Take 5: Looking for football's Jeremy Lin
June, 29, 2012
Jun 29
11:30
AM ET
By Rich Cimini | ESPNNewYork.com
This is our seventh "Take Five" list. From now until training camp, we'll have periodic lists -- some serious, some not-so-serious. In this one, we list the top five candidates that could pull a Jeremy Lin in 2012 -- an out-of-nowhere player who jumps into the limelight and becomes a fan sensation.
1. TE Hayden Smith: The former international rugby star hasn't played a lick of organized football in his life -- he was born and raised in Australia -- but he has the size and physical tools to make a go of it. He struggled in minicamp, but he's upbeat and works hard. He'll be hard-pressed to make the 53, but if he does ... hey, you never know.
2. RB Terrance Ganaway: He'll enter camp as the fourth-string running back, but it's not like he has Chris Johnson or Adrian Peterson in front of him. The sixth-round pick rushed for nearly 1,600 yards last season at Baylor, so he obviously has some talent. At 240 pounds, he could start out as a short-yardage back and go from there.
3. QB Greg McElroy: It'll be hard to leap Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow on the depth chart, but, hey, stuff happens in the NFL. McElroy has no game experience, but there's something about him that grows on you. He's a poor man's Chad Pennington -- smart, tough and instinctive.
4. OLB Ricky Sapp: The hardcore fans know that Sapp was a prolific pass rusher in college (15 sacks in '09 at Clemson) and was projected as a top-50 pick. He slipped to the Eagles in the fifth round in '10, suffered a knee injury and ... well, here he is. Rex Ryan mentions Sapp whenever he discusses his outside linebackers, always a good sign. The Jets aren't overflowing with outside rushers, so he'll get a shot.
5. TE Josh Baker: He's had quite a football journey. He was thrown out of Delaware for off-the-field transgressions, ended up at a community college while moonlighting at an office-supply store and resurfaced at Northwest Missouri, where he caught the Jets' attention. He signed as an UDFA and caught three passes last season, including a touchdown. Baker, who can play fullback or tight end, will compete for playing time. He has the back story that makes him easy to root for.
14 replies to this topic
#3
Bleedin Green
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Captain TL;DR
Posted 29 June 2012 - 03:47 PM
Bwahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Glad to see I wasn't the only one that had that line jump out at them. My initial reaction was "Chad Pennington should have been a poor man's Chad Pennington".
TL;DR amirite?
Excuses are the tools of the incompetent.
#6
T0mShane
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Of the ilk.
Posted 30 June 2012 - 11:36 AM
If Mike Tannenbaum has taught us anything, it's that you never know where you'll find these guys something something Victor Cruz.
In fairness to Tannenbaum, Vlad Ducasse is big and Victor Cruz is small.
Well, that's the internet, man: 9 billion tough guys who secretly want to touch your pee-pee.
#7
RutgersJetFan
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Leisureforce
Posted 30 June 2012 - 11:54 AM
So we're looking for a guy who can't go left and then won't play in the playoffs when his knee is sore?
Edited by RutgersJetFan, 30 June 2012 - 11:55 AM.
(Chandler)'s a nice piece as long as he's the 7th most important player on your roster....I think they're going to be disappointed when they see he's just a pumped-up Drew Gooden.
#10
SenorGato
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Schottenhomer
Posted 01 July 2012 - 05:45 AM
There's Ricky Sapp, and four other guys who don't have much of a chance at all.
I think he and the RB have a chance
We sick an' tired of-a your ism-skism game. Dyin' 'n' goin' to heaven in-a Jesus' name, Lord. We know when we understand:<br />
Almighty God is a living man. - Bob Marley "Get up Stand up"
#11
SenorGato
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Schottenhomer
Posted 01 July 2012 - 05:47 AM
Tannenbaum's Beans.
Edited by SenorGato, 01 July 2012 - 05:48 AM.
We sick an' tired of-a your ism-skism game. Dyin' 'n' goin' to heaven in-a Jesus' name, Lord. We know when we understand:<br />
Almighty God is a living man. - Bob Marley "Get up Stand up"
#14
SenorGato
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Schottenhomer
Posted 01 July 2012 - 02:24 PM
This is getting as annoying as your Schotty lines...
I edited it to that because the original was even more unnecessary.
We sick an' tired of-a your ism-skism game. Dyin' 'n' goin' to heaven in-a Jesus' name, Lord. We know when we understand:<br />
Almighty God is a living man. - Bob Marley "Get up Stand up"
#15
RutgersJetFan
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Leisureforce
Posted 01 July 2012 - 03:42 PM
This is getting as annoying as your Schotty lines...
This.
(Chandler)'s a nice piece as long as he's the 7th most important player on your roster....I think they're going to be disappointed when they see he's just a pumped-up Drew Gooden.
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