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In all the rumors and the talk of how good or bad the Chicago Bears will be next season, who will start where, and even who will be here in Week One — Freddie Barnes stands out in a group of young, underrated, under-appreciated prospects seeking to make a positive impact in the National Football League this coming year.
Well, quite frankly, he won’t make much of an impact next year, either.
Yet, Barnes has the potential to become a positive influence both in the locker room and on the field.
Freddie Barnes, the former Bowling Green wide out, is one of the players who I believe deserves more gratitude than he’s received.
I had a conversation with Barnes via Twitter. He came off as a very kind man, stating that he wants to have an impact on everyone, particularly young people.
The 23-year-old seemed like a very humble person with character and integrity.
You may be thinking, “Yeah, that’s great and all. But why am I reading this if he can’t even play? I’ve never even heard of this kid.”
Well, here’s some positive reinforcement for Freddie:
- Senior Year: 155 receptions for 1,770 yards, 19 touchdown catches
- 2009 Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl: 17 receptions for 219 yards, an average of 12.9 yards per catch, and three touchdown snags in a 43-42 losing effort versus Idaho
- 9/3: 15 receptions for 157 yards, a pair of touchdowns against Troy
- 9/19: 17 receptions for 109 yards versus Marshall
- 10/10: 22 receptions for 278 yards, an average of 12.6 yards per catch, including three touchdowns, against Kent State
Over the course of Barnes’s outstanding college career, he tallied 298 catches for 3,299 yards and 30 touchdowns, thus surpassing Randy Moss.
The only problem I have with such productive career stats is that Barnes was a workhorse for Bowling Green, a smaller school. At the professional level, injury becomes more and more likely.
However, this shouldn’t phase Barnes. He likely won’t see the field for a few years.
Barnes’ physical stature gels well with the rest of the Bears’ wide outs. He stands at 6’0″ tall, which puts him right in line with Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett.
He’s taller than Devin Hester, the current starter, but doesn’t possess the same traits.
Barnes will never be a speedster. I can only see him being a deep-threat if his teammates soften up the coverage, and take away safety help, therefore breaking a lane open for the 215-pounder.
That said, he could become the next Muhsin Muhammad.
Yeah, “Moose” was never too productive with Chicago, but he had a successful run while in Carolina (that’s saying something) and was a solid leader and a polished receiver.
The Chicago-born Barnes faces a great, yet challenging opportunity in his hometown. He may be on special-teams or the practice squad.
No matter what, Barnes looks like a natural possession receiver, with soft hands and crisp routes. I hope the Bears don’t let him slip away.
A wide-out of his caliber should be groomed carefully and slowly in order to petrify opposing secondaries.
chicitysports.com
Thank you, Spencer Tucksen, for providing me with interest in Freddie Barnes weeks before the NFL Draft.
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As a kid growing up, I had the pleasure of watching the San Francisco 49ers win five Super Bowls. From the beginning of this journey, there were always naysayers. People would always doubt the greatness and ability of the 49ers team. Today, those doubters double in number, due to the team’s inability not only to win a playoff game, but even get to the playoffs.
This 2010 team has a ton of potential, but can they be the team that returns this organization to greatness? Let’s see what steps this team has to take to become champions of the NFL once more.
Quarterback: Since his draft day in 2005, Alex Smith has been pressured to be the quarterback who could get this team back to the playoffs. Unfortunately for Alex, none of the pieces fell in place right away. The Alex Smith apologists provide many arguments in his defense.
He was without a permanent offensive coordinator for four of his first five years. He had no viable options at wide receiver. He was behind one of the worse offensive lines in the NFL. Don’t forget that in his rookie year, Alex witnessed both the collapse and eventual fatality of offensive lineman Thomas Herrion in the locker room after a preseason game in Denver.
All of those reasons engulfed Alex as his numbers continued to disappoint the faithful fans. Alex has performed in 43 games throughout his career, with a total of 37 touchdowns and 43 interceptions. His career QB rating and completion record is 69.7 and 56.1, respectively. His win-loss record is 16 and 24 over the five year period.
Alex improved nicely last year, after taking over the helm from Shaun Hill in week seven against the Houston Texans. Alex threw three touchdowns in that game. Alex won five of the last 10 games in which he played. His numbers improved markedly with the assistance of Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, and Frank Gore as primary weapons in the offense.
Alex displayed the ability to win against their NFC West divisional foe Arizona Cardinals, and non-conference opponent Jacksonville Jaguars. However, he was unable to pull the rabbit out of the hat against the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, or Philadelphia Eagles. Those games were critical to getting into the playoffs.
