As expected, there is a whole lot of information out there about the 49ers trade earlier today. For those who chose this day to spend the morning away from a computer, the 49ers sent their fifth round pick in next week's draft to the Miami Dolphins for wide receiver and return man Ted Ginn Jr. We've had two posts thus far (post #1 and post #2) and they've filled up with all sorts of discussion. I thought we'd open up a third thread with a different take on Ginn.
One of the perks of writing for a network of sports blogs is that we get access to bloggers for all the other NFL teams. I shot an email to Matt from The Phinsider and he was kind enough to pass along some of this thoughts on Ginn. The Dolphins selected Ginn ninth overall, two spots ahead of the 49ers selection of Patrick Willis. It's safe to say the Ted Ginn Jr. era was a bit of a disappointment in Miami. As Matt points out, Ginn showed some signs of progress, but in the end things went south. The team added Brandon Marshall and that was it for the former Ohio State star.
After the jump, I've posted Matt's thoughts on Ted Ginn Jr. If you get a moment, I recommend heading over to The Phinsider to check out their discussion on the topic of Ted Ginn Jr.. They had an initial FanPost on the topic, followed by their front page post on the subject.
Matty I:
Teddy was a polarizing figure in Miami ever since he was drafted ninth overall in 2007. But it wasn't until last season when Ginn really came under fire. Up until that point, you could definitely see the progression of a young receiver. Things went wrong last year, however. So let's quickly touch on that.
Prior to last season, I really thought Ginn had a reliable pair of hands. He really didn't drop too many balls and he even made some tough catches. I think all of the drops last year stemmed from a mental issue more so than a physical one. I believe the pressure from fans got to him. I think he could sense all of the hatred that some fans had towards him. And it got into his head.
We all were hoping for a number one receiver. Why? Draft status. When you pick a player ninth overall, you expect big things. As we all realized Ginn would never amount to that, Dolphin fans began souring on him. But it wasn't Ginn's fault that he was selected where he was selected. I think he got a raw deal from the fans here because they held his draft status against him.
So here's what you get in Ginn. You get a guy who can be a dynamic return man. At the same time, he can be as frustrating a return man as you've ever seen. He's not tough. He doesn't like to get hit. And he'll run out of bounds instead of attempting to battle for a few more yards. He's always looking for the big return, too, which causes him to sometimes run sideline-to-sideline or even backwards far too often. I think it has to be mentioned, though, that Miami's special teams blocking was terrible the past couple of years. So he rarely had any kind of obvious lane to run through.
As a receiver, Ginn is inconsistent. But I believe he can easily be a very good complimentary receiver. He won't go over the middle too much. But he can obviously go deep and he can work the sidelines. As a number two or number three, I think he still has a lot of upside. And I really believe that a change in scenery will greatly benefit the kid.
I wish him nothing but the best in San Francisco. But tell Coach Singletary to go easy on him. I wouldn't want to see Teddy cry.