Furrey agrees to three-year deal

[JoeV]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2740972
Good job, I figured someone would reward him, the Lions will be happy with this.

 

[ocaamikedm11]

Good decision to stay in Detroit with Martz in my opinion. He could have signed elsewhere that would relegate him to the bench (like Archuleta in Washington). I hope he builds on this success.

Now if the Lions could get some good whites on defense...

 

[whiteCB]

Does anyone know how much the contract is worth in terms of yearly money and signing bonus money? Never the less congrats to Mike on a fine season, proving all the doubters wrong, and cheers to a productive 07 as well. Honestly who would have thought Furrey would be given the chance to do this and would have responded so well? GREAT SEASON MIKE!!

 

[jaxvid]

Now for the ultimate copy cat league to draft and play a bunch of quick, small, sure handed white guys in the slot. (Mike Hass anybody?)

 

[Freedom]

Furrey is more athletic than Hass. Hass needs to work on his speed to get a look. Once Hass is fast, he'll be in for life. With his skills and Furrey's athleticism rolled into one, well you'd have the greatest receiver of all time.
The Lions need to win some games for even a couple teams to just consider drafting a white skill player.

Edited by: Freedom

 

[White Shogun]

I was going to make a funny comment in support of Jax's post about Mike Haas, but now I guess I'll just have to ask Freedom:

Reche Caldwell or Mike Haas?

Caldwell have enough affleticism for you?

Patriots with Caldwell? Watching the Super Bowl.
Patriots with Hass? Playing in the Super Bowl.

Oh, and that guy Dallas Clark? He's a real speedster! Him and Jerry Rice, those two guys set the grass on fire and leave a smoke trail when they run down the field!

 

[Matt_Bowen_Fan]

Now for the ultimate copy cat league to draft and play a bunch of quick, small, sure handed white guys in the slot. (Mike Hass anybody?)

Slot? That kind of thing got Stokley and Curtis minimal playing time. It seems that white receivers are either starters or professional backups, fourth and fifth stringers.

Great for Furrey, if the Lions spent money on him, it means he'll play for those tight fisted bastards. Maybe it'll instill some sense into the brothas on the team to show up for a change; they all got shown up by Furrey.

 

[jaxvid]

I was going to make a funny comment in support of Jax's post about Mike Haas, but now I guess I'll just have to ask Freedom:

Reche Caldwell or Mike Haas?

Caldwell have enough affleticism for you?

Patriots with Caldwell? Watching the Super Bowl.
Patriots with Hass? Playing in the Super Bowl.

Oh, and that guy Dallas Clark? He's a real speedster! Him and Jerry Rice, those two guys set the grass on fire and leave a smoke trail when they run down the field!

Is Caldwell the guy who dropped the passes? I only watched a few minutes of the game but I caught the part where the Patriot receiver was uncovered, that's UNCOVERED! and dropped the pass. First thing I thought was if he was white, he catches it, and then I thought, if he was white and he dropped it he would've been benched, cut, villified, maybe assasinated. Haven't heard much about the guy since then just a lot of stuff about some coaches. I think they're black or something.

 

[Bart]

and then I thought, if he was white and he dropped it he would've been benched, cut, villified, maybe assasinated.

You got that right! He would have been singled out for losing the game andwould have been compared to Bill Buckner.


Caldwell could have skipped into the end zone. At worst they would have had 4 downs near the goal line. They walked away with 3, but should have had 7.

 

[jaxvid]

  and then I thought, if he was white and he dropped it he would've been benched, cut, villified, maybe assasinated. 

You got that right!  He would have been singled out for losing the game and would have been compared to Bill Buckner.


 Caldwell could have skipped into the end zone.  At worst they would have had 4 downs near the goal line.  They walked away with 3,  but should have had 7.

Yeah Buckner, that's a good one. That is exactly what would have happened to him were he white.

I bet the Pat fans would have liked to have had a "possesion" reciever in on that play!

 

[White Shogun]

Caldwell also dropped another pass when he was wide open in the endzone. The pass hit him in the cradle and he dropped that one, too. I don't remember if the Pats had to settle for a field goal after that or not.

You can't really blame the Pats loss on Caldwell, or any one player, but those drops definitely had a huge impact on the game.

 

[White Mike]

Anyone remember all the publicity DeAngelo Hall got when hegot a few looks at reciever? Just imagine the coverage Mike COULD of gotten if he was black. Moving from safety to reciever and puting up over 1000 yards is phemominal to say the least. Yet it feels like this story was put on the back burner.