While it doesn’t all fall on Alex Smith’s shoulders to win, he enjoys the rewards or the negativity of the team’s successes or failures. The one poor performance Alex was able to overcome was a win against the Chicago Bears.
In order for the 49ers to return to champions in 2010, Alex Smith must have the best season of his young career. He, like many others on this team, has a great reason to have a chip on his shoulder, and a reason to play his heart out. He is another player in whom coach Singletary has put faith.
With the addition of tackle Anthony Davis of Rutgers and guard Mike Iupati of Idaho, the team has shown great faith in building an offensive line to protect the oft-criticized quarterback.
Alex has been exposed to the loss of comrades, injuries, failures on the job, and a demotion of position. He has gone from boom to bust. Alex, like many others on this team, has a reason to want to overcome past failures and see this team prosper. Hopefully, he will execute and be highly effective in 2010, and this team will have a chance to return to champions.
(To be continued… Defensive Backs: Nate Clements)
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Coach Wade Phillips just confirmed on Galloway & Co. that, had the Cowboys not traded up to select Dez Bryant in the first round, they would have selected either Penn State DT/DE Jared Odrick or Rutgers CB Devin McCourty (in that order).
Since Odrick didn’t get drafted until Miami’s 28th overall selection, we can safely conclude that he would have been the Cowboys’ selection. We had Odrick being selected by Dallas in a few mock drafts, including here , here , and here , and thought he would be a good fit in Big D.
This is what we said about Odrick in February:
This pick may come as a bit of a shocker, but we really think it is a strong possibility for the Cowboys. So many mocks have Dallas selecting Idaho G Mike Iupati, a player for which team execs “perked up” during the Senior Bowl. With him still on the board, he could be the selection. In our opinion, though, Odrick could have a more immediate impact. Kosier and Davis figure to be the starting guards next season, so Iupati would really just take the place of backup guard Cory Procter. Odrick, however, would have the ability to join the defensive-end rotation immediately. Also, with Marcus Spears, Jason Hatcher, and Stephen Bowen all restricted free agents this year, the Cowboys will most likely have a hole at the position by next season. Odrick would be the perfect five-technique 3-4 defensive end to fill the spot.
Had the Cowboys selected Odrick, we have a feeling that the draft (and people’s perceptions of it) would have been altered drastically.
First, the Cowboys would have likely let go of defensive end Marcus Spears for a late-round selection. The team put out word that they would not accept less than a third-rounder for the veteran, but that asking price would have dropped after the selection of Odrick.
The middle picks may have been the same (as the Cowboys had Sean Lee so high on their board and were going to do everything possible to acquire him) but the team wouldn’t have drafted William & Mary DT/DE Sean Lissemore.
Lissemore was of course only a seventh-rounder, but coaches have already likened his ability and motor to that of Jay Ratliff— quite the praise.
The largest alteration that would have accompanied the selection of Odrick would be in the perception of the Cowboys’ draft success. Most fans with whom we have spoken to have given the Cowboys either an “A” or (at worst) a “B” grade. However, we have a feeling that such grades are more reflective of their thoughts regarding the Cowboys’ first round pick as opposed to their entire draft.
Admit it— had Dallas come out of this draft with Odrick, Lee, Owusu-Ansah, Young, Wall, and Lissemore (or another seventh-rounder), you would probably be, well, livid. That isn’t to say that that combination of players would ultimately be a bad draft class or that the team wouldn’t have been attaining good value in selecting them, but simply that the “wow” factor would have been absent.
Thus, the Dez Bryant selection was even more important than we all may have realized.
Disregard the fact that the Cowboys acquired a true playmaker who has already drawn rave reviews at mini-camp. Disregard the fact that defense coordinators will now have to game plan for six legitimate offensive threats. You can even disregard the fact that Wade Phillips has labeled Bryant one of the best rookies he has seen in 33 years of coaching.
The most crucial aspect of drafting Bryant is the attitude and mindset with which the Cowboys (and their fans) will head into the 2010 season.
Coaches, players, and fans are all on the same page. There is excitement in the air.
Of course there is always that buzz around Valley Ranch, but this year is different. This year, there is a feeling of change; a feeling of rebirth.
The Cowboys sure are lucky they have Dez Bryant.
For more Cowboys info, visit DallasCowboysTimes.com .
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The first round of the 2010 NFL Draft has come to an end, and I doubt you could find anyone who could say it came out exactly as they suspected it would. The first few picks were spot on to start, but after the Redskins took Trent Williams things started to unravel for many prognosticators including myself.
