Atlanta Falcons Visit With Jerrel Jernigan A Second Time

by Dave Choate on Apr 13, 2011 8:00 AM EDT in Falcons News

The Falcons and Thomas Dimitroff have little interest in telegraphing their moves in the NFL Draft. So color me surprised that Jerrel Jernigan just came in for another visit with the team brass.

It's either an amazing deception or the chatter in league circles is true: The Falcons are high on Jernigan. Incredibly versatile, Jernigan reeled in 84 passes, 822 yards and six touchdowns, ran for 322 yards and returned a kick and punt each for a touchdown. If you could sum him up in a still photograph, it would be a tank with a flamethrower attached rolling through an oil depot. Explosive.

That's an element that the Falcons could use in their offense, assuming the team can loosen the reins on the Mike Mularkey's notoriously conservative playcalling. Turning Jernigan into the team's slot receiver, kick returner and option out of the backfield would be a great move, in my opinion.

What are your thoughts on the latest visit?

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We got a fever and the only cure is Percy Harvin Jr. apparently

NFL has become a game of match-ups with increasingly sophisticated offenses and defenses constantly trying to out-due each other. Not shocked that these types of versatile playmakers are in increased demand.

by Leon07 on Apr 13, 2011 8:10 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Is he going to be there late in the second round?

We’re not thinking about burning a first round pick on a wide receiver, are we? Team-wide “explosion” Matt Millen style may not have been what Dimitroff was looking for.

by TheAreopagite on Apr 13, 2011 8:22 AM EDT reply actions

He's been moving up the mock draft boards (whatever that means)

Most early mock drafts that I read had him going somewhere in the 3rd, but more recent ones have him going in the mid-20s of the 2nd round.

by Leon07 on Apr 13, 2011 9:39 AM EDT up reply actions

That sounds about right. I 'm thinking he's still going late 2nd round

by Fear Me on Apr 13, 2011 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions

So is this sign that htey have given up on Douglas or

are we going with 6 WRs on the 53 man squad? White, Jenkins, Douglas, Jernigan, Weems and Meier?

by Fear Me on Apr 13, 2011 9:52 AM EDT reply actions

I like him

While he’s got return experience, we have Special Weems.

What he will do is give HD some competition. One of them will up their game. Maybe even both…can you imagine CBs trying to run with HD, Jernigan, and White? That’s scary.

by ndnpride8806 on Apr 13, 2011 1:29 PM EDT reply actions

I like the idea of a guy who can create in space

But does anyone know why this guy has under 10 yards per catch? That’s slow TE YPC, not explosive WR YPC. Was just wondering if he got lots of bubble screens.

I also think a guy like this, Cobb, Gates, etc. may push Weems off the team, and we still keep 5 receivers, unless Weems shows he can do something in the receiving game.

by takeitdown on Apr 13, 2011 3:47 PM EDT reply actions

Mile Mayock and Charles Davis

Were saying don’t pay attention to his low YPC because of quick passes and bubble screens being a big part of the offense. They also said the guy had a nose for the end zone and was a north south runner after the catch always looking to score

by FLA_Falcon on Apr 13, 2011 4:55 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Yeah, I'm not crazy about Jernigan, but I'll defend him a little bit

2010 was the only year his YPC was that low – in 2009 it was 15.5 (still, 12.0 Career YPC is not good).

Apparently, the note about quick passes and bubble screens is true:

Route running: Very good athlete, but remains a work in progress in this area. Too often rounds off his routes, as he’s often able to generate separation based strictly on his athleticism. Not used on a wide variety of routes in this offense and does much of his damage on screens and other underneath options.

But the comment about the “nose for the end zone” is nonsense. For comparison, Torrey Smith and Leonard Hankerson both had twice as many TD’s on fewer total Receptions last season. Smith had 19 career TD’s in 38 games; Jernigan had 18 career TD’s in 50 games.

"Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital." - Aaron Levenstein

by orang3b on Apr 14, 2011 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Dave...

The real reason that I’m back is because of descriptions like this:

If you could sum him up in a still photograph, it would be a tank with a flamethrower attached rolling through an oil depot.

"It's called Thanksgiving for a reason. If I can give and people thank me for it, that's kind of the thing that makes me feel great inside." - Dunta

by TomQ on Apr 13, 2011 4:26 PM EDT reply actions

I knew you couldn't stay away from my tortured metaphors

by Dave Choate on Apr 13, 2011 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions

They are amazing sir.

Unlike mine which are often crude and often suspect. Your like Bill Cosby and I’m like Andrew Dice Clay……little Ms. Muffet sat on her tuffit…. Oh nevermind.

Rule #1: Double tap.

by Ball Hawk on Apr 13, 2011 6:47 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs

You tryin' to be a wize guy?

by KMarch on Apr 13, 2011 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions

So I read this quote and pictured said tank while listening to the song "Like a G6"

It was, for what it’s worth, one of the coolest things I have ever imagined.

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by Caleb Rutherford on Apr 13, 2011 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Ok so we blow a 2nd round pick on Jerrel Jernigan in hopes he performs similar to Harry Douglas his rookie year? Please explain this to me—-why didn’t we use Harry Douglas more often this way? Yes his production was down but that was due to the playcalling—-was HD just scared to go across the middle after his injury. I just never understood this and now we taking a similiar receiver. I’d rather take Baldwin and his lousy immature attitude—-but at least we have size.

by Jon Cushman on Apr 13, 2011 10:54 PM EDT reply actions

I think Jernigan has more upside than Dougie

But as you know, I’ve been wrong before.

by Dave Choate on Apr 13, 2011 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions

I think you have to give HD one more year

But, I guess competition isn’t the worst thing. It’s hard to judge why teams like GB and Indy have such great depth in the WR corps. Is it that the OFF design is that much better, they truly are better players (hardest for me to believe), the QBs tossing the pig are quality (definitely part of it). But maybe competition drives those WRs to be better.

Furthermore, any one of those WRs on those teams know that, if they get to the designated spot when and how they are supposed to, there’s a damn good chance they’re seeing a ball their way. Thus, I think there are a lot of factors at play to why our WR depth isn’t perceived as great. Does competition breed confidence? Or does getting on the field on Sundays and actually seeing a few balls come your way (no one say anything) do it?

by KMarch on Apr 13, 2011 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Correct me if I'm wrong, but...

wasn’t HD supposed to be a Wes Welker type, rather than a deep threat? Seems like JJ is more explosive, especially downfield.

Anyone know why his 40 times are so inconsistent?

Smokey says: Only you can BVG forest fires.

by VaderX5 on Apr 13, 2011 11:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Can we ban

Wes-Welker-type from the Falcoholic? No offense, but I think it’s made its way into Webster’s now, and it has to be the most nauseating football expression of them all. The only thing that even comes close is how every NFL pundit has to start talking about a player by saying (or writing now): ‘THIS guy…’

Worse, Wes-Welker-type is basically a racist appellation for scrappy, under-sized white guy. Danny Woodhead took up the mantle this year. If Peyton Hillis has another good year, we’ll start hearing about a Peyton-Hillis-type (scrappy, huge, under-valued white guy).

There’s nothing inherently special about Welker or Woodhead. They benefit from the genius of Belichick (much like Brady and Cassel have).

/rant off.

by KMarch on Apr 14, 2011 12:47 AM EDT up reply actions