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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2518146-predicting-the-nfls-sophomore-slumps-for-the-2015-season
Predicting the NFL's Sophomore Slumps for the 2015 Season
By Gary Davenport, NFL Analyst
2014 was a big year for newcomers in the National Football League.
There were any number of big first seasons across the league. Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants was an unstoppable force over the season's second half. Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reeled in 12 touchdown catches. Kelvin Benjamin of the Carolina Panthers topped 1,000 receiving yards.
And that was just the wide receivers.
However, as big an impact as rookies like Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill and St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald had on their teams in 2014, those youngsters aren't out of the woods yet.
There's always the fear that Cinderella will turn back into a pumpkin (or something—I don't think that's quite how the story went)—that a sophomore slump will erase that first year's glory.
It can be a real drag—just ask Doug Martin.
With that in mind, here's a look at players who may be fielding some uncomfortable questions—whether it be for declining stats, not meeting expectations or a combination of both—as summer turns to fall and then to winter.
Aaron Donald, DT, St. Louis Rams
In some respects, Aaron Donald faces the same dilemma as Beckham in 2015.
It isn't that the St. Louis Rams defensive tackle is in danger of regressing as a player. It's that a backslide in stats could be perceived that way.
Last year, the Rams' first-round pick got off to a slow start, managing only 13 tackles and a single sack over his first five games with the team. From there it was a different story. He amassed eight sacks in 11 games, including a sack in six of the last seven games of the season.
Among defensive tackles, Donald was Pro Football Focus' top-ranked player in 2014. The season ended with him bringing home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
And Donald told Myles Simmons of the team's website that he's only getting started.
"I think we had a solid year last year, but we’re expecting bigger things from us this year," he said. "We have a better feel for how each other plays out there, so I’m just excited about this upcoming year. Last year was just the beginning. It’s the start of something to build off of."
Teammate Chris Long was certainly impressed, per Simmons. “For my dollar, he’s the best D-tackle in football as far as rushing the passer and being disruptive. He was like that day one when he got here,” Long said. “He just needs to stay at the same level and keep honing his skills.”
However, much like Beckham, Donald's rookie breakout didn't happen in a vacuum. Donald has the advantage of playing on a loaded Rams front four, but that isn't going to change the fact that he is going to see more double-teams in 2015.
Sacks can be a fickle stat. A fraction of a second, half a step, can be the difference between success and "failure."
Mind you, Donald's effectiveness between the lines may not be diminished even a little. But that won't stop talking heads from wondering aloud what's "wrong" if Donald's second season starts the same way as his first.
Tre Mason, RB, St. Louis Rams
This is low-hanging fruit. Sue me.
However, that doesn't change the fact that the chips are stacked against St. Louis Rams running back Tre Mason improving on last year's 765 rushing yards and 4.3 yards per carry as a rookie in 2014.
Well, actually there's just one big chip. And it has "Todd Gurley" stamped on it.
The Rams stunned many pundits by selecting the Georgia star in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. After the draft, head coach Jeff Fisher told Nate Latsch of Gridiron Gateway that the Rams view Gurley as "the running back of the future for a number of years.”
Mason, however, wasn't so happy. "I was in shock, really," Mason said,per Latsch, "because I thought I did a good job last year. And at that time, I'm thinking a pick like that—that's a replacement."
Of course, there is the matter of the torn ACL Gurley suffered last November. Fisher allowed to Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that while Gurley's rehab is going well, there's no concrete date set for his return to action:
It’s hard to say right now. I can’t predict that. I know he’s doing well. He had a day off today because he’s doing so well. He’ll rehab with us during the break. ... We’re just going to see how he progresses. ... If he’s not PUP-ed (physically unable to perform), then I think you could probably assume that he’s going to play sooner than you think.
The sooner Gurley hits the field, the quicker Mason is going to go from young up-and-comer to second fiddle in St. Louis.
Greg Robinson, OT, St. Louis Rams
At this point it might seem that I'm piling on the St. Louis Rams.
