If Logan Thomas was available in the 6th or 7th round of the 2014 NFL draft, he wouldve been drafted as a Tight End. Here is how Logan recounts the pre-draft interview,
"A coach called me two days before the draft -- I'm not going to name who it was -- but he said 'if you're still sitting around in the sixth or seventh round, we're going to take you as a tight end,' Thomas said.
"It kind of hit me. I told him 'good luck with me being there in the sixth or seventh round. If it comes to that, we'll talk about it, but I don't think it's going to come to that.' He was like 'oh yeah, I guess we'll see on Saturday where you're going to be at.' Right then, it kind of hit me that they don't think I can do it, so I have to go out and prove my point."
After watching the second half of Arizona's first pre-season game, that NFL coach is probably eating crow right now.
Logan Thomas came close to being drafted as a Tight End
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I get the feeling Logan doesn't like being called a Tight End.
I remember watching Cam Newton's first preseason game as a rookie, he didn't look as good as Logan did in his first preseason. Maybe the guy who said Lt was a better pro prospect than Cam was right.
Let's see if Logan does what Cam did in the first game that matters before we make any declarations here.
Again, LT was playing against the 3's...
Eh, I wouldn't go that far. Cam set all kinds of records in rookie year and has already been to two Pro Bowls in just three years. I think he could be as good as Cam, but he's not there yet.
I love hearing this. That's EXACTLY the kind of motivation he needs. He'll prove everyone wrong with the huge chip he has on his shoulder
That chip is going to need to be huge, because his shoulders are massive
I understand that the coach's quote is essentially hearsay at this point, but if
LT3'sLT6's summary is accurate, than I am stunned that coach had the audacity to say something along those lines to a prospective player. If you are going to draft a player and ask him to change positions immediately, the prudent approach would be to (a) ask the player if they are comfortable with the change, and (b) use some tact. I get that the NFL is a business and all, but if you want to maximize your return on investment it may make more sense to get the player to buy in before making even a minor investment in them. I hope Logan continues to prove that smug coach wrong.I agree. That coach could've gone about it an entirely different way.
I bet it was Bill Belichick
To play Devil's Advocate, Logan kind of instigated the response with his combative reply to the coach's heads-up. Let's be honest, if you're going in the 6th or 7th round of the draft, you should probably just be thankful you're being picked at all, and I'm sure the coach was just giving him that head's up that, should he be picked there, it won't be as a QB. He very easily could have not made that call, and drafted Logan as a TE in those rounds without the heads-up. Logan's cocky reply probably wasn't the best reply, either. Something more akin to "I have my heart set on QB, and am not considering TE for my career, I would rather you not select me if you're going to do it as TE" would have been lightyears better than "Good luck with that".
Just saying, both sides could have handled that situation better, if you believe what Logan is saying.
Logan has the talent to succeed at both positions. But it sounds like the coach dismissed his ability to play QB at the next level. Its good that the NFL has 32 teams and all you need is one team to believe in you.
I don't know how close it really was, but I think you're right he had the talent to play both positions. And as we have all seen at Virginia Tech, he also had the talent to move to tackle, and even fullback and heck, let's throw in linebacker and defensive end too. The man was a football player and you nailed it 100% with this "all you need is one team to believe in you". He's getting his shot at QB. Go Logan.
I agree with you, but in the end this is all paraphrased by Logan. We have no idea how the conversation really went. Regardless, Logan should have every opportunity to take a shot playing the position he wants to play. While everyone dreams of being drafted, sometimes it is better to go undrafted and have a chance to select where you have the best shot at sticking at your position of choice. He earned the chance to make it at QB.
agreed. if that was logan's response, paraphrased or not, he handled the situation in less than an ideal manner. regardless of whether he felt afronted at that moment, throughout the months leading up to draft there was talk (by GMs, coaches, and agents) of his athleticism and TE being a backup plan. this is straight from an agent. he should have been a little more aware that it was bound to happen and handle it gracefully. in the same breath though, i can't blame him.
i'm glad he's getting his shot. hopefully with some solid coaching he'll be able to develop the consistency he needs to be successful.
