Jeff Samardzija (Split From Colvin Con-call Thread)

[CubinNY]

Len Kasper just said he heard Samardzija will try to play both baseball and football professionally. I don't know if that is a good idea for a pitcher to be getting knocked around in the NFL in the winter, but if he can pull it off that would be very impressive.

 

It will never happen.

[E.J.]

Len Kasper just said he heard Samardzija will try to play both baseball and football professionally. I don't know if that is a good idea for a pitcher to be getting knocked around in the NFL in the winter, but if he can pull it off that would be very impressive.

 

Dumbest idea ever. He's no Bo Jackson. I don't see it going very well.

[RonnieWooWooSanto]

Len Kasper just said he heard Samardzija will try to play both baseball and football professionally. I don't know if that is a good idea for a pitcher to be getting knocked around in the NFL in the winter, but if he can pull it off that would be very impressive.

 

Dumbest idea ever. He's no Bo Jackson. I don't see it going very well.

 

Also, not very wise considering he is a pitcher.

[Post Count Padder]

From BA's draft day blog:

 

 

Cubs Nab Golden Domer

4:06 p.m.: The Cubs, as expected, took Jeff Samardzija in the fifth round with their second pick. The Notre Dame righthander and All-America wide receiver intends to play both sports, which scared off teams enough to help him drop to the Cubs. The Cubs might spend first-round money on Samardzija in what's sure to be a back-loaded deal that allows him to play football this fall, a commitment Samardzija has made repeatedly. Samardzija has first-round talent with a fastball up to 94 mph and a developing slider that has shown improvement this spring as his season progressed and he got deeper into baseball season. The Cubs have a strong relationship with Notre Dame, as both scouting director Tim Wilken and especially GM Jim Hendry are longtime friends of Irish coach Paul Mainieri.

-- John Manuel

[burnt out cubbie fan]

does anybody honestly believe the guy has upper round NFL WR speed?

 

not even close. good hands. good knack for getting open. not a top NFL pick by any means.

 

Everything I've heard has him in the 10-20 range of the first round. If he drops into the 2nd round, Mark Bradley got about $2 million in guarantees.

If he gets taken in the first 20 picks of the NFL draft, I will piss my pants.

[soccer10k]

does anybody honestly believe the guy has upper round NFL WR speed?

 

not even close. good hands. good knack for getting open. not a top NFL pick by any means.

 

Wasn't that the same type of report on one Jerry Rice? I'm not saying that Samardzjia is another Rice, but I wouldn't knock him.

[soccer10k]

Wow, my friend that's a Notre Dame fan is going to find this hilarious.

[NorthsideAvenger]

Len Kasper just said he heard Samardzija will try to play both baseball and football professionally. I don't know if that is a good idea for a pitcher to be getting knocked around in the NFL in the winter, but if he can pull it off that would be very impressive.

 

It will never happen.

 

You never know:

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/cs-060607cubsdraftside,1,4419975.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

 

The Cubs took a gamble on the 6-foot-5-inch, 215-pound Samardzija, whose upside in football is so huge that most considered his baseball career a mere lark. But if the Cubs sign him quickly, as expected, Samardzija could play at Class A Boise in a short-season league that begins June 19 and return to South Bend the first week of August to begin football practice.

 

I suspect, there will not be a holdout. Which would be good. I think Sammy days as a ND baseball player are over.

 

"That would be a wonderful world," he said. "I'd have the same feeling as being drafted in baseball. But that's a long way from now. I have a whole season [of Notre Dame football] and a whole summer of playing baseball [coming up]. But obviously, if I drew it up, it wouldn't be any better than that."

 

The quote seems to me that Sammy/ his advisor and the Cubs might be closer to a deal than what most people think. And it does suggest, Sammy (I can't spell his last name) will give it a go for both sports. But, my fear, is that he is one injury away from having to choose one or the other.

 

And IF he signs, does anybody think they will try and room Johnson and Sammy together, and see if they can't push each to becoming better pitchers?

Edited June 7, 2006 by NorthsideAvenger

[Andy]

does anybody honestly believe the guy has upper round NFL WR speed?

 

not even close. good hands. good knack for getting open. not a top NFL pick by any means.

 

Everything I've heard has him in the 10-20 range of the first round. If he drops into the 2nd round, Mark Bradley got about $2 million in guarantees.

If he gets taken in the first 20 picks of the NFL draft, I will piss my pants.

