James Hardy thoughts

[The Spaz]

After drafting Hardy I decided to consult a Indiana fan that also runs psxsports.com. Here is what he said:

James Hardy is an interesting choice. He could be a star or exit the league within a few years. He wanted to play basketball at Indiana, but Indiana didn't have a basketball scholarship for him, so they recruited him to play football (to give him a scholarship) and basketball. He started out really raw (couldn't run routes). He played more like Tony Gonzalez, where he would box out the defender and then cut towards the sideline. He broke out as a redshirt freshmen and made huge strides once he figured his footwork out.

It is tough to predict how good James Hardy will be in the NFL. He worked really hard on improving his speed and he has deceptive speed on the deep ball. His greatest attributes are his height and hands. James Hardy goes after the ball (catches the ball away from his body) and is notorious for making the impossible catch in traffic. Indiana never really had a good quarterback while James Hardy was there and most of James Hardy's receptions were due to his ability to go after the ball.

James Hardy will always be one of my favorite college football players because he plays with fire. He will run cornerbacks over, stare at the man covering him after a reception, and is extremely competative. James isn't a Keyshawn Johnson in terms of demanding the ball, but he has a presence where he can single handedly take over a game. I couldn't find a decent highlight reel of James Hardy, but his 2006-2007 season was amazing!!!

The biggest drawback to James Hardy is his route running. I'm not sure how well he will be able to seperate from NFL corners. He is still learning the game and once he learns how to run routes and a few stutter steps he will be a stud in the NFL. Otherwise, he could never get off the bench.

Thanks again for the PM and I will be cheering the Bills on with you (two of my friends from IU are huge Bills fans!).

DT

[Philagape]

Good stuff. Sounds like a ................ high-motor guy :couch:

[Mitchy moo]

Jump ball situations have been sorely missed, we can toss the rock real high and 6'6" will have the better odds.:band:

[BuffaloBillsStampede]

There is no way anyone can deny how much he will help in the red zone. All Trent has to do is lob a catchable ball up in the corner and you can call it a touchdown. I really like this pick a lot. I would have preferred Malcolm Kelly, but Hardy obviously is the one they wanted so I won't complain.

[realdealryan]

I got phone calls from all of my IU buddies who were wishing this guy would fall to the Colts. They were jealous.

[Michael82]

Basically we finally got the HUGE red zone threat that we have been lacking for years..... You can just throw it his way and he'll reach up and beat the CB for it. :drool:

I love it!!! :up:

[LifetimeBillsFan]

There is no way anyone can deny how much he will help in the red zone. All Trent has to do is lob a catchable ball up in the corner and you can call it a touchdown. I really like this pick a lot. I would have preferred Malcolm Kelly, but Hardy obviously is the one they wanted so I won't complain.

Trent doesn't even have to lob the ball his way: his being on the field will force opposing defenses to double him in the the red-zone, which will open things up for everyone else. That's the impact that he will have for the team immediately, even if he isn't ready to start or log major minutes when the offense is elsewhere on the field.