McKnight, Kirksey, Jacobs and Royston...UPDATED (5/8): Jacobs signs with Vikes

Donate To GopherHole

I'm surprised that none of those guys got free agent deals somewhere.
 


Yeh, I thought they would as well. Hopefully at least one of them will make it...I think they are talented enough to make it, especially if they apply themselves. I wonder if Royston's knee issues hindered his getting an offer? M.
 

Those four not being signed really suprises me as well. Especially with Bennett and Lair getting signed! I would not have thought Bennett or Lair would have been signed before McKnight or Royston.
 


Jacobs may have shot as offensive lineman

Jacobs is not quick enough off the ball to be a DT in NFL. He is strong and has long arms
which are attributes of Left and Right tackles. If I were Jacobs I was ask for a shot
at the Right tackle spot, this is his best chance to not only get a contract
and camp invite but also make the practice squad. Jacobs is one strong dude with enough
coaching he might make it, I would try the position switch and the CFL route if I were him.
Royston is plenty fast when healthy would not be surprised if he gets a camp invite at least.
Go Gophers!![/QUOTE]
 

I don't know if Anthony Jacobs has the right frame for OT in the NFL. He's only 6'2".

I think he has a chance at DT. He needs to get closer to 305. He is relatively athletic for a guy of that size and he's strong. He does also have some versatility in that he could be a 3-4 DE, or even play some DE on run situations on a 4-3. I think Jacobs finds a role in the NFL.

Royston is interesting. He obviously is a good tackler and could definitely play a lot on special teams. He also has some coverage ability being a corner for his first couple of years. I think Kim finds a spot on an NFL roster.
 

McKnight is a prototypical CFL receiver, big and tough. If he doesn't stick in the NFL, I am pretty sure you will see him in Canada.
 

I guess Mcknight timed pretty bad in the 40, something like 4.8
 



At the risk of pissing some folks off; I said it last summer, I said it last fall, I said it this winter and I will say it again. While other coaches were selling their players, Kill was telling everyone that would listen how tough his job was and how little he was left with. It should not come as a surprise that folks (media, scouts and fans) believed him.

Note: For those who want to label him a "truth" teller. In my house the truth is the WHOLE truth, not the bits and pieces that benefit the truth teller...but that's just me.

In the case of Kim, because he was hurt and not able to participate in a pro day to show case his abilitities in person, scouts were left with the game film of a injured player (albeit a highly productive one) that played the last 8 games with a severe groin pull that would require bilateral surgery and the dubious words of his coach.

Am I pissed at Kill? No, not at all. His methods have been been very successful for him. Maybe not so much for all the kids he has left behind every 3 years or so but we are all responsible for our own success and happiness.

But you know what? That's life, Kim has been given....scratch that.... EARNED an opportunity and it's up to him to make the most of it. Has it been made more difficult than it needed to be? Absolutely. Is Kim and only Kim responsible for whether or not he makes it in the NFL? Absolutely; and at the end of the day isn't that all any of us want? A chance to control our own destiny?

Now with that being said; Kill can most definitely coach and I believe he will produce a winner here...after all...it's in HIS BEST interest.
 

Sportsfan24 said:
At the risk of pissing some folks off; I said it last summer, I said it last fall, I said it this winter and I will say it again. While other coaches were selling their players, Kill was telling everyone that would listen how tough his job was and how little he was left with. It should not come as a surprise that folks (media, scouts and fans) believed him.

Note: For those who want to label him a "truth" teller. In my house the truth is the WHOLE truth, not the bits and pieces that benefit the truth teller...but that's just me.

In the case of Kim, because he was hurt and not able to participate in a pro day to show case his abilitities in person, scouts were left with the game film of a injured player (albeit a highly productive one) that played the last 8 games with a severe groin pull that would require bilateral surgery and the dubious words of his coach.

Am I pissed at Kill? No, not at all. His methods have been been very successful for him. Maybe not so much for all the kids he has left behind every 3 years or so but we are all responsible for our own success and happiness.

But you know what? That's life, Kim has been given....scratch that.... EARNED an opportunity and it's up to him to make the most of it. Has it been made more difficult than it needed to be? Absolutely. Is Kim and only Kim responsible for whether or not he makes it in the NFL? Absolutely; and at the end of the day isn't that all any of us want? A chance to control our own destiny?

Now with that being said; Kill can most definitely coach and I believe he will produce a winner here...after all...it's in HIS BEST interest.
Click to expand...

I agree with you. Completely. Some will argue with you as it will sound like you are tarnishing coach Kill's good name, but Kill did what was best for him and the school and unfortunately it meant throwing some great kids who didn't deserve it and former coaches who may or may not have deserved it, under the bus.

It is very sad that it happened to Kim and McKnight and others, but Kill has also built guys up and pretty much got Brandon Jacobs and Bart Scott into the NFL.

I hope that all the former Gophers are able to impress enough that they make it into the NFL anyways.
 

