PiPress: Ra'Shede Hageman says an early exit to the NFL is worth considering

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I thought this article deserved its own thread:

Hageman's NFL stock is rising fast The 6-foot-6, 300-pound former Minneapolis Washburn tight end leads Minnesota's defensive line with 27 tackles, including 6-1/2 for loss. His five sacks rank second on the team behind defensive end D.J. Wilhite's 6-1/2 and are tied for fourth in the Big Ten.

Hageman said he will consider whether it's worth leaving college early to play professionally after the season. He is ranked as one of the top 13 defensive tackles in the nation in his class, according to the SportsXchange, a sports information and analysis service whose draft analysts are featured on CBSSports.com.

"I'm going to have to sit down with my family and my coaches after the season and figure out the best decision," Hageman said. "I'm doing so well because I'm so confident in what I'm doing. I probably want to see where I would be draft-wise. If anything I kind of want to sit down and talk to somebody and just hear what I need to do to improve myself. Obviously, just because I'm doing good doesn't mean everything is perfect."

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/c...rce=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Go Gophers!!
 

It's gonna be a tough decision for him in the off season. If he is projected to reliably go in the 2nd round I would definitely say go, the guaranteed money from the first two rounds makes that calculus a lot easier than if you are a later round pick. Obviously I would want him to stay, and I think that he could improve his stock his senior season for no other reason than I think he'll be able to put up better numbers next year. But if you can get paid to play the game at the next level and have a semblance of security in some of that money I would say go for it.
 

There are a lot of top-rated DTs in this years draft. Star Lotuleli, Kawann Short, Johnathon Hankins,Johnathon Jenkins, Jesse Williams, and Sheldon Richardson are all listed in round 1 of the Walter Football mock today.My guess is that
Hageman would be a 3rd to 4th round pick. The money difference is substantial but he would still get a million dollar pay day this year.
 

he wouldn't go in the early rounds. so it will not be worth it once he gets assessed. better off coming back and trying to raise his stock further.
 

Would hate to see him go but if making the jump is in his best interests then you can't fault the guy. I just hope he gets the right advice and doesn't get steered in the wrong direction by someone that is not looking out for his best interests.
 


If he stayed and came back his senior year, he could be a 1st rounder if he keeps improving himself and possibly a top 5 if he taps into his potential.
 

Here we go again.....two years ago Ralf Sampson III flirted with leaving early now our top football DL. lol
 

He could find his way into the first round if he came back. As a comparison, Ndomukong Suh had 12 sacks his senior year in 14 games. What really stood out was his 10 pass deflections and 85 tackles however. Rasheed will have to show that he isn't a one trick pony if he wants to find his way into the first round.
 

gopherMD said:
There are a lot of top-rated DTs in this years draft. Star Lotuleli, Kawann Short, Johnathon Hankins,Johnathon Jenkins, Jesse Williams, and Sheldon Richardson are all listed in round 1 of the Walter Football mock today.My guess is that
Hageman would be a 3rd to 4th round pick. The money difference is substantial but he would still get a million dollar pay day this year.
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True, it might be good for him to see what the next year's draft class will look like. If he is a top 2 round pick, it really would be worth it for him rather than risk injury his SR. year or else a potentially poor year.
 



Hageman is good, but is he in the top 64, or even 100 players? He is a project. Projects are 5th round and after.
 

GopherFanatic19 said:
If he stayed and came back his senior year, he could be a 1st rounder if he keeps improving himself and possibly a top 5 if he taps into his potential.
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Let's not get carried away here. He is good potentially very good, not sure he is top 5 pick in the NFL good though. Those spots are reserved for elite can't miss prospects.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Let's not get carried away here. He is good potentially very good, not sure he is top 5 pick in the NFL good though. Those spots are reserved for elite can't miss prospects.
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There is no such thing as a can't miss prospect, even with DTs. Steve Emtman and Dan Wilkinson come to mind.
 