I just found your site last night. Thanks for compiling all this info. Great job.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Caldwell was high on something, or very close to it. I wish I could find a pic of his eyes during that game. They were about as big as saucers everytime the camera was on him.

 

[White Shogun]

Did you bother reading the rest of the thread before you wrote that post, Sandwich?

Posted: 24 January 2007 at 10:18pm | IP Logged
Caldwell also dropped another pass when he was wide open in the endzone. The pass hit him in the cradle and he dropped that one, too. I don't remember if the Pats had to settle for a field goal after that or not.

You can't really blame the Pats loss on Caldwell, or any one player, but those drops definitely had a huge impact on the game.

If you think those dropped passes didn't have an impact on the outcome of that game, I don't know what to tell you. Did you even watch it?

 

[Guest]

Did you bother reading the rest of the thread before you wrote that post, Sandwich?

Posted: 24 January 2007 at 10:18pm | IP Logged
Caldwell also dropped another pass when he was wide open in the endzone. The pass hit him in the cradle and he dropped that one, too. I don't remember if the Pats had to settle for a field goal after that or not.

You can't really blame the Pats loss on Caldwell, or any one player, but those drops definitely had a huge impact on the game.

If you think those dropped passes didn't have an impact on the outcome of that game, I don't know what to tell you. Did you even watch it?

According to the post, Hass would have been able to be a starting reciever and play better than Caldwell did. You can't say that he wouldn't have dropped those passes either. He is a rookie afterall.

 

[White Shogun]

Did you bother reading the rest of the thread before you wrote that post, Sandwich?

Posted: 24 January 2007 at 10:18pm | IP Logged
Caldwell also dropped another pass when he was wide open in the endzone. The pass hit him in the cradle and he dropped that one, too. I don't remember if the Pats had to settle for a field goal after that or not.

You can't really blame the Pats loss on Caldwell, or any one player, but those drops definitely had a huge impact on the game.

If you think those dropped passes didn't have an impact on the outcome of that game, I don't know what to tell you. Did you even watch it?

According to the post, Hass would have been able to be a starting reciever and play better than Caldwell did. You can't say that he wouldn't have dropped those passes either. He is a rookie afterall.

Are you sticking up for Caldwell's performance or using this thread as an excuse to bash Furrey and Haas? Do you think Caldwell's dropped passes effected the outcome of the game or not?

Obviously no one can predict 100% how a given player will respond in a given situation. The logical thing to do is explore a player's track record and assess his performance during big games.

Haas was the Biletnikoff award winner, leading the NCAA in a number of receiving categories. He played well in big games, and according to press reports he had an outstanding camp.

Caldwell was cut from the San Diego Chargers, a team that is just oozing talent at wide receiver /sarcasm.

Based on what I saw of Haas in college and read about him in scouting reports, in comparison to what I've seen of Caldwell on the field, I don't think it is much of a stretch to believe that Haas is a much better receiver than Caldwell.

As far as rookies and their performance on the field, ever heard of Marques Colston? Wasn't Reggie Bush a rookie this year? Their rookie status didn't keep them from getting all the accolades from the media and fans, did it? Bush was a star before he ever hit the field as a Saint. If Haas was black, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. He'd have played in the NFC Championship for the New Orleans Saints.

 

[Guest]

Are you sticking up for Caldwell's performance or using this thread as an excuse to bash Furrey and Haas? Do you think Caldwell's dropped passes effected the outcome of the game or not?

The drops effected the outcome of the game.

Obviously no one can predict 100% how a given player will respond in a given situation. The logical thing to do is explore a player's track record and assess his performance during big games.

College stats/ability does not always=NFL success, but go on.

Haas was the Biletnikoff award winner, leading the NCAA in a number of receiving categories. He played well in big games, and according to press reports he had an outstanding camp.

College stats do not mean anything in the NFL. Jason White was a great college QB, but wasn't even drafted. Crouch won the Heisman, but he was forced to convert to another position. And having a good camp doesn't mean a thing. Mike Mamula had a great combine and improved his draft stock and was drafted #7 overall. He turned out to be a "workout warrior" and did not justify his draft position.

Caldwell was cut from the San Diego Chargers, a team that is just oozing talent at wide receiver /sarcasm.

Lots of teams cut players who turn out to be better than they expected. The Pats saw something in him and signed him.

Based on what I saw of Haas in college and read about him in scouting reports, in comparison to what I've seen of Caldwell on the field, I don't think it is much of a stretch to believe that Haas is a much better receiver than Caldwell.