He's far and away the No. 1 WR in the draft right now, so I'd have to think he'll be a top-20 pick. He's not really fast, but could be a very good possession receiver a la Keyshawn in the League.

 

There is no way that he can or will play NFL and MLB at the same time. It's simply impossible for a pitcher.

 

And no, I haven't heard anything about his ultimate choice either, but my gut feeling is he sticks with football. We'll see though. It'd be exciting to have my favorite college baseball player with the Cubs.

[texascub]

I think that people under-estimate Samardzija's speed. Since he's 6'5" he's a long strider so he covers alot of ground but it doesn't look like it. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him run somewhere between 4.48 and 4.52.

[NorthsideAvenger]

does anybody honestly believe the guy has upper round NFL WR speed?

 

not even close. good hands. good knack for getting open. not a top NFL pick by any means.

 

Everything I've heard has him in the 10-20 range of the first round. If he drops into the 2nd round, Mark Bradley got about $2 million in guarantees.

If he gets taken in the first 20 picks of the NFL draft, I will piss my pants.

He's far and away the No. 1 WR in the draft right now, so I'd have to think he'll be a top-20 pick. He's not really fast, but could be a very good possession receiver a la Keyshawn in the League.

 

How does Sammy chose to play WR, and pitcher in the two sports? Most pitchers who had played football, ended being the QB. Him choosing WR over QB, would be an interesting story.

 

There is no way that he can or will play NFL and MLB at the same time. It's simply impossible for a pitcher.

 

And no, I haven't heard anything about his ultimate choice either, but my gut feeling is he sticks with football. We'll see though. It'd be exciting to have my favorite college baseball player with the Cubs.

[texascub]

does anybody honestly believe the guy has upper round NFL WR speed?

 

not even close. good hands. good knack for getting open. not a top NFL pick by any means.

 

Everything I've heard has him in the 10-20 range of the first round. If he drops into the 2nd round, Mark Bradley got about $2 million in guarantees.

If he gets taken in the first 20 picks of the NFL draft, I will piss my pants.

He's far and away the No. 1 WR in the draft right now, so I'd have to think he'll be a top-20 pick. He's not really fast, but could be a very good possession receiver a la Keyshawn in the League.

 

How does Sammy chose to play WR, and pitcher in the two sports? Most pitchers who had played football, ended being the QB. Him choosing WR over QB, would be an interesting story.

 

There is no way that he can or will play NFL and MLB at the same time. It's simply impossible for a pitcher.

 

And no, I haven't heard anything about his ultimate choice either, but my gut feeling is he sticks with football. We'll see though. It'd be exciting to have my favorite college baseball player with the Cubs.

 

Most of the people switching from baseball into football as a QB weren't pitchers. Quincy Carter, Matt Mauck, and Drew Henson were all 3B. Chad Hutchinson is the only P that converted into a QB that I can think of off the top of my head. Farnsy and Sisco never played pro or even college football for that matter...they just happened to have the build to do so.

[YearofDaCubs]

does anybody honestly believe the guy has upper round NFL WR speed?

 

not even close. good hands. good knack for getting open. not a top NFL pick by any means.

 

Everything I've heard has him in the 10-20 range of the first round. If he drops into the 2nd round, Mark Bradley got about $2 million in guarantees.

If he gets taken in the first 20 picks of the NFL draft, I will piss my pants.

He's far and away the No. 1 WR in the draft right now, so I'd have to think he'll be a top-20 pick. He's not really fast, but could be a very good possession receiver a la Keyshawn in the League.

 

How does Sammy chose to play WR, and pitcher in the two sports? Most pitchers who had played football, ended being the QB. Him choosing WR over QB, would be an interesting story.

 

There is no way that he can or will play NFL and MLB at the same time. It's simply impossible for a pitcher.

 

And no, I haven't heard anything about his ultimate choice either, but my gut feeling is he sticks with football. We'll see though. It'd be exciting to have my favorite college baseball player with the Cubs.

 

Most of the people switching from baseball into football as a QB weren't pitchers. Quincy Carter, Matt Mauck, and Drew Henson were all 3B. Chad Hutchinson is the only P that converted into a QB that I can think of off the top of my head. Farnsy and Sisco never played pro or even college football for that matter...they just happened to have the build to do so.

Funny thing is Carter was drafted by the Cubs.

