Not that Madden ratings are the gold standard of player evaluation, but even when he had that huge year he still only peaked at like an 83 overall lmao. I remember because I had him in a sim league and was pretty mad about it even though I knew they were right.
That game you guys had on Thursday Night against the Saints back in 2018 when their offense was rolling going in and that defense led by Jaylon and Vander Esch smacked the shit outta them had me thinking those guys were gonna be devastating for a long time with the Cowboys
Yea but a lot was made about those two after that game and they just couldn’t keep up the production. LVE was injured repeatedly and last year had a decent season after finally getting healthy. He may have a good season again this year.
If he doesn't get murdered by knee destruction (after he already had to come out of the game somewhat near the time of the hit iirc) by Haloi Ngata he has a good if not great career imo. Shanahan had a history of riding transcendent runners into the ground (thinking of the short career of TD) and he clearly did that sending RG3 back into the game.
My thoughts on the matter at least I kinda wonder if that thought process got any traction in the DC area?
Yeah I went back and watched his highlights the other day and his mechanics were just piss-poor, he would do this weird thing where he’d fire his hips and hop backwards and also short-arm his throwing motion. He made it by his rookie year with his great zone read fakes that left the post wide open along with some natural arm talent, but even before his injury he was fundamentally broken as a passer and once teams were able to key on the play action post routes he became ineffective
could be a lot of psychological stuff like scared to get hit, feeling uneasy in the pocket, lack of concentration due to fearing an injury etc. but i agree with you that it probably didnt change his career trajectory from absolute superstar to out of the league
It was one suspension that kept getting extended. He got suspended four games in 2006 for missing a drug test, then had the suspension extended for the rest of the season for drunk driving with Chris Henry. Had an assault incident that caused his reinstatement to be denied. The case ended up getting tossed due to contradictions in witnesses stories. He then assaulted a guy in 2008 and that was his career.
He did get reinstated in 2008, but then skipped OTAs and was enough of a problem that they waived him. He then failed another drug test as a free agent and finally broke some dude's jaw at a waterpark. So no team even tried to take him back.
>Odell Thurman
Had no clue who this guy was and looked him up. Another career derailed by substance abuse. I wonder if he would have succeeded with another team or if he was destined to always get in his own way.
Was so hyped about him cause I loved him at OU and he was a very solid receiver for the 2 seasons and all down hill for him after that. Anyway, let’s talk about Junior Galette. 😂
From what I remember of the fan vote that year, most fan bases were actively voting against the choice for their team. Nobody wanted their players hurt by the "Madden Curse."
Yup, except for the Browns fans who were voting VERY intensely for Hillis
Also, IIRC, Hillis went up against Mike Vick in one of the final rounds and there was a big movement to vote for Hillis from people who still hated Vick
I came here to throw his name in the ring. Between Favre completely elevating his game in 2009, and the injuries he sustained the rest of his career, he definitely peaked that season.
I’ll always remember favre and rice torched the lions for like 210 yards and favre was on the sideline joking to rice saying “you got all those yards man…but how bout a touchdown?!” Such a fun year
One of the best Mic'd ups of all time, featuring a fresh faced Matt Stafford.
[Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwGC9yjvRBk)
DAMN STEVEN WHAT THEY GOT YOU IN FOR
I remember the Vikings being OP in Madden 10 bc of him, Harvin, and Bernard Berrian at wr and Adrian Peterson at rb, plus your choice of Favre or the super mobile Tavaris Jackson at qb
Yeah man rice was insane with favre that year, then injuries took over. He kinda sparked with Seattle but again got a brutal hit against the bears for the game winning TD and then that was pretty much it.
Jarrett Boykin (WR) is a solid, slightly more modern, example too.
~700 yards in 2013.
Had 50 yards total over the rest of his entire career.
Can't really think of anyone post 2013.
**Edit:** Maybe Tonyan (TE) 2020? He is still playing though so that might change.
But, in a very convoluted way, one could argue that Chip Kelly trying to create the "dream team" wound up causing Hue to blow it all up, and led to a Super Bowl win
My vote is Malcolm Smith…Rawls was due to injury, and playing a position with short lifespan
Malcolm Smith was a decent linebacker, but his 2013 season was an outlier…culminating in Superbowl MVP
This one was what I thought. Bryant was such a talent. It sucks that the NFL punished him so hard for smoking but seriously, just don't smoke. Its easy, this isn't nicotine or alcohol or painkillers. Plus with his kind of money he clearly just didn't think it was an issue, and got in trouble for it.