Hardly. The team has fared well with the bounty of picks it received in the Robert Griffin trade. The trade that netted the team Nick Foles and a second-rounder for Sam Bradford was, in my opinion at least, a "win" for the Rams.
One of the picks the Rams got in the Griffin deal brought Greg Robinson to the Gateway City. He is a wildly athletic mountain of a young player who oozes upside.
But the knock on Robinson was that for all his potential, he was a "raw" prospect. And sure enough, he struggled as a rookie. In nine starts at left tackle, he ranked as the seventh-worst tackle in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed five sacks and was penalized 10 times.
Well, the future is now for Robinson with the Rams. An offseason shake-up along the offensive front means that ready or not he will have the task of guarding Foles' blind side in 2015.
Robinson told Mark Inabinett of AL.com that he's aware the pressure has increased exponentially:
It's kind of shocking just to see that because it's a lot of young guys that are in my position last year. I have to step up along with Rodger (Saffold). Me and him was up here the whole offseason, so it should pay off.
I feel like the game has slowed down a little bit for me just by me going in through the walk-throughs and getting off on the snap counts and stuff. I haven't been making as many mistakes as I was last year. So I think the main focus was just to get in the playbook and try my best to pay attention as much as possible just so I won't be thinking as much on the line.
The hard truth is that offensive tackle is one of the harder positions to get a handle on as a pro. It's especially true of athletic youngsters who are short on technique. In college, you can get by on sheer power and agility. In the NFL, defenders know how to use your own size and speed against you if your balance or footwork isn't just up to snuff.
And in that respect it will be interesting to see just how far Robinson has come this offseason.
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants
It's the stat lines from his last four games in 2014.
Beckham's rookie season was the stuff of legend—91 catches for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games, plus a highlight-reel grab against the Dallas Cowboys that we'll be watching replays of for years.
However, his sophomore season is already off to a bit of a rocky start. As Dan Graziano of ESPN.com wrote, a balky hamstring sidelined Beckham throughout OTAs. The 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year admitted that being stuck as a spectator has been frustrating:
For me, this is what I love doing, and this is what I feel like my purpose was to do. So it takes a lot of strength for me to be able to come here every day and not practice, have to hear the little remarks, the little jokes, this and that. And it's not just about a hamstring. It's so many other things that people talk about. So it's hard to come here and try and focus on 'What play is up right now?' instead of thinking about how bad you want to be out there.
That minor injury isn't the only issue facing Beckham this season. Last year's explosion was seen by everybody, including opposing defensive coordinators. Those same coordinators are no doubt going to make shutting Beckham down priority No. 1, especially given the questions looming over the New York ground game.
Add in the uncertain future of fellow wideout Victor Cruz, and Beckham is going to be getting up close and personal with a bevy of defensive backs this season.
Also, the fact is his per-game production is just going to be hard to duplicate. That's what happens when you average over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown per game.
Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions is widely considered one of the greatest players at his position of his generation. In his eight seasons in the NFL. Johnson has caught double-digit scoring passes in back-to-back seasons all of once.
Beckham could have what by any reasonable measure would be considered a fine 2015, and folks will still call it a slump. There isn't a second-year player in the NFL with a higher bar to clear this season.
Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders
Andy Benoit of the MMQB recently ranked all 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Oakland's Derek Carr checked in at No. 19 after a rookie season in which he threw for 3,270 yards and 21 touchdowns.
"Have to see how he does with the training wheels off," Benoit said, "but skill-wise, it appears the Raiders have finally (finally!) found their franchise QB."
Granted, 19th may not seem like all that great a ranking. But it's higher than Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers, who has played in a Super Bowl. Higher than Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals, who has led the Cincinnati Bengals to four straight playoff appearances.
And higher than Teddy Bridgewater of the Minnesota Vikings, who most folks would say was the top rookie quarterback of 2015.
