Patriots Try to Strike Lightning Twice, Devin Gardner Making The Switch To WR
 Devin Gardner has the tools to be a successful, big WR in the NFL making the transition from QB like fellow Patriots teammate Julian Edelman.(USA TODAY Images) |
Big QB turned WR faces uphill climb
The Patriots signed Michigan’s Devin Gardner to an UDFA contract this weekend after the draft and the big prospect faces a tough task. Not only will he have to try to make a Super Bowl winning team that returns all of its wide receivers from the year before, but he’s making the transition to the position after playing college quarterback.
It has been done before, Julian Edelman was an option quarterback at Kent State before being drafted in the 7th round by the Patriots in the 2009 NFL Draft. But Gardner and Edelman are very different players and it will be a tough task since Edelman initially made his mark playing special teams.
Of course, Gardner did have some experience at wide receiver during the 2012 season for Michigan. Playing at the position for the majority of the season, Gardner caught 16 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns. Asked to describe himself during the East – West Shrine Game, the 6’4, 216 pound Gardner responded, "good athlete. A lot of range. A little raw. Competes like hell."
Gardner had initially resisted the move to wide out when he was at Michigan, doing it only for that one season because the Wolverines had a dearth of wide receivers and he would have been sitting behind his roommate Denard Robinson at quarterback. After Robinson was injured, Gardner moved back to quarterback. Now he’s embracing the switch as he looks to carve out a role for himself in the NFL.
The NFL.com’s Charles Davis watched Gardner at the East- West Shrine Game and had this to say. “Gardner is making the transition from quarterback to wide receiver and he's been battling some leg issues this week, but he showed improvement with each day of practice here at the Shrine Game,” he said.
“I think he's going to keep getting better, too -- I would love to see where he's at with his progress in a month. He'll continue to refine his route running, and he's a smart player who's familiar with a pro-style offense.”
Knowledge Of What’s Needed Key: One advantage Gardner does have is, having played quarterback, he knows where the soft spots are in the defense and where he’ll need to be to get open. But the technical aspects of playing wide receiver will be daunting.
Gardner has that long wingspan and is very solidly built; he has the look of an NFL wide receiver. He shows good hands and catches the ball away from his body, where he can extend out. He has quick feet and is nimble enough in the open field to make people miss. While not a burner, running a 4.62 in the 40, his long, loping strides are a little deceptive.
His biggest obstacles are his route-running which is still raw and his cuts which are still a little stiff. He’s tipped his routes somewhat but will continue to make progress in that area with the coaching of WRs coach Chad O’Shea.
Gardner need to spend some time in the weight room, he can then get a little stronger and overpower some of the smaller defensive backs.
Train Doesn't Stop: Gardner will also join fellow alum, QB Tom Brady and Cameron Gordon a former teammate and an UDFA from 2014 on the Patriots this season. But he’ll have to pick things up quickly. Bill Belichick made it clear on Saturday that the train waits for no one.
"The biggest challenge for all these players is to get on our program," Belichick said. "I don't care where they came from, I don't care what position they play. None of that makes any difference. They haven't been doing it, and they're going to start doing it and they're going to start doing a lot of it. They're going to be doing it for day after day after day for a long time going forward, if they can, if they're successful.
"Welcome to the NFL. That will start Thursday,” Belichick said. “They'll get a big dose of New England Patriots football over the next whatever we've got, six weeks, however long it is. We'll give them everything we can in heavy doses, try to get them ready for training camp, and they'll get even more then.”
"The strong will survive. The other ones will fall off. And we'll keep going."
Gardner has the opportunity to carve a role for himself with the Patriots. But with the top three wide receivers and two other bigger wide receivers on the outside, (Aaron Dobson and Brian Tyms), returning it won’t be easy.
But with his athleticism and knowledge of opposing defenses, he can recognize soft spots in coverage and use his big body to get open and move the chains. His size will lend itself well to going up and getting contested jump balls.
Gardner can become a reliable 4th option in the passing game, it may take some time and he may be work in progress with a red-shirt type of year in 2015 but it can be done. But he’ll have to show the Patriots he is worth the wait.
It starts this week, and having the option of an emergency third QB-type situation on the field is always a plus. As is the potential of that double-pass play, it’s been done before.
The Philadelphia Eagles interviewed him at the Shrine Game and Gardner talked about making the transition in this video.
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