Caldwell actually has played in the NFL. Hass only played in college. Hass was cut and is now on the Bears practice squad. If he was better than Caldwell, he wouldn't have been dumped by the Saints in the first place.

As far as rookies and their performance on the field, ever heard of Marques Colston? Wasn't Reggie Bush a rookie this year? Their rookie status didn't keep them from getting all the accolades from the media and fans, did it? Bush was a star before he ever hit the field as a Saint. If Haas was black, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. He'd have played in the NFC Championship for the New Orleans Saints.

Bush also was one of the best college players for the last 2 years and played in big games for a big program. If Hass was black, he would have been cut anyway because Colston outperformed him in the Saints camp.

 

[Sark6354201]

Colston had an amazing season, especially by rookie standards. To say that Hass, who in fact had a good camp as well, would be cut because Colston outperformed him is ridiculous.

Even if one were to believe that Hass is not starting material, the fact remains that giving him a shot at the 3rd or 4th wide reciever spots makes a lot more sense than cutting him. While he did not run a great 40, he has many other positive attributes that would easily allow him to be a great pocession reciever. And who's to say he couldn't blossom into something better if given the chance?

You mention that Caldwell has (obviously) played in the NFL while Hass only possesses college experience. So what? Does NFL experience instantly grant a player better playing abilities than a rookie? Certainly not. Hass played at Oregon State, hardly a small time college program. Perhaps if Hass played at Division I-AA Montana, then you could make that argument.

Edited by: Sark6354201

 

[White Shogun]

You're contradicting yourself.

You say that college stats mean nothing, but use Bush's track record in college in support of his status as an elite player. Why doesn't Haas get credit for his performance in the same way?

You cited a few examples of players who performed well in college but did not make it in the pros. The difference is those guys got a shot at playing; Haas and others like him did not. In addition, even when a white skill player performs well in the pros, he is often demoted or cut. (Cf. Brock Forsey)

And thanks for using only white college players as examples to prove your point that college success does not necessarily equal success in the pros. That's never happened to a black player. Or did you assume that I would only know about white college players?

And speaking of Jason White, how does a guy like Tarvarius Jackson land a job as a starting quarterback in the NFL, but Jason White doesn't even get drafted? How does Tarvarius start at quarterback in the NFL over a guy he couldn't beat out in college, Matt Jones? Why does Jones have to make the switch to receiver but Tarvarius doesn't?

How do you know Haas isn't better than Caldwell? On what are you basing your opinion? You said if Haas is better than Caldwell, he wouldn't have been dumped by the Saints. Make your argument with Colston, maybe you have something. Caldwell? Haas didn't get the opportunity to play for the Patriots, did he? If he did, I say he makes those catches in the AFC Championship game. I am basing my opinion on what I've seen of him on the field.

On what are you basing your low opinion of him? Solely that he was cut by the Saints? Is your opinion colored by his lack of color? Be honest.

 

[Guest]

You say that college stats mean nothing, but use Bush's track record in college in support of his status as an elite player. Why doesn't Haas get credit for his performance in the same way?

That was in response to the HYPE that Bush was getting. Bush was one of the most explosive players in college football of all-time looking at the game tape. People expected him to be the best player in the NFL this year because of his speed and athletic ability.

You cited a few examples of players who performed well in college but did not make it in the pros. The difference is those guys got a shot at playing; Haas and others like him did not. In addition, even when a white skill player performs well in the pros, he is often demoted or cut. (Cf. Brock Forsey)

Maybe it was because there was a better player that came along who would help the team. Maybe he wasn't a good locker room presense.

And thanks for using only white college players as examples to prove your point that college success does not necessarily equal success in the pros. That's never happened to a black player. Or did you assume that I would only know about white college players?

I thought you guys only liked White players, but I can give you black players as well. Charlie Ward, Heisman, went to the NBA. Tommie Frazier, never had a chance at the NFL.

And speaking of Jason White, how does a guy like Tarvarius Jackson land a job as a starting quarterback in the NFL, but Jason White doesn't even get drafted? How does Tarvarius start at quarterback in the NFL over a guy he couldn't beat out in college, Matt Jones? Why does Jones have to make the switch to receiver but Tarvarius doesn't?

Jason White was in a system that made his numbers big. He had a rather weak arm too and was very injury prone. Jackson had lots of upside based on his running ability and strong arm. Matt Jones had a better chance of being drafted in the first round as a WR based on his size and speed. And Jones was not an impressive QB in college.