Carr also has some new weapons at his disposal in Michael Crabtreeand rookie first-round pick Amari Cooper, whom he gushed about while speaking with Mark Inabinett of AL.com:
Oh, my goodness! It was nice to get out there and to see just how quick he is out of his breaks. There was one ball that I put on this side of his facemask instead of the front and led him. It would have been a big play, and that's just the stuff of us getting our timing down. But it made me see like, wow, he can really get in there. I can just let it go. It's nice. It slows the rush down, too, because you get the ball out and they're angry that they couldn't get to you -- all those good things. It was good to get out there and throw to him.
However, the hype surrounding Carr in 2015 centers on more than one domino falling just so.
Cooper needs to shine as a pro. Crabtree needs to stay healthy. Running back Latavius Murray needs to continue the sporadic success he had last year in a larger role. And Carr needs to continue to develop as a passer.
When's the last time that many things went right for the Raiders in the same season?
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Much like many of the players on this list, "slump" is a relative term where Evans is concerned.
After all, the 6'5", 231-pounder managed to haul in 68 passes for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns last year despite a quarterback situation that was, well, how can I say this—not good.
In fact, Evans told Tom Pelissero of USA Today that were it not for that dumpster fire at quarterback, he would have done even more.
"The quarterback would just look me off, and then I'd be dead," he said. "And I didn't understand, because I always think I'm open. Just throw that thing up. If we all get 200 targets, put in the same situations. I think I'll do just as good as anybody."
Evans' confidence is understandable. And his talent is undeniable. It's looking more and more like a big (so to speak) part of Johnny Manziel's success at Texas A&M was having Evans go get it when Manziel threw it up for grabs.
Still, the quarterback situation isn't exactly settled in Tampa in 2015. Presumptive Week 1 starter Jameis Winston may be immensely talented, but he's also yet to take a snap in an NFL game. It isn't going to help his acclimation that the Tampa front ranked 29th in the league in pass protection in 2014, per Football Outsiders.
As goes Winston, so will go Evans. And even if things go relatively well, those dozen scores are not going to be easy to back up.
Will Evans post a second straight solid season? Quite possibly.
However, will at least one Sunday morning this year be spent discussing how Evans can "get back on track?"
Quite possibly.
Jadeveon Clowney, OLB, Houston Texans
OK, so in some respects it's not exactly fair to call anything Jadeveon Clowney does in 2015 a "slump."
After all, it isn't going to take much for him to beat last year's seven tackles.
The first overall pick in last year's draft, Clowney's rookie year was an absolute disaster. The icing on that cake that no one wanted was microfracture surgery on his balky knee—surgery that casts more than a little doubt over Clowney's second season as well.
Texans head coach Bill O'Brien told ESPN.com's Tania Ganguli that the team remains hopeful Clowney will be ready against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, but the coach insisted Houston will play it smart where Clowney's long-term future is concerned:
Now, when he comes back to be able to practice in training camp, we don't really know that yet. Obviously, he would have to practice some to be able to be ready to play in the Kansas City game, even if it was on a limited basis. But he's worked extremely hard. I think he's moving well. I think he feels better. We'll be looking forward to seeing where he is at once we get back here at the end of July.
It's the right attitude to take, but it won't stop the hot takes or grumbling from fans when Clowney isn't knocking hats off on a regular basis.
And that's going to be hard to do while playing limited snaps or none at all.
Like most of the slumps on this list...perception will become reality.
And for most, perception is based on stats.
Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans Saints
There may not be a second-year player in the entire NFL who is at a greater risk of being hit with the slump label in 2015 than New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
And it has very little to do with Cooks himself.
The offseason trades that sent wide receiver Kenny Stills and tight endJimmy Graham out of town have elevated Cooks to the role of No. 1 receiver for the Saints.
Put it all together, and pundits such as Chris Wesseling of NFL.comhave dialed the volume on the speakers on the Cooks bandwagon to 11:
(Sean) Payton has shown a knack for taking advantage of "satellite" weapons who require space to make plays. That bodes well for the immediate future of Cooks, who offers rare suddenness and agility in the open field.
