Lance Long

[Guest]

Has anyone heard of this guy? Looks like his college career was rather unremarkable.

Cardinals Profile

Lance Long
Position: Receiver.
Height, weight: 5-11, 186.
Age: 23.
College: Mississippi State.
Hometown: Macomb, Mich.

Background: Long started his college career at Toledo but transferred to Mississippi State after his freshman season. In three years at Mississippi State, he caught 46 passes and had only 14 his senior year. He started two of 12 games as a senior. His high school team, Utica Eisenhower High in Shelby Township, Mich., finished second in the state his sophomore and junior seasons.

How he got here: Signed with the team as a rookie free agent.

2008 projected role: Long is competing for a spot on the practice squad. His quickness has stood out in camp at times. As a gunner during punt-team drills, he recently beat two players off the line, not an easy thing to do. Long will get limited work in preseason games and needs to prove that he can play special teams.

 

[Guest]

Wow, today the AZ Republic listed Lance as one of the receivers who are competing for the third receiver spot.

No.3 WR spot a 'free for all'

They said he is not the front runner, but has impressed Coach W and is in the mix. We'll see how that goes. Edited by: 89Glory

 

[Don Wassall]

Reading that a white receiver is "in the mix" for the number three spot on a team is routine this time of year, when the media touts just about everyone in camp as a potential star, with the coachesproviding glowing quotes when prompted. Maybe in about 1 in25 cases the white receiver will actually getan opportunity during the regular season. I'd give Kevin Kasper, Logan Payne and either Camarillo or Kircus on Miami very outside shots at being number threes this season; Long will most likely not even make the practice squad.


I notice the article linked by 89Glory doesn't even mention Jerheme Urban. AndArizona also has Sean Morey, who appears to have gone back to strictlyWhite Special Teams Demon duty.Urban would be just fine as the Cardinals' #3 WR, better than the departed Bryant Johnson.

 

[Guest]

I was wondering what happened to Urban too. Does anybody know? Looks like he is still on the roster.Edited by: 89Glory

 

[Guest]

Call me crazy for getting hopes up, but Lance continues to turn heads:

Free-agent WR Long impresses

FLAGSTAFF - Cardinals training camp is just over a week old and receiver Lance Long already is something of a camp legend.

Almost every day he has made a play that grabs a coach by the T-shirt and says, "Look at this." Defensive backs are wary of his quickness, quarterbacks love throwing to him because he's usually where he is supposed to be and he catches nearly everything.

And oh, yeah - Long is 5 feet 11 and 186 pounds and caught all of 14 passes and started just two games as a senior last year at Mississippi State. The draft passed him by, but the Cardinals didn't, signing him to a free-agent contract.

"I just come out here every day and try to make plays to get the coach's eye," Long said.

Offensive coordinator Todd Haley calls Long "Wayne Chrebet 2" because he reminds him of the former Jets receiver.

"He's got excellent quickness, and he has a good feel for getting open inside," Haley said. "He's got a long way to go, but he's showing signs that get you excited."

Long was impressive in minicamps and voluntary practices in the summer, so his training-camp performance doesn't surprise coaches, players or scouts.

"He's exciting to watch," coach Ken Whisenhunt said, "but you have to temper that with the fact he hasn't played in a game yet. That's going to be the real test for him. It kind of goes in stages. I sit there in the spring and say, 'Well, I've got to see him in pads.' Then when we get the pads on, I'll say, 'I have to see him in games.' "

 

[Colonel_Reb]

89Glory, yes I've heard of him and been posting stats on him for at least the last 2 seasons. Lance was one of two white WRs on Croom's Mississippi State team. Neither one got many starts or playing time. He's a very good WR and everyone in Mississippi with a brain knew he should have been on the field more.

 

[Don Wassall]

Here's a USA Today article praising Lance Long, albeit with the mandatory Caste lingo ("gritty," "overachieving") and comparing him to white receivers only.


Knowing how the NFL works, I'd have to say the "flashy," "affletic" Steve Breaston will be the third receiver. Early Doucet was drafted in the third round this year so he's not going anywhere. Sean Morey will stick as the White Special Teams Demon. If Long would happen to make the team, Jerheme Urban would most likely be waived, which would be a shame because he's got a lot of talent and this is probably his last chance to make it in the NFL.


[url]http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/cards/2008-08-19 -long_N.htm?csp=34[/url]

 

[jaxvid]

Here's a USA Today article praising Lance Long, albeit with the mandatory Caste lingo ("gritty," "overachieving") and comparing him to white receivers only.


Knowing how the NFL works, I'd have to say the "flashy," "affletic" Steve Breaston will be the third receiver.  Early Doucet was drafted in the third round this year so he's not going anywhere.  Sean Morey will stick as the White Special Teams Demon.  If Long would happen to make the team, Jerheme Urban would most likely be waived, which would be a shame because he's got a lot of talent and this is probably his last chance to make it in the NFL. 


[url]http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/cards/2008-08-19 -long_N.htm?csp=34[/url]


 

HA HA! I read that USA today article and got a big "caste" laugh from it. He's Wayne Cherbet-like, he's another Wes Welker, he can play the slot like Brandon Stokeley!! I was thinking what? no Brian Finneran references, no salutes to Steve Largent or Lance Alworth? The caste media is slipping.

 

[backrow]

Lance and Jerheme are playing great tonight, with Leinart at QB. so far Urban has 94 yards on 4 catches and Long has 3 for 33!

 

[Guest]

They did look great, and so did that white safety for Denver, a kid from Mesa named Larsen.Morey looked like crap, he will be very lucky not to get cut.

 

[jared]

Too little, too late. Lance Long was cut today. Maybe he will stick on the practice squad. Even that would be a small victory, considering the long odds he faced with virtually no college resume' to speak of.

