Milton Wright

[BoilerFYF]

This is Sparks' first full season playing as a WR....Standeford had at least 5 full years on him as a WR. Don't you think that has some impact?

I should also note I didn't actually think Standeford ran a sub 4.6 40 yard dash....but according to his draft bio, he did at the Purdue combine day. The NFL combine I believe he ran a 4.62. Not slow by any means but certainly not overly fast.

Standeford was better as a freshman than anything I’ve seen flashes of from sparks.

Sparks through 5 games this year:

17 rec 160 yds 0 TD

Standeford through his first four games as a FRESHMAN:

21 rec 275 yds 1 TD

And standeford was not overly fast, that’s true. But he was much quicker than Sparks, more instinctual, played faster.

Sparks to me can be a shorter Greg Orton. And I just think that if Brohm is here and takes this offense where he wants to take it, that would be a guy who rotates in, not a starter.

 

[BoilerFYF]

@JohnnyDoeBoiler interestingly enough, if you just compare their first 5 games as a receiver only:

Stubblefield- 34 rec 348 yds 0 TD
Rondale - 41 rec 457 yds 4 TD

 

[CANARD]

I don't follow your rationale here:

You state Sparks is a fundamentals only type of player yet then literally say he isn't John Standeford...who was literally a fundamentals type player who didn't have explosiveness or good speed. Standeford ran a 4.55ish 40 and wasn't overly physical at only 190lbs. Sparks runs roughly the same 40 yet has more explosiveness in his vertical and shuttle drill.

Also, there is a ton of talent at the WR position that I believe the coaches are getting ready to play in the final four games of the regular season...that would be especially true if the Boilers are a lock to not get to a bowl game. I could also see players like Kory Taylor and Jordan Bonner being given an opportunity in the last three games of the regular season if Purdue is or could be bowl eligible to give Purdue different looks at the outside WR position. Hard to argue a kid who is 6'5 and 200 pounds with 4 months of work as a true freshman couldn't be made ready to contribute in very specific roles with this offensive staff. I wouldn't be the least surprised to see Taylor be brought in for the last four games to specifically play opposite of Sparks to force more one on one on to the defense.

Agreed, I'm not sure I ever saw Standeford take a ball away from anyone.

 

[BoilerFYF]

Agreed, I'm not sure I ever saw Standeford take a ball away from anyone.

Too many plays where he didn’t have to. Why have a guy go up top to snag a ball when you can just hit him in stride or wide open

 

[Bernese]

On the outside we don’t even have quality starters. Sparks is a fundamentals based receiver who lacks explosiveness and still manages to be somewhat productive. If you do things right he should get anthroped. He is not John Standeford. Decent player.

Then you have two receivers in wright and Zico whose fortay is talent, who aren’t that talented. Wright has a nice burst but is mouse small for outside and unable to even attempt jump balls. Zico is not huge but explosive for his size. Even with that, he needs to be sprung on wide open plays. He’s not gonna set up defenders or win jump balls.. and we even saw him catch a bomb against BC and then fumble it right after.

None of our outside receivers are aaron Valentin, Keith Smith or Greg Orton. The bar is really low.

I understand mershawn rice may have “nfl talent on defense” but really, unless we get wright and Bell, we’d be stacking ourself with a lot of bodies on D and moving too much talent away from WR to move him, unless Taylor, Anderson, Bonner have a couple or few who really bust out.

I don’t think we know yet how good some of Brohm’s 2017 and 2018 WRs will be in 2019, let alone how good the current class will be. Brohm believes you can coach kids up at the skill position. After seeing the monster Anthony became last year, I believe.

 

[BoilerFYF]

I don’t think we know yet how good some of Brohm’s 2017 and 2018 WRs will be in 2019, let alone how good the current class will be. Brohm believes you can coach kids up at the skill position. After seeing the monster Anthony became last year, I believe.