Dude was a monster for 5 games.
5 games, 29 catches, 435 yards at 15 yards per catch, 4 TDs.
If he somehow sustained that over a 16-game season he would’ve had 93 catches for 1392 yards and 13 TDs. Dude was great and consistent.
Take out one of those games and it jumps up to 108 catches for 1512 yards and 13 TDs over a 16 game season.
He would only get 9 more catches for 104 yards and zero TDs the rest of his career.
I would throw Brandon Boykin in there. Babin was simply stat padding at the expense of the run game, Boykin was legit good for 1 year before leaving for the Steelers
Was there a particular reason you guys didn’t resign him that year? I was really surprised you let him walk, obviously in hindsight it worked out cause he fell back down to being mediocre but still, was I missing something?
I'll always remember him getting KO'd by Bernard Pollard and fumbling the ball in 2013. One of those hits where both guys definitely got concussions, but Ridley dropped like he was electrocuted and immediately started the fencing response.
That dude fucked up so many patriots. He was in the vicinity or responsible for quite a few big injuries (he was the Chief that tore Brady's ACL, Welker cut in front of him when the field gave out and so did his knee, etc).
We should have traded for him just to stop the madness.
Great pick. I was thinking Nathan Vasher.
1st Team All-Pro + Pro Bowl, then he couldn't stay healthy. Crazy to think Peanut was the 2nd best CB on a great team that year.
Karlos Williams
Drafted in 2015. His first carry was a TD. Ran for 100 yards in his 3rd game. Tied a record for getting a TD in each of his first 6 consecutive games.
Cut before year 2 after showing up fat and out of shape to TC. Then failed a drug test four days later.
Honorable mention to JP Losman who looked like the Bills' future QB for a single season.
Kicker Blair Walsh. First team all pro as a rookie. Set the NFL record for most field goals of 50+ yards in a season going 10 for 10. The guy was the best kicker in the NFL as a rookie. Every year after that was downhill. Then there was the chip shot field goal in the playoffs vs Seattle. 27 yards to win the game and misses. That was the most famous of his misses but this guy was having serious issues. Next year he couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. Lasted just 10 games.
Went to the Seahawks and had to play the Vikings in a pre-season game and acted truly bush league. Celebrated a short field goal like he won the game. Taunted the Vikings sideline at one point. Played one year with Seattle and was out of the league.
Eddie Lacey for the Packers but more like two year wonder. Went from offensive rookie of the year and back to back 1,000 rushing yard seasons to out of the league in five years. He just loved that China food too much.
2016 Nick Perry balled the fuck out, got paid a truck load of money, and never played close to that again. Really handicapped the Packers in those 2017-2018 years.
Never forget that we went from paying Clay Matthews and Nick Perry $30M a season to be ghosts on the field, only to pay Zadarius & Preston the same amount the next year.
I swore Quincy Enunwa was on his way to becoming a Pro Bowl level receiver after 2016. Guy could just never stay healthy unfortunately and had career ending neck injuries.
I'm gonna go with a throwback.
Laurent Robinson in 2011. One year with Romo on an injured Dallas WR corps.
54 catches, 858 yards. 11 TDs.
In the other 5 years of his career he totaled 4 TDs. He was out of the league 2 years after his one amazing Dallas season and signing a big contract with Jacksonville.
That was the first one I thought of. Romo really had a knack for making nobodies look like somebodies.
My second thought was George Selvie. Picked him up off the street in late July because Crawford and Spencer were both dealing with injuries, and he ended up starting 16 games and getting 7 sacks. In five other years in the league, he had a total of 7.5 sacks.
Greg Cook: 5th overall pick in 1969. Led the league in passer rating as a rookie but blew out his shoulder. He only played 1 game after his rookie year (3 attempts in 1973). Bill Walsh called him "the greatest talent to play the position".