MNVCGUY said:
Let's not get carried away here. He is good potentially very good, not sure he is top 5 pick in the NFL good though. Those spots are reserved for elite can't miss prospects.
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I am not saying he is locked for a top 5. Lets face it, he has a ton of upside and potential. I am saying if he came back his SR year and showed all that upside and potential he could be a top 5 draft pick. I have watched every game and he has the talent to do it but, can he put it together and dominate now!
 



That would certainly be a kick in the nuts if he left early.
 

Look at the bright side. If he leaves early, it would be a great example for future local top recruits that you don't have to go to a "helmet school" to get noticed if your dream is to play in the NFL.
 

HopHead said:
Look at the bright side. If he leaves early, it would be a great example for future local top recruits that you don't have to go to a "helmet school" to get noticed if your dream is to play in the NFL.
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Would certainly be good for the program overall if he goes to the next level and stars. Not so great for teh 2013 defense that is already going to have some holes to fill with the graduations of Wilhite, Carter, TS, Rallis, and Cooper. Again I just hope he gets good advice and makes the best decision for his long term future. On the surface it would seem like he could really benefit from another year playing DT at the college level since he has not been playing teh position his entire career.
 

Leaving would be a mistake simply because his technique is terrible. There are times where he makes plays just because of his size and strength but there are others where he is washed WAY out of the play because he just does not play with good leverage or technique.

He might be a 3rd round pick, maybe some team reaches for him in the 2nd, but all the guys in the NFL are strong. That will never be enough to be successful.
 

gopherMD said:
There are a lot of top-rated DTs in this years draft. Star Lotuleli, Kawann Short, Johnathon Hankins,Johnathon Jenkins, Jesse Williams, and Sheldon Richardson are all listed in round 1 of the Walter Football mock today.My guess is that
Hageman would be a 3rd to 4th round pick. The money difference is substantial but he would still get a million dollar pay day this year.
Click to expand...

John Jenkins of Georgia, as well. The depth of the DT class is pretty solid this year.
 

gopherMD said:
There are a lot of top-rated DTs in this years draft. Star Lotuleli, Kawann Short, Johnathon Hankins,Johnathon Jenkins, Jesse Williams, and Sheldon Richardson are all listed in round 1 of the Walter Football mock today.My guess is that
Hageman would be a 3rd to 4th round pick. The money difference is substantial but he would still get a million dollar pay day this year.
Click to expand...

Some of those guys are also junior eligibility, so there is a small chance that one or more don't enter the draft this year. If that happened, he could possibly slip into the second round.
 

I was curious what Hageman might be thinking regarding the 2013 draft. Agree that he's a project, but you can teach technique and you can't teach the strength and athletic ability that he has. It would all depend on how he fared at the combine. If he wowed scouts at the combine, I could see him as a 2nd rounder quite easily. The ghost of Al Davis might even take him in the first round if he ran a 4.8 (hand-timed) 40. You just don't find big guys as athletic as Hageman every day.

I also agree that there is no sure thing at any position moving from college to the pros and defensive line is one of those places where projection is extremely murky. Vikings drafted DL after DL for a number of years in the early rounds (Does the name Michael Boireau ring a bell? Didn't think so.) and few panned out. Some of that is injury-related, of course, but it's a tough position to project.

Hope he stays.
 

My "man crush" is Hageman and I hope he stays. I think he has progressed more in a year at the U than any other player I can remember. If he can go in the 2nd-3rd rounds I can't be upset with him. If he stays for his senior year and continues to progress he could potentially be all big ten and a 1st-2nd round pick. Regardless I believe he will be playing on Sundays in the future
 

I hope he stays. He most definitely has the RAW ability as far as measurables and things like that. Too often though, his technique is what is getting him in trouble. He is either just completely dominated from standing up too soon and not keeping his pad level low enough, or just doesn't have the hand techniques to get through blocks. Although, when he is blowing up plays, it seems to be that he is just physically man handling players up front.