How do you know Haas isn't better than Caldwell? On what are you basing your opinion? You said if Haas is better than Caldwell, he wouldn't have been dumped by the Saints. Make your argument with Colston, maybe you have something. Caldwell? Haas didn't get the opportunity to play for the Patriots, did he? If he did, I say he makes those catches in the AFC Championship game. I am basing my opinion on what I've seen of him on the field.

How do you know Haas is better than Caldwell? You don't. Caldwell has actually played in the NFL.

On what are you basing your low opinion of him? Solely that he was cut by the Saints? Is your opinion colored by his lack of color? Be honest.

The fact he was a 6th round pick who was cut and then signed to a practice squad. And I am white, if you were wondering.

 

[White Shogun]

The fact he was a 6th round pick who was cut and then signed to a practice squad. And I am white, if you were wondering.

I wasn't. Most of the blacks who have posted here are more objective than you.

We have already discussed with you guys like Charlie Ward and his NBA contract in another thread.

I don't know how you can use Tarvarius' running ability as an excuse to start him at quarterback over Matt Jones. Jackson isn't faster or a better runner than Jones.

Jones > Jackson college quarterback. You set the bar at head to head competition between Haas and Colston as the reason Haas was cut from the Saints, yet Jackson lost to Matt Jones in head to head competition for the quarterback spot but you insist that Jackson will be a better quarterback than Jones.

Wasn't Terrell Davis a 6th round draft pick? The truth is there is no reason that Mike Haas should have fallen to the 6th round in the draft. Take a look at the list of previous Biletnikoff award winners and see where they were drafted, and get back to me.

 

[Don Wassall]

Everything I've seen on the Internet so far about Kevin Curtis has him going to Martz and the Lions. It's kind of humorous really, how stereotyped both Curtis and Martz have become, as if that's the only team and coachhe could possibly play for when there should be numerous teams bidding to offer Curtis starting money.


With Roy Williams entrenched as the number one receiver, if Curtis and Furrey end up on the same team, one of them's gonna get shafted, probably Furrey, that is unless Jon Kitna throws for 5,500 yards next season. Slot receivers rarely have big numbers. Stokley did in 2004, but that was during Peyton Manning's best season, and we saw what happened with Stokley the next season. The best scenario would be for Furrey to remain the number two receiver in Detroit with Curtis signing to be a starter somewhere else.

 

[whiteCB]

Furrey, being from Grove City, Ohio(suburb of Columbus) was on the Columbus news last night. They interviewed him about how good it felt to get a 3 yr contract and Mike said he was thrilled about it. Also the point of the interview was to show how Furrey now that he signed a contract is building something in his hometown(didn't tune in on time to see what it was). All in all great to see Mike getting some well deserved face time on the tube!

 

[devans]

It was good while it lasted, but I think the writing is on the wall for Mike. The following is from the Lions website

"When it came down to it, the Lions didn't even use all 15 minutes before naming Johnson as their first-round selection. "What we were looking for was to help our football team the best way we could - that was the bottom line," said Millen. "If what we were looking for would have helped us become a better team with X extra picks or even another player, yeah we would have done that. But it didn't, and that's fine because it's a high price. It would have to be a high price to equal the talent and the intangibles that this guy brings to us."

What makes Johnson such a special talent is that - at 6-4 and 237 pounds - he has the explosiveness, speed, separation and body control of a smaller receiver.

Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz also puts current Lions receiver Roy Williams into that category of rare players, meaning that adding Johnson will allow the Lions to have two players with that unique skill set on the field at the same time."

 

[backrow]

It was good while it lasted, but I think the writing is on the wall for Mike. The following is from the Lions website

"When it came down to it, the Lions didn't even use all 15 minutes before naming Johnson as their first-round selection. "What we were looking for was to help our football team the best way we could - that was the bottom line," said Millen. "If what we were looking for would have helped us become a better team with X extra picks or even another player, yeah we would have done that. But it didn't, and that's fine because it's a high price. It would have to be a high price to equal the talent and the intangibles that this guy brings to us."

What makes Johnson such a special talent is that - at 6-4 and 237 pounds - he has the explosiveness, speed, separation and body control of a smaller receiver.

Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz also puts current Lions receiver Roy Williams into that category of rare players, meaning that adding Johnson will allow the Lions to have two players with that unique skill set on the field at the same time."

well, they were obviously going to start Johnson and Williams, what Mike needs to do is to continue getting open as the third wide receiver (he'll probably be on the field for most of the time) and i am sure he will get good amount of catches. i am fairly optimistic about his season.