Is Bateman hurting his draft stock?

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alchemy2u

alchemy2u

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Batemen seems to be kind of "playing it safe". He doesn't look so aggressive in going for the ball and such. Like that interception today, he didn't fight/demand the ball and kind winced when DB came in. I noticed on some other games where he didn't jump in on a tackles or generally avoided contact. It is almost like he is worried about getting hurt and holding back a little. That could possibly hurt him with his draft status if he gets a "primadonna" reputation.

Don't get me wrong, I think he is a great WR, but I just get the impression that he is not playing as hungry as he should.
 



Mock drafts don't mean much, but I've noticed more lately where he's out of the first round. A good combine/pro day can often erase concerns created in season.
 





MNVCGUY said:
10 Catches 154 Yards and 1 TD. I think his draft stock is going to be just fine.
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He also set two careers highs for receptions in a game this season first against Michigan and then today. He is averaging over 100 yards a game through three games and 8 catches a game.

He didn't high point the ball today but I didn't think it was because he was trying to avoid injury, I just thought he felt thats what gave him the best chance at getting the catch. He certainly fought for extra yards on multiple catches this game.
 

Bateman will be fine. Is really going to be all about the combine. We have seen several great players perform badly in the combine and stock dropped big time.
 



He's going to ball in the NFL and teams already know that. There will be no undervaluing going on. GMs could only pray that that will be the case; it won't.
 

Agent Zero’s receiving stats yesterday are what we have all come to expect from him every week. What stood out the most to me was how much he’s improved his blocking in the run game but even more so down the field.

He’s a complete player and if he drops in the Draft for any reason, every team that passes up on him will come to regret it the way teams have with AW Jr.
 

There were 2 plays that hurt his draft stock yesterday.
The interception where he didn’t battle back for the ball and the high throw over the middle that he didn’t catch because he was peaking at the safety

there were probably 10-15 plays yesterday that helped his draft stock.


if he gets picked in the second round it isn’t because he came back. It’s because he was always more of a second round pick than first round pick (I think he will be a first round pick)
 




Slim Tubby said:
Agent Zero’s receiving stats yesterday are what we have all come to expect from him every week. What stood out the most to me was how much he’s improved his blocking in the run game but even more so down the field.

He’s a complete player and if he drops in the Draft for any reason, every team that passes up on him will come to regret it the way teams have with AW Jr.
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I like the runs put in for him.
 

die hard gopher said:
He also set two careers highs for receptions in a game this season first against Michigan and then today. He is averaging over 100 yards a game through three games and 8 catches a game.

He didn't high point the ball today but I didn't think it was because he was trying to avoid injury, I just thought he felt thats what gave him the best chance at getting the catch. He certainly fought for extra yards on multiple catches this game.
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Agree that he wasn’t trying to avoid injury- but he needs to learn to feel the CB catching up behind him on under-thrown deep balls and slow down forcing the CB to run through him for a PI or to avoid him allowing him a possible catch.
 

die hard gopher said:
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Thanks for posting that. I'm not trying to pile on the OP, but Bateman is a stud who continues doing studly things every week. He runs precise routes, breaks tackles, blocks downfield, gets separation consistently. It's why he'll be 1st rd pick.
 

Some guy said:
There were 2 plays that hurt his draft stock yesterday.
The interception where he didn’t battle back for the ball and the high throw over the middle that he didn’t catch because he was peaking at the safety

there were probably 10-15 plays yesterday that helped his draft stock.


if he gets picked in the second round it isn’t because he came back. It’s because he was always more of a second round pick than first round pick (I think he will be a first round pick)
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That is what I am talking about. He is a very good WR, but he should have fought for that ball, last year he would have caught it. As the DB ran into him he was wincing and turning his head away like he was afraid of the contact. That is not the Bateman that we have seen in the past. He over powered players and demanded the ball last year.

