Fifth Year Option for Five Star Players?

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Marcus Benjamin @_benjaminmoney

The  New York Giants declined offensive tackle Ereck Flowers fifth year option. Flowers was a four star player out of Miami Norland High School and a first round draft pick coming out of the University of Miami.  Five star athletes naturally have a higher expectation of their draft selection compared to lower rated athletes. Rookie contracts for draftees selected in the first round typically receive a four year contract and a fifth year team option.  Five stars are expected to play well enough in the NFL for franchises to pick up the fifth year option. Every scenario is different of course, but speaking in general terms five star rated athletes are expected to stay in the league and perform at a high level.  Take a look at the 2012 class and see exactly where the five stars ended up with their careers and if teams decided to pick up that fifth year option. So much can happen in a span of six years.

Mario Edwards Defensive Line Florida State, (Ryan, Denton, TX)

In three seasons, Edwards has underperformed to the Oakland Raiders liking.  During his pro career the former Texas product produced 53 tackles and 5.5 sacks.  He was the number one defensive recruit in the country in 2012 and the USA Today High School Defensive Player of the Year.  New head coach Jon Gruden wants the second round pick Edwards to step up in 2018 to increase his value. Edward will earn $1,255,521 in base salary this season.

Dorial Green-Beckham Wide Receiver Missouri, (Hillcrest, Springfield, MO)

The second round draft pick by the Tennessee Titans was also considered the best recruit out of his class.  He won the Hall trophy which is awarded to the best player in high school. Green Beckham also excelled in track as he was named the 2009-10 Gatorade Missouri Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.  The top rated receiver in the country dealt with legal trouble during his college career as he was found with marijuana on two separate occasions in 2012 and 2014. He was later dismissed from the team for a domestic violence incident.  He was traded from the Titans to the Eagles where he was waived before the 2017 season. In his two seasons he registered 68 catches for 941 yards and 6 TDs. He is currently a free agent.

Landon Collins Safety Alabama, (Dutchtown, Geismar, LA)

Collins started all 14 games in his final season with the Crimson Tide and lead the team in tackles with 98.  The hard hitting safety was named no. 92 on the NFL top 100 voted by the players. The second round pick has 262 tackles and 8 Interceptions in 47 career games.  Collins will be entering his fourth year in 2018 and will earn 1,269,620 in base salary. He is already a two time pro bowler.

Arik Armstead  Defensive End Oregon, (Pleasant Grove, Elk Grove, CA)

The 17th overall pick of the 2015 NFL draft will be playing at least one more year for the San Francisco 49ers.  The team exercised the fifth year option on the defensive end from California on Monday. He recorded 30 tackles and 6 sacks in 31 games as a pro.

D.J. Humphries Offensive Tackle Florida, (Mallard Creek, Charlotte, NC)

The nimble 300 pounder from Charlotte was a high school All-American in 2011.  He was considered the number one tackle from his class and was drafted in the first round.  His career has been riddled with injuries as he was injured twice missing significant time in college and last year as a pro he suffered a dislocated knee cap which ended his season.  The Arizona Cardinals picked up Humphries fifth year option on April 24, 2018.

Shaq Thompson Linebacker Washington, (Grant Union, Sacramento, CA)

Considered the best safety in the country coming out high school in California.  In addition to safety, Shaq played cornerback, linebacker and running back. He won the Hourning award which goes to the nations most versatile player and the Carolina Panthers chose Thompson 25th overall.  He has 106 tackles in 3 seasons in Carolina. The Panthers picked up his fifth year option on April 23, 2018.

Malcom Brown Defensive Tackle Texas, (Brenham, TX)

The New England Patriots selected Brown with the last pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft.  Brown assumedly was brought in to replace Vince Wilfork who Patriots let walk in free agency the year prior.  Brown was considered the best defensive tackle of his class.  He lead Texas in tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles in his final year for the Longhorns.  The Patriots have already declined Brown’s fifth year option making him a free agent in 2019. He has 84 tackles and 8.5 sacks in his pro career.