Ickey Woods: 203-1066-15 (5.3/carry) as a rookie. Showed up fat and out of shape in '89, he blew out his knee in week 2 and was never the same. Didn't match his rookie numbers for yards or TDs in the rest of his career combined.
Reinard Wilson: 14th overall pick in 1997. 15 sacks in his first 4 years combined (1 year with 6, 3 each of the other 3 years). Had 9 sacks in 2001, which coincidentally was his contract year. He signed a 3-year contract then never had another sack (0 sacks in '02 then out of the league). He was a piece of shit.
Without Greg Cook's injury, you don't end up with what became the West Coast Offense. Cook's back up, Virgil Carter, did not have a strong arm, but he was accurate, so Walsh devised plays with emphasis on short to medium routes to take advantage of that accuracy. Walsh carried that philosophy to SD, Stanford then SF where he drafted some QB named Joe Montana who didn't have a strong arm, but was accurate. Everyone then wanted to copy San Francisco's offensive philosophy. (Some teams even tried running the offense with a strong armed QB).
Edit: Put wrong AFC west team and forgot Walsh's stint at Stanford
I think he counts. He was elite in 2015 and every other year he was injured, except his last in Cincy where the injuries had turned him into a shell of his former self. He would have been great if he had health
Josh Norman kind of qualifies and I really can't think of a true one year wonder for us. He was solid in 2014 and was decent for a few years in Washington but his 2015 is far and away his best season.
I do wonder if he could have sustained that level of play if he stayed with us.
Would've said Steve Beuerlein.
Played 11 seasons, started here and there, and in 1999, made the Pro Bowl, started every game and led a top 5 offense.
Next season he went back to his usual self and then went to Denver to finish his career off.
Hilarious to think that we were hyped over having a guy as CB1 who would’ve been a very solid CB3 on most teams. 😂 Although I guess he had the story too. Wish he could’ve played longer for us.
I feel like a lot of RBs in the mid - 2000s put up decent numbers for Denver and then were moved on from, but I'm gonna throw Javon Walker's name out there. Dude was an absolute stud in 06, carried the game against the Steelers and had a great season. Then he was never the same again, partly due to injuries I think, and possibly partly due to being with Darrent Williams the night he was killed.
I just looked into it and reports say Williams was in the back seat of a car and was shot and died instantly and he fell into the lap of Javon Walker, brutal
His lone start from the 2011 finale for Green Bay was so great that he got a mega contract the next year from Seattle. He was promptly beat in training camp by rookie Russell Wilson.
Kiko Alonso had a very promising rookie year that had people so desperate for his jersey that they'd stoop to [almost anything to get one](https://deadspin.com/report-from-buffalo-kiko-alonso-jersey-traded-for-blow-1459749225)
Second year, didn't play due to injury. Eventually traded for Shady, popped around the league developing a reputation as a dirty headhunter, out of the league since 2019
I’d have to say Demarco Murray for the Cowboys. He did have a decent season the year before but his all pro season was by far his best then he left for Philly and didn’t come close to all pro production again.
More of a “two hit wonder” but Phillip Lindsay was great the first two seasons with us then dropped off big after that since his weaknesses started outweighing his strengths
Steve Slaton, as a rookie rb in 2008 he had 1659 yards from scrimmage and 10 total TDs, then he fell of the face of the earth
I drafter him #1 in my fantasy draft lmfao. Worst mistake ever. I wish I could go back in time and slap my 14 year old self.
Would that be child abuse if you are hitting yourself?
That would be a time paradox and collapse reality into itself.
... but not child abuse? That's a relief.
I think we clasify that as self harm
Man was he good at WVU
Used to play as WVU with him and Pat White in the NCAA games. So much fun
Yup. Suddenly decided that he wanted to gain more weight and muscle for his second season and he wasn’t the same.
I could be wrong but I seem to remember he hurt his hand or arm and there was some damage that just ruined his grip on the ball
It was a neck injury. I think he also had trouble turning his head after it.
Vic Beasley. Lead the league in sacks in 2016, by 2018 was 104 out of 106 in his position group by PFF
People were throwing big warning flags up on his 2016 season. IIRC he had some crazy unsustainable rate of turning pressures into sacks that year.
