Shooter: Antoine Winfield Jr. "is expected to declare himself eligible for April’s draft."

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MplsGopher said:
He missed two seasons in a row with injury. If he came back and played another full season next year, that might put to rest any concerns NFL teams have about durability. I have no idea if there are any such concerns, just guessing.
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I wonder if that wouldnt cut the opposite way. If I were him, I'd be thinking about sustaining another injury before cashing in on my payday.
 

bleedsmaroonandgold said:
I wonder if that wouldnt cut the opposite way. If I were him, I'd be thinking about sustaining another injury before cashing in on my payday.
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Most definitely. That I'm sure is the primary argument for NOT coming back.
 

Sure, I’d love to have Antoine,
MplsGopher said:
He missed two seasons in a row with injury. If he came back and played another full season next year, that might put to rest any concerns NFL teams have about durability. I have no idea if there are any such concerns, just guessing.
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Or, if he comes back and has another season ending injury, it would add to those concerns. Take the money, and run, Antoine.

Also,I wouldn’t play in the bowl game, unless it’s the Rose Bowl. There’s too much money at stake.
 

5 guys at a minimum drafted? Big steps that are going to help us recruit!
 



I wouldn't be surprised to see Winfield (perhaps others) skip the bowl game.
 


When do non-hraduating players have to declare for the draft by?
 

Taji34 said:
When do non-hraduating players have to declare for the draft by?
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Quick google search says they have until Jan 24th to declare, so we may not know what Winfield is going to do for a while.
 



Antoine said today he sent in his letter to the draft board and is waiting to hear back before he makes a decision to leave the team
 

Flecknation said:
Antoine said today he sent in his letter to the draft board and is waiting to hear back before he makes a decision to leave the team
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I was glad to hear him give a straight answer to the draft question rather than try to skirt around it.
 


fair said:
I was glad to hear him give a straight answer to the draft question rather than try to skirt around it.
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I'm with you, but I think sometimes it is a day to day thing for these people. They are really picking between two dreams. I waffled on everything when I was 18-20 and I never had options as good as these.

With Antoine, I hope he stays but I wouldn't blame him for taking the money and going to the NFL. Additionally, he will be under drafted. He is an incredible football player. He'll likely go in the 3rd or 4th round and he'll go on to have a long NFL Career.
 



Flecknation said:
Antoine said today he sent in his letter to the draft board and is waiting to hear back before he makes a decision to leave the team
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What does this mean? Does the draft board tell him how high they think he'll be drafted or something like that?
 

Selfish me wants Winfield back really bad. If he leaves I’d never be able to blame him. He will go down as probably a top 3 favorite Gopher of all time in my book. One of the most exciting defensive players to watch. Cashman is on that list as well for me. I’ll be first in line to buy a NFL Winfield Jr. jersey. Would look great in my collection. Just hope he doesn’t end up with the Packers, ANYWHERE but there....I’ll never buy a Packers jersey.
 

Taji34 said:
What does this mean? Does the draft board tell him how high they think he'll be drafted or something like that?
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Yeah, they have "experts" who have connections with the league to give an honest evaluation of where he might get drafted. It is system used to work against grease ball agents/unrealistic family members who might give these players poor advice and set unrealistic expectations.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Yeah, they have "experts" who have connections with the league to give an honest evaluation of where he might get drafted. It is system used to work against grease ball agents/unrealistic family members who might give these players poor advice and set unrealistic expectations.
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Yep, smart move on Winfield's part to take his time and get all the information he can. Assume his dad will be able to assist on that front as well with connections he has around the league.

In the end, he will make the best decision for him. Selfishly I hope he is back in Maroon and Gold next year but if going to the NFL now is what makes the most sense for him then can't fault a kid for going after their dream. As long as they are basing that decision on sound advice then it is what it is.
 


mjfelton15 said:
.....Just hope he doesn’t end up with the Packers, ANYWHERE but there....I’ll never buy a Packers jersey.
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This is funny, because as a Gophers and a Packers fan, I am dying for a Gopher to finally make the team with the Packers so I can purchase a jersey. I was weeks away from getting a Mortell jersey a few years back when he was in camp.
 

hungan1 said:
Cashman didn't want to risk re-injury. I think OL Donnell Greene was mending from an injury which was bad timing
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I don't think injury had anything to do with Cashman's decision. He wanted to use that time to train for the combine since he was a fringe draft prospect. Practice wouldn't have done nearly as much for him. Worked out too.

