Terrell Hudgins just may be the best WR you've never seen play. Graded as a 7th round/Undrafted Free Agent in many rankings throughout the internet, the 6'2", 230 lb Elon Phoenix from Rocky Mount, North Carolina has never let the lack of a spotlight prevent him from playing at an insanely high level. Hudgins broke just about every career receiving record in the FCS in 2009, some of which were originally recorded by Jerry Rice in 1984, twenty-five years earlier.
During his career, Hudgins was voted onto 20 All-America Teams, set 10 NCAA records, and was voted to the Southern Conference All-Decade Team. He finished second in voting for the Walter Payton Award in 2009 and finished with 395 receptions, 5,250 receiving yards, 51 touchdowns, 28 games with 100+ receiving yards and four 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
So why have you never seen him play? Because he went to Elon. Now, every year there are several FCS players who make it to the NFL, and several who get showcased in the all-star games - especially the East-West Shrine game. But none from Elon.
This year, a WR from The Citadel, Andre Roberts, was invited to the Senior Bowl and got rave reviews throughout the week before having a not-so-memorable game. He then posted 4 top-ten performances at the NFL Combine. He was invited, but Hudgins wasn't.
Andre Roberts - 5'11", 192lbs - 2009 numbers: 77 catches, 792 yards, 8 TDs
Terrell Hudgins - 6'2", 230lbs - 2009 numbers: 123 catches, 1633 yards, 16 TDs
Hudgins and Elon made the FCS playoffs and were robbed of a win (Hudgins scored a game-winning TD but the refs said he didn't come down inbounds) versus the defending champions Richmond in the 1st round. The Citadel didn't make the playoffs. Yet Roberts was invited to an all-star bowl, and Hudgins wasn't. 
Now Hudgins does face an uphill battle due to lack of tape like the big schools provide NFL teams and a consistent level of talented opposition, but he has had some competition here and there including Wake Forest's Brandon Ghee (currently rated as 2nd round) and South Florida's Mike Jenkins (2008 - 1st round - 2009 Pro Bowler). Hudgins burned Ghee for 13 catches, 113 yards and a touchdown. He got 14 catches for 92 yards and a TD against the 2007 USF secondary - one of the best foursome ever to play college ball (Jenkins, Trae Williams, Nate Allen, Carlton Williams).
Now Hudgins does face an uphill battle due to lack of tape like the big schools provide NFL teams and a consistent level of talented opposition, but he has had some competition here and there including Wake Forest's Brandon Ghee (currently rated as 2nd round) and South Florida's Mike Jenkins (2008 - 1st round - 2009 Pro Bowler). Hudgins burned Ghee for 13 catches, 113 yards and a touchdown. He got 14 catches for 92 yards and a TD against the 2007 USF secondary - one of the best foursome ever to play college ball (Jenkins, Trae Williams, Nate Allen, Carlton Williams).
Tin, it's such a risk with these small school guys because of the level of competition. He will definitely be drafted late or invited to a camp as an UDFA. I've never heard of him. I'll be watching for the name and follow him in the draft.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I would like to see improvement at the WR position, I think they are going to stand pat with what they have. They could invite a College FA but I don't see them drafting a WR early in the draft. So a guy like Hudgins could be on the radar screen.
ReplyDeleteWe need DEFENSE that's the bottom line. The trifecta has put the team in a quandry, with some of there moves. We have no FS at this time, at least not one they can depend on. We have very little at OLB, which will force the rehiring of JT. Add to that the need for another CB, ILB and a NT. I don't see them even looking at the WR position.
To be honest if it were not for the respect we have for Parcells, would we be saying the management has done a good job ?
Please be kind to me people :) .
I've never been part of the whole Parcells is God mentality. He has about a 50% success rate in the draft, which is GOOD but no better than lots of other talent evaluators in the NFL. The thing is, when he first got started he was known as the guy for doing the hard-nosed football thing, because at the time, the League was all about flash and throwing the ball. But as the Parcells tree has expanded and taken over half the league, now there's only 2 or 3 pass-first teams out there (both were in the Super Bowl, btw, so maybe this run-first mentality ain't everything).