I can't say that I am totally surprised. With all the available talent to choose from they have to really stand out week in and week out on film, show flashes of great potential, or have a great pro day for those scouts in attendance. I can't say any of them stood out week in and week out during the season, they showed some flashes, and I have no idea how their pro days went. I don't think that their talent is necessarily at the NFL level but that is not to say that they can't through hard work and heart potentially catch on with a team and earn a job in the NFL like Sherels did. Enough with Kill throwing kids under the bus as the reason they were not signed as free agents.
 

scher215 said:
I agree with you. Completely. Some will argue with you as it will sound like you are tarnishing coach Kill's good name, but Kill did what was best for him and the school and unfortunately it meant throwing some great kids who didn't deserve it and former coaches who may or may not have deserved it, under the bus.

It is very sad that it happened to Kim and McKnight and others, but Kill has also built guys up and pretty much got Brandon Jacobs and Bart Scott into the NFL.

I hope that all the former Gophers are able to impress enough that they make it into the NFL anyways.
Click to expand...


I guess I'll jump in with the other side...do you actually think these teams are basing their drafting/signing decisions on things Kill said in an interview 9 months ago? They're busy coaching their own NFL teams, not watching post-game interviews from hundreds of college coaches. They have miles of tape on these kids, they work them out, they measure every attribute you can measure, and many that you can't. And if they want a coach's insight on a player, they will ask him, off camera, because they understand as well as anyone the amount of politicking and public posturing being a head coach entails.

You can have an issue with the way Kill talks about his players..that's perfectly reasonable. But if you think Royston didn't get drafted because of some offhand comment Kill made about the talent in the secondary in an interview last September, you're probably underestimating the intelligence of these front offices.
 



Weren't there only 4 NFL teams scouting the Gophers' Pro Day? I'm sure that has something to do with some of them not getting offers. I'd be willing to bet the Packers were one of the teams at the Gophers' Pro Day though.
 

did you guys see McKnight "break away" for his long td against MSU? I swear he had a piano tied to his ars.

I love the gophers and McKnight and think he can be a good NFL wr, but it doesn't surprise me that he wasn't drafted. It surprises me he didn't get a free-agent deal.
 

It's hard for players from a team that has gone 3-9 two years in a row to attract much attention. And I find it hard to believe that if an NFL team contacted Kill he would actually say bad things about these players.
 

RedPoo said:
I guess I'll jump in with the other side...do you actually think these teams are basing their drafting/signing decisions on things Kill said in an interview 9 months ago? They're busy coaching their own NFL teams, not watching post-game interviews from hundreds of college coaches. They have miles of tape on these kids, they work them out, they measure every attribute you can measure, and many that you can't. And if they want a coach's insight on a player, they will ask him, off camera, because they understand as well as anyone the amount of politicking and public posturing being a head coach entails.

You can have an issue with the way Kill talks about his players..that's perfectly reasonable. But if you think Royston didn't get drafted because of some offhand comment Kill made about the talent in the secondary in an interview last September, you're probably underestimating the intelligence of these front offices.
Click to expand...

In fairness to you; you only know what you know. In fairness to gopher nation I ain't making this into a pissing match by airing dirty laundry. Let's just leave it at we have a coach who can win (coaching ability is unquestionable...IMO) here and regardless of being drafted or not, all of the seniors (except McKnight...todate) who deserved a chance to play in the NFL will get a chance to play in the NFL.
 

Curseislifted33 said:
did you guys see McKnight "break away" for his long td against MSU? I swear he had a piano tied to his ars.

I love the gophers and McKnight and think he can be a good NFL wr, but it doesn't surprise me that he wasn't drafted. It surprises me he didn't get a free-agent deal.
Click to expand...

LOL....During that run I was screaming "unhook the plow"!

He reminded me of Cris Carter when he would get loose in the secondary. Cris would not score from 80 yards out but he would go 40 and 40 for a td. McKnight is plenty good to be on an NFL roster. He has come a long way in a short amount of time as a football player. His best football is ahead of him.
 

Sportsfan24 said:
At the risk of pissing some folks off; I said it last summer, I said it last fall, I said it this winter and I will say it again. While other coaches were selling their players, Kill was telling everyone that would listen how tough his job was and how little he was left with. It should not come as a surprise that folks (media, scouts and fans) believed him.

Note: For those who want to label him a "truth" teller. In my house the truth is the WHOLE truth, not the bits and pieces that benefit the truth teller...but that's just me.

In the case of Kim, because he was hurt and not able to participate in a pro day to show case his abilitities in person, scouts were left with the game film of a injured player (albeit a highly productive one) that played the last 8 games with a severe groin pull that would require bilateral surgery and the dubious words of his coach.

Am I pissed at Kill? No, not at all. His methods have been been very successful for him. Maybe not so much for all the kids he has left behind every 3 years or so but we are all responsible for our own success and happiness.

