OPINION

"Looking Back" On The 2007 NFL Draft: Calvin Johnson The Bust

Written by Matthew T. Sussman
Published April 23, 2007

Quick! We need more buildup to the NFL Draft! The top prospects do not have enough pressure on them. Will they bust or become perennial Pro Bowlers? Matt Sussman and Tuffy examine both sides of each coin, writing articles from the year 2011 "looking back" on the top 2007 draft picks. Just another reason to own a flux capacitor.

Calvin Johnson as a Bust

PHILADELPHIA — As the season begins, this may be Calvin Johnson's best chance yet to win a Super Bowl.

The former first round draft pick, having endured four harsh years with a struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, has found refuge with the Philadelphia Eagles after being released by Tampa this summer.

Johnson will be one of the top targets for Hall of Fame-bound quarterback Donovan McNabb, what with his eight Pro Bowls and two Super Bowl appearances, but no rings to show for the latter. McNabb, now 34, and Johnson, who turns 26 next month, may not be the sexiest QB-WR combination in the league, or even the best ever involving McNabb, but it just may be the right mix of veteran grit and flashy speed to help Philly endure the stifling NFC East.

Johnson was the second overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded up with the Detroit Lions, exchanging their fourth-round pick. The Georgia Tech wideout had no conceivable ceiling to his potential, but the talent went to waste as Chris Simms never re-materialized as a quarterback following his 2006 splenectomy. And the less said about Drew Bledsoe's comeback attempt with the Buccaneers, the better.

Johnson's first year in the league was indeed promising, catching 62 balls for 965 yards and seven touchdowns. But only one 1000-yard season to his name, coupled with nagging hamstring injuries which sidelined him for 8 games in 2009 (the Madden Curse strikes yet again), Johnson's career 2,606 reception yards pales in comparison to the promise he showed during his days at Tech.

With Johnson's expectations and ego no longer in orbit, he's aiming to contribute on an Eagles team re-loaded with veteran players. And perhaps he could earn that elusive ring, much like (no relation) Keyshaun Johnson, who also won a ring not as the No. 1 deep threat, but he did so with Gruden and the Bucs, not after his time there.

He could be a bust in draft experts' minds in that he won't be the next Marvin Harrison. But this "bust" isn't looking to go down in the NFL history books as a failure, much like a frighteningly similar talent — Randy Moss.

Read Tuffy's "Calvin Johnson The Star"

Matt SussmanMatt Sussman is the sports editor of BC Magazine and also writes for Deadspin, SPORTSbyBROOKS, The Futon Report, and the Toledo Free Press. Catch him Mondays and Fridays at 8 p.m. ET with asst. sports editor Tuffy on Treehouse Fort, the official show of BC Sports.

E-mail sports-related inquiries (or inquiry-related sports, such as full-contact Twenty Questions) to matt.sussman@blogcritics.org.
Keep reading for information and comments on this article, and add some feedback of your own!
"Looking Back" On The 2007 NFL Draft: Calvin Johnson The Bust
Published: April 23, 2007
Type: Opinion
Section: Sports
Filed Under: Sports: Football (American)
Part of a feature: NFL Draft: Star Or Bust
Writer: Matthew T. Sussman
Matthew T. Sussman's BC Writer page
Matthew T. Sussman's personal site
Spread the Word
Like this article?
Email this
Submit to del.icio.us Save to del.icio.us
RSS Feeds
All RSS Feeds (240+)
Comments on this article
Articles in this series
BC articles by Matthew T. Sussman
Sports: Football (American)
All Sports Articles
Matthew T. Sussman's personal weblog
All Opinion articles
All BC articles
All BC Comments

Comments

#1 — April 24, 2007 @ 13:06PM — Michael J. West [URL]

Calvin Johnson, indie-rock icon and founder of the legendary K Records, is now playing in the NFL? What a multitalented man.

#2 — April 24, 2007 @ 16:01PM — Matthew T. Sussman [URL]

In BC Sports, music nerds have their pants pulled down and they are spanked with moon rocks.

#3 — April 24, 2007 @ 16:32PM — zingzing

ahh, but we music nerds moondance (yes, you can moondance with your pants down,) out of your spanking range and stick our shiny-shiny italian shoes up your ass!

#4 — April 27, 2007 @ 00:06AM — Vince Mullins [URL]

remember that Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson Tackles Global Sanitation Problems too.

He really is the ####.

Want comments emailed to you? No spam, promise! Address:

Add your comment, speak your mind

(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/62984)

Personal attacks are not allowed. Please read our comment policy.





Remember Name/URL?

Please preview your comment!

Fresh
Articles
Fresh
Comments