The Death Knell for a Player

[Burgold]

Jacobs demise with the skins came well before the signing of Randle El and Lloyd. It came when Patton was out and Thrash was out and Jacobs couldn't step up. Jacobs was incapable of siezing the moment despite constant doubles on Moss and Cooley. Clearly, the staff lost faith in him and his team lost faith in him. This was something you could see from a long way off... but thankfully not so far as the West Coast.

It didn't have to be this way. Everyone thought we heard Mark's death knell in his first season. He fought his way back, but Jacobs didn't or couldn't. You couldn't distinguish him in the scrimage and according to reports he was all but forgettable this year in practice.

Ade Jimoh has heard the death knell several times and has recovered to have a solid season last year and has found a niche. Found a way to make himself important.

Rock Cartwright found not only a niche, but a way to make him a fan favorite.

Thrash has heard the knell as his productivity dwindled, but he fights death in so many different ways that you want to root for him.

The difference with Taylor Jacobs is he never was able to give us those moments. We never saw him fight and rise to the occassion, be it the physical (injuries) or the spiritual (heart) he wasn't able to become the man, not with his college coach or with Gibbs. He had the chance. When we had only Moss and Cooley, we needed him. It was his turn to prove everyone wrong and become a hero. Instead of the trumpet blare. There was a death knell.

[SkinsDukes]

Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for you Taylor.

[waterwagen]

His problem is not skill - it's mental. He doesn't show the fight or the will to succeed.

[skins4eva]

The guy is a loser--that's the problem.

[jamestrash]

good, true point. He definitely had his chance.
More importnatly, though, with all of the horrifying spelling on this board, it's nice to see an obscure term like "knell" used properly.
Well done! :cheers:

[ConcordNCSkinsFan]

Typical career for QB's and WR's who were under the ol ball coach in Florida. That system blew their numbers up and made NFL teams think they would be pretty good pros. We all saw how that system and those players worked out in the NFL.

[IM A REDSKIN FAN]

The guy is a loser--that's the problem.


Tough Love :laugh:

[herrmag]

It's always hard to understand how a player with all of the physical skills just can't seem to reach the pro-star status. Is it heart that he lacks? Is his body just physically weak (hence all of the injuries)? Does he just not have the desire to play professional ball? I don't know if the answer is yes to any of those questions, but there is definitely some intangible that he is missing. I hope everything pans out for him, but this is one WR I don't think we have to worry about haunting us later on down the road.

[Burgold]

In some ways, it's the Ramsey question all over again. We heard from many that Ramsey had never got a fair shot, yet he had consecutive starts over three seasons. Ramsey failed to do enough to inspire belief. I think you're right hermag. I believe Gibbs didn't believe that Ramsey had the "it" and that same "it" is missing with Taylor. The only question is whether the "it" is nature or nurture or to what degree it can be nurtured.

[cmorina69]

The guy is a loser--that's the problem.


well put, he never showed any heart

[waterwagen]

In some ways, it's the Ramsey question all over again. We heard from many that Ramsey had never got a fair shot, yet he had consecutive starts over three seasons. Ramsey failed to do enough to inspire belief. I think you're right hermag. I believe Gibbs didn't believe that Ramsey had the "it" and that same "it" is missing with Taylor. The only question is whether the "it" is nature or nurture or to what degree it can be nurtured.At a certain point a player has to stop making excuses and start realizing that every player faces some adversity. It comes down to players having the will to make it through adversity, whether in a specific game situation, when some big CB is manhandling him, or with his health, having to deal with an injury or two. You can look at any sport and see lots of guys that are talented, but only a few guys that have the mental makeup and perseverance to be the best.

[Burgold]

I agree. When you start to hear the bell tolling and you know the Turk is around the corner what you do speaks loudly about who you are. I've heard great things about Jacobs as a person and as a practice player, but when he had an opportunity he couldn't grab it and that's the one thing a receiver must do. Hold on to every opportunity thrown his way.

[bulldog]

you really can't compare Brunell and Jacobs.

Brunell had a poor 2004 season but was injured and in Jacksonville had been a pro bowl player.

Jacobs never proved himself on the NFL field. He never saw success. His injuries prevented him from taking the field for months on end.

there was no pedigree.

[Burgold]

I disagree. There's a point at which one looks at a player's career and says, "he's done." He no longer has it or he doesn't have it. I do agree that Brunell's pedigree offered him more benefit of the doubt, but he could have easily been seen as the Titans did Steve McNair, a once great who's career is over and thus discarded. The Titans thought they heard the bell for Steve and jettisoned him. Many on Extremeskins wanted to do exactly that with Brunell.

Jacobs was a hoped-to-be great. Still, the same question, does he have it, remains. Taylor couldn't prove it on the field and couldn't get it done in preseason this year, thus the decision was made. Taylor had less of a fuse than Brunell, but the thought process was similar.

[bulldog]

But JOE GIBBS never was that close to letting Brunell go :)

He said in the offseason in 2005 that Brunell would play a significant role in the future of the Redskins and nobody believed him, thinking he was only kept on the roster to avoid the cap hit his release would trigger.

[Burgold]

True... Although, Gibbs never disparages a player in public. So, who knows how close he was to really cutting him. Mind you, they also hid the severity of his injuries from us and that probably had much more to do with his thinking, but certainly around here, around the NFL, and in mediaville, I betcha everyone thought that that bell was tolling for him.