Completely disagree. A) like was said this is paraphrased so you are making big assumptions here and b) if this was how the conversation went down then the coach instigated it, because he spoke first thus instigating the conversation. c) I would say the same thing as Logan, as did Tyrod Taylor during his time. He is a QB and nothing else. You have no idea if that coach was hounding him to flip to TE and Logan was fed up with it or really zero background on it to claim Logan instigated anything.
The coach was merely informing Logan of what they were planning. Logan has also not been too pleased with all the TE talk from anyone. He made a snappy response to the coaches plan and the coach dished it back. Just because someone starts a conversation does not mean that they are accountable for everything the other person said.
You also have no idea if the coach just said they liked his athleticism and want him to contribute immediately and TE would give them the best shot at that. Our players aren't perfect angels who never say the wrong thing. You can't use paraphrasing as evidence for your point and at the same time dismiss it for a different one. And in truth if I was in Logan's shoes I'd probably have done the same thing after being told for over a year that I can't play QB and must switch to TE to have any semblance of an NFL career. \
you are assuming that. neither you nor I were there.
precisely so everyone dial back the assumptions
I didn't
wait... you're trying to call me out by saying the coach is "merely informing Logan" and trying to remind me that one person is not accountable for what the other says, and then finish by saying you would do the same thing as Logan?
Then let's just hold off on having any opinion on any situation in which we are not privy to all the information. All I was saying is that you're dismissing a valid reason as to why the coach isn't being professional because it's a paraphrased conversation, in which the rudeness started with Logan's response to the coach wanting him as a TE if he's around late draft. You're point b) is still baffling since under that logic the first person to speak in a conversation is responsible for everything anyone else says after that.
As to your idiotic reaction .gif, just because I would do something doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. I understand why he said what he did after these past few months, but it doesn't give him a pass or shift the blame to someone else, especially not the person who started the conversation.
that's exactly my point and what I am doing. Not what either you or Alum07 are doing.
What's the valid reason? the whole conversation is paraphrased so there is no validity. You and Alum07 are inferring that this coach is being above board and polite. yes you can assume that, but I can just as easily assume that this coach is actually being a total dick and hounding Logan to commit to something he doesn't want to. Both are assumptions and as per my point both baseless.
ok, here's the point. You and Alum07 are taking a paraphrased conversation and claiming Logan instigated the rudeness because you are assuming the coach was being nice and polite. But neither of you were there. My point b is to illustrate that it can be taken a different way, in that the coach is and was being a dick about pushing Logan to be a TE, which we all know he repeatedly said he did not want to be, thus the coach instigated the rudeness. Also an assumption, and one I am not making, only using it as an example in a "what if" scenario whereby we take the conversation as not being paraphrased. We still don't know tone, tenor, context or history. None of us were privy to this conversation, or any other their other conversations if they had any, to know who instigated what, as per my original point.
As to my completely warranted, and utterly adorable Emma Stone, .gif it was in response to the irony of attempting to call me out on something I wasn't doing, calling Logan out for being rude on your assumptions, and then saying that you would do the same thing. So it's not about getting a pass or shifting the blame to someone else, it's about not blaming anyone in the first place because all your blame is made on assumptions.
The fact of the matter is
That is a direct quote from what Logan Thomas claimed he said. Paraphrased or not, that is what Logan Thomas claims he said. That in itself is a combative reply to what the coach said. There are far, far more diplomatic ways for Logan to have replied to a coach telling him the team was looking to draft him to play a position he didn't want to play than "good luck". That in itself is begging for a snarky reply, which is apparently what he got.
I don't care if he was tired of people saying he should play TE. Everyone deals with things in their lives where people are saying things about them they don't want to hear. Part of growing up is learning how to deal with these situations diplomatically, which Logan failed to do here. Its completely unfair to call out the unnamed coach for how he acted and not call out for Logan on how he acted, based on the information that Logan himself is giving us. That's a situation that could have and should have been handled much better, from all parties involved.
Logan may not be the best QB to ever play the game. But hes never been accused of having a bad attitude or bad teammate. Like BA said, the critics can eat crow.
Not saying that this did happen but has anyone taken into account that Logan may have known already that he was going to be picked before then? For all we know, Bruce Arians may have made the EXACT SAME PHONE CALL but instead of saying "we'll take you in the 6th as a TE", he said "We will take you in the 4th as a Quarterback". That would make sense for why Logan said that. He already knew that the Cardinals would pick him in the 4th if he was still on the board. Again, not saying that this did happen, but it very well could have which would have given Logan a reason to say that.
