Kenbrell Thompkins

bigunreal

Mentor
Joined
Oct 21, 2004
Messages
1,923
The Patriots, the most white-friendly offense the league has seen in decades, are handing a starting WR job to undrafted free agent rookie Kenbrell Thompkins. In the first preseason game, this "dazzling" talent had 4 catches for 23 yards, and both the game announcers and the fantasy sites afterwards went nuts, talking about how "great" he looked. Meanwhile, the always impressive (when healthy) Edelman will be lucky to be the #4 WR.

Can someone tell me the last time an undrafted white skill position player won a starting job in preseason? I know that Zach Sudfeld looks to start at TE for the Patriots, but that is primarily because of Gronk's injury. And he isn't starting at WR or RB.

Last year, it was Alfred Morris. In not quite the same category, but still unprecedented, was Russell Wilson "winning" the starting QB job over free agent Matt Flynn, despite being a 3rd round pick.

So not only are affletes given years to prove how much of a bust they were, yet still are never referred to as such, now this limitless supply of magical affletes are churning out these lovable underdogs, somehow unheralded in a league that overrates every one of them. I really don't know why I keep watching football.
 

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
30,319
Location
Pennsylvania
I'll be an optimist and predict that Julian Edelman will outproduce Thompkins this season if he stays healthy. It's amusing to me to watch fantasy football players all of a sudden go wild drafting Thompkins and picking him up off the waiver wire because he received one or two favorable blurbs from Weenieworld. I expect him to be just another momentary Great Black Hope who quickly fizzles.

Rob Gronkowski might be back by mid-September, and I'm looking forward to watching Amendola, Gronkowski and Edelman all light it up in 2013.
 

bigunreal

Mentor
Joined
Oct 21, 2004
Messages
1,923
Thompkins targeted ELEVEN times tonight, and the fantasy geeks are going crazy over him. Talk about overhyped. But...he does seem to be the latest flavor in NE opposite of Welker/Amendola.

Recall how often they forced the ball to Lloyd last season, and only his incredible ineptitude kept him from having a great season. Also, I read that the other undrafted free agent, Zach Sudfeld, was benched after fumbling. This is the typical "no nonsense" attitude all coaches display towards white players.
 
Last edited:

FootballDad

Hall of Famer
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Messages
5,132
Location
Somewhere near Kansas City, MO
Just saw a blurb on yahoo about bigunreal's favorite new playa, Kenbrell, and I was actually amused that the way they described him. If I didn't know better, I'd think they were describing one of those cracka's:

Kenbrell Thompkins, NE, WR – Barely a mention on the TV crawl when signed as an undrafted free agent a few months back, Thompkins is quickly becoming to receivers what Alfred Morris was to rushers a season ago. Terribly underused at Cincinnati, the rookie has made seismic waves this preseason. He's not the biggest, strongest or fastest target, but he might be the savviest. His ankle-breaking cuts and superb route-running skills are quite possibly New England's best, even better than Wes Welker-clone Danny Amendola's. With the veteran unavailable Thursday in Detroit, Thompkins took the opportunity to showcase his wares. The lone highlight on an otherwise abysmal night for the Pats (four turnovers), he was targeted a team-high 12 times, hauling in a game-best eight receptions for 116 yards. The youngster again ran sharp, precise routes executing flawlessly on designed sideline outs, streaks and posts across the middle. Most impressively, he humiliated corners Chris Houston and Darius Slay off the line, hitting the juke button to beat press coverage. It can't be overstated, the kid has not only locked down the 'X' role in an explosive offense, he possibly could emerge as the most coveted rookie, regardless of position, this season. Keep in mind the guy throwing to him, Tom Brady, is still one of the league's most accurate quarterbacks
 

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
30,319
Location
Pennsylvania
Just read that Thompkins has been arrested seven times, a high number even for a black player, another reason I remain skeptical that he'll have staying power in the NFL.
 

Wes Woodhead

Mentor
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
1,104
Just read that Thompkins has been arrested seven times, a high number even for a black player, another reason I remain skeptical that he'll have staying power in the NFL.

Wow seven times. I wonder if there has ever been a white player arrested that much. Im sure all seven times were just some racist cop racially profiling him, for driving while black.
 

Thrashen

Hall of Famer
Joined
Jun 4, 2007
Messages
5,706
Location
Pennsylvania
Just read that Thompkins has been arrested seven times, a high number even for a black player, another reason I remain skeptical that he'll have staying power in the NFL.

Since he never produced at Cincinnati (his “best†season was 541 yards and 2 TD’s), I’d never heard of Thompkins before New England signed him as a free agent following the draft. In watching him during pre-season, he does appear to have some talent…much more than New England’s 2013 black draft picks at WR (Josh Boyce and Aaron Dobson). To make the squad as an UDFA rookie, and win a starting job, is very difficult in New England. From what I can recall, it’s never been done in the Bellichick era. Either Thompkins will “flame out†like so many other black receivers in NE, or he could be a Derrick Mason-like possession receiver.

Thompkins apparently grew up in one of the most violent, drug-inundated hell holes in Miami and was arrested for armed robbery, assault, dealing drugs, and other drug-related offences before the age of 18. He was suspended from high school so many times, for so many ridiculous transgressions, that even the thug-doting SEC stopped recruiting him. He hasn’t been arrested since 2008 (which is supposed to be some kind of great “achievementâ€) and has allegedly “found God†and “turned his life around†in the process. We’ll see if the humorously-named “Kembrell†can stay out of trouble and succeed in NE’s complicated, high-octane, fast-tempo offense. As long as Edelman, Amendola, Gronkowksi, Sudfeld, and Ballard succeed this season (hopefully at least two of them have a 1,000-yard campaign), I suppose I wouldn’t mind a little success for Thompkins, too.
 

Don Wassall

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
30,319
Location
Pennsylvania
I'll be an optimist and predict that Julian Edelman will outproduce Thompkins this season if he stays healthy. It's amusing to me to watch fantasy football players all of a sudden go wild drafting Thompkins and picking him up off the waiver wire because he received one or two favorable blurbs from Weenieworld. I expect him to be just another momentary Great Black Hope who quickly fizzles.

Rob Gronkowski might be back by mid-September, and I'm looking forward to watching Amendola, Gronkowski and Edelman all light it up in 2013.


From Weenieworld:

The Boston Herald believes Kenbrell Thompkins and Josh Boyce could be competing for the same roster spot. The Boston Globe suggested the same thing earlier this week. Thompkins flashed big-time raw ability as a rookie, but also struggled with drops and mental mistakes. He was a healthy scratch in Week 9, and dealt with hip and head injuries down the stretch. He caught only nine passes after Week 7. Were Thompkins to get squeezed off the roster in New England, he'd have teams lining up to give him a second chance.

 
Top