By no means am I saying Sparks has no role. Look at anthrop.. displaced by Moore, but big catch against Nebraska; and I think there will come a game where anthrops fresh legs really come to play.

If I had to guess; I’d break things down this way. If Taylor, Bonner, etc haven’t gotten the “talk” and departed, that means Brohm believes they can get out there and impact the game immediately. I think they’ve earned the benefit of the doubt that they can do that. But I think Sparks is too advanced mentally not to start next year. As the season progresses, guys will battle it out on the other side (unless we get Bell), and I anticipate Sparks will go from being in on 100% of plays to more like 65% by seasons end, which will be good for his legs.

I don’t see anyone surpassing him next year unless we get Bell and wright and Bell, wright/rice come in extremely advanced like rondale.

 

[nips18]

@JohnnyDoeBoiler interestingly enough, if you just compare their first 5 games as a receiver only:

Stubblefield- 34 rec 348 yds 0 TD
Rondale - 41 rec 457 yds 4 TD

Who was throwing the ball to Standeford?

(I quoted the incorrect post)

 

[BoilerFYF]

Who was throwing the ball to Standeford?

(I quoted the incorrect post)

Brees. And Sparks is not on pace to match any stat of standeford’s in 01 with hance throwing standeford the ball. Jared Sparks has done nothing reminiscent of the legendary standeford; who is only the all time leader in big ten receiving yards, 3rd in receptions in big ten history and tied for 12th in receiving TD in conference history.

 

[New Pal Boiler]

Jared Sparks has done nothing reminiscent of the legendary standeford

Mrs Standeford?

 

[BoilerFYF]

Mrs Standeford?

Mr. Conference leader in receiving yards all time

 

[PrintersRowBoiler]

Standeford only played with Brees 1 year, but Orton was no slouch. He had a lot of catches and yards but so did Bryant and Stubblefield, a lot to do with our system. I don remember him being that athletic or even quick, but he was tall and seemed to catch everything thrown his way. Had a knack for getting open. My observation - Sparks is the opposite. He has more talent but does not have the height you ideally want on an outside WR. Also does not seem to get open other than screens or check downs, but that is the system too. I don’t think Sparks has the height to be able to hold off some of our taller elite WRs coming in and we have too much talent inside for him o have a future there.

 

[BoilerBulldog]

Standeford was better as a freshman than anything I’ve seen flashes of from sparks.

Sparks through 5 games this year:

17 rec 160 yds 0 TD

Standeford through his first four games as a FRESHMAN:

21 rec 275 yds 1 TD

And standeford was not overly fast, that’s true. But he was much quicker than Sparks, more instinctual, played faster.

Sparks to me can be a shorter Greg Orton. And I just think that if Brohm is here and takes this offense where he wants to take it, that would be a guy who rotates in, not a starter.

I like the Greg Orton reference. I think that’s on point.

 

[njm8845]

Mr. Conference leader in receiving yards all time

Yeah how did you get so obsessed with Sparks? This thread wasn't about him until you came along

This after your long, pointless tirade against him a couple weeks ago.

 

[tenwest]

Has Milton Wright set a commitment date?

 

[BoilerFYF]

Yeah how did you get so obsessed with Sparks? This thread wasn't about him until you came along

This after your long, pointless tirade against him a couple weeks ago.

I made a comment about the three outside receivers overall that was very general. JDB wanted to challenge that comment, then a bunch of people like Sparks so much that they sort of attempted to argue against John freaking standeford.. which is as sorry and stupid as liking geo Reviere and downing Shaun Phillips to make a point. Really strange.

Sparks will be fine, but this thing where he says and does all the right things, so you have people who are mischaracterizing him by several notches of effectiveness kind of reminds me of Kirk Hinrich on the Bulls. That’s the last time I can remember people liking someone’s cut of jib so much that there was such a gross mischaracterization.

Sparks is a shorter Greg Orton. Nothing wrong with that. He’s not in the same universe as John Standeford