Quick, somebody bash me on the head again..please! Good to see everyone again. I have missed a few of you scoundrels. Some of you, not so much. I may drop by a little more now that we may have something to look forward to again.
So has anyone come up with any other WRs aside from the Green Bay crop? If Jesse Holley gets cut in NE that could be a guy to look at. You want to talk about a dude that's earned everything he got...he was the winner of Michael Irvin's "4th and Long" challenge. He is a big guy, runs pretty fast. This year he was caught behind a numbers game when you consider the Cowboys had Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson. They also have been enamored in the past with Kevin Ogletree and tried to get him a lot of action. QBs threw the ball to him 7 times and he caught all 7 balls for 169 yards, including that 77 yarder in overtime against the 49ers. That 24 yards per attempt figure may not be statistically meaningful because of only 7 attempts his direction, but that's still pretty impressive. What I like is he was only in on 36 pass snaps and he got targeted a good 19.5% of the time, produced that 169 yards. That 4.7 yards per snap figure is insane and I don't care how few catches were involved in it. Take away that one overtime play and he still has 2.6 yards per pass snap. He had two key catches on the final drive of regulation where the Cowboys needed to drive it down the field to tie it in overtime. Those were the first catches in Holley's career. Romo came up to him on the sideline before the drive and let him know he's going to need him and the ball is coming, so he got open and caught the ball for an 11 yarder and again an 8 yarder. Then in OT, they executed a play action and Holley beautifully faked a stalk block then released up field leaving Donte Whitner in the dust, cradled perfectly the ball over his shoulder on the run and only finally got caught by the 4.3 speedster Whitner at the 1 yard line after a 77 yard gain. Cowboys kicked the easy FG on 1st down for the win. Had another really great catch where he came through Terrence McGee's body to secure the ball after running a go route up the seam in man coverage. Another 17 yard catch on DeAngelo Hall, another nice 18 yard catch underneath Patrick Peterson, and a nice 13 yard hitch against A.J. Jefferson. The Patriots have a lot of receivers right now. They've got Wes Welker and they're enamored with Brandon Lloyd. They also have Deion Branch who is a good contributor for them. They brought Jabbar Gaffney back and they like him. They also brought Donte Stallworth back. They've kept Matt Slater around for years, same with Julian Edelman. They drafted Jeremy Ebert. There's a real uphill battle for Jesse Holley to make the roster. [video=youtube;9HH21kl2nb4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HH21kl2nb4[/video]
Sounds good to me. He looks good. I especially like him knowing, the second the safety bit on the playfake that he had him. I mean, it's not rocket science, but he sounds like a player who is very aware of the mental aspect of the game and his position. I love those players. Oh wow, and now as the video continues, the return he makes and Mayock saying "He had the presence of mind to take advantage." Yeah, this guy has Welker-like football smarts and awareness, quick decision-making. Guys like that play very smart football. Now I really like him. lol. No WONDER New England is looking at him! Plus he plays good special teams on both coverage AND return. NE will try to practice squad him. Question is, would he want to sign with Miami? Also, what are his weaknesses?
It's not the WRs in a vaccum. It's the offense as a hole. A dominant run game can make up for a lack of talent at WR, a couple of Pro Bowl TE's, or an elite QB. We have none of that IMO. I'm sure we'll use formations, personnel, tempo etc. to create as much offense as we can, and our defense will keep us most games. But if the run game falters at all, or we fall behind and have to pass our way back into a game then we are in serious trouble. We don't have anyone that opposing defenses have to double, we don't have any blitz beaters outside of perhaps Bess, no deep threats, we cant force defenses away from the LOS (for runs and short passes) or up close to the LOS (for intermediate/deep passes). I reserve the right to be wrong ( or change my opinion after the fact), but from what I see on the roster and from watching a few days of camp, we are seriously handicapped on offense from a personnel standpoint. The WRs are an easy target to pick on but the offense as a hole looks weak to me. Last year we were very good at making 5-6 yds at a time, moving the ball between the 30's, but when the pressure was on we struggled to make plays in the scoring zone. This year I think we have the same problem, but without Marshall to create one on one matchups for the other receivers, I fear that our whole offense may be smothered when we face quality defenses or offenses that can put up points and make us play from behind.
Nice post GMJohnson. IMO we need either Chad or Wallace (or even Fuller) to make a few big plays out the gate (hopefully vs Houston) to make the rest of the league take notice and thus perhaps respect him more in coverage throughout the year. If Wallace were to burn Jonathan Joseph over the top for a big TD, it might make future teams think twice about leaving him in isolated match-ups b/c of his sheer size and potential. Perhaps it's Wallace who becomes our Jordy Nelson.