ReplyDeleteSo how can we say a Parcells team is going to be any better than a Belichick team or (insert name here) team? We can't - everyone's just looking for the best players they can get and it really is all a crap shoot anyway.
<span>"So how can we say a Parcells team is going to be any better than a Belichick team or (insert name here) team? We can't - everyone's just looking for the best players they can get and it really is all a crap shoot anyway."</span>
ReplyDeleteTins,
The one thing about what Parcells does that stands out are the size requirements for his players. I'm not saying that this is necessarily right or wrong. It's just what he prefers. The Colts have certainly been successful with their system of drafting defensive players that are undersized but have speed & are good tacklers.
BTW--I agree that Parcells' is not a "God "& clearly not everything that he touches turns to gold. I also agree that his success in the draft is about 50% & that's pretty solid but that doesn't make him a personnel genius.
Fang,
ReplyDeletePeople seem to have very short memories. We were by far the worst team in football before Parcells & Co. took over. To go 11-5 & win the division the next year was beyond anyone's expectations & to go 7-9 last season against a tough schedule, a young QB that never started an NFL game, & with an insane amount of injuries is not all that bad.
If your expectation was that we would address every position & fill every need by now then you clearly overvalued the talent level that Parcells inherited. Remember that between Jason Allen & Ted Ginn we had back to back first round picks that were less than stellar. If you want to know why we're not an upper echelon team by now go back & look at Saban's & Cameron's draft.
Parcells builds a core team up front first, finds a QB and then looks for playmakers like everyone else. He's good at building in the trenches though. He's also not afraid to take chances and start or adapt to trends. He's not 3 yards and a cloud of dust and play defense like some think he is. When he had Bledsoe in NE they threw it all over the place. His Jets threw it. They threw it in Dallas. We'll throw it in Miami more now with Henne. We started to see some of that last year.
ReplyDeleteSparano isn't overly conservative either. In fact, this regime has been innovative and unpredictable even when Henning makes you want to throw your remote through your TV. LOL
Parcells has never been a personnel genius. He's been great at coaching and once he sees a player for awhile in practice he knows if he can play or not, or be developed. But from a far looking at college kids, he's in the same boat as most. It's a crapshoot. That's where Ireland and his scouting team earns their keep. Now it's Tony's job to coach em up and see who can do what. With Parcells offering his watchful eye from his gold cart. LOL
ReplyDeleteWe have a good group of football people running this thing. Fans need to be patient and look at the big picture a little longer. I felt from the beginning that 2010 would be the year we take the next step and make some serious noise as a contender. We needed this free agency and draft to get there. Now we have to add the talent that's needed through the draft. Dansby was a good start. Incognito will add to the competition at guard. This draft is very crucial.
I don't agree with those who feel we're another 2-3 years away. I don't think it works that way. In 2 or 3 years we might have have half of the team we have now. We don't know. 2010 building for 2011 is our window but hopefully we can be a playoff team for years to come. I don't see how 2 or 3 years from now will make the big difference unless we keep everything intact. We see how some teams change from year to year. We need this young core to make it happen before we start losing some players.
100% agreed!
ReplyDelete""" it really is all a crap shoot anyway"""
ReplyDeleteYEAAAAAAA, SOMEONE GETS IT !!!
ROTO says RICKY playin beyond 2010 (DEBT??)!! GOODSTUFFFF!!
The NEW ""CHOSEN ONE"" is the next WRANGLER,
(@LEAST as far as the media goes)for the next however many yrs ,BARFFFFF!!!!
GOOODSTUFFFF!!!
ReplyDeleteEVEN BETTER STUFFF!!!
ReplyDeleteIf it's a crap shoot, then any of us could do it. Right :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think we need to draft a RB this year. Not saying we won't at some point but we don't have to. With Ronnie (foot), Ricky, Lex, Patrick (knee) and Lousaka, we're pretty set. Sheets and Davis are also in the mix.
ReplyDeleteRB is one of the positions where you can draft a rookie and plug him in. You don't have to groom RBs. This year it should be LB, DB, NT, WR and TE. We'll see what happens after this year and if we need a RB we'll address it next offseason.