 

[Don Wassall]

Larry Fitzgerald gives Lance Long some manlove:


<H2>Fitzgerald has high praise forLong</H2>
<DIV =postdets>Lance Long
<DIV =post>
<DIV =snap_preview>


Larry Fitzgerald went on 620 KTAR radio today at the Cardinals training facilities in Flagstaff, Ariz., and was asked about fellow wideout Lance Long "¦


"I love Lance Long "¦ as a football player, as a person, as a friend."Â￾ Fitzgerald said. "He's an amazing young man. He does everything you ask him to do. He's coachable, he's reliable, dependable, anything positive you want from a football player, he embodies it. He's got all the skills, (but) he's (not) experienced. But that's something he's only going to get from playing in games.


"I just hope this preseason he's able to show everybody what we've been seeing for a long time."Â￾


In his first NFL preseason last year, Long played in all four games for the Cards, caught five passes for 64 yards, including four in the finale before being cut. He spent the entire season on the Cards' practice squad.
http://onthefringe.nfl.com/2009/08/05/fitzgerald-has-high-praise-for-long/

 

[guest301]

Good for Fitzgerald. High praise indeed! Just more evidence of black players noticing a white players talent more than white coaches and GM's.Edited by: guest301

 

[WHITE NOISE]

I do like Fitzgerald and hope the best for him and Warner this year, but this is just another example of the white man being held done. It's a crying shame.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

i always thought Lance Long was under-utilized while he was at Miss. State. however, and don't take this as a slap at Lance, but something isn't right here.
if a player of his athletic ability, which is middle of the pack for an NFL wideout, gets a shotwhile much more physically gifted guys like Matt Jones, Weston Dressler, Jeremy Bloom, David Kircus, Dan Stricker, Troy Bergeron, Jimmy Fryzel, Jesse Schmidt, Tim Dodge and so on and so on don't get a fair shake ... that just goes to show you that the system is completely screwed up.

Don has spoken to this several times in the past, and i think he's right. it's as if the truly gifted White players are cast(e) asidewhile themore average White players are allowed to earn a handful of roster spots in order to maintain the false notion of "blacks are just better."

i mean, how the hell can Lance Long be in a camp and none of those other guys (except for Bergeron) are? and we know even Bergeron won't end up starting like he should ... hell, he might not even make the Falcons roster!

end of rant.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Good point JC. Maybe it's because if injuries or holdouts strike- and they have to play Long- he can go right back to the bench without causing a stir when one of the missing brothas returns to the active list. A more talented white player might cause a chemistry issue if they even "mentioned" in the locker room they proved on the field they should be the starter. It's easier for NFL teams to keep a white 5th/ 6th WR, who will sit quietly on the bench, won't cause team chemistry issues or receive unfair hate/ cynicism from the the biggest loser DWFs- no matter how good they play.

 

[WHITE NOISE]

Excellent point, the NFL, team owners and coaches deliberately keep the marginal white players, whilst casting aside the real skillful white players in order to continue the myth of the super afrolete.

 

[Don Wassall]

This will improve Long's chances of making the team:

Cardinals receiver Early Doucet is out indefinitely after fracturing his ribs in Arizona's third preseason game. Doucet was productive (4-70-1) against Green Bay Friday, but this is his second serious injury of the preseason. He also missed a few weeks with a bum shoulder early on. Doucet remains low on the depth chart heading to Week 1.

 

[referendum]

NFL.com is reporting that Long has made the final roster. However, the Cards are carrying 7 receivers, so I'm wondering how set things are in
Arizona. I'm wondering if at some point it will either be Long or Early Doucet who get cut.

 

[Don Wassall]

It has to be considered a sign of progress that Lance Long, an undrafted free agent who has only been playing for KC for a couple of weeks,is receiving respect so quickly:

(Rotoworld) Chiefs WR Lance Long is drawing comparisons to Wes Welker in Kansas City, most notably from quarterback Matt Cassel who played with Welker in New England. Analysis: "He's a great slot receiver," Cassel said of Long. "He's got tremendous quickness, he gets in and out of his breaks well, he catches the ball, he's a tough guy." Clearly earning the trust of his quarterback as well as his head coach, Long is a savvy pickup this week in PPR leagues.

 

[whiteathlete33]

He runs a 4.38 so he is very quick. He might be the quickest receiver on the Chiefs.

 

[Don Wassall]

If he runs a 4.38 he's one of the fastest receivers in the NFL.

 

[whiteathlete33]

Well there are quite a few receivers who run in the 4.3's in the NFL. I know he didn't have a great college career but playing in the SEC and being white explains that. The comparisons to Wes Welker aren't accurate. Lance has better deep speed than Wes but Wes has more short area quickness. The only thing similair about them is skin color.

 

[Don Wassall]

I don't think many run under 4.4 at all. Look at how much fastera legitimate burnerlike Chris Johnson is than just about everyone else on the field. Or Felix Jones. Even if some receivers tested under 4.4 at the Combine, how many still run that fast after being in the NFL for several seasons? My guess is not many. And alot of the fastest receivers at the Combine turn out to be busts. Look at how fast most black RBs lose their speed. They tend to fade a lot earlier on than Whites. And the bruising nature of the sport also takes a toll on everyone.

 

[whiteathlete33]

You are probably right Don. Also some of these times are hand timed as opposed to electronically timed so there is a difference. Guys that I can think of that have run in the 4.3 range are Kevin Curtis, Matt Jones, Ashley Lelie, DeSean Jackson, Calvin Johnson, Tim Carter and Santana Moss. Jeremy Bloom would had been among the fastest players in the NFL had he focused totally on football. He ran a 4.6 at the combine but has run much faster in the 4.3 range. Most of the media even acknowledged this and said that he has world class speed.