Thanks, jsizz. I feel like Antonio's best years are behind him, like CJ, only he wasn't as good as CJ. Do you like him? Which of our WR's would you want him to replace?
Weird. Seattle signed him over Braylon Edwards then signed Braylon Edwards and let go of Antonio Bryant.
Wasn;t fitting in with coaches, locker-room, or they noticed something in his habits they didn't like?
Profootballtalk: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/05/seahawks-release-antonio-bryant/ So he shows up, and maybe the knees not so good. Or his conditioning isn't improving (due to lack of effort?).
Yeah, with this quick an about-face clearly something came to light that changed their mind. Makes me wonder if the medical staff up there did a shoddy job... or if there were two factions in Seattle, one Pro-signing him and one Anti-signing. Once he got in-house the anti-faction may have gotten enough medical information on him to win out.
I may be in the minority, but I like our WRs the way they are. I am hoping Wallace puts it all together this year. If CJ and Nanee are as good as they can be, this will be a deep WR corps. I agree that Bryant's best years are behind him, and I really was just letting you guys know he was cut. I don't want him.
I know he's not a wide receiver but he's a guy that the Dolphins could claim off waivers. Defensive Tackle Tyrunn Walker impressed the bajesus out of me tonight during the Hall of Fame game. He was 6'4" and 298 lbs at his pro day, ran a 4.91 in the 40 yard dash. He's a confusing dude. I watch him with the Saints and he looks like a defensive tackle, borderline nose tackle. I never watched him in college but I watch some of his 2011 tape now and he looks for all the world to me like a natural sized, explosive defensive left and right end. I've seen it suggested he was 280 lbs in college which looks right on the tape. Why he gained 18 lbs heading into the pro day, I don't know, but he seems like he might have continued the weight gain with the Saints. Either way the dude is impressive. He was all over the place tonight against the Cardinals backup OL...and those Cardinals actually have some OK backup OLs too. Let me give you just one small example of what kind of player he was at Tulsa. Watch the following two consecutive plays, first at left end then at right end. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8jVwuHjdXE&feature=player_detailpage#t=302s That's just two plays, but it shows you this dude was actually kind of compelling at 280 lbs as a defensive end. I don't know what the Saints are doing to him or whether that's best for him or not but it impresses me that he's undergone a CLEAR body change and a clear difference to the way he's being asked to play, and he looks like this is what he's been doing all along for years. Very impressive. If they cut him as part of a numbers game, I'd be on him. Other plays... Rush off Left End https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8jVwuHjdXE&feature=player_detailpage#t=956s Retrace on screen from Left End https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8jVwuHjdXE&feature=player_detailpage#t=982s Gets guys lined up from Left End, disrupts WR reverse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8jVwuHjdXE&feature=player_detailpage#t=1086s Inside pass rush move from Left End https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8jVwuHjdXE&feature=player_detailpage#t=1563s Hustle play from Left End chases Keenum and eventually horse collars him https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8jVwuHjdXE&feature=player_detailpage#t=1582s Shared sack from Left End https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8jVwuHjdXE&feature=player_detailpage#t=1657s Hustle play from Left End tackles QB after short scramble gain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8jVwuHjdXE&feature=player_detailpage#t=3175s Decent bull rush from Left End but QB gets the ball out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8jVwuHjdXE&feature=player_detailpage#t=3235s
Thanks CK. The link goes to a 70+ minute game film. Do you think he'd be any a better option than Odrick at DE? Like rotate him, Odrick and Olivier?
He caught my eye tonight as well. Just looked to be on another level at times on the field. Was pretty fun to watch. Thank god football is back.
I'm aware, but it should bring you directly to the appropriate time index for the two plays I'm talking about. A UDFA like him being a better DE than Jared Odrick? No I'm not saying that. I'm saying he's a guy I'd like to grab if he's cut and it interests me how he's essentially undergone a drastic change in not just his body type but also his playing style, and he looks like a fish in water. He was a dominant (at his level) defensive end with a 6'4" and 280 lbs body at Tulsa. Now all the sudden he's a 300+ lbs defensive tackle/nose tackle who looks natural taking on double teams and pushing interior offensive linemen around with brute strength. It's just such a change, yet the change wasn't too big for him...so that interests me.
My understanding CK is that a number of the undrafted d-lineman for Miami are impressing, including Root from Boise State. Now, I understand none of them have the size of the Saint's kid. Of the defensive ends who are impressing in Dolphin camp, who do you think has impressed the most? Smith from Missouri, Root from Boise State, Alexich from Pitt (who is really a dt), or Shelby from Utah?
What we need is a pro bowl QB who can make any bum off the street WR look like an all star. See: Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees. WR problem solved. Can Tannehill be that guy? Here's hoping!