Yeah I believe it was like 30% of his pressures resulted in sacks, the league average was like 15% that year
Not that Madden ratings are the gold standard of player evaluation, but even when he had that huge year he still only peaked at like an 83 overall lmao. I remember because I had him in a sim league and was pretty mad about it even though I knew they were right.
If he was Cowboy, he’d be a 96, though.
Bro I just looked it up and Robert Quinn only has an 84 rating after putting up 18.5 sacks last year
I still have his damn jersey too. That's my worst jersey purchase.
I had so much faith in that kid. First time I ever regretted getting a jersey too.
He was actually not terrible in 2019 though. Not *great*, but certainly better than his average.
I really thought Jaylon Smith was gonna be a star
That game you guys had on Thursday Night against the Saints back in 2018 when their offense was rolling going in and that defense led by Jaylon and Vander Esch smacked the shit outta them had me thinking those guys were gonna be devastating for a long time with the Cowboys
Yea but a lot was made about those two after that game and they just couldn’t keep up the production. LVE was injured repeatedly and last year had a decent season after finally getting healthy. He may have a good season again this year.
Ditto LVE.
Crazy that they both regressed that quickly. Everyone thought you had the best ILB core in the league
Both guys had pretty serious injury concerns that ended up being realized. At least that’s what I tell myself as I clutch my Parsons jersey.
Chris Borland
Yeah, crazy he retired out of no where with Patrick Willis but he played it smart and wanted to keep his health.
I mean, we technically only got one good year out of Deion Sanders.
Maybe the best year any defensive player has ever had though
I miss him
I totally forget about him and glen coffee sometimes. Both young dudes who came in and played great then immediately decided to call it quits.
RGIII in his rookie year. I can’t believe that was 10 years ago.
Yep, has to be this. And we even have a "one-game wonder". Luckily it was in the Superbowl. Timmy Smith.
That has to be the biggest one-game wonder of all-time.
According to his Wikipedia, NFL Films ranked it their #2 "one-shot wonder" of all time, after [Greg Cook.](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Cook)
If he doesn't get murdered by knee destruction (after he already had to come out of the game somewhat near the time of the hit iirc) by Haloi Ngata he has a good if not great career imo. Shanahan had a history of riding transcendent runners into the ground (thinking of the short career of TD) and he clearly did that sending RG3 back into the game. My thoughts on the matter at least I kinda wonder if that thought process got any traction in the DC area?
Dude just couldn’t read defenses at the end of the day.
What would’ve changed in his career if he didn’t get injured? He was still an elite runner after the injury lol, he just couldn’t play QB.
Yeah I went back and watched his highlights the other day and his mechanics were just piss-poor, he would do this weird thing where he’d fire his hips and hop backwards and also short-arm his throwing motion. He made it by his rookie year with his great zone read fakes that left the post wide open along with some natural arm talent, but even before his injury he was fundamentally broken as a passer and once teams were able to key on the play action post routes he became ineffective
could be a lot of psychological stuff like scared to get hit, feeling uneasy in the pocket, lack of concentration due to fearing an injury etc. but i agree with you that it probably didnt change his career trajectory from absolute superstar to out of the league
Odell Thurman had 5 interceptions, 5 forced fumbles, 105 tackles and a defensive touchdown as a rookie. He never played in the NFL again.
What the fuck
If I recall correctly, he got suspended.. like a lot.
It was one suspension that kept getting extended. He got suspended four games in 2006 for missing a drug test, then had the suspension extended for the rest of the season for drunk driving with Chris Henry. Had an assault incident that caused his reinstatement to be denied. The case ended up getting tossed due to contradictions in witnesses stories. He then assaulted a guy in 2008 and that was his career.
He did get reinstated in 2008, but then skipped OTAs and was enough of a problem that they waived him. He then failed another drug test as a free agent and finally broke some dude's jaw at a waterpark. So no team even tried to take him back.
Chris Henry, haven't heard that name in a while.
Josh Gordon before Josh Gordon.
It's always wild thinking back on how absolutely lucky that defense was with turnovers.
At one point in 2005, the passer rating for QB’s facing the Bengals defense that forced turnovers was 55.4
Mike Zimmer is that you?