I would like to see him stay, but if he goes, you can't blame him. This year, I think he would be no higher than a 2nd round pick on raw ability alone. I really see him going between the 3rd-6th round after this year. If he stays, he has a shot at the 1st round if he really improves his techniques. In the NFL, he will not be able to over power lineman like he does at this level. IMO.

But, at some point, whether this year or next, he will be drafted in the NFL.
 

e.bigelow said:
I hope he stays. He most definitely has the RAW ability as far as measurables and things like that. Too often though, his technique is what is getting him in trouble. He is either just completely dominated from standing up too soon and not keeping his pad level low enough, or just doesn't have the hand techniques to get through blocks. Although, when he is blowing up plays, it seems to be that he is just physically man handling players up front.

I would like to see him stay, but if he goes, you can't blame him. This year, I think he would be no higher than a 2nd round pick on raw ability alone. I really see him going between the 3rd-6th round next year. If he stays, he has a shot at the 1st round if he really improves his techniques. In the NFL, he will not be able to over power lineman like he does at this level. IMO.
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I don't think any of us can say he isn't getting through blocks because of poor technique etc? When a dt like Hageman is getting multiple double teams(which is 90% of the time) his job is sometimes to take on the double team and stand them up to let linebackers move free to the ball, problem is our linebackers have looked bad most of the time vs the run so Hageman could look like he is getting owned.

IMO it's tough to say because we don't know the specifics of each play call
 

highwayman said:
Hageman is good, but is he in the top 64, or even 100 players? He is a project. Projects are 5th round and after.
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True, unless Denny Green is coaching in the NFL and your Demitrius Underwood; then you're a top 29 pick.

Rasheed is having a very solid year, but I'd be surprised if he goes before the 4th round. He needs to come back to cash in.
 

OddStack said:
True, unless Denny Green is coaching in the NFL and your Demitrius Underwood; then you're a top 29 pick.

Rasheed is having a very solid year, but I'd be surprised if he goes before the 4th round. He needs to come back to cash in.
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I could have listed him as well. Tough to project DLs even without having the additional issues that Underwood had. No question Underwood was an absolute athletic marvel though, which highlights the problem.
 

This is not going to be a popular post but it probably needs to be said.

If a football player is going to be drafted, no matter what round, they should go pro. I know as a Gopher fan, we want them to stay but financially it is almost always in their best interest to go (if they will be drafted). What people keep talking about is a need to have a monster year and become a first or second round pick. This logic places a huge amount of risk on the player. He has to continue to develop, he has to have no injuries and it also assumes that a NCAA team can develop a player better than a NFL team can, even though, in this case, he still needs to develop even though he has 4years of NCAA experience.

One thing people never consider is that one more year of college takes away one more year of peak earnings for a player who successfully makes it in the NFL. Basically, by playing one more year, a player loses a year of paid employment in the NFL if you assume a static retirement age. The counter to this is that by improving as a senior you enhance your NFL status but I am not sure how often this happens.

Players who could be drafted stay in school for a variety of reasons- they may value their education, they may realize that college football is more fun than the NFL (I assume this is Montee Ball), or they may mistakenly believe their stock will improve. My uneducated belief is that this rarely happens and for every Andrew Luck that maintains or increases their status, there are a number of Balls and Latimores who get injured or just prove as seniors that their potential wasn’t as high as we once thought.

I hope he stays but if he is in line to get drafted he should go. With only 7 rounds, very few draftees get cut their first year (Sorry, Nate Triplett) and if he has NFL potential, he will be able to use the NFL resources to become a top player.
 

No matter what round? Seriously tho, he should go and take the cash. if you make it big be like Suh, give enough cash back to the U so we can build a huge weightroom.
 

lakesgopher said:
I don't think any of us can say he isn't getting through blocks because of poor technique etc? When a dt like Hageman is getting multiple double teams(which is 90% of the time) his job is sometimes to take on the double team and stand them up to let linebackers move free to the ball, problem is our linebackers have looked bad most of the time vs the run so Hageman could look like he is getting owned.

