Hey guys,
Sorry if this is a lengthy post, but I believe this could be very interesting.
I am a Browns fan from Australia, I mostly lurk on the forums, but I thought I'd bring up an interesting topic that has been huge in Australia in the last 3 months, front page stuff, tonnes of interest and a lot of pissed off Rugby fans.
The best Rugby player, arguably of all time, has left the game to pursue a career in the NFL. He has been a fan since he was a boy.
His name is Jarryd Hayne, he's 6'2, 220 pounds, fast, evasive, can catch any ball kicked or thrown at him, tackle anyone, has a very strong core, can stop on a time and step anyone.
He has no weaknesses in the Australian game, and is one of the best athletes in the country.
However,
As we know, Football is a complex game, it has set routes and plays. Rugby however doesn't have a huge amount of structure by comparison, and Hayne's strength in play is improvisation and instinct.
He's 26, this doesn't give him much time to succeed, his age could impair this.
Where does he fit? I could see him playing as a punt/kick returner in the NFL to start with, and perhaps moving onto a running back role if he shone as a returner and started to understand the plays. In the Australian game, if you drop the ball it's an instant interception to the other team, they don't even have to catch the ball, he played a position called "Fullback" where in Rugby you're the last line of defense, and you need to catch the ball when it's kicked deep (one in every 4 plays), I don't think I once saw him drop it.
By rugby league standards, he has elite pace. By Football standards, probably just very fast. We don't use the 40 yard dash as a pace measurement, but apparently has run a 4.5 in recent testing.
I'd be absolutely thrilled to find he'd be in any NFL training camp in the off season, let alone the Browns (the dream).
Do any of you think he's even a shot at making an NFL squad?
Below is a video displaying his ability to run with the ball and step players with very little space.
Thanks for your time.
Tudeski.