Now that Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills have been shipped off to Seattle and Miami, respectively, there could be as many as 175-200 targets up for grabs in the Saints' aerial attack. With only a declining Marques Colston ahead of him in the pecking order, Cooks is sure to be a featured player after dominating offseason practices.
Cooks was on pace for 85 receptions and roughly 1,000 yards from scrimmage prior to his season-ending injury in Week 11. Even if the Saints shift to a ball-control approach, a healthy Cooks has a good chance to sail past those numbers in 2015.
Don't get me wrong: The 2013 Biletnikoff Award winner is a talented young player. And it's possible, if things fall the right way, that he could have a bigger season than Beckham in 2015.
That's right—I said it.
However, we are talking about a player who managed only 550 receiving yards before a broken thumb ended his 2014 season and is playing on a Saints team in flux offensively.
I'm not saying Cooks won't have a good year. But the assumption seems to be that he's a shoo-in for a great year.
And you know what they say about assumptions.
Jake Matthews, OT, Atlanta Falcons
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Like Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews was a first-round pick last year. He was selected sixth overall by the Atlanta Falcons.
However, where Robinson was about potential, Matthews was all about the pedigree. He's the son of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews. The nephew of longtime Cleveland Browns linebacker Clay Matthews. And the cousin of Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews Jr.
However, that pedigree didn't equal production in 2014. In fact, of 84 qualifiers at offensive tackle last year at Pro Football Focus, Matthews checked in dead last. The 6'5", 309-pounder ranked near the bottom of his position in both sacks and hurries allowed.
Matthews also saw his season end with a Lisfranc injury that required offseason surgery, but he told ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure he's feeling good and looking forward to Kyle Shanahan's new zone-blocking scheme in 2015:
It's about athleticism and speed. We're trying to beat the defense off the ball, outwork them and outrun them, and beat them with angles, all that stuff ... cutting them off. I think it something that's well-suited for me. I feel like I have that lateral quickness and I can be a big help in this offense. So I'm excited for it.
In theory, it would appear a scheme that suits Matthews. But it's also another new scheme for a player who is trying to both rehab from injury and wash off last season's stink.
I'm not saying Matthews is a bust, even if he struggles in 2015.
Just that it's a real possibility his rookie slump is going to have a sequel.
Johnny Manziel, QB, Cleveland Browns
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
We might as well finish with everyone's favorite punching bag.
This is yet another instance where on the surface it's hard to see how Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel could possibly slump in 2015. If he does one thing right this season, it will be one more than during the nightmare that was his rookie year.
This year, of course, is supposed to feature a "new" Manziel. The mercurial Heisman Trophy winner spent time in rehab, and he toldPat McManamon of ESPN.com that his days as a one-man sideshow are over:
The money sign will not be back. I will not be making it out there. I feel bad about that today. I feel bad about that throughout the last months of my life really thinking back and seeing how much of my life outside of this field and outside of this locker room was documented. It's not fair for Joe Haden to be having to answer questions about me every day. It's not fair for Joe Thomas and all these guys to just continue to have questions asked about me. I don't think that's fair at all and I don't want that on them.
That's all well and good. It's admirable that Manziel sought help for his problems and is trying to get his life turned around.
However, his NFL future is another story. The questions about Manziel's viability as an NFL quarterback grew to a roar after last season's fiasco. And the blunt truth is that he just doesn't have the skills (and more importantly the arm) to be a successful starter at the professional level.
And as McManamon reported a few weeks ago, that was evident (again) at OTAs:
Predicting the NFL's Sophomore Slumps for the 2015 Season
By Gary Davenport, NFL Analyst
2014 was a big year for newcomers in the National Football League.
There were any number of big first seasons across the league. Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants was an unstoppable force over the season's second half. Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reeled in 12 touchdown catches. Kelvin Benjamin of the Carolina Panthers topped 1,000 receiving yards.
And that was just the wide receivers.
However, as big an impact as rookies like Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill and St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald had on their teams in 2014, those youngsters aren't out of the woods yet.
There's always the fear that Cinderella will turn back into a pumpkin (or something—I don't think that's quite how the story went)—that a sophomore slump will erase that first year's glory.
