The Facts: Earlier this offseason, Patterson said that 2015 was going to “make me or break me” as an NFL player and that he was working to make sure it was the former result. Patterson said that he was devoting more of his energies to technical skills like route running in hopes of matching them to the athletic ability that made him a first-round pick and intriguing rookie in 2013. HC Mike Zimmer has seen progress on that front as well as in Patterson’s consistency during the team’s workouts. “Cordarrelle is doing a good job in this offseason,” Zimmer said.
Diehards Line:
The coach continued: “He has been in better shape coming in, and he is doing a better job of running routes, of competing each and every down. I look forward to him coming on and I’m a big fan of his. We’re just trying to get him to realize all the little intricacies you have to do offensively in the NFL in order to be a great player.” As PFT points out, the history of the NFL is littered with plenty of players who couldn’t marry raw talent with the “little intricacies” that Zimmer mentions and plenty of players who were able to refine their games to make for a successful career. Patterson probably isn’t wrong in his assessment that the 2015 season will determine where he falls.