Right Decision Either Way

Mr. Barkley had a tough decision to make. Return to USC, with it’s beautiful  women and gorgeous weather or take his talents to South Beach (and by South Beach I mean the NFL Draft and a multi million dollar contract. Just has been too long since I thought about LeBron saying that). Luckily for him he had some recent blueprints to follow in the likes of Jake Locker, a few years back and obviously, Andrew Luck, this year. It didn’t go exactly as planned for Locker, due to the fact that after he returned to Washington for another year his accuracy problem revealed itself. It caused him from being a number 1 overall pick to going number 8 to the Titans. In the new NFL it didn’t cost him too much money but under the old system it would have been a multi million dollar mistake. On the other side of that spectrum is Andrew Luck. He went from probably going ahead of Cam Newton, to being all but a certainty to replace Hall of Famer, Peyton Manning. So with Barkley deciding he would return to USC he has seen the good and  semi bad outcomes of his decision.

I wasn’t the biggest supporter of the 6’2″, 220 pounder, most the season but admit he did improve his game drastically. He finished the season with 39 TDs to only 7 INTs and increased his yards per attempt as the season went on to 7.9 compared to Luck’s 8.5. His 69.1 completion percentage also held its own to Luck’s 70.0. Returning for his senior season might help get out of the Luck spotlight some and putting up another year worth of numbers like that will only improve his draft stock.

The biggest concern with Barkley returning is staying healthy. Not that he is injury prone but just the fact that what if something happens that affects his career. Losing All-World LT, Matt Kalil, doesn’t help that concern. On the other hand, he does have the continuity of WRs Robert Woods and Marqise Lee being on the other end of his passes.

When it is all said and done the dreams of chasing a Heisman, a bowl game and women in Southern Cal was too much for the 21 year old to pass up. In the end it was his decision to make and it was the right one, either way.