It can be a real drag—just ask Doug Martin.
With that in mind, here's a look at players who may be fielding some uncomfortable questions—whether it be for declining stats, not meeting expectations or a combination of both—as summer turns to fall and then to winter.
Aaron Donald, DT, St. Louis Rams
In some respects, Aaron Donald faces the same dilemma as Beckham in 2015.
It isn't that the St. Louis Rams defensive tackle is in danger of regressing as a player. It's that a backslide in stats could be perceived that way.
Last year, the Rams' first-round pick got off to a slow start, managing only 13 tackles and a single sack over his first five games with the team. From there it was a different story. He amassed eight sacks in 11 games, including a sack in six of the last seven games of the season.
Among defensive tackles, Donald was Pro Football Focus' top-ranked player in 2014. The season ended with him bringing home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
And Donald told Myles Simmons of the team's website that he's only getting started.
"I think we had a solid year last year, but we’re expecting bigger things from us this year," he said. "We have a better feel for how each other plays out there, so I’m just excited about this upcoming year. Last year was just the beginning. It’s the start of something to build off of."
Teammate Chris Long was certainly impressed, per Simmons. “For my dollar, he’s the best D-tackle in football as far as rushing the passer and being disruptive. He was like that day one when he got here,” Long said. “He just needs to stay at the same level and keep honing his skills.”
However, much like Beckham, Donald's rookie breakout didn't happen in a vacuum. Donald has the advantage of playing on a loaded Rams front four, but that isn't going to change the fact that he is going to see more double-teams in 2015.
Sacks can be a fickle stat. A fraction of a second, half a step, can be the difference between success and "failure."
Mind you, Donald's effectiveness between the lines may not be diminished even a little. But that won't stop talking heads from wondering aloud what's "wrong" if Donald's second season starts the same way as his first.
Tre Mason, RB, St. Louis Rams
This is low-hanging fruit. Sue me.
However, that doesn't change the fact that the chips are stacked against St. Louis Rams running back Tre Mason improving on last year's 765 rushing yards and 4.3 yards per carry as a rookie in 2014.
Well, actually there's just one big chip. And it has "Todd Gurley" stamped on it.
The Rams stunned many pundits by selecting the Georgia star in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. After the draft, head coach Jeff Fisher told Nate Latsch of Gridiron Gateway that the Rams view Gurley as "the running back of the future for a number of years.”
Mason, however, wasn't so happy. "I was in shock, really," Mason said,per Latsch, "because I thought I did a good job last year. And at that time, I'm thinking a pick like that—that's a replacement."
Of course, there is the matter of the torn ACL Gurley suffered last November. Fisher allowed to Joe Lyons of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that while Gurley's rehab is going well, there's no concrete date set for his return to action:
It’s hard to say right now. I can’t predict that. I know he’s doing well. He had a day off today because he’s doing so well. He’ll rehab with us during the break. ... We’re just going to see how he progresses. ... If he’s not PUP-ed (physically unable to perform), then I think you could probably assume that he’s going to play sooner than you think.
The sooner Gurley hits the field, the quicker Mason is going to go from young up-and-comer to second fiddle in St. Louis.
Greg Robinson, OT, St. Louis Rams
At this point it might seem that I'm piling on the St. Louis Rams.
Hardly. The team has fared well with the bounty of picks it received in the Robert Griffin trade. The trade that netted the team Nick Foles and a second-rounder for Sam Bradford was, in my opinion at least, a "win" for the Rams.
One of the picks the Rams got in the Griffin deal brought Greg Robinson to the Gateway City. He is a wildly athletic mountain of a young player who oozes upside.
But the knock on Robinson was that for all his potential, he was a "raw" prospect. And sure enough, he struggled as a rookie. In nine starts at left tackle, he ranked as the seventh-worst tackle in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed five sacks and was penalized 10 times.
Well, the future is now for Robinson with the Rams. An offseason shake-up along the offensive front means that ready or not he will have the task of guarding Foles' blind side in 2015.
