Jarvis Jones- panic button time?

I have watched Jarvis in college and seen him last year. no he didn't light it up but I never expected him to. I will go on record now saying he will have double digit sacks and at least one pick this year. I will also say he will be in the pro bowl as early as next year. the kid is to talented and dedicated not to succeed. as long as he stays healthy.

to all of you who are calling him a bust, I want a public apology when he dominates.lol

seriously, give the kid a full season starting at least before we write him off

 

I'm not talking about people who run the Steelers, I'm talking about fan perception.
If McLendon, Beachum or Foster play average it's no big deal, but if Jarvis Jones plays average Run him out of town.
One rookie season and Jarvis Jones is a bust? Oh my gosh they just cut Arnfelt there goes the season!

 

I think I will call this The Wayne Cherbet Phenomenon. It is where you have a player of average to just above average skill level but heart, drive, and desire that is huge. While they may never have the physical tools of an elite player it is the intangibles that get them noticed by a fan base which then pulls for that player no matter what the reality is. In the case of Howard Jones, he is a player that is giving his all to try and make the team and has made splash plays that fans identify with and they gravitate to. He see plenty of reps late in these preseason games because he is a bubble player and teh coaching staff is evaluating him to see if he makes the cut. The fans see it and love it.

Guys like Jarvis Jones who have all the tools and are high draft picks almost automatically high inflated expectations from the fan base. Couple that with some fans not liking the fact that the team passed on player A to draft Jones and you start to get the could be a bust threads. Being that he is a starter or slated to become a starter so he sees limited reps in preseason so they wont risk injury and fans look at it like he is soft as compared to Howard Jones who is playing his heart out trying to get noticed. At this point nothing short of a Joey Porter type career from Jarvis will move him out of the fan's is it too early to call him a bust mentality.

I won't even touch the Thaddeus Gibson factor, that whole debate still causes me headaches.

 

Oh Definitely! Lol!

 

I think the issue with JJ is that, at one time, he was being touted as a possible number one overall draft pick. Then his warts started showing. He's weaker and slower than anybody originally thought and that was exploited last season. The other guys are overperforming based on their expectations. So far, JJ is underperforming based on his. Let's see what happens this season.

 

I like it. I will also call it that.

It's very true, though. Football is almost as much about narratives and storylines than it is about hitting the hell out of each other. The hard worker trying to make the team trumps the guy who was always good playing fairly well. It's a better story, it has more draw.

 

I would be very surprised if JJ got double digit sacks this season, I'm thinking he gets half that amount 5-6 sacks.

 

Read this on another website. Thought it was a good read!



It's Time to Shut Up About Jarvis Jones [HR][/HR]Is there any one player on these boards that is more scrutinized than Jarvis Jones? If there has been, I don't know who it is. I don't know if there is any one individual who has taken more grief since last season -- Mike Tomlin and Dick LeBeau included -- than Jarvis.

"He's too small!"

"He's a bust!"

"He needs more time in the weight room!"

"Why did we draft him so high?"

"Look at his 40 time!"

These remarks -- some more ridiculous than others -- have been regurgitated many, many times over the last 12 months. All of these remarks have been made after one season. One season. People are putting this kid up on the cross because, in their own mind, he failed to meet expectations. Nevermind the fact that anyone who actually watched film of him in college (what a concept, educating yourself on a player and then making expectations based off information) knew he'd struggle initially adjusting to the NFL level. Nevermind the fact that he actually has improved, and showed signs of what kind of player he could be in week 17 against Cleveland last season. Put aside the fact that all rookies will struggle in our defensive scheme. All of this requires ignoring basic football knowledge, common sense and reason. Even if you put all of these things aside, it's been one season.

Steelers fans are supposed to be some of the most educated in the industry. Simply put, we're supposed to know our ****. We don't panic. We don't overreact. We don't let the little things get to us. We look into the future, and most of us see a bright one. We trust there is a plan in place, and the chips will fall where they're supposed to.

Why, then, have we failed so miserably on all accounts regarding Jarvis?

"Sign Victor Butler! Jarvis is a bust!"

