Shaun Alexander "doesn't have anything left" - PFT.com

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SHAUN TOO SOFT?

Posted by Mike Florio on July 6, 2008, 6:03 p.m.

In an item from June 18 that a reader pointed out to us on Sunday, Clark Judge of CBSSports.com explained that veteran running back Shaun Alexander possibly is drawing no interest on the open market because he has a reputation for being too soft.

That was the prevailing opinion that developed as Judge polled the coaching and personnel community regarding the attitudes toward Alexander, the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2005.

“He doesn’t have anything left,” one NFC general manager told Judge. “People are always talking about the numbers, but the numbers don’t tell the story. There’s the injury factor. And the hands factor. And a desire and competitiveness that don’t seem to be there. He’s never been known as a very tough player, and there have always been questions about his attitude. I’m not saying that because he’s out there [unsigned] now. I would have told you the same thing four or five years ago. Basically, I don’t like him [as a back], and I don’t trust him.”

There’s also a concern that Alexander wouldn’t be worth the cash he’d want, given his stature and accomplishments.

As a result, there’s a good chance (in our view) that Alexander doesn’t find a financial package that he deems worthy of his talents, and that he decides to hang it up.

Meanwhile, a recent item in the Boston Herald, which cites the Judge report, seems offer up a bizarre suggestion that Alexander is being blackballed not because of his football abilities but because of his Christian beliefs.

“This principle is partly what makes Alexander a pillar in his community and a pariah to some NFL general managers,” the Herald item states. “Football is not Alexander’s first love.”

Meanwhile, Alexander is hoping that a Higher Power will help him to sift through the offers (there are any?) and to find one that will help him finish what he started in Seattle.

“I’m asking God to close doors that need to be closed and open up whatever needs to be open so I can go there, win a Super Bowl, impact the team, impact the community,” Alexander told the Herald. “That’s been my goal.”

It all sounds good on paper, but there are good Christian men on every NFL roster. Apparently, God only wants 1/32nd of them to win the Super Bowl each year.

So maybe God has other goals when connecting a player to an employer. Or maybe God doesn’t really care if a given man or a given team win the Super Bowl.

Anyway, it’s July and Alexander doesn’t have a job. Our guess is that his best shot will come if he greatly reduces his monetary expectations, and if one of the top backs on another team gets seriously injured during training camp or the preseason.

[alen1]

I agree that he's done. Once Hutchinson left, he was done. You can't take away his production, as he was outstanding but the o-line definitely helped him out a lot. Only way I see him back is if there's a injury as stated in the article.

[Thai Jet]

Sadly I must agree. He was a great runner at ALABAMA and for the Seahawks but he seems to have lost "heart" out there. Like he's not into it or just running for the paycheck. Maybe a change of scenery would revive him.

[Aqua4ever04]

I would tend to agree with the premise of this article. Even in his MVP year he ran timidly and was the beneficiary of some mack-truck sized holes. His vision is pretty solid and he used to be a lot better and making the upfield cut, but his lack of speed, power, and toughness has really caught up with him.

[aec4]

I agree, Shaun is probably done.

What makes me laugh is the source claiming he would have said this 4-5 yrs ago. OK, fine.. where were you 4-5 yrs ago then?

[#27TheDominator]

I agree, Shaun is probably done.

What makes me laugh is the source claiming he would have said this 4-5 yrs ago. OK, fine.. where were you 4-5 yrs ago then?

Four or five years ago this ****ing Nostradamus was probably watching Alexander rip off 1,500 + yard seasons, over 100 ypg at 5ypc like the rest of us. Most guys win the rushing title a year or two after they are done, right?

[Matt39]

Alexander has always been soft and he feasted off of the poor teams in thw NFC West for the majority of his career.

I always thought he was overrated.

[snow_monkey]

He was pretty good a few years back, I can't take that away from him. But yeah, he's done.

[aec4]

Four or five years ago this ****ing Nostradamus was probably watching Alexander rip off 1,500 + yard seasons, over 100 ypg at 5ypc like the rest of us. Most guys win the rushing title a year or two after they are done, right?

Right, but the article quoted the source as saying that.. It wasn't me.

[#27TheDominator]

Right, but the article quoted the source as saying that.. It wasn't me.

I was agreeing with you. I didn't call you ****ing Nostradamus.

[bobbyjet69]

Four or five years ago this ****ing Nostradamus was probably watching Alexander rip off 1,500 + yard seasons, over 100 ypg at 5ypc like the rest of us. Most guys win the rushing title a year or two after they are done, right?

I remember he was crying cause Curtis beat him for the rushing title by a couple of yds!

[Sperm Edwards]

I remember he was crying cause Curtis beat him for the rushing title by a couple of yds!

Martin beat him by one yard. No matter how stupidly Martin was over-used to the tune of 370 carries, any player who complains about being given "only" 353 carries (Alexander's total) is a jerkoff. Yeah, Shaun, we know. If you were given another 17 carries to equal Martin's 370 then you would have won the rushing title. Big whoop. The goal is to win games, not get you personal accolades.