[Outshined_One]

Michael Vick and Mewelde Moore were taken in the 2000 MLB Draft, as memory serves me. I think both were taken on the second day as position players, though.

 

Samardzija is not "far and away" the best WR in this upcoming draft class, though. In terms of seniors, Jason Hill (Washington State) should be able to push him for that distinction. The junior class is absolutely filthy, though. If he came out, most people would give the "Best WR in the Draft" distinction to Calvin Johnson out at Georgia Tech. Some people think he could be the best player in the 2007 draft, period. Other people really like Dwayne Jarrett (Southern Cal) and Sidney Rice (South Carolina) over Samardzija.

 

Granted, we'll see what happens in the fall. It pretty much hinges on who comes out and who doesn't, along with injuries and production (much like any other draft). Given his speed limitations and possible commitment to the Cubs, I have a feeling he might slip in the draft.

[craig]

This two-sport thing is obviously short-term. Ifhe signs this summer to a back-loaded deal, he can pitch for a few weeks for Cubs, then do fall football.

 

After that, different story. NFL is pretty summer consumptive. With mini-camps and regular camp etc, there isn't that much time away from football for a guy who is making football camps a higher priority. Plus, if he's doing all the combines and trying to get drafted as high as possible, he probably won't have much baseball attention even in the spring.

 

So sure, he can pitch for the Cubs for a few weeks, then go on his merry way with a football career, maybe ala Elway. Or, the reverse, he can enter the NFL draft, see how things shake out, and decide he didn't get drafted high enough. Presumably they could structure a back-loaded contract so that if he stays baseball, he ends up getting 1st-round money. And if he quits next spring, or not too long thereafter, the Cubs aren't out very much and it's just a wasted pick rather than wasted millions.

 

If we're lucky, some girlfriend will tell him she'd rather have him play baseball, without the injury risk.

[texascub]

This two-sport thing is obviously short-term. Ifhe signs this summer to a back-loaded deal, he can pitch for a few weeks for Cubs, then do fall football.

 

After that, different story. NFL is pretty summer consumptive. With mini-camps and regular camp etc, there isn't that much time away from football for a guy who is making football camps a higher priority. Plus, if he's doing all the combines and trying to get drafted as high as possible, he probably won't have much baseball attention even in the spring.

 

So sure, he can pitch for the Cubs for a few weeks, then go on his merry way with a football career, maybe ala Elway. Or, the reverse, he can enter the NFL draft, see how things shake out, and decide he didn't get drafted high enough. Presumably they could structure a back-loaded contract so that if he stays baseball, he ends up getting 1st-round money. And if he quits next spring, or not too long thereafter, the Cubs aren't out very much and it's just a wasted pick rather than wasted millions.

 

If we're lucky, some girlfriend will tell him she'd rather have him play baseball, without the injury risk.

 

If it is one of the girls off of his myspace friends list, I may start trying to impersonate him just to hook up with them.

 

EDIT: Here is his myspace for those who haven't seen it.

 

Just for the record, "The Girl Next Door" is my personal favorite but " ♥ Dont hate me cause I got what you want! " is an extremely, extremely close 2nd.

Edited June 7, 2006 by texascub

[Guest]

chicks dig the longball

[RonnieWooWooSanto]

If we're lucky, some girlfriend will tell him she'd rather have him play baseball, without the injury risk.

 

If it is one of the girls off of his myspace friends list, I may start trying to impersonate him just to hook up with them.

 

EDIT: Here is his myspace for those who haven't seen it.

 

Just for the record, "The Girl Next Door" is my personal favorite but " ♥ Dont hate me cause I got what you want! " is an extremely, extremely close 2nd.

 

Read the comments from the girl whose name I highlighted. Have you ever seen "Fatal Attraction" and Glenn Close saying, "DAN, I WILL NOT BE IGNORED!!!"?

 

It reminds me of that scene.

[NorthsideAvenger]

does anybody honestly believe the guy has upper round NFL WR speed?

 

not even close. good hands. good knack for getting open. not a top NFL pick by any means.

 

Everything I've heard has him in the 10-20 range of the first round. If he drops into the 2nd round, Mark Bradley got about $2 million in guarantees.

If he gets taken in the first 20 picks of the NFL draft, I will piss my pants.

He's far and away the No. 1 WR in the draft right now, so I'd have to think he'll be a top-20 pick. He's not really fast, but could be a very good possession receiver a la Keyshawn in the League.

