Quote:Most of those tackles are probably special teams.  Having a double standard for LBs and WRs is reasonable since, for example, a 3rd string (non-starting) receiver plays more than a backup LB.  So a lack of starts for a LB is more telling than a lack of starts for a receiver.

 

Even if I give you every player on that list as a "late bloomer" (which I wouldn't because most on that list aren't, and they are not similar comparisons to a guy like Skuta), that's like 20%.  So even at those generous odds, these types of players are exceptions.

 

I mean, are you saying a player who plays so sparingly in the first several years of their career is more likely than not to become a legit impact player? That doesn't seem right.

You are looking at this the wrong way.

 

Players who are late draft picks that get limited playing time are more likely to never amount to anything, but that changes when that player starts doing things that earns him more playing time. At that point, the odds of them being a good player increases tremendously.

 

You are no longer dealing with a player who has never done anything to show their value. You are now dealing with a player that has had time to develop and prove themselves as something more than just a late rd draft pick.

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