JJ would be nice but we really need playmakers at other positions

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MNSpaniel

MNSpaniel

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I have been reading the Jeff Jones thread and while it would be nice if he commits here I think we have bigger needs than at running back. I really think that bringing in Edwards speed into the backfield next year is going to make a huge difference as far as having a game breaker in the backfield. Again, nobody knows for sure but he is legit fast.

We really need some more receivers. However, I hedge that statement with the fact that I thought our young receivers were getting open often enough especially later in the season. The problem was accuracy of our QBs. At times our receivers were open 5 to 8 yards on game breaking patterns and our QBs totally missed them.

I think there are more pieces in place than most people think. If we had gotten average play at QB we could have won a few more games. I know someone can come up with stats to show that they were in the middle but it is all those wide open, game breaking plays that they failed to make that can not be measured on the stat sheet.

I get most of my info from you guys who follow the recruiting trail. This is the anticipation time coming up to signing day. My wish list would be some more defensive play makers. A good D will alway keep you in the game as it did this year. A couple wide outs to add to these promising freshmen. To me a JUCO QB to push these guys would make sense. If they can find one with three years to play that would be great. Also, you can never have enough good linemen.

So as much as I would like Jeff Jones ... he seems like a nice young man ... he deserves to explore all his options. I think he is more important to the program as symbol that the program has arrived.
 

I'd rather bring in an A level talent at RB than a C level talent at WR. It would be beyond words to just stop recruiting the kid so we can focus on other areas of the team.
 

What a dumb thread, you really didn't have anything else to do today but sit down and hammer out these deep thoughts?
 


I guess I just have to question a post titled "JJ would be nice...." when you know he reads the board. JJ would be the biggest f'ing recruit we've ever landed, so it would be beyond "nice". But go ahead and try to minimize the importance of landing him, especially when he is actively reading the board!
 


Happy New Year to you Sonny G. I always find it funny how brave folks are behind a set of computer keys. I also find it humorous how other posters add words that were not intended to the posted thread. Nobody said stop recruiting him. Nobody said he is not a great player and he wouldn't have an impact on the program. Nobody said recruit C level WRs. The purpose of these sites is to have discussions and whether you disagree/agree.

I still think the importance of landing him is that a major recruit decided to stay and build upon the progress that the program has made. He would be a huge get ... it would be great for the program ... but the point is ... we would still be solid at running back without him. We would be better at running back with him. If Mr. Jones is reading this ... he knows exactly what I am talking about. We want all the top recruits to stay in MN. When that happens it starts to close the borders.
So the point still is that we always want to get top players but the team does have greater needs. If you can prove me wrong go ahead and tell me how many positions we are stronger at than running back. So like I said before. He seems like a great kid ... he needs to do what he thinks is right for him. Hopefully it is MN.
 

Can't JJ play slot? And kick returner? He can make a difference in many ways. Also catching from the back field on screens, and jet sweeps ala Melvin Gordon at Wisco
 

Jeff would be a bigger get then Henderson and Cornell and possibly better then Floyd and Fitzgerald, i think it would go like 1. Mauer 2. Fitzgerald 3. Jeff. 4. Floyd 5. Seantrel. We do need playmakers at the receiver positions Jeff and Berkley will both help in the pass game a lot since they have some of the best receiving skills of any RB in the big ten, next to Berkley's speed his recieving skill is his best attribute according to the scouting reports of recruiting services and same for Jeff since we all saw him in the UA game and he frequently lines up as a WR at Washburn, both could be full time WRs if they wanted to be
 

Good points from 88 and die hard. Never gave a lot of thought to the receiving skills of our backs/recruits or it they could be used in other ways. I really don't remember much action in the passing game involving our backs other than the full-backs. A game much like the pros use their backs or slot receivers would be a fun evolution to our offense. I hope our offense progressing and opens up a bit more next year.
 



MNSpaniel said:
...We want all the top recruits to stay in MN. When that happens it starts to close the borders...
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You got that exactly right...I think...

Maybe your sequence is out of whack just a bit...not sure...:confused:
 

In KIll's offense, the RB is crucial. Getting a player as good as Jones would be an absolute plus.
 

MNSpaniel said:
I have been reading the Jeff Jones thread and while it would be nice if he commits here I think we have bigger needs than at running back. I really think that bringing in Edwards speed into the backfield next year is going to make a huge difference as far as having a game breaker in the backfield. Again, nobody knows for sure but he is legit fast.

We really need some more receivers. However, I hedge that statement with the fact that I thought our young receivers were getting open often enough especially later in the season. The problem was accuracy of our QBs. At times our receivers were open 5 to 8 yards on game breaking patterns and our QBs totally missed them.

I think there are more pieces in place than most people think. If we had gotten average play at QB we could have won a few more games. I know someone can come up with stats to show that they were in the middle but it is all those wide open, game breaking plays that they failed to make that can not be measured on the stat sheet.