We can’t change the past, but we can certainly try to find what might have gone wrong with it. There are many different ways the first round could have come out, but here is my take on how I felt things should have turned out in the first round. This is part one of two and takes no trades into account, while the next part works with the trades that were made on draft day.
1. St. Louis Rams, Sam Bradford (QB, Oklahoma) Right Choice: Bradford. This is the best and most sensible pick that could have been made. Good choice by the Rams.
2. Detroit Lions, Ndamukong Suh (DT, Nebraska) Right Choice: Suh.This was clearly the best choice for the Lions, and now they have one of the better defensive lines in the NFL.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gerald McCoy (DT, Oklahoma) Right Choice: McCoy. This was the best choice for the Bucs, who have been lacking a true game changer on the line since Warren Sapp left.
4. Washington Redskins, Trent Williams (OT, Oklahoma) Right Choice: Russell Okung (OT, Oklahoma State). I think the Redskins will find out they would have liked Okung much better. I don’t think Williams is quite as developed as Okung at this point.
5. Kansas City Chiefs, Eric Berry (S, Tennessee) Right Choice: Berry. Berry was a good pick by the Chiefs and will instantly improve their defense. They may have thought about getting Okung here, but they went for their top need and got a solid player.
6. Seattle Seahawks, Russell Okung (OT, Oklahoma State) Right Choice: Trent Williams (OT, Oklahoma). Assuming things had gone down the way previously described, the Seahawks could have picked up Williams and allowed him to learn a little bit.
7. Cleveland Browns, Joe Haden (CB, Florida) Right Choice: Haden. This was a great move by the Browns, who might have thought about taking quarterback Jimmy Clausen here, but as it turns out they ended up getting him in the second round for less money.
8. Oakland Raiders, Rolando McClain (LB, Alabama) Right Choice: Anthony Davis. The Raiders would have been better suited to take an offensive linemen here and wait until the second or third round to take a linebacker. This pick is kind of a mystery but not as mysterious as their pick last year.
9. Buffalo Bills, C.J. Spiller (RB, Clemson) Right Choice: Spiller. The Bills couldn’t go wrong with taking Spiller in the draft because he was there but could have used a quarterback…Perhaps they could get Clausen in the second round.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars, Tyson Alualu (DT-California) Right Choice: Dan Williams (DT, Tennessee). Alualu was a bit of a stretch in the first round, and many people didn’t feel he was a first-round talent. With a bevy of other players sitting there, the Jaguars could have done better.
11. Denver Broncos (Traded to San Francisco) Right Choice for the Broncos: Rolando McClain (LB, Alabama). Had things done the way we are looking at here, McClain would have been available and would have been a perfect fit for Denver.
12. Miami Dolphins (Traded to the San Diego Chargers ) Right Choice for the Dolphins: Jason Pierre Paul (DE, South Florida). The Dolphins may get more mileage out of what they got from the Chargers, but had they picked here they could have got a decent rush end.
13. San Francisco 49ers (Traded to the Philadelphia Eagles from the Denver Broncos) Right Choice for the 49ers: Bryan Bulaga (OT, Iowa). The 49ers traded away this pick and could have picked up Bulaga later on, but had they stayed here they might have thought about taking Bulaga.
14. Seattle Seahawks (originally from Denver) Earl Thomas (S, Texas) Right Choice for the Seahawks: Thomas. With no stellar offensive tackles here at No. 14, the Seahawks went for a big need in their secondary. Thomas should be a solid player for them for several seasons.
15. New York Giants, Jason Pierre Paul (DE, South Florida) Best Pick: Paul. The Giants did very well in the first round and as long as Paul lives up to his billing, he could end up being the next great pass rusher in New York.
16. Tennessee Titans, Derrick Morgan (DE, Georgia Tech) Best Pick: Brandon Graham (DE, Michigan). The Titans may have liked Graham better for the value he could have brought at this pick, but he would have been gone at this point anyway.
17. San Francisco 49ers (from Carolina in 2009) Mike Iupati (OG, Idaho) Best Pick: Iupati. The 49ers got a player who could easily play either tackle or guard and should be a fixture on the team for many seasons to come.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers, Maurkice Pouncey (C, Florida) Best Pick: Pouncey. The Steelers needed the help on the offensive line, and Pouncey can play either guard or center. Both are positions of need on this team.
