Jordan Todman Waived By San Diego

[collegeball747]

The Chargers moved to make sure they weren't caught shorthanded at running back in a game again.
They did so by signing Curtis Brinkley from the practice squad.
That move was expected.
Not expected was the release of running back Jordan Todman.
But with Brinkley on the roster and active Sunday and needing to protect depth at some defensive positions, the team decided the place to cut was with their sixth-round pick. Had they kept Todman, who they don't see as ready to play, they would have had five running backs on the roster.
Brinkley has been with the Chargers for two seasons and appeared in three games in 2010.
If Todman is not claimed by another team, the Chargers can add him to their practice squad.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/oct/22/brinkley-added-todman-cut/

 

[rich1122]

Has to be the pass blocking. He looked good in preseason.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Just saw him on their sideline wearing a chargers hoodie

 

[uconnfootball12]

bad advise esdall gave the young man. would've been a top rb in the country he stayed at uconn for senior year. we would be 6-0 with
todman.

 

[DieHardHusky]

bad advise esdall gave the young man. would've been a top rb in the country he stayed at uconn for senior year. we would be 6-0 with
todman.

Not so sure with our line, but he'd be a star regardless.

 

[coachRD]

bad advise esdall gave the young man. would've been a top rb in the country he stayed at uconn for senior year. we would be 6-0 with
todman.

Personally I don't think that was bad advice-he had just finished his Junior year as the 2nd leading rusher in the nation. I think it was GOOD advice, and at worst, REASONABLE, to assume that the odds of him getting hurt/having a less impressive season were greater than his chance of having a notably better season if he returned for one more year.

 

[huskysupporter]

bad advise esdall gave the young man. would've been a top rb in the country he stayed at uconn for senior year. we would be 6-0 with
todman.

Not sure what advice you are speaking of. Can you elaborate. I follow the NFL draft and prospects religiously, and I can tell you, there was zero way Todman could have improved his draft stock by staying another year. He proved everything he possibly could. Why risk getting injured? Here are his strengths: Tough, instinctive runner who can do damage between the tackles. Also an underutilized pass receiver. Here are his negatives: Doesn't play coverage units in specials, below average pass blocker, size is a question in the pros.

I would love to hear what Todman could have done this year to raise his draft stock/pro prospects?

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

1. this continues the disappointment of the Edsall kids going pro. Uconn players' performance in the pros has really been poor relative to their draft positions through bad luck, injury and just poor play
2. If Todman came back uconn probably beats Vandy and W Michigan
3. I have little faith that he would have coached up any better by DeLeone. Uconn backs have been taught how to effectively pass block, an essential skill in the NFL. And seeing McCombs and others try this year, it still hasn't improved

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

bad advise esdall gave the young man. would've been a top rb in the country he stayed at uconn for senior year. we would be 6-0 with
todman.

RB's have terribly short primes of their career, it was not at all bad advice.

 

[upstater]

1. this continues the disappointment of the Edsall kids going pro. Uconn players' performance in the pros has really been poor relative to their draft positions through bad luck, injury and just poor play
2. If Todman came back uconn probably beats Vandy and W Michigan
3. I have little faith that he would have coached up any better by DeLeone. Uconn backs have been taught how to effectively pass block, an essential skill in the NFL. And seeing McCombs and others try this year, it still hasn't improved

I disagree with this.
I think UConn fans are way to close to our own players without seeing the big NFL picture. There are so many washouts, the vast majority of players in the NFL washout.
It looks like Branch, Beatty, Butler are giving it a go now, but really it shouldn't be a surprise if 66% of the drafted are not in the league after 2 years. Deon Anderson started a lot of games for Dallas as well. Easley has been hurt obviously. Cody Brown was undersized, Donald brown looks slower than he used to be, I'm drawing a blank on who else didn't really make it, but I can't say I'm surprised at anyone's performance.

 

[NHUConnfan]

RB's have terribly short primes of their career, it was not at all bad advice.

Other than the fact that he clearly was not ready - and this was an assessment made by almost every team given how far his "draft stock" fell.

Maybe his draft stock wouldn't have improved over another year, but if NFL teams really thought he wasn't ready to play, it's not like he's going to get the practice there like he would in another season at UConn - not to mention the kid would earn his degree.

And unlike the NBA or the MLB, you can just cut people in the NFL without having to pay them a cent of contract money other than what was determined as guaranteed. So the argument that he did this for the money would be moot if most scouts thought he wasn't ready. It put him in a bind. Tough decision for Todman to make - either way, it's not like much would change other than in one situation he's playing the game and the other, he isn't.

 

[NHUConnfan]

I disagree with this.
I think UConn fans are way to close to our own players without seeing the big NFL picture. There are so many washouts, the vast majority of players in the NFL washout.
It looks like Branch, Beatty, Butler are giving it a go now, but really it shouldn't be a surprise if 66% of the drafted are not in the league after 2 years. Deon Anderson started a lot of games for Dallas as well. Easley has been hurt obviously. Cody Brown was undersized, Donald brown looks slower than he used to be, I'm drawing a blank on who else didn't really make it, but I can't say I'm surprised at anyone's performance.

