Minicamp Stars Sure to Disappoint in NFL Training Camp

Summer is a season of optimism in the NFL. Players are refreshed after a grueling season and come back to minicamp filled with hope and promise of a better season. 

In shorts and t-shirts, everyone looks like an All-Star. However, we all know that a few months from now, things will rarely work out exactly as everyone has planned. 

Here are a few minicamp stars who will disappoint once the pads come on for training camp.

Nick Fairley

Nick Fairley is a supremely talented defensive tackle. Coming out of the draft, he had feet that were faster than most running backs with the explosion and power of some of the biggest players in the game. 

Because of his incredible natural talent, it's no surprise that he has been impressive in shorts at minicamp. General manager Martin Mayhew spoke to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press about his on-field performance:

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(Fairley's) had an outstanding offseason out here on the field. Not so good off the field, but he's been outstanding in practice. He’s worked his butt off; he’s in great condition. He’s done some things out here on tape, just running around, that make you run the tape back and go, ‘Who is that?’ He has tremendous, tremendous talent level and, hopefully, he can fulfill that.

"

However, after getting charged with a DUI, back in late May, it's certainly fair to question where Fairley's priorities truly lie. Once the pads are put on in August, the Lions will quickly find out whether or not Nick has been spending time working on his craft or being distracted by off-field "activities."

Randy Moss

Few players have enjoyed the same amount of minicamp love as Randy Moss has gotten from his teammates. After spending a whole season in a short retirement, teams were hesitant to sign an aging player whose game is based on straight-line speed, but so far, the gamble appears to be paying off for the 49ers.

According to CSNBayArea.com’s Matt Maiocco, Moss has been outstanding on the practice field:

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On the field, he used his long strides and 6-foot-4 height to get deep and make catches against sometimes unsuspecting defensive backs. Moss' skills should make it easy for Smith. Moss is at his best on under-thrown deep balls in which he can go up and catch the pass above defenders. The biggest question about Moss is how he will deal with adversity. Thus far, it's all been smooth sailing.

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Based on his past, anyone would have a hard time trusting Moss' ability to stay committed to a team for the long haul. Sure, it's easy to be happy in shorts and a t-shirt, running simple routes against air. 

But when the pads are put on and Moss has to work to get off the jam, can his aging legs handle it?

When Alex Smith starts throwing up wounded ducks, will he resist frustration, or will he revert to being the person who got him kicked out of the Vikings' locker room?

Moss has enough talent to overcome all of these obstacles, but based on his past, it would be wise to take everything said about him in minicamp with a grain of salt. 

Blaine Gabbert

Let's face it. Blaine Gabbert was a tough watch last year, as he continually folded under pressure and simply did not look the part of an NFL quarterback. 

However, Gabbert has plenty of arm talent, which he did flash at times last season, and it has been on full display at minicamp.

According to Jaguars.com's John Oehser, Gabbert looks "like a different player off the field—more confidence and a bit more maturity."

While this is certainly a promising sign, as we saw from Gabbert last year, all of his great talents go out the window when the pads are put on. 

It's certainly possible that Blaine truly has newfound confidence, especially with a brand-new receiving corps, but few players are able to overcome a tendency to flinch in the pocket once it has been ingrained in one's brain. 

Dontari Poe

Yes, Dontari Poe has already been inserted into the starting lineup and has been applauded for his work ethic in minicamp, but this was to be expected from a first-round pick. 

However, Poe has been working out in shorts and a t-shirt—the same equipment he used when he blew up the scouting combine and pushed himself up draft boards. 

The issue with Poe is when he puts the pads on and has to use his immense physical ability. He was unable to dominate the competition at Memphis. Why should he all of a sudden start moving NFL offensive linemen around like chess pieces?

Poe could certainly develop into a good player with time, but until he proves that he belongs on the field, we should temper our expectations of the minicamp stud. 

Wayne Hunter

Just about everyone in the football world thinks Wayne Hunter is a liability at right tackle for the Jets—except, well, the Jets. 

In particular, new offensive-line coach Dave DeGuglielmo thinks very highly of the embattled right tackle, judging by what he told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News:

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One of the things that excited me most about this job was Wayne Hunter. The last thing that I would ever want to see happen is not have Wayne Hunter as the right tackle...Until they tell me otherwise., until they ship him out of this building or until they shoot me dead in my office, that son of a gun is going to be the starting right tackle and he’s going to play well.

"

After such a statement, Rex Ryan has competition for being the most outspoken coach on his team. 

Maybe Wayne is a great practice player, and he does have a lot of experience. But no coach could have watched Hunter play last year and honestly say that they would be "excited" to have him as the best right tackle on the team. 

Unless Hunter makes a massive improvement, there's no reason why he should do anything except disappoint in the preseason.

Russell Wilson

While it's certainly impressive that a rookie quarterback who was not even drafted in the first two rounds is in the mix to be the starting quarterback, let's be honest with ourselves; either Matt Flynn or Tarvaris Jackson is going to start for the Seahawks in 2012. 

Carroll's declaration that Russell is in the mix for the starting job was a classic Carroll move. Pete loves competition at every position; throwing a rookie into the mix only pushes the other players to work even harder. 

Wilson's biggest weakness is well-documented—his height. At just 5'11", there's no doubt that he's going to have a hard time seeing the entire field in the NFL. In college, there were a lot of plays where he would scramble and make plays outside the pocket, a la Doug Flutie. 

The problem is that having the same kind of success as an improvisational player in the NFL is almost impossible. Other improvisational quarterbacks, such as Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo and Michael Vick are supremely talented and the exception to the norm. Wilson is good, but not a rare throwing (or running) talent.

Perhaps Wilson will prove the doubters wrong in the preseason and make a real case for himself to win the starting job, but for every Doug Flutie, there are hundreds of prospects who could not cut it in the NFL because of their size.