WR Speed

[n1997y]

Another way to think about it is the space that creates. A .05 lead can equate to about two extra footage of separation compared to someone who was .05 slower.

That’s a good starting point. On an unimpeded straight line dash a .05 difference is about 2’ which is significant, or can be depending on what the player can do with it. Where things get interesting is on the football field where it’s uncommon to be unimpeded and running in a straight line. It’s great when the ball in his hands in open space, that’s what we all want to see (when it’s our guy with the ball of course). Question is how much does that straight line speed help get the ball into his hands? Or are the benefits of those two extra feet of separation lost when he gets jammed, has to cut, or runs the wrong route? So I’m thinking not just about the two feet but also what if it’s only a foot and he’s more physical, more agile, and/or runs better routes?

 

[Salsalife]

Mass (weight), height, length (wingspan), inline speed (forty), agility (shuttle/cone), explosion (jumping), strength (bench/weight room data)…. all measurables matter.

Do some fans overrate forty times in a vacuum… for sure. But a great forty time paired with great accompanying measurables is what a scout is looking at… along with brains and football smarts.

Randy Moss was tall, long, explosive, had good agility for a tall guy and was really football smart… but his speed on top of these things made him dominant.

In a league full of fast people, Moss was the fastest… and by chance you ran with him, he could out leap and out stretch you.

There’s alternative versions of this where agility for example was the defining trait. Look at Stephon Gilmore for one, he was fast and had all the measurables, but what made him unique was at 6 feet tall he had absurd agility, he had the quickness of a much smaller player. His 3.94 shuttle and 6.61 cone were absurd for his height.

Measurables and speed aren’t all that matter, but they matter a lot.

It took 7 years for Troy Brown to become a starter. Jules 4 years. Let that sink in. Speed + knowledge....

 

[n1997y]

Yeah, but you're assuming a defender isn't equally as fast and athletic. I guarantee that in the NFL most physical advantages are negated by the guys on the other side. Guys like Darrell Green and Deion Sanders. Fans (and scouts, it seems) sometimes forget that receivers don't play in a vacuum. Then they compound that error by assuming the NFL is like college and high school. The NFL is no joke. When you look at how few players every year get jobs in the league compared to how many are made available, it's clear the NFL represents an elite group of athletes.

That’s a really good point. Even the JAGs are really good athletes. It’s hard to find the elite traits that stand out, like speed. Guys like Deion Sanders are just as rare as guys like Randy Moss. Maybe it’s okay to have a one trick pony who’s just so fast in a straight line that he has to be covered by the elite speed of the opposing CB1 even if he’s not much of a threat in any other way? So his catches may be sporadic but he gets teammates more catches (not just about speed, re AJ and Doubs)? Or is that not good, if he is too easily jammed or rerouted so any CB can shut him down? It’s another dimension to consider how one speedy WR affects the overall team offense.

Nearly without exception, the biggest success stories every year are the guys who put in the mental work. The Patriots dynasty was built on guys like that. Troy Brown, Tom Brady, Welker, Edelman, Malcolm Butler, Stephen Neal, Tedy Bruschi, Dan Koppen, Kevin Faulk, Vrabel himself... they were all guys who studied their way into greatness.

This is a great point, guys who are relatively mediocre athletes in the overall NFL population can become the biggest stars by outworking the guys around them. That’s why I hate the fans who are quick to dismiss young players as JAGs before they even see the field in the NFL, and love it when we see one of those players put in the work to become an outstanding player. Nink was one, among many others. Tedy was another who had lots of heart, even if it had a hole in it. Those are guys it’s easy to root for even if they lack elite traits, such as speed.

 

[Wozzy]

It took 7 years for Troy Brown to become a starter. Jules 4 years. Let that sink in. Speed + knowledge....

Some take longer, some take less time… some have a great rotation in front of them on the depth chart and could have played offense a lot sooner. Edelman was a college QB, it’s all relative.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Some take longer, some take less time… some have a great rotation in front of them on the depth chart and could have played offense a lot sooner. Edelman was a college QB, it’s all relative.

Edelman is a weird case. He was leading all rookies in receptions when he broke his arm against the Titans. And then that offseason BB brought in numerous pass catchers [most notably two TEs] that ended up burying Edelman on the depth chart. Without those . . . who knows?