And if that were the case, I'd tell the guy, "I'm already getting 4th round promises to play QB, which is what I want to play."
As I said, there were a multitude of ways to be more diplomatic about it than egging the coach on with "good luck with that".
If this coach wanted to draft you as a TE, which you have repeatedly said in every interview publicly available that you did not want to play, and you had been told by a coach you like that they will take you in the 4th as a QB, then why in the world would you tell him that you are getting promise in the 4th? The coach wanting you as a TE may just take you in the 3rd then. Sorry that just doesn't make sense.
Logan saying that or not you are still making big assumptions.
You don't know if what Logan said the mystery coach said is word for word or cleaned up. Nor do you know the tone, or the history behind this specific coach approaching Logan to be TE. So whether Logan made a snarky comment is not in context. Again no one that we know of save for this coach and he were in the conversation.
From every interview and telling I have heard of him, Logan has always been gracious and diplomatic. So if you wanted to infer context as you seem to then perhaps infer that Logan may have been pushed too far by this particular coach to be a TE and had enough of it.
Which leads to:
Again you are making a big assumption on context. Do you know if this was the only time this coach contacted him or how his tone or demeanor was whilst saying these words, even if paraphrased is word for word accurate? No. So why are you so rushed to believe that Logan failed to be diplomatic? He could have been diplomatic a 100 times and finally gave this coach a clear message that he had enough. And while being diplomatic is part of growing up so is standing your ground for what you believe in and not getting pushed around by people trying to make you into something you don't want to be.
I never called out anyone. That's the point. I wasn't in the conversation. Neither were you, so why are you calling out Logan?
another assumption that you are making on your belief that you understand context and tenor of the words that were spoken, which again you don't. Could it have been handled better? who knows. Could be Logan handled it the best way possible. Again neither of us know.
I get that these are your opinions, so that's cool by me. I am not trying to start an argument but your comments on Logan doing something undiplomatic, immature and mishandled are where I think your opinion lacks merit.
while being diplomatic is part of growing up so is standing your ground for what you believe in and not getting pushed around by people trying to make you into something you don't want to be.
You have a point there!
To be a QB in the NFL one had better be somewhat 'combative' or competitive and leave the diplomacy to the general managers.
That's just the Nature of the Beast. The NFL preseason games have higher ratings than World Series MLB games, amazing how much I miss football.
I don't know who the coach was, but I know it was Rex Ryan
Meanwhile this is what Bruce Arians had to say,
I really enjoy all the guys who said Logan stunk coming out and shouldve been a tight end. Theyre eating a lot of crow this week. So thats fun.
Mmmm. Crow.
Now that coach is all like
Not necessarily.
Could be his team doesn't need a QB but does need a TE.
Then he should hire this guy and get
Then it would have made much more sense to draft a tried-and-true TE.
Not that late into the draft. Rounds six and seven are basically crap shoots anyway. Most don't come close to making the team so if you had a choice to spend money on an good or ok TE or a more physically gifted player like Logan who would you choose?
Only if the tried and true TE you get in the 6th round is better than the TE prospect Thomas in the 6th.
It's not like Ebron was going to be available in that round.
Thomas was no TE prospect, whether someone wanted to draft him as one or not.
Eating crow because he's looked good in situations as 3rd string or backup QB?
Let's tone it down on the hyperbole a little bit until he starts seeing some meaningful snaps in an NFL game. Right now, Logan is fighting for the backup QB position, which is exactly where most pundits (even those criticizing him) thought he would be. If/when he is made starter in the NFL and starts succeeding, then you can start serving up crow at your heart's desire, but for the time being, settle down. There were NUMEROUS people (scouts and coaches alike) who thought he was backup QB material, with the potential to be an elite TE should he make the switch. Looking good against a bunch of 2nd and 3rd string talent in the preseason isn't exactly cutting that argument off at the knees.
Actually, A LOT of pundits, scouts and coaches, as noted above, claimed he was only suitable to be a TE. So the fact that he came out and is claiming praise as the best rookie QB in the first week is in fact making those that doubted his QB skills eat crow. Now those that say he will not start will need to wait until he does to eat crow.