Eddie Williams Athlete Alabama, (Arnold, Panama City, FL)

One of the more disappointing five stars coming out of Florida.  He plead guilty to robbing and beating students on Alabama’s campus before he ever played a down in Tuscaloosa.  He avoided prison time and received five years probation. He went on to play safety at Garden City Community College in Kansas and helped the junior college win a championship.  His current football whereabouts are unknown.

Johnathan Gray Running Back Texas, (Aledo, TX)

One of the most decorated players to ever come out of high school.  He was the first player to win the ESPN national high school football player of the year award two years in a row.  He completed his high school career with the most touchdowns scored. Gray started 23 of 46 games and completed his college career with 2,607 yards rushing (12th all time leading rusher for Texas).  He ruptured his achilles twice in college and did not get a shot at the NFL.

Stefon Diggs Wide Receiver Maryland, (Good Counsel, Olney, MD)

Minnesota drafted Diggs in the fifth round out of Maryland and is probably most famous for what is now known as the “Minneapolis Miracle.”  Diggs caught a pass on the final play of the 2017 divisional playoff game against New Orleans where Marcus Williams missed the tackle and Diggs and would run down the sideline into the end zone.  His footwear on the play is now immortalized at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. MInnesota went on to lose to the eventual champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship game 38-7.  He caught 152 balls for 2,227 yards for 14 touchdowns and also returned two kicks for touchdowns at Maryland. As a pro he has over 200 receptions in the regular season and postseason scoring 16 touchdowns.  He is due to make $1,907,000 in base salary in 2018 which will be his fourth season.

Kyle Murphy Offensive Tackle Stanford, (San Clemente, CA)

Murphy played in 54 games at Stanford and started all 14 in his final year.  He was selected in the sixth round by the Green Packers and made his first start last year.  A foot injury abruptly ended his season in September. In 2018, he will be going into his third year earning a base salary of $630,000.

Noah Spence Defensive End Ohio State, (Bishop McDevitt, Harrisburg, PA)

Spence was the number one weak side defensive end coming out of high school and the Gatorade Football Player of the Year for Pennsylvania.  Originally signed with Ohio State but was later ruled ineligible by the Big Ten because of using a banned substance twice. He would later transfer to Eastern Kentucky.  At Eastern, he registered 63 tackles and 11.5 sacks. He was selected in the second round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played in six games last year, but suffered a season ending shoulder injury last October.  Spence is going into his third year and is due to make just under a million in base salary in 2018.

T.J. Yeldon Running Back Alabama, (Daphne, AL)

T.J. won the Mr. Football for the state of Alabama over Jameis Winston.  He was rated as the number two running back in the country just behind Johnathan Gray.  Yeldon shared carries most of his career with Eddie Lacey his freshman year and heisman trophy winner Derrick Henry his junior year in Tuscaloosa.  He started eleven games in his sophomore season leading the team in rushing with 1,235 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns.  He was drafted in the second round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Yeldon started most of all games played in his first two seasons as a Jaguar.  His third season saw his production drastically decrease with Leonard Fournette in the picture. He got more playing time with an injury to Fournette, but his long term future may be in jeopardy.  He is set go into his fourth year and make about 1.2 million in base salary in 2018.

Eddie Goldman Defensive Tackle Florida State, (Friendship Academy, Washington, D.C.)

An All-American defensive tackle in high school, the D.C. product attended Florida State and accumulated 62 tackles and 6 sacks.  He was drafted in the second round by Chicago and has 84 tackles and 8.5 sacks to date. Going into his fourth year Goldman is expected to make about 1.2 million in base salary in 2018.

Dante Fowler Defensive End Florida, (Lakewood, St. Petersburg, FL)

The Florida native was explosive from his freshman year in Gainesville.  His total college numbers were 140 tackles, 33 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in three years. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected him third overall in the 2015 NFL draft.  He tore his ACL in mini camp before he ever played a professional down. He was also involved in a controversial video with two women presumably fighting over him while he watched.  In 2017, he was arrested on a battery charge where he was sentenced to one year probation. The Jaguars decided to declined the fifth year option May 2, 2018.