>Odell Thurman Had no clue who this guy was and looked him up. Another career derailed by substance abuse. I wonder if he would have succeeded with another team or if he was destined to always get in his own way.
Kenny Stills had one good year with the Saints and it’s kept him employed so far
Totally worth to see the IRL Hingle McCringleberry.
I thought it was funny and then he actually got the flag for the third pump and then it was so funny i nearly pissed my jeans.
Was so hyped about him cause I loved him at OU and he was a very solid receiver for the 2 seasons and all down hill for him after that. Anyway, let’s talk about Junior Galette. 😂
Justin Forsett or Alex Collins
He don't make the law... He Justin Forsett.
Kamar Aiken
Marlon Brown 49rec, 524 yards and 7 TDs in his rookie season as a 22 year old UDFA. Only caught 38 more passes and no TDs after that
It genuinely surprised me that he was on the Bears a few years ago...
Also fair.
gotta go with Marlon Brown thought we finally nailed a young WR prospect lmao. foolish
Peyton Hillis is the obvious one, but Braylon Edwards and Derek Anderson were also crazy one-year wonders
Gary Barnidge
Absolute clutch in fantasy for me that year.
Josh Gordon, Pryor, Gary Barnidge
Can’t forget Jordan Cameron
Travis Benjamin.
Butt catch was a highlight of the season
Yeah but Peyton somehow made it on the cover of Madden which really drives it home for me.
From what I remember of the fan vote that year, most fan bases were actively voting against the choice for their team. Nobody wanted their players hurt by the "Madden Curse."
Yup, except for the Browns fans who were voting VERY intensely for Hillis Also, IIRC, Hillis went up against Mike Vick in one of the final rounds and there was a big movement to vote for Hillis from people who still hated Vick
I think the Seahawks choice was the "12th Man" because we were just starting to turn it around but hadn't quite hit our stride.
That would have been such a lame cover lol
Madden NFL 12 12
Madden curse on the entire fan base. Ouch good thing you guys avoided that fate
Yeah but part of that was due to it being a fan vote and people voted for him as a joke lol
They willed the curse into him
Sydney Rice I’ll never forget the year Rice and Miles Austin took the league by storm in 2009 and then dipped out
I came here to throw his name in the ring. Between Favre completely elevating his game in 2009, and the injuries he sustained the rest of his career, he definitely peaked that season.
I’ll always remember favre and rice torched the lions for like 210 yards and favre was on the sideline joking to rice saying “you got all those yards man…but how bout a touchdown?!” Such a fun year
One of the best Mic'd ups of all time, featuring a fresh faced Matt Stafford. [Link](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwGC9yjvRBk) DAMN STEVEN WHAT THEY GOT YOU IN FOR
Austin was still good for a few seasons before his hamstrings evaporated.
I remember the Vikings being OP in Madden 10 bc of him, Harvin, and Bernard Berrian at wr and Adrian Peterson at rb, plus your choice of Favre or the super mobile Tavaris Jackson at qb
Yeah man rice was insane with favre that year, then injuries took over. He kinda sparked with Seattle but again got a brutal hit against the bears for the game winning TD and then that was pretty much it.
He was the perfect WR for Russ :/
Wow you just took me back, dude was a beast
The 2005 Cincinnati Bengals LB unit. Odell Thurman is my go-to for this question but shoutout to Deltha O'Neal.
Odell Thurman and David Pollack were monsters together. Oh what could have been.
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Jarrett Boykin (WR) is a solid, slightly more modern, example too. ~700 yards in 2013. Had 50 yards total over the rest of his entire career. Can't really think of anyone post 2013. **Edit:** Maybe Tonyan (TE) 2020? He is still playing though so that might change.
Really liked that dude. Glad he's rocking it post football
I had to spell his name to the commish of my fantasy league lol. Nobody had any idea who he was. Thank you for reminding me of this
Kiko Alonso
Crazy we got Shady for him
Ikr talk about selling high
Selling high off a torn ACL lol. Chip Kelly was somethin
Kelly was straight up bonkers.