19. Atlanta Falcons, Sean Weatherspoon (LB, Missouri) Best Pick: Derrick Morgan (DE, Georgia Tech). The Falcons could have used a player who could rush the passer on a regular basis much more than they needed a linebacker. Had Morgan been here then they should have taken him.
20. Houston Texans, Kareem Jackson (CB, Alabama) Best Pick: Jackson. The Texans could have taken a good running back if there would have been one here to take (with value at this pick), but picking Jackson takes care of a major need on defense for Houston.
21. Cincinnati Bengals, Jermaine Gresham (TE, Oklahoma) Best Pick: Gresham. The Bengals could have gone a few different ways with this pick, but it was a good idea to take Gresham. Gresham will help them out on offense and could help get their passing offense back on track.
22. New England Patriots (Traded to the Denver Broncos ) Best Pick for the Patriots: Sean Weatherspoon (LB, Missouri). Had the Patriots kept their pick they could have filled a need at linebacker by taking Weatherspoon. He would have been a good fit on their defense.
23. Green Bay Packers, Bryan Bulaga (OT, Iowa) Best Pick: Bulaga. The Packers couldn’t go wrong by taking Bulaga. They really needed some help on the offensive line, and Bulaga will help them fix some of the issues there and help protect quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
24. Philadelphia Eagles (Traded to the Dallas Cowboys) Best Pick for the Eagles: Kyle Wilson (CB, Boise State). The Eagles need some help at the cornerback position and should have kept the pick and taken Wilson here. Even Devin McCourty could have fit well here.
25. Baltimore Ravens (Traded to the Denver Broncos) Best Pick for the Ravens: Dez Bryant (WR, Oklahoma State). Imagine if they had both Bryant and Anquan Boldin on the team? Quarterback Joe Flacco would have the kind of offense he needs to help push the Ravens closer to the Super Bowl.
26. Arizona Cardinals, Dan Williams (DT, Tennessee) Best Pick: Williams. The Cardinals needed some help on the defensive line and grabbed Williams with this pick. Let’s just hope he lives up to the billing he got going into this draft.
27. Dallas Cowboys (Traded to the New England Patriots) Best Pick for the Cowboys: Demaryius Thomas (WR, Georgia Tech). I still don’t think Thomas should have gone in the first round, but with the Cowboys aiming at getting a wide receiver, this would have been the best choice for them.
28. San Diego Chargers (Traded to the Miami Dolphins) Best Pick for the Chargers: Jahvid Best (RB, California). The Chargers may have gotten the better of the two, but had they stayed here and Matthews had gone, Best would have been their next best choice However, there are many concerns about his ability to stay healthy and perhaps he shouldn’t have gone in the first round (to the Lions).
29. New York Jets, Kyle Wilson (CB, Boise State) Best Pick: Devin McCourty (CB, Rutgers). The Jets went into this draft really wanting a cornerback to play opposite Pro Bowler Darrelle Revis so with McCourty here he would have been the best choice.
30. Minnesota Vikings (Traded to the Detroit Lions) Best Pick: Patrick Robinson (CB, Florida State). The Vikings, like the Jets, went into this draft knowing they needed a cornerback who could start right away. Robinson would have been there and could start in 2010.
31. Indianapolis Colts, Jerry Hughes (DE, TCU) Best Pick: Hughes. The Colts needed to tune up their defense and add a good linebacker to help them contain on the run and rush the passer. Hughes is just their kind of guy and should do well in Indy.
32. New Orleans Saints, Patrick Robinson (CB, Florida State) Best Pick: Rob Gronkowski (TE, Arizona). The Saints could have gone a few different ways with this pick, but with Jeremy Shockey aging and injured on a consistent basis, they could have really used the help at tight end. It would have helped make their offense even better.
While this is all just speculation, there are some who feel each team could have done things a little bit different in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. But it’s all hindsight now. This was a tough round to predict thanks to all of the trades that took place, but it was a lot of fun, and there are many guys who got picked and will have excellent careers in the NFL.
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At the conclusion of the 2004 NFL season, the San Francisco 49ers held a record of 2-14 and were rewarded with the No. 1 overall draft choice in the following draft.
While they needed a quarterback and selected one in Alex Smith, the rest of the squad was still in need of dramatic repairs.
Their best receiver, Terrell Owens, was traded over the prior offseason, the offensive line was in shambles, the secondary was led by Ahmed Plummer and Mike Rumph, and Mike Nolan was in his first year as an NFL ahead coach.
Furthermore, promising young running back Kevan Barlow plummeted in 2004 and 2005 after being handed the No. 1 tailback role when fan favorite Garrison Hearst was let go.
