NFL Roster and UM's struggles
To see why UM has struggled in recent years, take a look at the LIST of UM players who are in the NFL or trying to make it. Outside of Brady, Lewan, Funchess and may be Harris, there are no real star players and many are fighting to make teams as backups. JH is changing it quickly, I think,
August 30th, 2016 at 5:19 PM ^
Brandon Graham is had a bit of a break out last season got a 4 year deal in the offseason and Schofield started on the superbowl winning broncos last year and will start again. But I would agree with the premise that our talent hasnt been developed well enough over the last couple of seasons, just look at Rawls doing well at western and blowing up with the seahawks last year
August 30th, 2016 at 5:24 PM ^
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August 30th, 2016 at 5:31 PM ^
Its more than just not developed, its that we really haven't recruited much NFL level-talent in a decade or two. Sure we've had a few guys here and there make it, but the last batch of great Michigan NFL players from those late 90s teams are either out or all on their last legs in the NFL.
Hopefully the 2017 draft class is the first step towards reversing that.
August 30th, 2016 at 5:48 PM ^
"havent recruited much NFL-level talent in a decade or two".... wut???
I know it feels like a long time since we have had impact players in the NFL but its not been a 2 decade long drought. Hall, Woodley, Harris have all been pro-bowl players in the league, Jake Long too, and was the #1 draft pick, until injuries caught up with him but he's still getting tryouts and kicking around. Lewan is a starting LT, Jake Ryan played some solid snaps for GB last year (didnt follow the packers too closely myself so not sure how much), Funchess and Frank Clark were both decent players. Maybe we havent had the ELITE nfl talent like a Woodson or the depth we had before but we have always had NFL players
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/072208aaa.html
August 30th, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 5:55 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 6:00 PM ^
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August 30th, 2016 at 5:19 PM ^
List can be found here:
http://www.espn.com/nfl/college/_/letter/m
And really you're right, half these guys are from last year's team and may not make this list a week from now
August 30th, 2016 at 5:20 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 5:24 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 5:27 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 5:46 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 8:31 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 8:20 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 8:35 PM ^
August 31st, 2016 at 12:01 AM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 5:23 PM ^
Considering the scarcity of NFL roster slots and the sheer number of college football players pursuing that path each year, it seems counterproductive to judge the health of a college program based on how many NFL players it produces. The point of a college program is not to place guys in the NFL--it's to win football games at the college level. What's more, a guy's ceiling very well could be dominating the college game.
So, really, I don't get the handwringing over how many players a program has in the NFL. It's a page in the recruiting material, nothing more, nothing less.
August 30th, 2016 at 5:27 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 5:28 PM ^
One of the best ways to win college football games is to recruit and develop great players, though. Those players tend to be good enough to play in the NFL. Ohio State and Alabama and LSU do not have this issue, because they recruit and develop great players.
And when Michigan was "elite" or at least consistently good in the pre RR years, we didn't have this issue either--Michigan players dotted rosters all over the League. There is not and should not be some kind of award for having the most players, but players making NFL rosters is a good sign that talent is coming through a program.
It's telling that a significant proportion of Michigan's NFL talent consists of elite players left over from the Carr era. There are a few guys from the RR/Hoke years, of course, but nothing like what we used to produce.
It's not like it's anything to worry about. Michigan has a number of future NFL players on its roster right now, and if Harbaugh continues to succeed we will see a lot more. This is all just a symptom of other problems.
August 30th, 2016 at 10:12 PM ^
August 31st, 2016 at 12:04 AM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 5:45 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 7:32 PM ^
Which feeds the myth that every college recruit is going to be a star and play in the NFL. Which we know is almost never true.
August 30th, 2016 at 9:39 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 5:30 PM ^
I think you have this backwards. Michigan hasn't struggled because it hasn't had NFL talent. It has struggled because it couldn't produce NFL talent. When you're bad, your players are less likely to go to the NFL because they haven't received good coaching.
August 30th, 2016 at 5:42 PM ^
and to add to it: how many bad teams produce a bunch of NFL talent?
August 30th, 2016 at 5:44 PM ^
But that's more hilarious than a pattern.
August 30th, 2016 at 6:16 PM ^
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August 30th, 2016 at 8:36 PM ^
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August 30th, 2016 at 5:30 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 5:40 PM ^
Where did this come from randomly? Is there a point here?
There is a strong correlation to NFL players and how good your Power 5 team has been performing recently. Michigan struggled recently and has slipped a bit with producing NFL stars. Not really something that seems worthy of a topic. Its just a statement.
Now, if you want to go back and forth over recruiting and player development and which has caused the struggles at Michigan (and on NFL rosters) that is a tired, but somewhat intersting debate.
August 30th, 2016 at 5:43 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 5:55 PM ^
suggestion to OP:
change the title to "#hottake"
August 30th, 2016 at 6:05 PM ^
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August 30th, 2016 at 6:07 PM ^
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August 30th, 2016 at 6:26 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 6:26 PM ^
I'll be really surprised if someone cant find a use for both Jarrod Wilson and Ojemudia.
I think they won't make the teams they signed with, but they're too good to not play somewhere.
August 30th, 2016 at 7:12 PM ^
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August 30th, 2016 at 7:29 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 6:39 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 6:41 PM ^
Half the NFL will be #Michigan players in the next 5 years!
August 30th, 2016 at 6:43 PM ^
Patrick Omameh has started 25 out of 30 games so far. I'm guessing he is going to make the roster for Jags this year.
August 30th, 2016 at 9:08 PM ^
August 30th, 2016 at 9:34 PM ^
I mean, it's sort of true, but this tends to happen on teams that go through a bunch of coaching transitions. And in fairness to Hoke, he recruited all of these guys who are going pro in 2017. So basically, it was RR's tenure that really "hurt" UM in terms of NFL guys if you go by raw numbers, plus the natural degradation toward the end of Carr's era. But this is still a program that produces a decent number of NFL players, and I assume this downturn will be a mere aberration going forward.
August 30th, 2016 at 11:12 PM ^
NFL Coaching. Think we are on to something.
August 31st, 2016 at 8:51 AM ^
Don't forget our "other" pros - Devin Gardner and Jeremy Gallon (or as the Nojima Sagamihara Rise website calls him, Jeremy Garons - you can't make this stuff up). Devon went 21-37 for 282 yards with one TD and one pick with 27 yards on the ground and one TD. Gallon had 10 receptions for 80 yards and one TD. The Rise lost on a missed extra point.
Devin rocking the 98.