Robinson told Mark Inabinett of AL.com that he's aware the pressure has increased exponentially:
It's kind of shocking just to see that because it's a lot of young guys that are in my position last year. I have to step up along with Rodger (Saffold). Me and him was up here the whole offseason, so it should pay off.
I feel like the game has slowed down a little bit for me just by me going in through the walk-throughs and getting off on the snap counts and stuff. I haven't been making as many mistakes as I was last year. So I think the main focus was just to get in the playbook and try my best to pay attention as much as possible just so I won't be thinking as much on the line.
The hard truth is that offensive tackle is one of the harder positions to get a handle on as a pro. It's especially true of athletic youngsters who are short on technique. In college, you can get by on sheer power and agility. In the NFL, defenders know how to use your own size and speed against you if your balance or footwork isn't just up to snuff.
And in that respect it will be interesting to see just how far Robinson has come this offseason.
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants
- 11 catches, 130 yards, 1 touchdown
- 12 catches, 143 yards, 3 touchdowns
- 8 catches, 148 yards, 2 touchdowns
- 12 catches, 185 yards, 1 touchdown
It's the stat lines from his last four games in 2014.
Beckham's rookie season was the stuff of legend—91 catches for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games, plus a highlight-reel grab against the Dallas Cowboys that we'll be watching replays of for years.
However, his sophomore season is already off to a bit of a rocky start. As Dan Graziano of ESPN.com wrote, a balky hamstring sidelined Beckham throughout OTAs. The 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year admitted that being stuck as a spectator has been frustrating:
For me, this is what I love doing, and this is what I feel like my purpose was to do. So it takes a lot of strength for me to be able to come here every day and not practice, have to hear the little remarks, the little jokes, this and that. And it's not just about a hamstring. It's so many other things that people talk about. So it's hard to come here and try and focus on 'What play is up right now?' instead of thinking about how bad you want to be out there.
That minor injury isn't the only issue facing Beckham this season. Last year's explosion was seen by everybody, including opposing defensive coordinators. Those same coordinators are no doubt going to make shutting Beckham down priority No. 1, especially given the questions looming over the New York ground game.
Add in the uncertain future of fellow wideout Victor Cruz, and Beckham is going to be getting up close and personal with a bevy of defensive backs this season.
Also, the fact is his per-game production is just going to be hard to duplicate. That's what happens when you average over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown per game.
Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions is widely considered one of the greatest players at his position of his generation. In his eight seasons in the NFL. Johnson has caught double-digit scoring passes in back-to-back seasons all of once.
Beckham could have what by any reasonable measure would be considered a fine 2015, and folks will still call it a slump. There isn't a second-year player in the NFL with a higher bar to clear this season.
Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders
Andy Benoit of the MMQB recently ranked all 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Oakland's Derek Carr checked in at No. 19 after a rookie season in which he threw for 3,270 yards and 21 touchdowns.
"Have to see how he does with the training wheels off," Benoit said, "but skill-wise, it appears the Raiders have finally (finally!) found their franchise QB."
Granted, 19th may not seem like all that great a ranking. But it's higher than Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers, who has played in a Super Bowl. Higher than Andy Dalton of the Cincinnati Bengals, who has led the Cincinnati Bengals to four straight playoff appearances.
And higher than Teddy Bridgewater of the Minnesota Vikings, who most folks would say was the top rookie quarterback of 2015.
Carr also has some new weapons at his disposal in Michael Crabtreeand rookie first-round pick Amari Cooper, whom he gushed about while speaking with Mark Inabinett of AL.com:
Oh, my goodness! It was nice to get out there and to see just how quick he is out of his breaks. There was one ball that I put on this side of his facemask instead of the front and led him. It would have been a big play, and that's just the stuff of us getting our timing down. But it made me see like, wow, he can really get in there. I can just let it go. It's nice. It slows the rush down, too, because you get the ball out and they're angry that they couldn't get to you -- all those good things. It was good to get out there and throw to him.