Plus, you have to factor in that Alex Smith’s first offensive coordinator was Mike McCarthy.
Now while McCarthy has gone on to a fair amount of success as the Green Bay Packers head coach, the 49ers picked him up after he was the New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator. And we are talking pre-Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston New Orleans Saints.
Not exactly an offensive genius in Mike McCarthy.
All things considered, the 2005 49ers were not set up for success. And as we all know, the years following have been a roller coaster ride for Smith and the rest of the team.
After a 4-12 finish in 2005, Smith showed strides in 2006 and a promising 7-9 finish gave the team high hopes going into 2007. Unfortunately injuries and a feud between Smith and Nolan were the story of a disappointing 5-11 finish in the third year under the new regime.
When 2008 rolled around, Smith would be injured again, missing the entire year with a shoulder injury. Journeyman quarterback J.T. O’ Sullivan fell apart; the team fell to 2-7 and fired their head coach. With Nolan gone, assistant head coach Mike Singletary took over and fan favorite (in backup quarterback) Shaun Hill turned the 49ers year around with a 5-2 finish in the remaining seven games.
Singletary was then rewarded with the full-time gig, and the 49ers again opened the season with increased expectations. Hill remained at quarterback as San Francisco got off to a hot 3-1 start but then fell apart in the next few games and Smith won back the starting job.
While Smith wasn’t nearly good enough to take San Francisco to the postseason, he did enough for the 49ers organization to once again believe he can be the franchise quarterback.
And the way the new look front office handled the recently concluded 2010 NFL Draft, Singletary and the 49ers didn’t deviate from their belief in Alex Smith as potential Super Bowl winning quarterback.
Not only did they pass on drafting a single quarterback, but they also passed up drafting any highly touted college prospects at the skill positions on offense.
Instead, they gave their quarterback what every signal caller needs to succeed: BIG, BAD (MEAN), STRONG offensive lineman.
With two first round draft choices, the 49ers took offensive tackle Anthony Davis out of Rutgers at No. 13 overall and guard Mike Iupati out of Idaho at No. 17.
By taking two offensive linemen in the first round, the 49ers made a large statement (both literally and figuratively).
Literally meaning they improved an area in which they felt they were lacking size and strength and by doing so, they figuratively stated that Alex Smith is the quarterback that will take eventually lead them to the promise land.
But it wasn’t just the first round where this held true. Instead of going after offensive weapons such as Stanford’s Toby Gerhardt, Mississippi’s Dexter McCluster or Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, the 49ers went defense in the middle rounds.
In the second round they added safety help with USC safety Taylor Mays and in the third round picked up outside linebacker Navorro Bowman out of Penn State.
Both positions were in need of extra depth, especially at safety with Michael Lewis clearly on the last legs of his career.
So once again the 49ers had a chance to add more weapons around Smith to make him better but went elsewhere.
By going strictly offensive line and defense through the first two days of the draft, the 49ers continued to show the faith that Smith is their guy.
And it is clearer now than ever before that the 49ers feel that when given time to throw, Smith has the tools to lead the team to the Super Bowl.
The front office obviously feels comfortable with the talent they already have at the skill positions and believe that with an improved offensive line, the offense is capable of becoming a top-10 caliber unit.
After all, San Francisco didn’t draft a player at an offensive skill position until they took Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon in the sixth round.
Now only time will tell if putting faith in Alex Smith was the right way to go for the 49ers, but at least for now, the Red & Gold have are all systems go in their march towards their first playoff birth in eighth seasons.
And unlike many NFL teams, the 49ers have the talent and chemistry to make that happen.
We will all have to wait and see if 2010 will finally be the year the 49ers get back to the playoffs, but having the same offensive coordinator in back to back seasons should give fans some extra hope.
The last offensive coordinator to spend multiple seasons with the team in that capacity was Greg Knapp and the 49ers made the postseason in two of the three seasons under his offense.
And the continuity of having Jimmy Raye back for a second season might just be the difference for Alex Smith this season.
As Urban Meyer, Smith’s college coach and two-time National Champion head coach at Florida famously stated, “until he [Smith] understands it [an offensive system], he is nonfunctional…..[but once he does understand it] he becomes a dynamite player.”
The entire 49er fan base hopes Meyer was right.
Either way, one thing is for certain:
2010 will be the year we find out the accuracy of Meyer’s words and the fate of Alex Smith’s career as a 49er.
This article was originally published on Nfltouchdown.com and can been seen here:
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