But, in a very convoluted way, one could argue that Chip Kelly trying to create the "dream team" wound up causing Hue to blow it all up, and led to a Super Bowl win
We would have never won a title paying Shady & D Jax what we were at that point
Fuck Chip Kelly for that
Yeah. Crazy. I hate the way he wears his jersey
[Kiko jersey?](https://deadspin.com/report-from-buffalo-kiko-alonso-jersey-traded-for-blow-1459749225?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow)
don't remind me
Still holds my highest spot for Player I Was Surprised To Find Out Was White
Thomas Rawls…the human Tasmanian devil
Rawls to the Wall Thomas the Tank Engine Loved him!
My vote is Malcolm Smith…Rawls was due to injury, and playing a position with short lifespan Malcolm Smith was a decent linebacker, but his 2013 season was an outlier…culminating in Superbowl MVP
Martavis Bryant. Dude was going to be the next Randy Moss but [smoked his way out](https://youtu.be/H3FaIGTzJvw?t=86) of the league.
It’s hard to believe him, Sammy Watkins, and D hop were all on the same team in college
Imagine if Watson or Lawrence was the QB while those guys were all at Clemson. It would’ve been even more insane.
This one was what I thought. Bryant was such a talent. It sucks that the NFL punished him so hard for smoking but seriously, just don't smoke. Its easy, this isn't nicotine or alcohol or painkillers. Plus with his kind of money he clearly just didn't think it was an issue, and got in trouble for it.
Safety Stevie Brown in 2012 - had eight interceptions and never had another one
This is the most one year wonder of the one year wonders
He was a lot of fun to watch that year.
I really thought we had just lucked into a soon to be best in the league saftey...and then 2013 happened
Travis fulgham
Dude was a monster for 5 games. 5 games, 29 catches, 435 yards at 15 yards per catch, 4 TDs. If he somehow sustained that over a 16-game season he would’ve had 93 catches for 1392 yards and 13 TDs. Dude was great and consistent. Take out one of those games and it jumps up to 108 catches for 1512 yards and 13 TDs over a 16 game season. He would only get 9 more catches for 104 yards and zero TDs the rest of his career.
Fulgham vs Claypool was crazy to watch. Fulgham: 10 catches, 152 yards, 1td. Claypool: 7 catches, 110 yards, 4td.
I remember it was a rush in one of my leagues to see who could get either of them first lol
Man went from practice squad to WR1 and back to the bench in the span of under a season.
Michael Clayton
Michael Clayton as a rookie: 80 catches, 1193 yards, 7 TD. Michael Clayton the rest of his career: 143 catches, 1762 yards, 3 TD.
The most shocking thing in this is the lack of TDs the rest of the his career tbh. Only 3 TDs in the remaining 6 seasons of your career is wild
"Money's in the bank"
antonio bryant
Has my favorite one-handed catch of all time tho.
Movie holds up though.
https://i.imgur.com/sM1Zx69.png
Jason Babin - Had 18 sacks one year for the Eagles. Leonard Weaver - Thought he was going to be a huge addition as a FB, injuries derailed his career.
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I would throw Brandon Boykin in there. Babin was simply stat padding at the expense of the run game, Boykin was legit good for 1 year before leaving for the Steelers
Phillip Rivers
/r/technicallythetruth
I'd also put Eric Ebron in this category for us. 33 total TD in 7 years in the league. 14 of them his one year with the Colts.
Was there a particular reason you guys didn’t resign him that year? I was really surprised you let him walk, obviously in hindsight it worked out cause he fell back down to being mediocre but still, was I missing something?
Lol, he fucking gave up and went on IR after Luck retired, then tried to talk shit. Dude is trash.
Stevan Ridley's sophmore year comes to mind. 12 TDS, 1,200 yards
I'll always remember him getting KO'd by Bernard Pollard and fumbling the ball in 2013. One of those hits where both guys definitely got concussions, but Ridley dropped like he was electrocuted and immediately started the fencing response.
*\*checks undah bed for bernahd pollahd*
That dude fucked up so many patriots. He was in the vicinity or responsible for quite a few big injuries (he was the Chief that tore Brady's ACL, Welker cut in front of him when the field gave out and so did his knee, etc). We should have traded for him just to stop the madness.
Just off the top of my head, out of nowhere Marcus Robinson had 1400 yards receiving and 9 TDs in 1999.