 

How does Sammy chose to play WR, and pitcher in the two sports? Most pitchers who had played football, ended being the QB. Him choosing WR over QB, would be an interesting story.

 

There is no way that he can or will play NFL and MLB at the same time. It's simply impossible for a pitcher.

 

And no, I haven't heard anything about his ultimate choice either, but my gut feeling is he sticks with football. We'll see though. It'd be exciting to have my favorite college baseball player with the Cubs.

 

Most of the people switching from baseball into football as a QB weren't pitchers. Quincy Carter, Matt Mauck, and Drew Henson were all 3B. Chad Hutchinson is the only P that converted into a QB that I can think of off the top of my head. Farnsy and Sisco never played pro or even college football for that matter...they just happened to have the build to do so.

 

Both Sisco (who was RECRUITED by the Pac-10 as a DE) and Farnsworth both did play football in high school.

 

-----

 

YearofDaCubs;

 

Quincy wasn't the only one drafted by the Cubs. Matt Mauck, LSU QB on the NT team, was drafted by the Cubs in 1997. And even Antwaan Randel El was another drafted by the Cubs. Point remains, the Cubs have an unnatural love for athletes, instead of players.

[soccer10k]

If we're lucky, some girlfriend will tell him she'd rather have him play baseball, without the injury risk.

 

If it is one of the girls off of his myspace friends list, I may start trying to impersonate him just to hook up with them.

 

EDIT: Here is his myspace for those who haven't seen it.

 

Just for the record, "The Girl Next Door" is my personal favorite but " ♥ Dont hate me cause I got what you want! " is an extremely, extremely close 2nd.

 

Read the comments from the girl whose name I highlighted. Have you ever seen "Fatal Attraction" and Glenn Close saying, "DAN, I WILL NOT BE IGNORED!!!"?

 

It reminds me of that scene.

 

Wow. Those girls are amazing.

[burnt out cubbie fan]

He's far and away the No. 1 WR in the draft right now, so I'd have to think he'll be a top-20 pick.

Bias is awesome.

[soccer10k]

He's far and away the No. 1 WR in the draft right now, so I'd have to think he'll be a top-20 pick.

Bias is awesome.

 

Haha. Somebody had to say it.

[texascub]

He's far and away the No. 1 WR in the draft right now, so I'd have to think he'll be a top-20 pick.

Bias is awesome.

 

I'm not a huge ND (infact, I'm hoping Quinn takes a nosedive so that he'll last until the Cowboys' pick) but I'd say out of all draft eligible players in the upcoming draft (juniors and seniors), he's a top 3-5 WR. With the depth that there will be at WR, I see a major run of them and he could easily end up in the top 15. WRs his size with good hands, route running, and decent speed don't grow on trees.

[wade]

This two-sport thing is obviously short-term. Ifhe signs this summer to a back-loaded deal, he can pitch for a few weeks for Cubs, then do fall football.

 

After that, different story. NFL is pretty summer consumptive. With mini-camps and regular camp etc, there isn't that much time away from football for a guy who is making football camps a higher priority. Plus, if he's doing all the combines and trying to get drafted as high as possible, he probably won't have much baseball attention even in the spring.

 

So sure, he can pitch for the Cubs for a few weeks, then go on his merry way with a football career, maybe ala Elway. Or, the reverse, he can enter the NFL draft, see how things shake out, and decide he didn't get drafted high enough. Presumably they could structure a back-loaded contract so that if he stays baseball, he ends up getting 1st-round money. And if he quits next spring, or not too long thereafter, the Cubs aren't out very much and it's just a wasted pick rather than wasted millions.

 

If we're lucky, some girlfriend will tell him she'd rather have him play baseball, without the injury risk.

 

If it is one of the girls off of his myspace friends list, I may start trying to impersonate him just to hook up with them.

 

EDIT: Here is his myspace for those who haven't seen it.

 

Just for the record, "The Girl Next Door" is my personal favorite but " ♥ Dont hate me cause I got what you want! " is an extremely, extremely close 2nd.

 

I clicked on that link and noticed that he's a member of a club called "The Cubs Smoke Pole, Literally".

 

Is that a sign? :shock:

[wade]

I will say this about the guy- if he plays high level college football this fall and doesn't get hurt, while the Cubs have other pitchers (you know who I'm talking about) that get hurt throwing a baseball, well, I'm gonna be flabbergasted.