Ronald Darby Cornerback Florida State, (Potomac, Oxon Hill, MD)

Darby earned ACC defensive rookie of the year honors as a freshman coming out of Maryland at Florida State.  He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round and then was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for wide receiver Jordan Matthews.  The Eagles would go on to win the Super Bowl in the 2017 season as Darby recorded 4 tackles and two passes defended.  Darby set to make about a million dollars in base salary in four.

Deontay Greenberry Wide Receiver Houston, (Washington Union, Fresno, CA)

Greenberry originally committed to Notre Dame but decided to play his college ball at the University of Houston.  He finished his college career with 197 catches and 18 touchdowns. Somehow he went undrafted to the Dallas Cowboys but failed to maintain a roster spot.  He is currently on the roster of the Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League.

Javonte MaGee Defensive Lineman Baylor, (Sam Houston, San Antonio, TX)

Kind of a mystery why the five star defensive end out of San Antonio disappeared from the Baylor program.  He played 10 of 13 games and had a less than average stats in Waco. He removed himself from Spring football practice going into his sophomore year never to see the field again.

Ryan Anderson Linebacker Alabama, (Daphne, AL)

In his four years at Bama, Anderson accumulated 128 tackles, 39.5 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks.  Anderson was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He signed a 5.32 million dollar contract with 2.71 mill guaranteed in 2017.  In 14 games, he managed to total 11 tackles in his rookie season.

Adolphus Washington Defensive Tackle Ohio State, (Taft, Cincinnati, OH)

Washington was chosen in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.  After a solid rookie season starting eleven games and registering 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks, Washington ran into some legal trouble.  He was arrested on a weapons charge that he was later found not guilty. He followed up with a sophomore season starting 10 games with 22 tackles and a sack.  A two sport player coming out of high school, Washington was the Gatorade player of the year for basketball out of Ohio. He helped Ohio State win a national championship recording three tackles and a sack in the championship game.

Keith Marshall Running Back Georgia, (Millbrook, Raleigh, NC)

Marshall ran the fastest 40-yard dash time at the 2016 NFL combine at 4.31.  At Georgia, his career was overshadowed by Todd Gurley.  He was the North Carolina 100-meter dash champion and the Gatorade player of the year rushing for nearly 1,900 yards.  He was drafted in the seventh round by the Washington Redskins. He has yet to play an NFL down as he suffered injuries twice in training camp.  

Eli Harold Defensive End Virginia, (Ocean Lakes, Virginia Beach, VA)

Harold was the number one recruit coming out of the state of Virginia.  As a freshman, he played in all 12 games and recorded 36 tackles, two sacks and an interception.  He finished his college career with 141 tackles, 17.5 sacks and two picks. He was selected in the third round by the San Francisco 49ers.   He’s had an average career thus far with 85 tackles and five sacks. Harold is due to make $1,892,00 in base salary in his fourth year as a pro in 2018.

Darius Hamilton Defensive End Rutgers, (Don Bosco, Ramsey, NJ)

The high school All-American played five years at Rutgers recording 168 tackles and 11 sacks.  He showed flashes of greatness early, but his career was riddled with injuries. Hamilton had double knee surgery in 2017 and went undrafted in the 2018 NFL draft.  He is hoping to land a spot on an NFL team this year.

Gunner Kiel Quarterback Cincinnati, (Columbus, IN)

Fans from Indiana, LSU and Notre Dame all envisioned the five star quarterback leading their team to victory at some point.  Those visions never came to fruition because Kiel decommitted from Indiana and LSU and then transferred from Notre Dame because he did not earn the starting job over Everett Golson.  He would end up with the Bearcats and lead Cincy to a 9-4 season in 2014.  The Bearcats lost to Virginia Tech in the Military Bowl that season. He was listed as the third string quarterback on Cincinnati’s roster in his final year.  Kiel finished his collegiate career with 56 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. He was eligible for the 2018 draft and went undrafted.

Trey Williams Running Back Texas A&M, (Dekaney, Houston, TX)

The all purpose back from H-Town has been on seven teams since going undrafted in the 2015 NFL draft.  He rushed for over 1,300 yards and 18 touchdowns in his career at College Station. In high school, Williams averaged 10 yards per carry and rushed for nearly 4,000 yards leading his school to its first ever state championship.