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This one's for Tree - "Ramses Barden - The Next Victor Cruz"


BleedinBlue

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Interesting article that believes Barden will have a breakout year similar to the one Cruz had last year.

 

Will Ramses Barden be This Year's Victor Cruz?

 

Barden's story is a bit different than Cruz's and obviously does not have the happy ending, yet. But 2012 could be the year Barden rewrites his story and finally makes an impact. He is entering the final year of his rookie contract and needs to show why the Giants made him a third-round pick back in 2009.

 

Barden's career has been plagued by injuries and he's never been able to live up to the hype that surrounded him coming out of college. He was an FCS product that shattered all kinds of records. He was supposed to be the next Terrell Owens - a strong, big-bodied receiver that could do damage all over the field.

 

There is no doubting Barden has the physical tools to be a good wide receiver, he just needs to find a way to stay on the field. Even when healthy, he did not see much action.

 

If you ask Barden what his objective is this season, he does not shy away from the question. “I’m here to be the man. Plain and simple,” Barden told the New York Daily News. “There’s no explanation needed.”

 

It's hard to see Barden becoming "the man" with Hakeem Nicks and Cruz around, but this is probably his last opportunity to make something of his career with the Giants, which is why you could see a transformation in Barden this season.

 

He could easily have a breakout season, but he'll have to fight Rueben Randle, Domenik Hixon and Jerrel Jernigan for playing time. It seems like each training camp Barden is making spectacular catches and impressing the coaches, but it never translated to playing time in the regular season.

 

This is the year that could change.

 

Don't expect an impact on the level of Cruz's 1,500-yard season, but he could emerge as the team's third wide receiver and a real dominant threat in the red zone.

 

With the opportunity and the fact that he's in a contract year, he could finally put it all together and be the player the Giants thought he could be.

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If you end up giving Seph a dollar because you lose the bet, it will be the best friggin dollar you ever spent.

 

The bet is he won't start the season 4th or better on the depth chart. That's not exactly a lofty, season-altering goal. He has to beat out a rookie and a guy coming back from knee surgery.

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again, in college, he caught TD passes over 5'9 agriculture and viticulture majors

Calvin Johnson went to a Poly-tech school. That's It, think I will write an article comparing Barden to Calvin Johnson.

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Is this some kind of JOKE??????? the guy is horrible

 

I doubt he makes the roster, let alone reached the heights of a Cruz

 

 

Now that jack said it we can probably expect barden to have a great year.

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I hope Barden has a great year, we need another good WR but what has he done other than get injured that has caught your eye?

 

To be fair....he has gotten precious few chances because of injuries and because the trio of Nicks, Manningham, and Cruz was hard to dethrone.

 

But to answer your question, he broke every record in college held for decades by a man named Jerry Rice. Sorta like a rookie breaking Joe Dimaggio's consecutive hits in games record in baseball. Secondly, he's made some unbelievable catches in traffic during practice simply wowwing the coaches. But again, he's been injured and has had precious few opportunities to shine. Even when he finally gets into a real game, the throws go to Hicks or Cruz 90% of the time. It's impossible to evaluate the man unless he gets the same amount of throws as Nicks or Cruz. If he had that many throws go his way, it would be easy to classify him one way or the other....but that just hasn't happened.

 

People want to see incredible catches by him before they believe he's anything other than a chump and when you get thrown to once or twice a game and only a handful of games a year, it's hard to put together a highlight reel. But anyway.....you don't blow Jerry Rice's records out of the books when you're a chump and it seems a lot of people want to hang the chump title on him without seeing him at his best. I hope he ends up breaking out this year and we find a star we didn't know we have. But we'll have to wait and see.

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Bleedin', how many times do we need to have the "broke Jerry Rice's college record" talk?

 

And Barden had two Cruz-free years to show he was worthy of even a 3rd or 4th WR spot yet failed to do so. He's getting "few chances" because the coaches don't think he's worth putting in.

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Bleedin', how many times do we need to have the "broke Jerry Rice's college record" talk?

 

And Barden had two Cruz-free years to show he was worthy of even a 3rd or 4th WR spot yet failed to do so. He's getting "few chances" because the coaches don't think he's worth putting in.

As you said last season, he plays small. That works when you are being guarded by Bobby from Lodi not so much when it's Asomugha.

 

Jerry Rice was on every All American team and finished 9th in the heisman voting. Ramses can't sniff Rice's jock. It's insulting to mention them in the same sentence.

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As you said last season, he plays small. That works when you are being guarded by Bobby from Lodi not so much when it's Asomugha.

 

Jerry Rice was on every All American team and finished 9th in the heisman voting. Ramses can't sniff Rice's jock.

 

Plus, Jerry worked his ass off, he treated practice, like it was the Super Bowl.

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Now that jack said it we can probably expect barden to have a great year.

 

Exactly. Tree might as well pay up now. :)

 

All joking aside though, I have mixed feelings about Barden. Cruz broke out last year because Manningham and Hixon were both injured... not necessarily because the coaching staff recognized his talent and thought he could be an impact player. Those other two guys stay healthy and Cruz could have been waived for an impact LB at some point. Compacting the problem is that Barden is a 6'5" WR with marginal speed being asked to run 10 yard hooks and 6 yard slants. The fact that the guy hasn't been asked to go up for one jump ball or run a fade makes you scratch your head.

 

On the other hand, look at the game film. There's times that the ball hits the guy in the hands and he just doesn't catch it... times he runs a shitty route, etc. He's not impressive on film, but it's a chicken and egg scenario... does he suck because he's being used incorrectly or because the talent just isn't there?

 

Regardless though, it's always a fun one dollar bet... plus it gives me and Tree something to fight about in the offseason. :TU:

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Exactly. Tree might as well pay up now. :)

 

All joking aside though, I have mixed feelings about Barden. Cruz broke out last year because Manningham and Hixon were both injured... not necessarily because the coaching staff recognized his talent and thought he could be an impact player. Those other two guys stay healthy and Cruz could have been waived for an impact LB at some point. Compacting the problem is that Barden is a 6'5" WR with marginal speed being asked to run 10 yard hooks and 6 yard slants. The fact that the guy hasn't been asked to go up for one jump ball or run a fade makes you scratch your head.

 

On the other hand, look at the game film. There's times that the ball hits the guy in the hands and he just doesn't catch it... times he runs a shitty route, etc. He's not impressive on film, but it's a chicken and egg scenario... does he suck because he's being used incorrectly or because the talent just isn't there?

 

Regardless though, it's always a fun one dollar bet... plus it gives me and Tree something to fight about in the offseason. :TU:

 

or he simply just doesn't work hard enough, which doesn't make the coaches go, hey lets put him in. With Jernigan and Randle, along with the return of Hixon, I see no way he gets any time, it's possibly someone like Brandon Collins can beat him out for a roster spot.

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