Ferrell understands that criticism of an NFL career comes with territory originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
As the No. 4 overall pick for the then-Oakland Raiders in the 2019 NFL Draft, many expectations rested on the shoulders of the 49ers’ newest defenseman, Clelin Ferrell.
However, Ferrell has struggled to live up to pick status during his four seasons with the Raiders, recording just 10 sacks in 58 total Silver and Black games. As a result, the Clemson product dealt with criticismwhat he understands is part of playing in the NFL.
“I mean is [criticism] just? I think criticism is independent of whether it’s fair or not; it just is what it is,” Ferrell told reporters on Friday. “It comes with the territory. People always have all the opinions they have to say.”
While Ferrell accepts that there are critics for his performance to date in his NFL career, the 25-year-old also highlighted the maturing journey that the league’s ups and downs bring to young players.
“I think for me man I think it’s been really a blessing, whatever my journey into the league has been because what a lot of people don’t know is all these guys in the league, we’re still young and we’re developing at the same time Time to take on this very high-level job,” Ferrell continued. “So I think I’ve gone through various ups and downs throughout my career, whether it’s good days, bad days, I’ve had time to really grow as a man and to mature just because you make decisions as a grown man, mistakes as a grown man.
“Sometimes it’s like that, especially for me. I moved from the east coast to the west coast. So you can’t call mom or your brothers all the time. I think it was a really good transition for me. I think it will really show for my future career that I really appreciate those years.”
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The Raiders chapter may not have gone the way Ferrell had hoped, but he’s now coming into a situation with the 49ers where the edge rusher isn’t asked to be the top pass rusher.
Ferrell signed a one-year contract with San Francisco for a fresh start in the Bay Area. The former raider can use this opportunity to show he can become a solid depth piece on the defensive line and land a more lucrative deal next offseason.
Source : sports.yahoo.com