[#27TheDominator]

Martin beat him by one yard. No matter how stupidly Martin was over-used to the tune of 370 carries, any player who complains about being given "only" 353 carries (Alexander's total) is a jerkoff. Yeah, Shaun, we know. If you were given another 17 carries to equal Martin's 370 then you would have won the rushing title. Big whoop. The goal is to win games, not get you personal accolades.

I think he complained because Holmgren yanked him knowing he needed only one yard to pass Martin. A football player out for himself? Shocking. He must have already been done and the premise of the article is correct. Second in rushing to Curtis Martin? Washed up! The guy may have been soft and the beneficiary of a weak schedule and good run blocking, but to say he was done "4 or 5 years ago" is pretty silly.

[Irish Jet]

Running backs tend to just finish overnight it seems. Alexander was a very good back 4-5 years ago. Yes the O-line made him look better but to say he was done is BS.

[Blackout]

that mvp was tikis

[#27TheDominator]

[quote name='Blackout

[Sperm Edwards]

I think he complained because Holmgren yanked him knowing he needed only one yard to pass Martin. A football player out for himself? Shocking. He must have already been done and the premise of the article is correct. Second in rushing to Curtis Martin? Washed up! The guy may have been soft and the beneficiary of a weak schedule and good run blocking, but to say he was done "4 or 5 years ago" is pretty silly.

When did I say that?

[drago]

[quote name='Blackout

[Blackout]

Tiki was really invaluable to his team. Any time you lose a player and the team actually gets better you have a real star on your hands. lol

lol gotta admit, even though Tiki signed a rookie card of his for me, i'd take seeing the giatns win a superbowl over having him back last year and another playoff loss

with that said, Tiki left everything out on the field when he played

[#27TheDominator]

When did I say that?

You didn't say it. Neither did AEC. I wasn't inferring that you did. The genius that wrote the article we are all discussing quotes an "NFL insider" that says he would have told you Alexander was "done" four or five years ago. Jeez, I'm not complaining about you guys or calling you ****ing Nostradamus.

[drago]

[quote name='Blackout

[drago]

You didn't say it. Neither did AEC. I wasn't inferring that you did. The genius that wrote the article we are all discussing quotes an "NFL insider" that says he would have told you Alexander was "done" four or five years ago. Jeez, I'm not complaining about you guys or calling you ****ing Nostradamus.

i was done four to five years ago? i don't follow?

[#27TheDominator]

i don't watch too many giant games, from what i could tell, he did play hard. There must have been much, much more going on behind the scenes that decreased his value as a teammate.

Had you asked me what 06 playoff team was most likely to not make the playoffs the following year, i'd have said the Giants. Then they go and win it all. Really strange situation for the 07 giants.

Good chance that it has something to do with Coughlin was trying to instill law and order over there and while he supposedly loosened up some this past year, Tiki complaining about being overused and abused in practice couldn't have helped him around the clubhouse. Eli is also a little young and goofy and not having Tiki (and later Shockey) around couldn't have hurt his bid to be the leader in the huddle.

[Sperm Edwards]

You didn't say it. Neither did AEC. I wasn't inferring that you did. The genius that wrote the article we are all discussing quotes an "NFL insider" that says he would have told you Alexander was "done" four or five years ago. Jeez, I'm not complaining about you guys or calling you ****ing Nostradamus.

Jerk.

I will still allow you to call me Nostradamus though.

[Blackout]

when Tiki left, all the annoynmous lockerroom reports went away

[#27TheDominator]

Jerk.

I will still allow you to call me Nostradamus though.

That's ****ing Nostradamus.

We all know you weren't telling anybody that Shaun Alexander was done four or five years ago, you were too busy telling everybody that Curtis was done. You kept saying it until you were right. I'm sure somewhere somebody is saying that LT is done and they should have held on to Turner.

[Sperm Edwards]

That's ****ing Nostradamus.

We all know you weren't telling anybody that Shaun Alexander was done four or five years ago, you were too busy telling everybody that Curtis was done. You kept saying it until you were right. I'm sure somewhere somebody is saying that LT is done and they should have held on to Turner.

As long as we understand each other.

[serphnx]

I think he complained because Holmgren yanked him knowing he needed only one yard to pass Martin. A football player out for himself? Shocking. He must have already been done and the premise of the article is correct. Second in rushing to Curtis Martin? Washed up! The guy may have been soft and the beneficiary of a weak schedule and good run blocking, but to say he was done "4 or 5 years ago" is pretty silly.

Yeah he needed just one yard, and chances are there was a contract clause in there for money. Anyway, he got taken out REAL early, and the Seahawks were in situations multiple times that they needed to run the ball, and they just ran Mack Strong I think it was instead. There didn't really seem to be a good reason to not let him have that 1 yard over 3 quarters.

[serphnx]

That's ****ing Nostradamus.

We all know you weren't telling anybody that Shaun Alexander was done four or five years ago, you were too busy telling everybody that Curtis was done. You kept saying it until you were right. I'm sure somewhere somebody is saying that LT is done and they should have held on to Turner.

Yeah there's that one guy, blackout or something. He always posts how much LT sucks, and makes threads about trading him and that Reggie Bush is better.