Anyone writing off Valentine Holmes’ chances of making it in the NFL needs to back off. He’s every chance of cementing a place for himself on the New York Jets playing roster.
Comparing Holmes with Jarryd Hayne, whose now-infamous trip to America promised much before ultimately falling flat and ending abruptly, paints Australia’s latest NFL recruit in a positive light.
Hayne announced in 2014 his departure from the NRL after winning his second Dally M Medal, and in March the following year was signed by the San Francisco 49ers. At 26 (27 when signed by the 49ers), he was at the peak of his rugby league powers, but wasn’t at the stage where he was going to improve much more.
Having reached his ceiling as an NRL athlete, was it really all that surprising he wasn’t able to completely adapt to an entirely new sport, one which required him to both fundamentally change his body and learn a slew of plays and tactics which American footballers would have been familiarising themselves with since adolescence, maybe earlier?
At 23, Holmes is still developing as a sportsman. Picking up the new skills his NFL career requires might be just that little bit easier and, even if it isn’t, he’s got far more time on his hands to make it happen than Hayne ever did.
Advantage Holmes.
Another important consideration is the contract.
(Photo: AP)
Hayne was signed by the 49ers as a free agent. From a technical standpoint, it was no different to them picking up someone who’d been playing the game their entire lives and just hadn’t landed with anyone in the draft or whose contract had expired.
His three-year deal offered plenty of time and something of a safety net should things not click immediately, but it was nonetheless clear he was in the mix for a spot on the 53-man roster from the get-go.
Holmes, on the other hand, has been allocated to the Jets as part of the NFL’s international player pathway program. He’s guaranteed an 11th, unactivatable spot on New York’s practice roster for the 2019 season, allowing him to train for a season and learn the sport without the pressure of having to perform on gameday in his first year in the league.
Now, if things go swimmingly in training camp and the pre-season, Holmes can be handed a spot on the playing roster. But if (and when?) he misses out, spending a year learning the ropes away from the bright lights of the NFL regular season would put him in excellent stead for a solid career in the league, giving him a grounding in the sport Hayne never received.
That’s two for two in the former Shark’s favour, and it could make all the difference.
From a talent standpoint, the two are evenly matched. Holmes is currently faster than Hayne was when he switched sports, Hayne was a stronger ball-runner.
But talent was never the barrier preventing Jarryd Hayne from making it in the NFL. The same goes for Valentine Holmes, whose speed, fleet-footedness and ability to break the line have him well suited to American football.
With time and a favourable contract on his side in ways they weren’t for his code- and country-hopping forebear, there’s every chance Holmes will succeed in the NFL where Hayne couldn’t.
Hard Yards
Roar Rookie
Yes, to give Hayne his due, getting a ticket in the NFL at his age was remarkable. In principle, not really all that different to running out with Man United. That would have been no less astonishing.
Paul
Roar Guru
Pat, your logic doesn't make a lot of sense. "At 23, Holmes is still developing as a sportsman. Picking up the new skills his NFL career requires might be just that little bit easier and, even if it isn’t, he’s got far more time on his hands to make it happen than Hayne ever did." There was a 3 or 4 year gap between Hayne and Holmes, which is not huge. You've also decided Hayne reached the peak of his abilities and Hayne is still developing, but how can you know that? You also make it seem like Hayne had little or no access to learning when that and fitness was virtually all he did for the 6 plus months he was in America. I think Hayne did outstandingly well to get as far as he did, given the path he chose to take. Holmes, in comparison, has a relatively easy ride but in saying that, is no guarantee to get a proper NFL contract in 12 months time. What if he can't learn the plays, what if gets injured, what if gets homesick (as has been reported already), what if he decides to bright lights of New York & it's temptations to party are too great? Yes Holmes has a chance to make it, but a better chance? It's now up to him, his body & his attitude.
Paul
Roar Guru
Can I ask what expertise you bring to the table when offering a comment, Peeeko? I was also not aware the Roar comments were solely the domain of people who were "experts" in that sport?
peeeko
Roar Guru
here we go again, everyone is an expert.
Superspud
Roar Rookie
To say that Hayne didn't make it is slightly disrespectful to his achievement. He did make a roster. I think the big difference maybe in training work ethic. Hayne didn't strike me as the world's hardest trainer over here can only assume it was the same over there.
GFH
Roar Rookie
Jarryd Hayne flew into a bit of a perfect storm in 2015 though - the San Fran 49ers had a dearth of running back talent and Hayne played well enough in the pre-season at both RB (albeit against some pretty vanilla defensive schemes) and on special teams. I think that's where Holmes' best chance at cracking a roster lies. But unless he is deemed competent enough to suit up at either RB or WR in a given week; he'll probably find himself as a weekly inactive on game day. So Holmes making a roster isn't as simple as "is he better than Hayne" - it's really a question of whether he can end up in a situation as good (?bad) as the one Hayne did. This Jets team (as evidenced by their recent free agent activity) seem to be all-in on winning in the next 2-3 seasons. Do they have use for a guy unless he's an absolute standout as a kick or punt returner?
piru
Roar Rookie
Yep, and generally the big 'change' in a play will be something tiny like a tackle blocking back while a guard pulls, instead of both blocking square while everyone else does the same thing. I've learnt to disregard 90% of what the QB says in a huddle - all I hear is the offensive line's assignment and the snap count.
josh
Roar Rookie
Agree re: "learn the plays", it's a lazy trope. Most players have to learn the plays, different teams have different plays. Season to season plays can change if head coaches and co-ordinators change. And then High school is different from College which is different from the NFL. Everybody's learning.
piru
Roar Rookie
People over estimate how many 'plays' a player needs to learn. He needs to learn the language more than the plays - ie what does a swing mean as opposed to a sweep. Is his target the a or b gap? Once he has that down, he can learn anything new pretty quickly, he only needs to know his job and - depending on where he's playing, maybe what his blockers are trying to do. It's a very small part of a much more complicated play.