However, the hype surrounding Carr in 2015 centers on more than one domino falling just so.
Cooper needs to shine as a pro. Crabtree needs to stay healthy. Running back Latavius Murray needs to continue the sporadic success he had last year in a larger role. And Carr needs to continue to develop as a passer.
When's the last time that many things went right for the Raiders in the same season?
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Much like many of the players on this list, "slump" is a relative term where Evans is concerned.
After all, the 6'5", 231-pounder managed to haul in 68 passes for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns last year despite a quarterback situation that was, well, how can I say this—not good.
In fact, Evans told Tom Pelissero of USA Today that were it not for that dumpster fire at quarterback, he would have done even more.
"The quarterback would just look me off, and then I'd be dead," he said. "And I didn't understand, because I always think I'm open. Just throw that thing up. If we all get 200 targets, put in the same situations. I think I'll do just as good as anybody."
Evans' confidence is understandable. And his talent is undeniable. It's looking more and more like a big (so to speak) part of Johnny Manziel's success at Texas A&M was having Evans go get it when Manziel threw it up for grabs.
Still, the quarterback situation isn't exactly settled in Tampa in 2015. Presumptive Week 1 starter Jameis Winston may be immensely talented, but he's also yet to take a snap in an NFL game. It isn't going to help his acclimation that the Tampa front ranked 29th in the league in pass protection in 2014, per Football Outsiders.
As goes Winston, so will go Evans. And even if things go relatively well, those dozen scores are not going to be easy to back up.
Will Evans post a second straight solid season? Quite possibly.
However, will at least one Sunday morning this year be spent discussing how Evans can "get back on track?"
Quite possibly.
Jadeveon Clowney, OLB, Houston Texans
OK, so in some respects it's not exactly fair to call anything Jadeveon Clowney does in 2015 a "slump."
After all, it isn't going to take much for him to beat last year's seven tackles.
The first overall pick in last year's draft, Clowney's rookie year was an absolute disaster. The icing on that cake that no one wanted was microfracture surgery on his balky knee—surgery that casts more than a little doubt over Clowney's second season as well.
Texans head coach Bill O'Brien told ESPN.com's Tania Ganguli that the team remains hopeful Clowney will be ready against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, but the coach insisted Houston will play it smart where Clowney's long-term future is concerned:
Now, when he comes back to be able to practice in training camp, we don't really know that yet. Obviously, he would have to practice some to be able to be ready to play in the Kansas City game, even if it was on a limited basis. But he's worked extremely hard. I think he's moving well. I think he feels better. We'll be looking forward to seeing where he is at once we get back here at the end of July.
It's the right attitude to take, but it won't stop the hot takes or grumbling from fans when Clowney isn't knocking hats off on a regular basis.
And that's going to be hard to do while playing limited snaps or none at all.
Like most of the slumps on this list...perception will become reality.
And for most, perception is based on stats.
Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans Saints
There may not be a second-year player in the entire NFL who is at a greater risk of being hit with the slump label in 2015 than New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
And it has very little to do with Cooks himself.
The offseason trades that sent wide receiver Kenny Stills and tight endJimmy Graham out of town have elevated Cooks to the role of No. 1 receiver for the Saints.
Put it all together, and pundits such as Chris Wesseling of NFL.comhave dialed the volume on the speakers on the Cooks bandwagon to 11:
(Sean) Payton has shown a knack for taking advantage of "satellite" weapons who require space to make plays. That bodes well for the immediate future of Cooks, who offers rare suddenness and agility in the open field.
Now that Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills have been shipped off to Seattle and Miami, respectively, there could be as many as 175-200 targets up for grabs in the Saints' aerial attack. With only a declining Marques Colston ahead of him in the pecking order, Cooks is sure to be a featured player after dominating offseason practices.
Cooks was on pace for 85 receptions and roughly 1,000 yards from scrimmage prior to his season-ending injury in Week 11. Even if the Saints shift to a ball-control approach, a healthy Cooks has a good chance to sail past those numbers in 2015.