Henne needs to learn to keep his mouth shut! He may be right on Tebow and he's foolish if he thinks Parcells will bring him TO or Marshall. He implies that his receivers held him back last season, his first as a starter due to Pennington's injury!
ReplyDeleteI think it's unbelievable that with the owner's meetings coming up there is going to an emphasis on things like changing the rules in overtime or player safety instead of focusing all of their attention to the most important thing first--what do we need to do to is agree on a fair CBA to make sure there is a 2011 season. Who cares if overtime is extended if there is a lockout & no season in 2011????
ReplyDeleteEvery player is one play away from never playing another down again & the owners are not only making an insane amount of money every season off of the players but the value of NFL teams goes up almost every year. I think Goodell & the owners are biting the hand that feeds them & the only thing that I believe needs to be tweaked is the ridiculously high contracts of the first round picks. IMO--Prove that you can play in this league & then you should be rewarded. To pay a QB or any other player for that matter over $10 Million a year before he even plays a down is not only insulting to the current NFL players but just plain bad for business. Why should drafting a player like Jemarcus Russell have to bury a franchise with that kind of financial commitment??? And even if you draft a QB like Matt Ryan should he really be paid more than some of the top QB's in the league???? Other than changing that continuing monetary blunder the owners need to suck it up & find other avenues to build income off of their franchises. For example in basesball the Yankees now have their channel called the YES network.
Knight,
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. As much as I like Spiller there are too many other positions to fill for 2010. If there is a season in 2011 & Ricky retires & Ronnie is not re-signed then Parcells can double down & use two picks to find a rookie that can produce right away. I'm not going to say that finding good RB's are easy but at least if you can find a RB, he has a better chance to make an immediate contribution to a football team as a rookie than some other positions.
YEP, except that the AVERAGE JOE'S dice are WARPED MARBELS,
ReplyDeleteALL the EXPERTS dice are loaded w'option's,
and they're all ALWAY'S shootin for 7 or 11!!
Seem's to me,for several DECADES(NOT JUST THIS REGIME'S TENURE),
that ""OUR"" turn to pick NEVER falls in the spot where a SPECIAL playr/position
of GREATEST need is available to change the tide!!
Other than the TRI-TUNA'S timing in ONLY 2 yrs of landing plyrs @ pks of value with
Jake Long,PMerling,CHenne,,KLangford,DThomas,LHilliard,LDotson,VDavis,SSmith,BHartline,CClemons!!
Those players combined w'a few more additions WILL TURN THE TIDE,
they just need time coagulate into a strong current!!! (AND that's just the draft pks)!!
READDD WHP's 6:02 AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When we needed a STARQB only Brady Quinn was there,(YEAAA TG,though I'd of preferred him around #20)!!
When we needed a SUPERSTAR running-back only RB was @ pk #2,
(Bless his heart,but SUPERSTAR'S questionable)!!!
When we needed a LT for 10 yrs after RWEBB,
(who the F knows why that position was left vacant for sooo long)??
I GUARANTEE such WILL NEVER take place w'this regime,
just look @ what they started w'and how few voids remain in ONLY TWO YRS!!!
I can go on and on,and on w'past regime's blunders,
but I believe this regime's mistake's will be far and few between
and the end result WILL be prosperous!!!
BE PATIENT FANG,IT'S COMING, GOFINS!!!
TIN,having fun yet ???
ReplyDeleteIFFF you PLEASE??
Besides draft projection's,and the obvious Tall,Big,Fast,
explosive BroadJumps, compatible shuttle & 3cone drill times!!
What'cha got on
*** Marcus Easley UConn
*** David Gettis Baylor
Scott Long Louiville
Joe Webb UAB
THANX!!! STILL PC RESTRICTED !!
WTF happened to SPIKES, 5.01 or something rediculous like that,NO-WAYYY he's that slow!!
Still a 2nd,or might that push'em to the 3rd??
AGREE 100%,(cept for the mention of yewnork) !!!