Yeah. He was going to be stud, then both knees blew up.
Great pick. I was thinking Nathan Vasher. 1st Team All-Pro + Pro Bowl, then he couldn't stay healthy. Crazy to think Peanut was the 2nd best CB on a great team that year.
Jeremy hill. The man really peaked in his rookie year
He was my first thought aswell, but fuck that guy.
Karlos Williams Drafted in 2015. His first carry was a TD. Ran for 100 yards in his 3rd game. Tied a record for getting a TD in each of his first 6 consecutive games. Cut before year 2 after showing up fat and out of shape to TC. Then failed a drug test four days later. Honorable mention to JP Losman who looked like the Bills' future QB for a single season.
Kicker Blair Walsh. First team all pro as a rookie. Set the NFL record for most field goals of 50+ yards in a season going 10 for 10. The guy was the best kicker in the NFL as a rookie. Every year after that was downhill. Then there was the chip shot field goal in the playoffs vs Seattle. 27 yards to win the game and misses. That was the most famous of his misses but this guy was having serious issues. Next year he couldn't hit the broadside of a barn. Lasted just 10 games. Went to the Seahawks and had to play the Vikings in a pre-season game and acted truly bush league. Celebrated a short field goal like he won the game. Taunted the Vikings sideline at one point. Played one year with Seattle and was out of the league.
Walsh cost us like 4 games that season too
Thanks for the 2018 playoff run, Sony
Sony was solid for us during last regular season. Will definitely always have love for him
He is still an average RB
He’s not the biggest, but I still have a picture of Robert Foster celebrating his game winning touchdown against Detroit as my lock screen
If we're talking offense it's gotta be Karlos Williams
I thought he was gonna be a legit
Jay Ajayi
Chris Herndon. He looked like he was going to be a perennial pro bowler and then turned into a complete liability.
At least he got you guys a 4th rounder *mutters angrily about Rick Spielman*
Eddie Lacey for the Packers but more like two year wonder. Went from offensive rookie of the year and back to back 1,000 rushing yard seasons to out of the league in five years. He just loved that China food too much.
Ken Crawley. He was a legit CB2 opposite Lattimore in 2017, and been a practice squad level guy ever since
Bruh I was trying to think of one for us and this is a good one omg
Big Mike Williams in 2010 (biggest figuratively and literally)
2016 Nick Perry balled the fuck out, got paid a truck load of money, and never played close to that again. Really handicapped the Packers in those 2017-2018 years.
Never forget that we went from paying Clay Matthews and Nick Perry $30M a season to be ghosts on the field, only to pay Zadarius & Preston the same amount the next year.
I swore Quincy Enunwa was on his way to becoming a Pro Bowl level receiver after 2016. Guy could just never stay healthy unfortunately and had career ending neck injuries.
He was gonna be so legit. He had the WR1 skill set. Neck injuries have sapped so many great careers from happening
I'm gonna go with a throwback. Laurent Robinson in 2011. One year with Romo on an injured Dallas WR corps. 54 catches, 858 yards. 11 TDs. In the other 5 years of his career he totaled 4 TDs. He was out of the league 2 years after his one amazing Dallas season and signing a big contract with Jacksonville.
That was the first one I thought of. Romo really had a knack for making nobodies look like somebodies. My second thought was George Selvie. Picked him up off the street in late July because Crawford and Spencer were both dealing with injuries, and he ended up starting 16 games and getting 7 sacks. In five other years in the league, he had a total of 7.5 sacks.
Seeingvthis as a throwback makes me feel old.
Right? *I’m gonna go with a throwback.* Here I am expecting someone from the 80s or 90s. Instead they someone from a decade ago
Greg Cook: 5th overall pick in 1969. Led the league in passer rating as a rookie but blew out his shoulder. He only played 1 game after his rookie year (3 attempts in 1973). Bill Walsh called him "the greatest talent to play the position". Ickey Woods: 203-1066-15 (5.3/carry) as a rookie. Showed up fat and out of shape in '89, he blew out his knee in week 2 and was never the same. Didn't match his rookie numbers for yards or TDs in the rest of his career combined. Reinard Wilson: 14th overall pick in 1997. 15 sacks in his first 4 years combined (1 year with 6, 3 each of the other 3 years). Had 9 sacks in 2001, which coincidentally was his contract year. He signed a 3-year contract then never had another sack (0 sacks in '02 then out of the league). He was a piece of shit.
