Marcellus Rivers

[HardKnockTexan]

http://www.nfl.com/partners/aol?http://www.nfl.com/

hmmmmm.....

[LikeABoss]

I don't get it

[STEEL BLUE TEXANS]

Texans | Look to Sign M. Rivers - from www.KFFL.com
Tue, 17 May 2005 20:52:26 -0700

ESPN.com's John Clayton reports the Houston Texans are apparently going to sign free agent TE Marcellus Rivers (Giants). He visited with the Texans Tuesday, May 17 and the team kept him in town overnight. Rivers was flown in after the Texans found out TE Bennie Joppru was lost for the season with a torn ACL.

[TexAntagonise]

This tells me that the Texans were not expecting to much out of Joppru this season.

[O.G.]

Does anyone know anything about the guy? Hey Vinny, can you or someone give us some info?

[ArlingtonTexan]

think he is considered better blocker than receiver. Seems like he has some physical talent, but never put it together. He was drafted the year before the Giants drafted Shockey. Even with Shockey being in and out of line-up he never was looked to in the passing game with the Giants. In no way a lock to make the roster if signed.

[ArlingtonTexan]

Originally Posted by TexAntagonise

This tells me that the Texans were not expecting to much out of Joppru this season.

Missing the connection. Except for Franks any Free Agent TE signed at this point is spare, some better-named spares (Cam Cleeland,etc), but still a spare. None of the guys with a name you might have heard of is really any better than Rivers, just a name that you have heard of.

Unlike some expectations that I have read on this board, my understanding was the Joppru was 4th on the depth chart basically because he has basically never taken a live game snap (pre-season included).

[O.G.]

Cool, that's exactly what I wanted to know. So he is decent, not spectacular. I can live with that. If he is between B. Miller and M. Bruener, I'm happy.

[KingRat]

Rivers wouldn't have been given much chance in NY once loud mouth Shockey got there. He may be coming into his prime four years in the league. Gotta be as good or better than we have now.

[edo783]

Sounds like a better blocker than reciever which may be a good thing at this point. Just has to have better hands than Brunner which shouldn't be to hard to do and block better than Miller which again shouldn't be to hard to do. Personally, I would preffer Franks, but who knows, may be a reasonablly good TE and probably a LOT less money.

[El Tejano]

Yeah, we probably have heard the last of Mr Joppru.

[Porky]

I know he has at least some starts with the Giants. I remember him from OK State. I think he was actually an undrafted FA in 01.

The good news is he fits right in with the new look Taiters, or is it Rexans?

Quote:
Marcellus Rivers of the New York Giants and Alvin Porter of the Baltimore Ravens reached a settlement with a woman who accused the former Oklahoma State players of sexual assault in 1999.

link

Here is the great Joel Buscbaum's assessment of Rivers in 2001:
Notes: Partial qualifier in 1997 who was not allowed to play. Shared time at tight end in ’98 and started about half the games while catching 22 passes for 335 yards and four touchdowns. Cowboys’ pass-catching tight end in ’99, when he caught 27-336-4 and won second-team All-Big 12 honors, although he only started three games. Was basically used as a slot receiver in 2000, when he caught 19-292-2.

Positives: Good target with very good athletic ability. Appears to have soft hands and will make some tough catches. Runs well for a tight end.

Negatives: Is not much of a blocker and seems to think of himself as a wide receiver. Lacks strength and is not a good weightroom guy. Too slow to be a wide receiver on the next level and will have to really upgrade his blocking to even be an H-back. Lacks consistency. Is a little late coming off the line of scrimmage on a lot of plays. Seems to lose concentration and focus. Has not worked hard enough to improve.

Summary: Needs to grow up and learn what it takes, but he has the physical tools to play at the next level as an H-back type if he realizes he no longer is on scholarship.
link

[mj.]

Here is what Mel Kiper said in an article about underated players for the 2001 draft:

Marcellus Rivers, TE, Oklahoma State: Shared the spotlight at tight end with fellow seniors Khary Jackson and Bryan Blackwood while also operating in an offense that didn't allow his skills as a pass receiver to be maximized. Rivers is an athletically gifted performer with the ability to stretch the deep middle and then adjust to haul in the poorly thrown ball.

[edo783]

Guess I got it wrong. Looks more like a reciever type than a blocker type. Hope he can block better than Billy.

[infantrycak]

It has been reported by someone at hpf.com that ESPN's crawler is reporting Rivers signed with the Texans.

[ArlingtonTexan]

Originally Posted by edo783

Guess I got it wrong. Looks more like a reciever type than a blocker type. Hope he can block better than Billy.

I was going by memory on the blocker thing, but i do know from looking around that he probably has not made more than 20-25 catches and 3 or 4 TDs over that time.

[aj.]

He's been primarily a backup - maybe five or six starts in his career. He's a body and he will be given a golden opportunity to prove what he can do here.

[beerlover]

he was drafted by the Giants in the 11th round in 2001. cannot block, did 7 reps @ 225 coming out of OSU, thats soft but reportedly he uses those soft hands to catch the ball very well

[Porky]

Originally Posted by beerlover

he was drafted by the Giants in the 11th round in 2001. cannot block, did 7 reps @ 225 coming out of OSU, thats soft but reportedly he uses those soft hands to catch the ball very well

11th round? That's odd, considering the draft only has 7 rounds.

[Porky]

Here is a link to the entire 2001 NFL draft. Rivers is nowhere to be found that I can see. I am even more sure than earlier that he was an undrafted FA. Or maybe he was chosen in round 32.