ReplyDelete<p><span>WHP, I think what truly goes on behind the scenes with the owners has more to do with revenue sharing than anything else. Guys like Jerry Jones detest having to limit their own ability to make gobs of money in order to keep teams like Buffalo floating. Ralph Wilson on the other hand loves having an NFL team, which in today's market should not be viable.</span>
ReplyDelete</p><p><span> </span>
</p><p><span>This year should be interesting to watch, not for which teams go out and spend a lot of money but for how low some teams will go. There is no cap at the top, but there is also no cap at the bottom and some teams may take the opportunity to make a lot of money by lowering the floor. What it will potentially do though is create a huge gap between the levels of talent on one team verses the level of talent on another. We get a glimpse of how football will look with baseball rules. Fortunately the Dolphins are not in the lower tier, but teams like Tampa could be hurting.</span></p>
Tin, I was wondering what's your opinion of Riley Cooper? I'm not a big Florida fan but this guy caught my eye every time I watched them play. He's 6'4" 222 LBS, runs in the low 4.5s and has great hands. I could see him slipping to the 4th or 5th round. He reminds me of one of those guys who was over shadowed by the Tebow hype but when they needed a big play, he was the man. I have the feeling this guy is going to be a good pro receiver and there is no diva about him.
ReplyDeleteI never thought that Ronnie Brown would ever fall into the NFL's dumb ass club. This is as surprising as it gets. I'm not saying that we're turning into the Cincinnati Bengals but three arrests so far this year & it's only March??? Not cool.
ReplyDeleteCooper measured in at 6'3", 219 lbs at his pro day and has loads of
ReplyDeleteathleticism, but I saw him drop a lot of catchable footballs over time and
wonder about his route-running/ability to carry it over into the pros. It's
hard sometimes to project how these spread offense guys will do at the next
level - although the spread is becoming more popular in the NFL too.
Personally I think he's a good 5th round pick up, but I wouldn't stretch
higher than that.
This feels like bizzaro-world in Dolphinland.....What???
ReplyDelete"The Dolphins plan to trade LG Justin Smiley, a source close to the team tells beat writer Edgar Thompson.
The Dolphins told Smiley not to join the team for the offseason conditioning program. Smiley was signed to a five-year, $25 million contract in 2008 but missed eight starts over the last two seasons due to leg and shoulder injuries. With Richie Incognito now in the fold along with Donald Thomas and Nate Garner, the Dolphins apparently see guard as a position of depth."
There are reports that Justin Smiley is on the trading block and has been told not to report to the offseason conditioning program that starts today.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I saw that too! Strange, it could be construed as already having a deal(s) pending! Jeez, is Henne becoming the team spokesman? Not a problem with me, it's just odd hearing the starting quarterback talking it up with "the media" relatively more so, and much too early!
ReplyDeleteWHP, I'm pretty sure the deadline for a new CBA has past - they could still
ReplyDeleteagree on one but it wouldn't affect this year.
Canam,
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty damn sure that Parcells & Co. are unhappy with their QB bringing unnecessary media attention to himself & the organization. Now that he has clarified his comments on Tebow, I expect him to stick to talking about himself & the Dolphins. However, IMO, I don't think that Henne said anything about Tebow that was worthy of garnering this much attention.
Does this make sense, or are we fans really that stupid ? Which one is it ? Smiley seemed like a good player to me !!!
ReplyDeleteSo that puts me into the Stupid category. Probalby most of us are in that category although I'm not speaking for anyone else.
Then agian I like the idea, that the trifecta are not afraid to throw out the trash if a player doesn't measure up. Uncapped year or not the Dolphins are acting like there will be cap in place when the new CBA deal gets signed. At this time they have a huge payroll and will most likely have cap space problems if a deal gets done for next year. Smiley just plane isn't getting it done for what he gets paid to do, I guess mostly because of injuries.
Although in my mind they have made some major blunders, this is a step in the right direction. It's a move I would make if an employee of mine is not getting the job done. I give them credit for making those choices, even though I may not like them.
Very confusing comment - so you think it's a good move or not? lol
ReplyDeleteRonnie was stopped for switching lanes without signals!? You gotta be kiddin' me! It's 50-50 whether that car in front of you will use turn signals AT ALL any time your out driving.
ReplyDelete