NFL Sources Tell ESPN's Dan Orlovsky That Teams May Be Questioning Justin Fields' Commitment
I have to admit, this conversation caught me a bit off-guard.
There have been lots of things floated around in the media lately about Justin Fields' talent level, particularly about whether or not he can handle going through his progressions when under pressure. After putting on an absolute clinic during his Pro Day on Tuesday and looking at his toughness personified in some of the biggest moments of his career, I think Fields is a slam dunk first round pick.
His leadership this past offseason also took center stage, when he was at the forefront of asking the Big Ten to bring football back.
But there is apparently this ridiculous narrative swirling that Fields' draft stock has fallen because he doesn't have the work ethic or the drive to succeed at the NFL level.
Pat McAfee and A.J. Hawk discussed Fields on The Pat McAfee Show today, with Pat referencing what NFL sources had been relaying to his colleague Dan Orlovsky about Fields. McAfee referenced that this could all be nonsense being thrown out there, but he acknowledged that it could make sense if Orlovsky's sources are accurate. Take a listen to what they had to say.
Here's an excerpt from their conversation:
“Justin Fields is potentially last one in, first one out type of guy, which is why the narrative of his draft stock is going down,” McAfee said of Orlovsky’s sources. … “There’s a lot of thought about how he’ll be as you know, basically the CEO (quarterback) of a team.”
After asking Hawk his perspective on the situation and the former Buckeye linebacker admitting he isn't as plugged in with the team as he used to be, McAfee connected the dots to a lack of love for the game as to why some NFL personnel may have cooled on Fields:
“That would make a lot of sense,” McAfee continued. “I’m very befuddled about how this guy goes from an absolute stud — this guy the most talented guy — here we go, this is the locked into guy, and then it just came out of nowhere. I know he had a couple of bad games, but I think everybody did … You’re going to have bad games, and the fact that a two-year, three-year narrative almost got changed because of it, there had to be something. It would make sense if numerous media people are being told by numerous decision-makers that ‘we’re not 100 percent sold on his passion’ or whatever … It could all be (BS) though A.J., this could all be lies.”
I understand that people are going to talk about Fields' draft stock because its a hot topic nationally right now. But there have been absolutely no indications whatsoever that those accusations have any merit. In fact, Ryan Day has repeatedly praised Fields for his dedication to his craft and his leadership. Watch the video at the top of this page for Day's answer to a recent question on what an NFL team would be getting if they drafted Fields.
I also don't believe that Orlovsky is being fed lies from his sources, so there's a serious disconnect somewhere along the way. Orlovsky himself has also defended Fields' talent on numerous occasions. But any team that is seriously considering drafting Fields (and with 31 of the 32 teams represented at his Pro Day, that includes basically everyone in the league), you can be sure teams are going to do a lot of homework on Justin's practice and study habits.
I just have an awfully hard time believing that any of those things are true. Fields continues to say the right things in front of the camera, and by all accounts his teammates loved him in Columbus. He even changed his diet last year in an effort to be more athletic and more explosive for the season.
Wondering if he can handle the speed of the NFL game or whether he can handle playing quarterback is one thing. It's subjective and everyone is entitled to their own opinion on that front. I believe he will be a very good NFL quarterback. But questioning whether or not he actually loves football and wants to commit to the game long-term feels way off target.
I understand that NFL teams are going to turn over every stone in the evaluation process ... but any team that does actual digging into Fields is going to find that those rumors are complete nonsense.
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