IMO it's tough to say because we don't know the specifics of each play call
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Good points. Geuss I did not really think of it in those aspects of our LB's being ineffective.
 

Winnipegopher said:
This is not going to be a popular post but it probably needs to be said.

If a football player is going to be drafted, no matter what round, they should go pro. I know as a Gopher fan, we want them to stay but financially it is almost always in their best interest to go (if they will be drafted). What people keep talking about is a need to have a monster year and become a first or second round pick. This logic places a huge amount of risk on the player. He has to continue to develop, he has to have no injuries and it also assumes that a NCAA team can develop a player better than a NFL team can, even though, in this case, he still needs to develop even though he has 4years of NCAA experience.

One thing people never consider is that one more year of college takes away one more year of peak earnings for a player who successfully makes it in the NFL. Basically, by playing one more year, a player loses a year of paid employment in the NFL if you assume a static retirement age. The counter to this is that by improving as a senior you enhance your NFL status but I am not sure how often this happens.

Players who could be drafted stay in school for a variety of reasons- they may value their education, they may realize that college football is more fun than the NFL (I assume this is Montee Ball), or they may mistakenly believe their stock will improve. My uneducated belief is that this rarely happens and for every Andrew Luck that maintains or increases their status, there are a number of Balls and Latimores who get injured or just prove as seniors that their potential wasn’t as high as we once thought.

I hope he stays but if he is in line to get drafted he should go. With only 7 rounds, very few draftees get cut their first year (Sorry, Nate Triplett) and if he has NFL potential, he will be able to use the NFL resources to become a top player.
Click to expand...

Considering that the AVERAGE NFL career is only 3 1/2 years, I find it hard to believe that a difference between being 22 or 23 and "losing" a year of earning power really makes a difference if they come out or not after a Junior year. If a player is on the back end of a draft, 4th round or later, his odds are already stacked against him. Meaning, he has a greater chance to not be in the league as long as someone who is drafted in the the top half of the draft, rounds 1-3.

I guess my point is, I just do not agree with the argument of the "Losing earning power" of a year. If he comes in not adequately prepared, a player may loose out on a bigger signing bonus and guaranteed money, which are all that really matter in the NFL. (But, really, Signing Bonuses and guranteed money only apply to early rounders and are conditional upon the player making the NFL roster.)

If a guys has the talent and proves himself at the NFL level, he is going to get payed regardless of what year he comes out and where he was drafted. Just my opinion.
 

e.bigelow said:
Considering that the AVERAGE NFL career is only 3 1/2 years, I find it hard to believe that a difference between being 22 or 23 and "losing" a year of earning power really makes a difference if they come out or not after a Junior year. If a player is on the back end of a draft, 4th round or later, his odds are already stacked against him. Meaning, he has a greater chance to not be in the league as long as someone who is drafted in the the top half of the draft, rounds 1-3.

I guess my point is, I just do not agree with the argument of the "Losing earning power" of a year. If he comes in not adequately prepared, a player may loose out on a bigger signing bonus and guaranteed money, which are all that really matter in the NFL. (But, really, Signing Bonuses and guranteed money only apply to early rounders and are conditional upon the player making the NFL roster.)

If a guys has the talent and proves himself at the NFL level, he is going to get payed regardless of what year he comes out and where he was drafted. Just my opinion.
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the 3.5 is flawed by the amount of guys who play very limited times. If you make an opening day roster, average is 6 years.

http://nflcommunications.com/2011/0...an-you-might-think-commissioner-goodell-says/

Anyway I agree on your last point that it is about talent. I somewhat disagree with the premise that a player will be significantly more prepared as a five year player than a 4 year.

I am also not convinced Hageman would get drafted this year so this may be a moot point.
 

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