But you know what? That's life, Kim has been given....scratch that.... EARNED an opportunity and it's up to him to make the most of it. Has it been made more difficult than it needed to be? Absolutely. Is Kim and only Kim responsible for whether or not he makes it in the NFL? Absolutely; and at the end of the day isn't that all any of us want? A chance to control our own destiny?

Now with that being said; Kill can most definitely coach and I believe he will produce a winner here...after all...it's in HIS BEST interest.
Click to expand...

SF I've got nothing but love for you and hope Kim makes it. That said, scouts had years of film on Kim to decide if they wanted to draft him. I think he can play in the NFL but he's a bit small for NFL safety and I don't know if he's quite fast enough for corner. Seems like his future is as a versatile safety that can come down and cover at times but also tackle so he can back up both spots and also play ST. While Kill certainly down talked the team's talent my humble, outside opinion is that it didn't make a difference here. He said those things to the public to control perceptions and expectations (smart) but what he says to scouts and coaches privately have no bearing on that, or at least I doubt it does.
 

oleboy41 said:
SF I've got nothing but love for you and hope Kim makes it. That said, scouts had years of film on Kim to decide if they wanted to draft him. I think he can play in the NFL but he's a bit small for NFL safety and I don't know if he's quite fast enough for corner. Seems like his future is as a versatile safety that can come down and cover at times but also tackle so he can back up both spots and also play ST. While Kill certainly down talked the team's talent my humble, outside opinion is that it didn't make a difference here. He said those things to the
public to control perceptions and expectations (smart) but what he says to scouts and coaches
privately have no bearing on that, or at least I doubt it does.
Click to expand...

Kim is 5'10 205 and runs in the low 4'5's.....check out the Vikes 5th round pick.
 

Sportsfan24 said:
Kim is 5'10 205 and runs in the low 4'5's.....check out the Vikes 5th round pick.
Click to expand...
He also comes from a more successful program and one with a better history of putting players into the NFL. Also presumably already has chemistry with one of his new teammates in the secondary. More goes into these picks then just measurables.
 

zambam said:
He also comes from a more successful program and one with a better history of putting players into the NFL. Also presumably already has chemistry with one of his new teammates in the secondary. More goes into these picks then just measurables.
Click to expand...

Great points...agreed. What you said play a large role in the evaluation process. It's not what Oleboy and I were talking about but it is a valid point.
 

Sportsfan24 said:
Kim is 5'10 205 and runs in the low 4'5's.....check out the Vikes 5th round pick.
Click to expand...

Didn't realize he was up to 205. That's pretty good size for a 5'10" DB. Like I said, hope he makes a roster and gets a shot. He's as good or better than Dom Barber was and he got some good years in the league (may still be playing)
 

oleboy41 said:
Didn't realize he was up to 205. That's pretty good size for a 5'10" DB. Like I said, hope he makes a roster and gets a shot. He's as good or better than Dom Barber was and he got some good years in the league (may still be playing)
Click to expand...

Still playing. He suffered a Lisfranc foot injury last year and sat out a good chunk of the season.
 

In my opinion (I'm obviously not privy to all the info that SF knows), Kim did not get drafted because of his age and injuries. His age was really 2nd on the list, but unfortunately for Kim he has been banged up for a large portion of his college career. It's a testament of what he did for the Gophers and shows how talented he is that he was such a productive player even when injured, but he's 25 years old and he's been really banged up physically the last two seasons.

The measureables are there, the production is there and I believe the ability is there. He is going to be one of those guys who finds a spot in the NFL (assuming he can stay healthy) because there just aren't very many people on the planet who can run and tackle in space as well as Kim Royston.

I'll root hard for every Gopher but espicially Kim.
 

mattw1067 said:
Still playing. He suffered a Lisfranc foot injury last year and sat out a good chunk of the season.
Click to expand...

Teams love guys like Dom. You know he won't draw negative attention to the team. You know he will work extremely hard and you know what you have to pay....veterans minimum.
 

Royston ran an official 4.5? Must be one of the 10 fastest guys on the team. McKnight looks like he should make a roster. Jake Reed size. Royston has a horrible injury history. Seems like safeties have been mvp of our defense a lot of times: Barber, Royston, Carter, not sure if thats good or not. Lots of chances at downfield tackles.
 



http://m.twincities.com/twincities/db_22781/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=gZcCmCGC

Former University of Minnesota safety Kim Royston overcame a broken left leg to finish his college career strong, but another injury will keep him from trying out with the Vikings at this week's rookie minicamp.

Royston, who led the Big Ten Conference in solo tackles last season after missing the 2010 season, is recovering from a stress fracture in his right leg. The injury occurred a couple of months ago while he was rehabilitating from offseason sports hernia surgery.

The Cretin-Derham Hall product didn't want to talk about the latest setback when reached by phone Thursday, May 3.

But Royston told the Pioneer Press in March while recovering from the hernia, "All I ask for is a chance when I'm healthy."

"I just don't want to be left behind just because of something like this," Royston said then.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom