What am I missing about Calvin Johnson??

[TrustMeIamRight]

Why does it seem everyone is down on him and talking as if his career is almost over? He doesn't even turn 30 for another 6 months.

Are there some major injuries I have missed? I thought the last two times he missed games was due to high ankle sprains, which has nothing to do with age or wear and tear on the body. I have a couple posts where he has one or two good years left, which means at 31, he'd be done (ironically -- the same age Barry Sanders walked away at).

The guy is a freak of nature and his own teammates even say he is one of the hardest working guys on the team, so being in shape isn't going to be an issue. Will he lose a step as he gets older? I'm sure. But even running a 4.5, instead of a 4.3 isn't going to help a CB when a guy is the size of Calvin.

It isn't as if a WR is a RB, where they are getting hit 3-400 times a year and their bodies break down. Hell -- Anquan Boldin has averaged almost 1100 yards a season from the age of 32-34. Andre Johnson had over 300 catches and over 4000 yards from ages of 31-33 (and the last couple seasons -- he has had complete trash throwing him the ball).

So why is it that Calvin is being written off by some? If it is cap related -- I could understand. But the posts being put up are talking as if he is going to be an average WR in a year or two.

 

[jdwills126]

For me it's not about writing off it's about a natural progression of an older receiver. Plus he is a big receiver.

The last couple of seasons he has been fighting injuries and I don't see that getting better if what I have heard about his hands are true. So I would think he is closer to a 1200 yard guy a season than a 1500-1600 guy. Plus his head coach likes ball control and the short passing game. All things that take away from CJ's game.

Then you look at the money owed to him and it's just hard to grasp from a guy not getting the gaudy numbers.

I think coming to grips with a 30+ year old receiver in a conservative offense with a huge cap number is more of the issue than writing him off. Put him on say San Diego and I think his value goes up. Warm weather, solid QB, pass attack offense.

 

[lionstop1]

Ignore it. This is mostly reaction from losing Suh and everyone trying to either reinvent cap space or build a new team. I think its a terrible idea, considering the Lions are trying to go to the SB. Trading is not the answer imo.

Plus, I think the fans are looking for some type of "big move" for the Lions and thats about the only thing that could work.

 

[lionstop1]

What is with this conservative approach everyone keeps mentioning. Caldwell said he wants to run the ball more and everyone starts exaggerating about how much he will run the ball. All good passing teams always emphasize how they want to run the ball more. Caldwell said the same thing last year. I perfer to take the "wait and see" approach before I start coming up with tons of assumptions.

 

[RobBase]

I perfer to take the "wait and see" approach before I start coming up with tons of assumptions.

Then why are you on a message board?

Message boards are where assumptions and predictions reign down like hellfire. You spent all last year assuming Mayhew would take WR in round 1 and you were wrong. Now because others assume thing you don't like, you gotta play Big Bossman and tell everyone how to post. If you can't handle the fire, get out of the kitchen.

 

[Old Lion]

His Salary will have to come down in another year or 2. JD has a point in that the offense is going conservative which means we don't need to pay WRs 20mil a year.

I hope CJ will see that and that his numbers are down. Of course he may want out if the team turns to crap.

 

[RobBase]

Why does it seem everyone is down on him and talking as if his career is almost over? He doesn't even turn 30 for another 6 months.

Are there some major injuries I have missed? I thought the last two times he missed games was due to high ankle sprains, which has nothing to do with age or wear and tear on the body. I have a couple posts where he has one or two good years left, which means at 31, he'd be done (ironically -- the same age Barry Sanders walked away at).

The guy is a freak of nature and his own teammates even say he is one of the hardest working guys on the team, so being in shape isn't going to be an issue. Will he lose a step as he gets older? I'm sure. But even running a 4.5, instead of a 4.3 isn't going to help a CB when a guy is the size of Calvin.

