Leonard Hankerson: Patience

[brasi]

So true.
Hankerson has just seven starts, but he isn't playing like Terrell Owens in his prime, so cut him.
Give Hankerson some time before you pass judgement.

Hankerson has had HUGE drops. PLURAL. He's a WR. Second season. ???

I can guarantee my niece could have caught that drop. No excuse.

Am I missing something?

[SkinsGuy]

I am going to be patient, but I just don't see Hank developing into a star. He doesn't have the great hands you'd expect to see from a guy who lacks explosiveness. Is it just me or does he look like he's moving in slow motion? I'm not talking about how fast he is running in a straight line. I'm talking about how he moves when changing direction, trying to juke, etc.

Does he need to be a star to be a productive member of the WR core in the future?

Are folks here insisting that Hankerson be elite or gone, or can he be just solid?

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Hankerson has had HUGE drops. PLURAL. He's a WR. Second season. ???

I can guarantee my niece could have caught that drop. No excuse.

Am I missing something?

2nd year player who's in effect in his rookie season as a pro. He's had a mere 12 games, and 7 starts, Not to mention that rookie season was curtailed first by the CBA B/S that cost him and every other young guy a full off-season with their teams. And then a pretty serious injury that shut it down by week 10.

The drop last Sunday was a complete lack of concentration. Not condoning it by any means as it cost us a sure fire TD. But that ***** gona' happen with such a young, inexperienced player at this level. That's not an excuse. That's just the way it is.

Why so many are so willing to give up on a guy as raw as a pro as he is, as listed above; and one who could well of been a first round pick in most years after setting Miami records in a great senior year is beyond me.

If he's still having these problems this time next year, then you'd have a case. But darn, cut a young man some slack and allow him to develop to that point at least as a pro.

Hail.

[SkinsGuy]

Hankerson has had HUGE drops. PLURAL. He's a WR. Second season. ???

I can guarantee my niece could have caught that drop. No excuse.

Am I missing something?

Well, I'm certainly not missing your ridiculous hyperbole.

Hankerson was injured most of last season and is coming off of major surgery (also keep in mind there was no offseason before the 2011 campaign.... the lockout, remember? ).

So, for all intent purposes, this is his rookie season. He only has seven starts, and folks have already decided what we have in Hankerson?

I haven't.

---------- Post added October-30th-2012 at 08:53 AM ----------

2nd year player who's in effect in his rookie season as a pro. He's had a mere 12 games, and 7 starts, Not to mention that rookie season was curtailed first by the CBA B/S that cost him and every other young guy a full off-season with their teams. And then a pretty serious injury that shut it down by week 10.

The drop last Sunday was a complete lack of concentration. Not condoning it by any means as it cost us a sure fire TD. But that ***** gona' happen with such a young, inexperienced player at this level. That's not an excuse. That's just the way it is.

Why so many are so willing to give up on a guy as raw as a pro as he is, as listed above; and one who could well of been a first round pick in most years after setting Miami records in a great senior year is beyond me.

If he's still having these problems this time next year, then you'd have a case. But darn, cut a young man some slack and allow him to develop to that point at least as a pro.

Hail.

Ha, GHH, you beat me to it. Nice post.

[Madison Redskin]

Does he need to be a star to be a productive member of the WR core in the future?

Are folks here insisting that Hankerson be elite or gone, or can he be just solid?

He can be solid, but I have yet to see anything that indicates he will be anything more than just a guy. Admittedly, he's still very young.

[SkinsGuy]

He can be solid, but I have yet to see anything that indicates he will be anything more than just a guy. Admittedly, he's still very young.

He is young. So let's give him a few more starts, and maybe another offseason to work on things.

[brasi]

I wasn't suggesting cutting him.

I simply DID say that there is no excuse for drops like that. He has played football before right? He's a WR right? Rookie, game one...catch the ball. Now, it's a pattern with this guy. I don't like it. I am sure Shanny doesn't. I said in another post that I had come around on him, and now, he's back in whatever doghouse I create in my mind for clowns like him, Randle El, etc.

