Well By the title I bet you can guess what this Fanpost is about. Yep BTB Whipping boy Martellus Bennett. There have been several comments that Bennett is a WRG(Wrong Kind of Guy). Now We all know that Bennett has not lived up to our expectations, not to mention that There are a couple of players that were drafted after him that have had more "success". So in this post I want to Look at Bennett vs the leading TE from his Draft class, Jermichael Finley, who has taken over as the #1 TE on the Packers. So without Further Ado Follow me past the jump.
So lets start off With Martellus Bennett: Here is what he did at the 2008 Combine:
| Height: 6061 Weight: 259 40 Yrd Dash: 4.68 20 Yrd Dash: 2.67 10 Yrd Dash: 1.53 |
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 18 Vertical Jump: 34 Broad Jump: 09'10" 20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.53 3-Cone Drill: 7.64 |
Now Bennett did not run any timed drills at this Proday, so he probably felt good about what he did there at the Combine. So lets look at what Finley did.
| Height: 6044 Weight: 243 40 Yrd Dash: 4.82 20 Yrd Dash: 2.79 10 Yrd Dash: 1.65 |
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 20 Vertical Jump: 27 1/2 Broad Jump: 09'09" 20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.38 3-Cone Drill: 7.15 |
Dates: 03/19/08 40 Yrd Dash: 4.66 20 Yrd Dash: 2.78 10 Yrd Dash: 1.63 |
Now the main thing that stands out for me is how bad that Bennett did in the Short Shuttle and 3-cone. He basically posted scores more comparable to players that weigh 40 lbs more than he did....How ever he did post excellent scores in The Explosion and Speed Dept. He out jumped Finley by 6.5 inches(and this at 16 lbs heavier too). Now I am not sure how much his Numbers were impacted by his Weight and Height. But I imagine that if Bennett had stayed around Finley's weight He might have posted numbers similar to him....at least in the Agility tests....
Now the Consensus is that Bennett was over drafted.... Well wrong people... HE was the #2 rated TE that year behind Dustin Keller, who was drafted by the Jets. And Finley? He was the 6th ranked TE that year.....Behind John Carlton....yeah....
Now as far as the "Well Finley has done more since being Drafted!" argument... OK lets see exactly what Finley has done....
| CAREER STATSMORE | |||||||||||||||
| Season | Team | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | |||||||||||
| G | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FUM | Lost | ||
| 2010 | Green Bay Packers | 5 | 5 | 21 | 301 | 14.3 | 34 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2009 | Green Bay Packers | 13 | 10 | 55 | 676 | 12.3 | 62T | 5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1 |
| 2008 | Green Bay Packers | 14 | 1 | 6 | 74 | 12.3 | 35 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| TOTAL | 82 | 1,051 | 12.8 | 62 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||
Now lets Look at what Bennett has done:
| CAREER STATSMORE | |||||||||||||||
| Season | Team | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | |||||||||||
| G | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FUM | Lost | ||
| 2010 | Dallas Cowboys | 16 | 11 | 33 | 260 | 7.9 | 32 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 | Dallas Cowboys | 14 | 6 | 15 | 159 | 10.6 | 21 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2008 | Dallas Cowboys | 16 | 7 | 20 | 283 | 14.2 | 37 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| TOTAL | 68 | 702 | 10.3 | 37 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
So Bennett has 14 less catches for 349 less yards and 3 less touch downs... all while playing behind arguably the Best TE in the Game...and being what the 5th option(whenever he actually ran a pattern?) Who did Finley have to beat out? Ohh the great Donald Lee!...Oh and did I mention the fact that Bennett Not only played in a Run option Offense, thus was a Blocking TE Most of his College Career? And has had to learn arguably the most difficult position on the Offense other than QB? All while getting what maybe 20% of the first team snaps?...I am Sorry but Finley would not have beaten out Witten by now either.....And you want to know why? This quote here:(Via NFLDraftScout .com)
The 6-foot-5 Finley, who was listed at 247 pounds last year, didn't divulge his current weight but alluded to taking on more of a receiver role this season. "(The Packers are) probably not liking me right now, but I'm trying to stand up this year," Finley said. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I think (lining up in) a two-point (stance), I can get on the linebacker quicker, I can get on the safety quicker, and it's a win-win for me and (No.) 12 (quarterback Aaron Rodgers)." Finley, who was Rodgers' top passing target with 21 receptions for 301 yards before the third-year player suffered the season-ending injury, estimated he lined up in a standing position "a good 60" percent of the snaps he played in 2010. "Standing up, I think that's the best position for me," Finley said. When asked whether the Green Bay coaches are comfortable with that, Finley replied, "They're going to be comfortable with it."
Yeah that is an RKG right there let me tell you.... And before you say it, yes I know that Bennett has asked to be lined up in the slot more....But that is the thing...HE Asked, HE didn't just say "I am going to line up in the slot, and the coaches are just going to have to deal with it"....IN fact according to NFL.com, Bennett has actually put on weight as they have him listed at 275!
All Bennett has ever done is what the Coaches have asked of him....Yes, he has had a difficult transistion, But that is mostly due (IMO) to the fact that Witten is so good. And maybe it is that He is not living UP to Expectations, but that the expectations set are too high? Just a thought.....
As Always I welcome Comments and Critiques..so Feel free to share your Thoughts
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