Don't get me wrong: The 2013 Biletnikoff Award winner is a talented young player. And it's possible, if things fall the right way, that he could have a bigger season than Beckham in 2015.
That's right—I said it.
However, we are talking about a player who managed only 550 receiving yards before a broken thumb ended his 2014 season and is playing on a Saints team in flux offensively.
I'm not saying Cooks won't have a good year. But the assumption seems to be that he's a shoo-in for a great year.
And you know what they say about assumptions.
Jake Matthews, OT, Atlanta Falcons
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Like Greg Robinson, Jake Matthews was a first-round pick last year. He was selected sixth overall by the Atlanta Falcons.
However, where Robinson was about potential, Matthews was all about the pedigree. He's the son of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews. The nephew of longtime Cleveland Browns linebacker Clay Matthews. And the cousin of Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews Jr.
However, that pedigree didn't equal production in 2014. In fact, of 84 qualifiers at offensive tackle last year at Pro Football Focus, Matthews checked in dead last. The 6'5", 309-pounder ranked near the bottom of his position in both sacks and hurries allowed.
Matthews also saw his season end with a Lisfranc injury that required offseason surgery, but he told ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure he's feeling good and looking forward to Kyle Shanahan's new zone-blocking scheme in 2015:
It's about athleticism and speed. We're trying to beat the defense off the ball, outwork them and outrun them, and beat them with angles, all that stuff ... cutting them off. I think it something that's well-suited for me. I feel like I have that lateral quickness and I can be a big help in this offense. So I'm excited for it.
In theory, it would appear a scheme that suits Matthews. But it's also another new scheme for a player who is trying to both rehab from injury and wash off last season's stink.
I'm not saying Matthews is a bust, even if he struggles in 2015.
Just that it's a real possibility his rookie slump is going to have a sequel.
Johnny Manziel, QB, Cleveland Browns
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
We might as well finish with everyone's favorite punching bag.
This is yet another instance where on the surface it's hard to see how Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel could possibly slump in 2015. If he does one thing right this season, it will be one more than during the nightmare that was his rookie year.
This year, of course, is supposed to feature a "new" Manziel. The mercurial Heisman Trophy winner spent time in rehab, and he toldPat McManamon of ESPN.com that his days as a one-man sideshow are over:
The money sign will not be back. I will not be making it out there. I feel bad about that today. I feel bad about that throughout the last months of my life really thinking back and seeing how much of my life outside of this field and outside of this locker room was documented. It's not fair for Joe Haden to be having to answer questions about me every day. It's not fair for Joe Thomas and all these guys to just continue to have questions asked about me. I don't think that's fair at all and I don't want that on them.
That's all well and good. It's admirable that Manziel sought help for his problems and is trying to get his life turned around.
However, his NFL future is another story. The questions about Manziel's viability as an NFL quarterback grew to a roar after last season's fiasco. And the blunt truth is that he just doesn't have the skills (and more importantly the arm) to be a successful starter at the professional level.
And as McManamon reported a few weeks ago, that was evident (again) at OTAs:
Johnny Manziel had his issues, though. He had a nice mid-range throw to Rodney Smith, but that set of plays mainly concentrated on swing passes and underneath routes after that.
In a later set of 11-on-11 plays, Manziel took six snaps in the shotgun, dropping three of them. Every play ended when he put the ball on the ground.
Even if Manziel does make some progress and becomes a serviceable backup, that isn't going to stop the stories about what could have been—the slideshows of first-round busts that Manziel will be making more and more appearances on.
His "slump" is a product of the hype that followed him from Texas to Ohio.
And it's going to last well past 2015.
In a later set of 11-on-11 plays, Manziel took six snaps in the shotgun, dropping three of them. Every play ended when he put the ball on the ground.
Even if Manziel does make some progress and becomes a serviceable backup, that isn't going to stop the stories about what could have been—the slideshows of first-round busts that Manziel will be making more and more appearances on.
His "slump" is a product of the hype that followed him from Texas to Ohio.
And it's going to last well past 2015.