I first noticed it in an earlier game where he watched one of his teammates tackle a guy right in front of him. He didn't help but just watched. I just wonder if in the back of his mind if he is concerned about getting hurt and is holding back a little. He needs to keep the same hunger that got him to where he is.
 

alchemy2u said:
That is what I am talking about. He is a very good WR, but he should have fought for that ball, last year he would have caught it. As the DB ran into him he was wincing and turning his head away like he was afraid of the contact. That is not the Bateman that we have seen in the past. He over powered players and demanded the ball last year.

I first noticed it in an earlier game where he watched one of his teammates tackle a guy right in front of him. He didn't help but just watched. I just wonder if in the back of his mind if he is concerned about getting hurt and is holding back a little. He needs to keep the same hunger that got him to where he is.
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No offense but it really feels like you are reaching on this one. He battled for extra yardage after catches and didn't just go to the ground. If he was terrified of getting hurt he would have just stayed opted out.
 

MNVCGUY said:
No offense but it really feels like you are reaching on this one. He battled for extra yardage after catches and didn't just go to the ground. If he was terrified of getting hurt he would have just stayed opted out.
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I agree with this.
I saw 2 plays someone could watch and say...woah I’m not sure he is a first round pick

I saw a bunch more that said opposite.

Probably every player in the country has a couple of bad plays per game
 

He looks like a full-grown man out there to me. That stiff arm? From a WR? That was an NFL move if ever I saw one. I saw Dalvin Cook in his bowl game vs Michigan and he was coasting a bit. I don't see Bateman doing the same things I saw Cook do like run out of bounds a lot to avoid hits etc. Bateman is just so much better than the opposition at Illinois that he looks to be taking it easy when he is playing hard.
 

If anything he’s showing ability to be a pro out of the slot along with as an outside receiver... he’s most definitely not hurting his stock relative to sitting out the year. To me he’s really stayed steady at the 15-20 pick level.
 

Slim Tubby said:
Agent Zero’s receiving stats yesterday are what we have all come to expect from him every week. What stood out the most to me was how much he’s improved his blocking in the run game but even more so down the field.

He’s a complete player and if he drops in the Draft for any reason, every team that passes up on him will come to regret it the way teams have with AW Jr.
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Yup. He threw a block that sprung Mo for another 20 yards or so. Really good play.
 

PMWinSTP said:
I like the runs put in for him.
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I actually hate the runs for him. I just don't think he's that kind of athlete. He is also so good that I just don't think there is any element of surprise with these plays. I think I could go the rest of the year without seeing that jet sweep/shuttle pass OR the jailbreak screen,
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
I actually hate the runs for him. I just don't think he's that kind of athlete. He is also so good that I just don't think there is any element of surprise with these plays. I think I could go the rest of the year without seeing that jet sweep/shuttle pass OR the jailbreak screen,
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Agreed. Tyler was MUCH more effective on the jet sweep/pocket pass play.

CAB has been awesome on the tunnel screens as well (see: Nebraska 2018, Penn State 2019). Not sure why we've gone away from using him on those plays.
 

Well good. I must just be imagining it, he has been very tough on finishing the play with the ball.

Never mind, but thanks for the feed back.
 

It appears there is something wrong with Bateman. He's lost strength and not cutting well and not getting open. They are running patterns 15 25 yards, Like just pass for a 5 yard gain about ten times a game... Why not . I think our QB has stunk tonight and we should have let some one else run some plays. Iowa has a good team

Edit..
I take some of that back about Mr Bateman. TD
 
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The Gophers are simply a team completely out of whack this year. It shouldn't reflect on Bateman at all. Still should be a first round pick and one of the first three WRs off the board.
 

stocker08 said:
The Gophers are simply a team completely out of whack this year. It shouldn't reflect on Bateman at all. Still should be a first round pick and one of the first three WRs off the board.
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The games this year won't have much impact on Bateman's stock at all. It will all be about how he grades out against the other receivers in workouts and what not in the off season.
 

So does he keep playing for the rest of the year knowing the risk of getting hurt and the team not going anywhere? I know a few other players on other teams around the country have done so.
 

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