I get most of my info from you guys who follow the recruiting trail. This is the anticipation time coming up to signing day. My wish list would be some more defensive play makers. A good D will alway keep you in the game as it did this year. A couple wide outs to add to these promising freshmen. To me a JUCO QB to push these guys would make sense. If they can find one with three years to play that would be great. Also, you can never have enough good linemen.

So as much as I would like Jeff Jones ... he seems like a nice young man ... he deserves to explore all his options. I think he is more important to the program as symbol that the program has arrived.
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You do know Jeff Jones could also line up as a slot reciever as well, Kill plays alot of running backs and quite frankly our current backs don't have Jones explosive speed
 

I fail to see why it needs to be one or the other? Jones is the best skill recruit the Gophers are in on and like others have pointed out you don't recruit based off of need.
 



I'm not sure I understand the one-or-the-other approach. This isn't the NFL where salary cap constraints force you to make choices, so you have to invest in either a top-tier RB or a top-tier WR. This is college, and you stockpile as much talent as you can get, and God knows the Gophers can use impact playmakers at virtually every position on the field. Getting a player of Jeff Jones' obvious talents would be an incredible start because he can affect the game in multiple ways, which would make everyone around him better. Now, if we can get a QB who can throw with accuracy and arm strength, and a WR or two who can stretch the field in addition to Jones, the offense would be vastly improved.
 


Spaniel...I've posted my share of stinkers on this site, but this one takes the cake. You do realize Jones comes on this site. Did you watch the Under Armour game? The kid could play several different roles on offense. You don't RS a
a thoroughbred. He is a " Maroney " w.ith maybe not as much second gear, but better moves. Adding Jones helps overall recruiting. He's a difference maker and kids gravitate toward that.
 

ruppertflywheel said:
Spaniel...I've posted my share of stinkers on this site, but this one takes the cake. You do realize Jones comes on this site. Did you watch the Under Armour game? The kid could play several different roles on offense. You don't RS a
a thoroughbred. He is a " Maroney " w.ith maybe not as much second gear, but better moves. Adding Jones helps overall recruiting. He's a difference maker and kids gravitate toward that.
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Nothing in my post suggested that we don't go after Jones as hard as we can. Nothing in my post suggests that he wouldn't be a huge get and important to the program. It was a pragmatic post that suggests that we have greater needs than running back. Nobody has discredited that fact. I also disagree with those that say we don't recruit to need. That is totally bogus. They will always recruit a star even if they are loaded at that position. However, teams are constantly recruiting to need. That is why you see them hit DBs real hard one year and OL another. Need is a reason they hit the JUCO recruits and that is to fill a need. They try to keep a balance of numbers at each position.

So I stand by my statement made in the first post. Yes, I would be super excited to get Jones. Never said I wouldn't.
 

JJ is a multidimensional must have player hands down (likes of Kevin McHale in BkB, Joe Mauer in BB, Michael Floyd in FB) that the Gophers will be lucky to have. This type of lunker fish comes only once in a great moon out of Minnesota.

"Jeff Jones Stays With the Gophers!" will be a huge headliner and a program changer. I'll be popping some expensive Belgian beers.
 

sonnygarcia said:
What a dumb thread, you really didn't have anything else to do today but sit down and hammer out these deep thoughts?
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it's funny, guys like you don't know "dumb" from brilliant. you will never, ever, be a great team without a great quarterback. just ask Adrian Peterson. we don't "need" Jeff Jones. we desperately need a great quarterback, we could use a big, true stud wide receiver that can take a bubble screen to the end zone on any given play, we could use a defense that doesn't give up 100 yards to a single running back all season, and we could use a shut down secondary.
 

BreakTheGopherCurse said:
it's funny, guys like you don't know "dumb" from brilliant. you will never, ever, be a great team without a great quarterback. just ask Adrian Peterson. we don't "need" Jeff Jones. we desperately need a great quarterback, we could use a big, true stud wide receiver that can take a bubble screen to the end zone on any given play, we could use a defense that doesn't give up 100 yards to a single running back all season, and we could use a shut down secondary.
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The NFL is a QB driven league, college football is not. If the starting lineup is mostly comprised of good players, you can get by with a barely above average QB. Connor Cook, Kevin Hogan, Nick Marshall just to name a few.

The Gophers have numerous holes but Jeff Jones will make the offense markedly better.
 

