to receiver. AJ obviously is ours but even a TJ Housh or Gronk is huge.  Gotta have one on the team.

4. Must have an offensive line.  There is NO WAY your team goes far without a good oline.

5. QB...enough said.

I dont think anyone is disagreeing with that. 

 

I also think the Pats do another thing excellently. They find guys who can be role players because they are one dimensional and they just ask them to do that dimension. 

 

Alley asked what I would like to see us do better, and I think the answer is draft more strategically and therefore better. I don't often have problems with the players. But we need to spread them out over more positions and draft the important positions at the top of the draft almost exclusively. I liked the positions the last 2 years. I think we can get much more out of the end of the draft too by drafting with how the pats draft.  I really liked this years draft with the exception of the injury of the first pick. I think you put your team in a position with almost no holes to have tons of competition and that creates playmakers. But as alley has said....that has not happened or has not happened at important times. 

[scharm]

People can poke at what they want.    Bengals have won 54 games in 6 years.    40 in 4 years.

 

 

Never having a QB rated higher than the 80s.   Having a combined -3 turnover ratio for those years and never having a top half finish in turnover margin.

 

 

That's talent.

 

 

The Bengals don't win in the post season thus their process of building has  gotten more respect but not full credit.  

 

Not saying what's right or wrong but that's the issue.    Having overall talent is not.  

[alleycat]

People can poke at what they want.    Bengals have won 54 games in 6 years.    40 in 4 years.

 

 

Never having a QB rated higher than the 80s.   Having a combined -3 turnover ratio for those years and never having a top half finish in turnover margin.

 

 

That's talent.

 

 

The Bengals don't win in the post season thus their process of building has gotten more respect but not full credit.  

 

Not saying what's right or wrong but that's the issue.    Having overall talent is not.  

 

I don't know how you can write that and not start your list of problems like this:

 

1) Coaching