Photo Credit: Matt Rourke/Associated Press
Being an NFL rookie is tough, but not living up to expectation is another thing. Every year, there’s always a group of rookies who we all thought would make an impact but then just didn’t. This year was no different and some pretty high-profile draftees ended up being huge disappointments and it looks like they won’t be able to make a comeback. Here are my four NFL 2015 rookies who are fool’s gold.
Sammie Coates: The thing that really bothers me about Sammie Coates is the guy had so many opportunities to make an impact. Unfortunately for the Steelers, Coates only appeared in six games with just one reception for 11 yards and 0 touchdowns. With the Steelers relying heavily on Antonio Brown, QB Ben Roethlisberger needs to have a few more targets and Coates could have been one of them especially now with Martavis Bryant’s future up in the air. Despite early reports from training camp, there doesn’t seem to be much hope for Coates at this point but if Coates can pull off a good sophomore campaign, I will be surprised.
Melvin Gordon: We all had high hopes for Melvin Gordon. When the San Diego Chargers traded up for him, it looked like they were going to get a dominant running back and hopefully a replacement for Danny Woodhead. What the Chargers got was nothing like that. Despite playing in 14 games, Gordon never recorded a touchdown and only rushed for 641 yards while losing four fumbles. An injury kept Gordon sidelined for the last two games of the season. The poor ball security and lack of productivity are something that the Chargers shouldn’t have to deal with from such a high draft pick but then again they’re putting up with Joey Bosa‘s but that’s an article for another day. More than likely, the Chargers will have to continue to rely on Danny Woodhead.
Nelson Agholor: Let me start this off by saying I don’t believe Agholor should have foregone school to enter the draft. He didn’t really have a standout year with the Trojans which I believe is the reason why he has not been successful in the NFL yet. Agholor played in 13 games this last season but ended the season with 23 receptions, 283 receiving yards and only one touchdown. To cap that all off, Agholor was accused of sexual assault by a female dancer at a club in Philadelphia. While no charges were filed, it definitely didn’t help Agholor’s case to be a major part of Philadelphia’s offense. Maybe his disappointment was due to poor coaching by Chip Kelly or maybe Agholor just wasn’t ready for the NFL. No matter what the case is, there was no reason why Agholor should not have succeeded on a team that did not have standout receivers on their roster.
Danny Shelton: This list wouldn’t be complete unless I included a member of the Cleveland Browns. Shelton played in every game last season but failed to rack up an interception, forced fumble or a sack. He ended his rookie year with 36 combined tackles and four stuffs and that’s it. The Browns have also previously expressed concerns about Shelton’s weight which he seems to be working on but that’s only half the battle. If the Browns don’t thrive under Hue Jackson, then Shelton will continue to look like an even bigger waste of a first-round draft pick, something Browns fans are all too familiar with. Shelton might have personality but he can’t translate that onto the field and it will only continue to make the Browns even worse.