BreakTheGopherCurse said:
it's funny, guys like you don't know "dumb" from brilliant. you will never, ever, be a great team without a great quarterback. just ask Adrian Peterson. we don't "need" Jeff Jones. we desperately need a great quarterback, we could use a big, true stud wide receiver that can take a bubble screen to the end zone on any given play, we could use a defense that doesn't give up 100 yards to a single running back all season, and we could use a shut down secondary.
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We have a solid " young " group of quarterback's, and as coach Kill said: " A very gifted one coming in early " The " Jeff
Jones" of the world just don't fall out of trees. To say we don't need Jeff Jones? Laughable....
 

ruppertflywheel said:
We have a solid " young " group of quarterback's, and as coach Kill said: " A very gifted one coming in early " The " Jeff
Jones" of the world just don't fall out of trees. To say we don't need Jeff Jones? Laughable....
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Exactly. You don't just turn away that caliber player. Right now at MN, if 6 Jeff Jones quality RBs have their hearts set on being Golden, you take every single one of them and figure out a way to make it work.
 

Maybe a better way to phrase the question:

Is it easier to find/recruit a great RB as opposed to a great QB?

I would tend to say yes. If all of the other pieces are in place, you can have a very good offense with a functional RB. But, if you don't have the QB, WR's and OL in place, you could put the clone of Jim Brown at RB and not be a great team.

Certainly, the U is not at a stage where it can afford to turn away talent at any position. If they can sign Jones, he will definitely help the program.

BUT - I still think a game-changing QB has a bigger impact on the program as opposed to a game-changing RB. And I don't think the Gophs have that QB on the roster today. Just sayin'.
 

die hard gopher said:
Jeff would be a bigger get then Henderson and Cornell and possibly better then Floyd and Fitzgerald, i think it would go like 1. Mauer 2. Fitzgerald 3. Jeff. 4. Floyd 5. Seantrel. We do need playmakers at the receiver positions Jeff and Berkley will both help in the pass game a lot since they have some of the best receiving skills of any RB in the big ten, next to Berkley's speed his recieving skill is his best attribute according to the scouting reports of recruiting services and same for Jeff since we all saw him in the UA game and he frequently lines up as a WR at Washburn, both could be full time WRs if they wanted to be
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Not sure what you mean by bigger get, but Henderson, Cornell, and Floyd were all more highly rated coming out of high school.
 

Wow. Of course we want Jones. The point of this thread is that we have substantial needs in other areas and if we could devote less time to Jones in the "daily" conversations with the recruits, we may just land other important recruits. One guy doesn't make a team "great". Other players have to "exist" to make the team "great". Other recruits may choose Minnesota if we gave them some additional love.
 

Dean S said:
Wow. Of course we want Jones. The point of this thread is that we have substantial needs in other areas and if we could devote less time to Jones in the "daily" conversations with the recruits, we may just land other important recruits. One guy doesn't make a team "great". Other players have to "exist" to make the team "great". Other recruits may choose Minnesota if we gave them some additional love.
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Needed a thread for that? I think everyone on here understands that 11 Gophers are on the field at a time. Hence the talk about the OL in most of the Jones threads. The extra attention is probably due to the fact that Jones has the potential to be the best Gopher on the field.
 

BreakTheGopherCurse said:
it's funny, guys like you don't know "dumb" from brilliant. you will never, ever, be a great team without a great quarterback. just ask Adrian Peterson. we don't "need" Jeff Jones. we desperately need a great quarterback, we could use a big, true stud wide receiver that can take a bubble screen to the end zone on any given play, we could use a defense that doesn't give up 100 yards to a single running back all season, and we could use a shut down secondary.
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Sure you can.

Connor Cook had some really nice moments, but I don't think many people would call him great (at least not yet).

There are a lot of examples of really good (great) Big 10 teams without great QBs. There are also numerous examples of National Championship teams without great QBs, teams built on a dominant running game and defense.
 

Dean S said:
Wow. Of course we want Jones. The point of this thread is that we have substantial needs in other areas and if we could devote less time to Jones in the "daily" conversations with the recruits, we may just land other important recruits. One guy doesn't make a team "great". Other players have to "exist" to make the team "great". Other recruits may choose Minnesota if we gave them some additional love.
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I don't understand this line of thinking. Do you really think our staff can't handle recruiting multiple players at the same time? There is only so much recruiting you can do per each recruit. We have time throughout the day to recruit several players, especially 4-star local playmakers.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
I don't understand this line of thinking. Do you really think our staff can't handle recruiting multiple players at the same time? There is only so much recruiting you can do per each recruit. We have time throughout the day to recruit several players, especially 4-star local playmakers.
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Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob. I'm not convinced. Tell me, Bob, do you think our class is balanced, fills needs, and is going well? I don't.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Sure you can.

Connor Cook had some really nice moments, but I don't think many people would call him great (at least not yet).

There are a lot of examples of really good (great) Big 10 teams without great QBs. There are also numerous examples of National Championship teams without great QBs, teams built on a dominant running game and defense.
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We can just look east and south to see programs who have been very successful without great QB's. When Iowa went to the Orange Bowl in '09, Stanzi completed 56% of his passes, and threw 17 TD and 15 INT. Wisconsin went to the Rose Bowl with Tolzien and Stave as their QBs.
 

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