Orlovsky, lol

Yeah, I gotta agree here. Tyvon Branch has been one of the best defensive backs in the country. Will Beatty has been playing well. Butler, well...he used up his time in New England, but he's going to get his shots at other teams. He's good enough to keep making pro squads for a few more years.

Easley is just a huge stroke of bad luck. I hope he gets to play sometime. As far as our running backs, I think they're not doing well because of the reasons they weren't as highly recruited. They're not big guys...and unfortunately in the NFL, it's usually the big guys who make it through. Of course there are the exceptions (Woodhead, Sproles), but let's be honest, they're by far the exceptions. The best running backs are freaking horses - Peterson, McFadden, Rice, etc. They're huge, they're strong, and they're fast.

 

[Scoe]

Todman did the right thing yeah there is always a risk going early but the risk is greater coming back for his senior year especially playing under a new coaching staff, system, losing a leading blocker at fb in Sherman, best olineman in Hurd, and the same old passing offense behind a first year starter at qb. He would have faced 8 in the box every single play and taken another beating again, no running back should have to go through the punishment that he went through. Just remember the Caulley injury granted he was a sophomore that year he would have gone pro after his junior year which was Danny O senior year.

 

[uconnbill]

he was injured as a junior and as a sophomore. So durability might have been an issue with him going so late. I wonder if another year wouldn't have helped him some. I don't think it would have hurt him that's for sure.
I hope he gets a change because I do think he will be a good back in the pro's.

 

[UCHuskies08]

Dan Orlovsky sighting!!

This game was brutal for anyone who isn't a Saints fan or doesn't have Drew Brees as their fantasy QB. Luckily for me, I have Brees in two out of three leagues.

 

[UCHuskies08]

Nice 19 yard pass to Reggie Wayne. And then he just handed off to Donald Brown, that's kinda cool.

 

[husky10]

Going in to the draft we knew that missing some training camp due to the lockout was a possibility and that was the case. with less time in the offseason this years rookie class was at a disadvantage because they had less time to impress their coaches. I dont think that Jordan believed that he would be on the cusp of not making the team so he didnt think this would be an issue but where he was drafted was bad advice in itself.

 

[Waquoit]

Considering the situation now, he clearly made the wrong decision. Look's like he going to need that degree.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Considering the situation now, he clearly made the wrong decision. Look's like he going to need that degree.

Yes, because our economy is really clamoring for sociology majors from UConn.

He'd be better off in the CFL than joining the enormous group of unemployable recent liberal arts graduates.

 

[husky10]

Yes, because our economy is really clamoring for sociology majors from UConn.

He'd be better off in the CFL than joining the enormous group of unemployable recent liberal arts graduates.

Its not like he would make enough money in the CFL to live the rest of his life on. He is going to need a degree to fall back on when his football career is over and he might as well have gotten it while it was free.

 

[businesslawyer]

I don't think he made a bad move at all by going to the NFL -- hindsight is always 20/20 -- but does anyone know that it was FHCRE that told him it was time? I had the impression, including from people who said they were close to the family, that he had pretty much determined he was leaving for the NFL after his third year before he had the junior year he had.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Should have stayed. . . period.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I got hung out to dry last year here prior to the draft, suggesting that Todman was going to have a long wait to get picked, and whoever was advising him to go early was giving bad advice.

There's just too much of change in teh kid in 2009-2010 on film, and while that might seem like a good thing,showing progress, it's not progress and potential, but consistency and reliability that NFL teams are looking for.

When you put up 2010 film, it's just not there, consistency. It was Hurd that really floored me on the draft day, but I was guilty of not doing my homework. I assumed that he had been consistent all year up front. Far from it. The first half of the season last year is just ugly when you look at it.

The most consistent and visible players on our team in 2010 were Sherman and Wilson, and the draft reflected it.

I hope that Todman continues to work hard and stays in game shape. I think he can play at that level, but he's in a tough spot. Just got to keep in shape and keep working at it.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

He would have been a fool to return. His stock wasn't going to get much higher, and it would not have been worth the risk. RBs have the shortest shelf-life as it is.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I'm not disagreeing with that - that Todman's stock wouldn't have been higher as a senior, I just ocmpletely disagreed with the idea that he would be a high draft pick, and I worried that he'd get drafted at all.

I'm sure his bank account has a lot more digits in it now, than it would have before, so it clearly was the right decision to make in retrospect.

and I completely agree on his stock, because of two opinions I've got. #1. Edsall knew he was out of UConn well before Jan. 1, so he knew that Todman staying would have been part of the learning curve process with a new offense....and #2. Edsall was one of primary guys advising the kid, and understood that his stock was as high as it would get at that point.

I have no evidence to support those two opinions. It's just what I think is very likely to have happend.

I'm also not sure about the rules for what happens if you declare for the draft but don't get drafted. I think you forfeit eligibility, but not sure, so it was a big risk.