Absolutely. IMO whoever we have at WR, they will have ample opps to make plays b/c teams aren't going to respect them. Garrard has a history of squeezing decent production out of very pedestrian WR corps, CK had an excellent post on it a while back. Outside of that, our defense can create turnovers, or the ST unit can give us good field position, there are ways to score without going 75 yds. But you're right, I'm hoping one or two of our WRs/TEs becomes "that guy" a la Mike Sims-Walker or Marcedes Lewis, who defenses have to game plan for.
Shelby is from Utah. I expected him to impress based on his college tape and I'm told by both Omar and Dave Hyde that he has impressed. Barry Jackson joined in as a third voice saying Shelby has impressed. Omar believe Alecxih has also impressed a lot, and a random fan observer agreed with him. Barry Jackson was the only one to say Jarrell Root has impressed. I believe DJ is a fan of Jacquies Smith. Objectively I look at it across the board and I point out Shelby from among them just because of the fact you had three sources separately come away impressed, between Barry Jackson's source inside the Dolphins, Dave Hyde as an observer, and Omar Kelly as an observer. Hyde also pointed out a number of sacks Shelby had even against the first string OL in practice and again in the scrimmage. Shelby is a defensive end. In his current form, Tyrunn Walker is every bit the defensive tackle.
.... and I don't even think Wallace (or Naanee, Fuller, or Chad) has to necessarily become that guy to be effective. For instance, let's say Wallace finishes 2012 with 450 yards and 4 TDs, which are modest numbers that, by themselves, don't really scare anyone; however if 115 of those and 2 TDs come during the 1st or 2nd week, then that should be enough to buy him some respect during upcoming weeks just b/c of the physical size and talent potential he possesses, no?
Really hard to get excited about this cast of wide receivers while Brian Hartline is still unhealthy. None of them even really make my list of guys I look forward to seeing in action against the Buccaneers.
I want to see Jeff Fuller in action, he would not be the first gem UDFA who became a UDFA due to injuries and senioritis. As much as I like Wallace and Pruitt, strategically their time is running out as their practice squad options are almost exhausted and neither has really shown they have developed into pro caliber Wr's, Fuller is starting at -0- and has 3yrs/8gms of practice squad eligibility and rapport with Tannehill.
Very possible. I'm not a numbers guy to be honest. I feel like, for example, if Brandon Marshall attracts a double team and we hit Hartline for a 15 yd gain vs single coverage then BM did his job and deserves the credit. Or if Wake has only 8 sacks but leads the league in holdings penalties drawn + pressures then he is an All-Pro. I think we have guys who can beat one on one coverage, what I worry about is, do we have a guy like BM who can create those one on one matchups for Nannee, Wallace, Clay, Bess, etc. ? Do we have an OL who can give our QB the extra time to find an open receiver? Do we have a run game that can force defenses into single high coverages? If Revis blankets our top wideout and Cromartie has help on our #2, who's going to get open? Will the QB have time to find them? How do we punish teams for blitzing all day, putting 8 or 9 guys in the box, or flooding the short-intermediate zones? We have guys who MAY be able to do these things, but no one who has actually done them. I'm hoping someone steps up, I dunno who it might be and I don't care. But in order for us to be a middle of the pack offense, (all we need considering what our defense looks like), someone will have to do it.
I know you asked Chris, but it's Shelby, from what I hear. He even made 2nd string D on the farcical first depth chart.
Could you say (with conviction)... "I'm excited about seeing Brian Hartline play this weekend!" were he healthy? I've been a fan of his, but I've never been excited to see him play. I think we may be giving him a smidge of extra love due to how UN-excited we are by the other receivers. I dunno.
Agree that we don;t positionally overmatch people in many spots. That puts more onus on great coaching.
I caught my own error with Shelby. I was thinking about the kid who signed last year Freeny. Shelby's position on the depth chart was further confirmation he is doing well. I know Walker is a tackle. I can't imagine that if he continues to show as he did last night he will not make it past waivers if he doesn't out right make the roster. I am guessing no backup tackle is doing as well as Walker right now on the Dolphin roster. I was hoping the kid from Texas was doing alright.
I can, Hartline is a good Wr who flashes often, his problem is healthy, his frame just may not be up to the grind of the NFL.
I agree that he's good. But not great. Anytways, considering that this is a new offense, new QBs, very timing oriented, the time he is missing may hamstring him as much as the physical injury did.
Problem I see with Hartline is he will be blown up running slants, that is the nature of his role in the offense, he has never shown the durability to take those hits and bounce back, in that way he is like Ronnie Brown, great talent but injury bitten.