4.5 40 yard dash (4th for linebackers)
37.5" vert (5th for linebackers)
124" broad jump (4th for linebacks)
4.12 second 20-yard shuttle (4th for linebackers)

Teams took notice and the Jets nabbed him in the 5th round. Before being injured in week 8.....Cashman had started 5 of their 7 games (bye week in there).....including the final three games that he played in before injury.
 

Plato said:
Give one good reason why it would be better for him to stay.
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2 reason I can think of for him to stay

1 - If teams are downgrading him due to missing huge chunks of the 2 seasons prior to this one. He probably put a lot of those health concerns aside this season but teams may still be a little scared off by his 2 lost years. Not enough not to draft him but enough to knock him down the board some. I would bet Winfield has a projected draft level where he will declare and if he is projected below that point he may want to come back and try and improve his stock with another great year.

2 - Just guessing here but money is probably not as huge driving force for him the way it may be for other players. If he is really enjoying the college experience and thinks this team is destined for bigger and better things next year he may want to come back and be part of it.

TJ could have gone pro last year but chose to come back for another year. Not a slam dunk Winfield goes pro now but I won't be shocked if he decides to. The fact that he is taking his time with the process means he is at least considering coming back for another season.
 

Another factor to consider, and I'm sure his dad will tell him the same: the average NFL career, regardless of where you're drafted, is only a few seasons. It's a brutal game. Injuries all over the place. All kinds of promising guys never get a real shot, because of injuries.

And on top of that, it's a cut throat business. Making a squad is damn hard to do, even when perfectly healthy and with a great college career.


Point is, you probably can't count on much more than the guaranteed money you get from your rookie contract, which is all set in place and dictated by where you're drafted. If you do have a long career and actually get to sign a F.A. deal, that's great, but you can't depend on that.

SO, there could be something to say about weighing the pros/cons/risks of staying with the Gophers one more season and boosting your draft stock vs. leaving early to avoid the risk of injury in college but likely having a lower draft position.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
Yeah, they have "experts" who have connections with the league to give an honest evaluation of where he might get drafted. It is system used to work against grease ball agents/unrealistic family members who might give these players poor advice and set unrealistic expectations.
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Well, they are the league. It's the NFL advisory committee.
 

Plato said:
Give one good reason why it would be better for him to stay.
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There are plenty of reasons for him to leave and I fully understand them, but reasons for him to stay:

(1) Chance of improving his draft stock - If he has another dominant college football season and he is healthy, his spotlight and resume will grow.

(2) Chance to have a special season.

(3) The 2020 Draft looks to be a good year for safeties.
 

die hard gopher said:
Well, they are the league. It's the NFL advisory committee.
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You're right. They are an NFL committee that has connections to the various teams and in theory get an honest assessment. The difficult part of this process is that teams are not always incentivized to be forthright. If you really like someone who is a later pick, you might sandbag him a little.
 



Plato said:
Give one good reason why it would be better for him to stay.
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He really loves the program and his teammates. The Wisconsin game leaves a bad taste in his mouth. The draft evaluation comes back worse than he expected.

In the end I do think he leaves but you never know.
 

I still say Winfield should be show cased as a punt return guy as well as his safety role. The dude has always been gifted in returning punts. Could move him up an entire round if not more.
 

HoustonTXGopher said:
I still say Winfield should be show cased as a punt return guy as well as his safety role. The dude has always been gifted in returning punts. Could move him up an entire round if not more.
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Injury concerns probably played a big part in the decision to go with Douglas over Winfield. If Douglas gets hurt on a return we are still in good shape on offense. If Wnfield goes down the defense takes a big hit.
 

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