WR Larry Brackins, an interesting candidate who just finished playing for a championship team — the Arena League's Philadelphia Soul. Brackins was Tampa Bay's fifth-round draft pick out of Pearl River CC in Mississippi in 2005. The Bucs made him a last cut in '05 and an even quicker cut in July of '06, but the 6'4", 225-pounder found a home with Philly in the AFL. Here are Brackins' Arena League totals: Year Team Recs Yards Avg TDs 2007 Philadelphia 56 786 14.0 20 2008 Philadelphia 107 1395 13.0 29 Gaudy numbers, although of course they were compiled on the AFL's 50-yard fields. We'll see if Brackins' game can translate to the NFL gridiron in the coming days and weeks. http://www.newyorkjets.com/blog/posts/641-clowney-sidelined-soul-s-brackins-signed
I remember when Larry Brackins had committed to play for FSU when he was the #1 Juco kid in the country some years back. He was supposed to be a physical marvel, but could never get his grades in order, so he ended up just jumping to the NFL out of Pearl River after 3 years. He's got some sick skills, and watching him play Arena ball he was just a guy that you knew was flat better than everyone else on the field. Maybe playing in Arena will have matured him, but I think it's still a matter of his head keeping him from being an NFL wideout. Arena offense doesn't seem to be all that elaborate, but we'll see what impact it had on him trying to stick here. It's a long, long shot with the multitude of young wide receivers we have, but a guy I'd like to see succeed based on what he can be.
Hopefully he works out. Seems a little late in the preseason to expect him too however. I like his Height.
I don't know about this one. Say he actually is good. What guarantees that he won't pull Terrell Owens? Remember, TO was a humble young man during his early years in SF. I always have concerns with players that just don't have their head screwed right.On top of that, nothing guarantees that he will be actually that good either. Seems like a waste of time to me.
I like this signing. In fact I love the fact that the FO is willing to look in every nook and cranny to find players. Whether it's late round guys in the draft, UDFA, other team's practice squad, street free agents, etc, the Jets leave no stone unturned. True, the new guy probably won't work out. But with that size and productivity, he's defnitely worth a look in camp for a few days. Especially with Clowney out. You never know - Clowney himself was another team's trash (GB practice squad).
One good thing about Arena Football League receivers is that they get a ton of reps. Just this season Brackins probably saw as many passes as Marcus Henry did in his entire career at Kansas. The constant practice of getting separation and catching the ball in all kinds of circumstances has to help your development as a WR. Now most AFL guys do not have the physical ability of an NFL player. That's why they're in the league. But Brackins has great size. It's his oddball path after high school which lead him to the AFL, not any lack of ability.
Yeah me too. When he only won 2 NFL MVP's and 1 Superbowl MVP and turned a terrible franchise around instantly. I realized this guy sucks.
Maybe you have no idea what I meant. Well, not maybe, definitely. I wasn't bashing Kurt Warner, I was bashing every AFL hopeful after him that ended up falling on their face and sucking ass.
Two words... AFTER HIM. Gadsden and Warner signed with Miami and St. Louis respectively in the same year. Edit: I honestly didn't even know Gadsden was Arena until later because they didn't make a huge deal about Arena until Warner lit the world on fire.
Tricked you? He won a SB and was all pro how many times? Oh, nm..I saw the responses later after posting this.