It's not hyperbole if that is what people analyzing are saying about him, which they are.
And don't forget, Johnny football and Bradford are rookie QBs they are comparing him to.
Really? Name 5 real scouts/coaches that claimed he was only suitable as a TE.
Yes, he was playing against 2nd and 3rd string talent. But yes, he was playing with 2nd and 3rd string talent wasn't he?
All I'll say is that Joe Webb looked pretty good against/with the 3rd stringers last week too. I think Logan will be a better QB than Webb, but preseason performances don't do a whole lot for me.
Is it too early to retire this picture for all Logan related stories?
I agree. It was fun the first few hundred times.
That said, if he eventually turns into a superstar NFL QB, I wouldn't be against him putting it on his business cards.
Logan Thomas
Pro-Bowl QB, MVP, Superbowl Champion, HokieClub Diamond (x10) Member, Once Caught A Pass from Sam Rogers And Survived His Wrath for not Scoring a TD.
"Suck It, Haters" LLC.
If he turns into a superstar, I wouldn't be opposed to him legally changing his middle name to SuckItHaters, and forcing all announcers to use his full name when referring to him.
Ok, how about this?
I did not know they made clothes that color, that big.
He needs a giant freaking round red nose and floppy shoes to go with that get up. (I say, relatively certain he won't call in any favors from Sam Rogers.)
I need those pants.
I thought maybe it was LT's best Westbrook/Wade impersonation before seeing AB's tweet.
Impressive ab work in that photo.
Lookin' good.
Perhaps someone can edit the photo to him wearing a Cardinals jersey......
I scrolled down a long way waiting for this pic
I have no issue with the coach saying this up front. It gave LT3 a feeling on what a coach was honestly thinking, and chances are there were other coaches who had similar ideas. Like Alum said up further up, that wasn't exactly a diplomatic response by Logan and I doubt the coach responded the "we'll see on Saturday" line verbatim. Hokie fans were pretty much the only group that thought Logan could succeed at QB, which I still believe he can and will, but one half of a preseason game isn't exactly proving he's at that level yet.
That's correct, it's not a true NFL game but, with 125 FBS teams and the current number of NFL teams, even against 2nd and 3rd stringers it's like playing against hungry college all stars.
It's definitely encouraging, I'm just not fully ready to say that he's ready to dominate the NFL yet. I'd compare it to doing great in the spring game: it's awesome and the future looks good, but it needs to translate to the field when he gets the chance. Again, I think he can, I just wanted to make sure we weren't patting each other on the back yet for being right after one half of a preseason game.
Yeah, its the first preseason game, in the 2nd half. Most of the guys on the field will not have NFL careers.
The knock on LT is his consistency. That means he has really good stretches....and really bad stretches. He always has.
Remember. The. Miami. Game.
I really can't characterize any of this, because if an NFL coach actually called me for any reason I'd just pee in my pants a little and probably mumble for a few seconds before he gave in and hung up.
i was going to post a GIF of cousin eddie from christmas vacation explaining how he pissed his pants and forgot who he was for a few minutes every time his wife revved up the microwave but i failed.
I also heard coach said " he could be a "STUD TE". Atleast he was half right. Hard to go to the bank with one week of pre-season football, but pulling for Logan!
Let's be honest guys, a pro coach can say whatever the hell he wants. He's not recruiting Logan, he's drafting him and giving him potentially his only shot in the NFL. It was possible that Logan wouldn't have been in a position to walk away from that. Fortunately, he was.
0. Spell something wrong.
auguemint
No, that is definitely not the way it's done.
Get real or go home.
Edit: /sarc.
Not sure if arguing to be funny or legitimately disagrees.
This thread is proof that Aug. 30th can't get here soon enough. Sigh.
Ha, I was just going to post the exact same thing! +1
No, You weren't.
His attitude reminds of Tim Tebow. Nobody expected Tebow to go as QB; everyone assumed he'd be taken as some sort of halfback or fullback. Timmy and Logan both really worked on their technique and were drafted by coaches interested in their playing style. Hopefully, Logan can have more long term success (I really miss Tebow, though I definitely don't mind having Peyton).
Only one of those picks will be remembered as a huge waste though.