It isn't as if a WR is a RB, where they are getting hit 3-400 times a year and their bodies break down. Hell -- Anquan Boldin has averaged almost 1100 yards a season from the age of 32-34. Andre Johnson had over 300 catches and over 4000 yards from ages of 31-33 (and the last couple seasons -- he has had complete trash throwing him the ball).

So why is it that Calvin is being written off by some? If it is cap related -- I could understand. But the posts being put up are talking as if he is going to be an average WR in a year or two.

He's clearly not the same player anymore. Injuries are taking a toll on him. How many games did he just go out there as a 132 million dollar decoy?

He went scoreless in 9 games last year. He only went over 100 yards 5 times. Those are not the signs of a superstar WR in his prime anymore.

 

[RobBase]

His Salary will have to come down in another year or 2. JD has a point in that the offense is going conservative which means we don't need to pay WRs 20mil a year.

I hope CJ will see that and that his numbers are down. Of course he may want out if the team turns to crap.

One more 4 or 5 win season that comes with a new regime and Calvin will want to be traded to a contender. And none of us will be able to blame him when it happens.

 

[lionstop1]

Then why are you on a message board?

Message boards are where assumptions and predictions reign down like hellfire. You spent all last year assuming Mayhew would take WR in round 1 and you were wrong. Now because others assume thing you don't like, you gotta play Big Bossman and tell everyone how to post. If you can't handle the fire, get out of the kitchen.

Ahhh, Super Rob attacks!

Man, of course we assume some things but I still think some things are being said in spite of everyone having some sort of anger going on. And I'm not telling any how to post....I could care less or give two shits about what goes on in here.

 

[Dutchis59]

He's clearly not the same player anymore. Injuries are taking a toll on him. How many games did he just go out there as a 132 million dollar decoy?

He went scoreless in 9 games last year. He only went over 100 yards 5 times. Those are not the signs of a superstar WR in his prime anymore.

Rob that last quote has me laughing. In 92 at age 30 this WR had 3 100 yard games and 8 scoreless games which would make him past his prime. Except after age 30 Jerry Rice caught 973 passes for 13399 yards.

 

[broncosmitty]

I remember when we had one of the biggest, fastest, most athletic WRs in the NFL, for years.

Then he turned 30. (415 receptions in the four seasons before the big 3 Oh. 60 the rest of his career. Jerry Rice isn't a normal human.)

 

[Dutchis59]

I remember when we had one of the biggest, fastest, most athletic WRs in the NFL, for years.

Then he turned 30. (415 receptions in the four seasons before the big 3 Oh. 60 the rest of his career. Jerry Rice isn't a normal human.)

View attachment 14285

Neither is Megatron

 

[broncosmitty]

Wish I could convince myself of that Dutch. All those injuries over the past few seasons are adding up. The clock is ticking.

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

Wish I could convince myself of that Dutch. All those injuries over the past few seasons are adding up. The clock is ticking.

Are you saying his biological clock is ticking like this?

 

[broncosmitty]

Maybe.........

Did that fella sitting there say Utes?

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

Maybe.........

Did that fella sitting there say Utes?

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

And the gif that best captures the spirit of every sports messageboard in existence:










<drumroll please>

 

[TwoCents22]

Similar bodied Plaxico Burress was putting up good numbers too. Then, about when he was like 28 or 29, came to the point where he was barely ever practicing, just suiting up on game days. Still put up decent stats until he passed 30. Hard to gauge much passed because his jail time, but still at like 34 with maybe 7 years of games he was over the hill.

 

[Thruthefog]

Calvin will still be a mismatch for any one guy trying to cover him.

 

[RobBase]

Rob that last quote has me laughing. In 92 at age 30 this WR had 3 100 yard games and 8 scoreless games which would make him past his prime. Except after age 30 Jerry Rice caught 973 passes for 13399 yards.

Jerry Rice is an admitted cheater. I don't see Calvin using stick em in a desperate attempt to extend his career like Sticky Rice.