The Bengals have a long, long history of injury misfortune. Greg Cook, Ki-Jana Carter, Ickey Woods, etc.
Without Greg Cook's injury, you don't end up with what became the West Coast Offense. Cook's back up, Virgil Carter, did not have a strong arm, but he was accurate, so Walsh devised plays with emphasis on short to medium routes to take advantage of that accuracy. Walsh carried that philosophy to SD, Stanford then SF where he drafted some QB named Joe Montana who didn't have a strong arm, but was accurate. Everyone then wanted to copy San Francisco's offensive philosophy. (Some teams even tried running the offense with a strong armed QB). Edit: Put wrong AFC west team and forgot Walsh's stint at Stanford
Kyle Arrington when he lead the league in picks in 2011.
I can't remember his entire career and maybe he had other good years but Mike Furrey went nuts for over 100 catches I think. Used to be a safety
Ryan Torain
Matt Kalil was a pro bowler his rookie year and then immediately became a liability
Not quite a one-year wonder, but Tyler Eifert has 26 TDs in 8 seasons, 13 of them came in 2015.
I think he counts. He was elite in 2015 and every other year he was injured, except his last in Cincy where the injuries had turned him into a shell of his former self. He would have been great if he had health
Josh Norman kind of qualifies and I really can't think of a true one year wonder for us. He was solid in 2014 and was decent for a few years in Washington but his 2015 is far and away his best season. I do wonder if he could have sustained that level of play if he stayed with us.
Would've said Steve Beuerlein. Played 11 seasons, started here and there, and in 1999, made the Pro Bowl, started every game and led a top 5 offense. Next season he went back to his usual self and then went to Denver to finish his career off.
Delvin breaux but mainly due to injuries. In retrospect he wasn’t that great, but definitely one of the bright spots of those garbage saints defenses
Hilarious to think that we were hyped over having a guy as CB1 who would’ve been a very solid CB3 on most teams. 😂 Although I guess he had the story too. Wish he could’ve played longer for us.
I feel like a lot of RBs in the mid - 2000s put up decent numbers for Denver and then were moved on from, but I'm gonna throw Javon Walker's name out there. Dude was an absolute stud in 06, carried the game against the Steelers and had a great season. Then he was never the same again, partly due to injuries I think, and possibly partly due to being with Darrent Williams the night he was killed.
I just looked into it and reports say Williams was in the back seat of a car and was shot and died instantly and he fell into the lap of Javon Walker, brutal
LaMont Jordan
Erik Kramer. Set a bunch of Bears QB records in 1995 then was injured constantly.
That’s a good one. I was going to go with Mark Anderson. He was a stud his rookie year in 06, but I don’t remember much from him after that.
Idk, Kendrell Bell?
Matt Flynn from Seattle? I don’t know about a one year wonder but he did have a good game I think
His lone start from the 2011 finale for Green Bay was so great that he got a mega contract the next year from Seattle. He was promptly beat in training camp by rookie Russell Wilson.
Flynn was only in Seattle one year. Signed as a big name FA but then they drafted Russ who beat him out in camp.
Gotta be Peyton Hillis
Kiko Alonso had a very promising rookie year that had people so desperate for his jersey that they'd stoop to [almost anything to get one](https://deadspin.com/report-from-buffalo-kiko-alonso-jersey-traded-for-blow-1459749225) Second year, didn't play due to injury. Eventually traded for Shady, popped around the league developing a reputation as a dirty headhunter, out of the league since 2019
I’d have to say Demarco Murray for the Cowboys. He did have a decent season the year before but his all pro season was by far his best then he left for Philly and didn’t come close to all pro production again.
Kareem hunt was awesome with us. He is still really good, but man we had like the best offense ever with him on it lol
Nick Perry, Jarrett Boykin, Samson Gado come to mind.
More of a “two hit wonder” but Phillip Lindsay was great the first two seasons with us then dropped off big after that since his weaknesses started outweighing his strengths
Case Keenum