I don't have to be an expert like you guys to know that WRs that drop the ball (or RBs that fumble, or DBs that can't cover)...aren't very valuable.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

..... Ha, GHH, you beat me to it. Nice post.

Honestly man, this **** is getting nauseating on here.

I guess the boards just reflect the transient, instant gratification society that is modern day life in 2012; but the lack of patience across the spectrum for what we're trying to do is causing folk to lose all sense of perspective and rationality at an alarming rate.

Hail.

*Edit* brasi man, I just run with your post as a general point to the many that have suggested we should give up Hankerson already. Sorry if it came across as you suggesting he should be cut.

[Botched]

The issue I have with Hankerson is that he is looking like a possession WR when all is said and done, and something a possession WR is counted on for is CATCHING THE BALL.

He can be solid, but I have yet to see anything that indicates he will be anything more than just a guy. Admittedly, he's still very young.

Exactly. For those who haven't noticed, the days of waiting 3 years for a receiver to develop are pretty much over. If they've got the stuff, you see it right away. I have seen nothing from Leonard Hankerson that would lead me to believe that he'll ever be anything more than a mediocre possession receiver.

We can say "wait and see" until we're blue in the face, and while we're waiting, we can enjoy watching rookies and second year players on other teams play like professionals.

[pjfootballer]

Yes, because trading Hank and a fourth round pick, for a former first rounder and borderline elite wide receiver TOTALLY would happen.

This ain't Madden. Hell, even Madden would reject that trade.

And Bowe is on the 1 year franchise tender, so he wouldn't fit under our cap with the penalties. And KC would want more than a 4th for him.

[Leonard Washington]

He has potential but damn catching the ball is a wideout's primary job.

[pjfootballer]

You mentioned Owens, but it isn't as though Owens took over games during his first 16 games of experience. In fact, for their first year or so together people thought that JJ Stokes was going to develop into the stud.

Hankerson actually compares favorably to Owens so far. In his first 16 games, Owens had 35 catches for 520 yards. In 12 games Hankerson has 36 catches for 460 yards. I don't think preaching patience is a bad thing here.

To be fair, Owens rookie year, they had Jerry Rice, JJ Stokes and Ifianyi Owazekue already on the roster, plus Brent Jones in his prime. Owens wasn't asked to be the main guy. I know Hank isn't either, but with our injuries at WR, I'd like to see him step up more. He's shown flashes this year and I'm not ready to throw him out. My mom is though. She wanted to get rid of him Sunday after the drop.

[Oldfan]

...I guess the boards just reflect the transient, instant gratification society that is modern day life in 2012; but the lack of patience across the spectrum for what we're trying to do is causing folk to lose all sense of perspective and rationality at an alarming rate....

Or.... it could be that others see no reason to be patient because they have a different opinion on the player.

---------- Post added October-30th-2012 at 09:29 AM ----------

He has potential but damn catching the ball is a wideout's primary job.

Since the game was invented, players who combine speed and size have been thought to have potential even when they can't play football worth a lick.

[pjfootballer]

I'm starting to think we should just never draft wide receivers for all the "THESE GUYS WILL NEVER BE ANYTHING SPECIAL!" talk. Because what's even the point? If they're not Pro Bowlers right away, why even keep them around?

I think it's frustrating to Redskin fans (including me) to see the Giants pick Nicks in the draft and he produces right away, pick up Cruz from the trash heap and he produces right away, the Eagles draft Jackson and Maclin and they produce right away, the Cowboys get Bryant and he produces (I'll admit he's up and down, but has some spectacular plays) and pick up Austin as an UDFA and he produces. Meanwhile at the ranch in Landover, we draft Kelly and Thomas and they bust, we draft Hankerson and he's been slow to develop along with Robinson.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Or.... it could be that others see no reason to be patient because they have a different opinion on the player.....

It's a complete lack of patience which ever way you cut it that's a sad reflection not only on the way football/ sports has become; but modern day transient life in 2012.

Hail.