"Sign Jackson Jeffcoat! He's an upgrade over Jones!"

"Bring back James Harrison!"

The sad part is, this isn't the first time we've seen a player struggle initially in our defense. Lawrence Timmons and Troy Polamalu struggled in their rookie seasons as well. They struggled to grasp the defense, and often times looked out place. The game was simply too fast and the defense too complex for them in their rookie seasons.

One is now a first ballot Hall of Fame player, and the other has been the best player on our defense for three consecutive seasons.

People often forget that Joey Porter struggled in his rookie season as well. In the end, he ended up being arguably the best 3-4 Linebacker this team has ever had.

Giving up on a player because they struggle in their rookie season is beyond ludicrous. Yes, there are concerns with Jarvis and his technique, but the coaching staff has emphasized he improve in this area. And, from the early film of him thus far, he has improved. The signs are encouraging if you choose to look at them.

The worst part is this kind of thinking isn't refined to a select few of our fans. Dejan Kovacevic released an article today eloquently entitled "What’s so ‘special’ about Jarvis Jones?".

I implore all Steelers fans to take a collective breath and step back. Take a look at the bright future of Jarvis Jones instead of looking at his struggles early in his rookie season.

 

The bottom line is everyone thought Jarvis Jones was going to show more flashes then he has at this point.

One of the articles says Troy, Porter, Timmons all struggled during their rookie seasons. Which is true. But each one of them showed flashes. A glimpse of what could be. They would make a play here and their and then look like they were lost. But those flashes was what kept them around and we knew they were going to be something.

Jarvis Jones just haven't shown enough to make people believe that we have someone who will be close to his draft status.

But James Harrison was cut at least 3 times before he came into his own. So, I guess we can give Jarvis Jones a chance.

 

I would say he has even done more then show flashes. Last night he had a really good game. He is starting to get the hang of it.

 

Against guys that will be on the waiver wire next week. I'm not saying we don't need to give JJ a chance, but don't get too excited about last night's performance.

 

waiver wire or not he played much better last night. that's improvement. he can only play against what they field against him. last week we saw a lot of vets play bad against waiver wire guys.

 

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

Yeah its a double standard around here. I like what Mac had to say about this subject. He can only play the players they put in front of him lol

Bman

 

LOL! You're so predictable, Blast. As I typed this I actually had the thought that you might bring up the old "preseason matters" debate. I will say that if there is one that matters less than others it's the 4th game where mostly backups are playing. Hey, I'm glad he played well and I hope it carries over into the regular season.

No double standard here, Bus. I'm hoping JJ has a breakout season. And you and mac are right, he has to play against whoever lines up in front of him. The only issue is that when starting LTs line up in front of him he's losing way too many of those battles, both last season and so far in the preseason. Here's to hoping that changes in 2014!

 

IMO, I don't think he's shown enough to warrant where we draft him. Didn't we take him 17th overall?

 

Players get drafted into the NFL for at least partly what they accomplished in college. Players are also drafted based on projections of what they might be able to accomplish in the NFL. Jones showed plenty in college. The Steelers thought he had enough potential and thought he could be a good NFL player.

Just because a player was drafted 17th, 1st, or 5th doesn't mean a player won't struggle to adapt to the NFL. Just because a player is drafted in the first round doesn't mean that player is destined to be a starter from day one. Pay attention and you will witness that rookies struggle to make the transition from the NFL to college probably 80 to 90% of the time. It doesn't seem like enough people understand. I don't think some people realize how difficult it is to make the transition from college to the NFL.

 

I've played college ball and definitely understand the transition from college to pro's. And I know most college players will struggle with the transition. But what I'm trying to articulate is that if you are drafted 17th overall you should come in just a little better equipped then what Jarvis Jones has shown. Not many come in the nfl like Dan Marino. But like I said before some things the coaching staff shouldn't be teaching you if you are drafted that high. Now, it could be the scouting department fault also. Maybe he wasn't a first round talent.

Another example is Mike Adams. You can't tell me he was warranted a 2nd round pick. How could so many get this wrong? This guy should have been at least a 5th-7th round selection.