I can't decide if that means he's down the depth chart at TE, he's freakishly athletic, or our WRs need some help (heard early they were exceeding expectations).
So, Jordan Thomas is practicing at WR some..
- Thread starter 57stratdawg
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Maybe a little bit of all 3. Sounds like Dan is throwing in a couple wrinkles
based on the TE and WR personnel. Jordan's played outside enough to be comfortable.
Gives you a big guy out there blocking on screens.
based on the TE and WR personnel. Jordan's played outside enough to be comfortable.
Gives you a big guy out there blocking on screens.
This all day....but I could also see him catching a slant, in zone coverage and killing a DB in open field. Big sumbitch moving at 4.4 speed...running down hill? GTFO. Nope.
Very, very scary prospect for opposing defenses. Even if he is a little successful moving around outside the tackle as a target, it will definitely keep folks from stacking the box.
Not to mention WR screens with him blocking in front of Mixon and such.
Boo scary...
View attachment 7620
dontae jones was a pass catching WR at louisville. If he can maintain 230 # at 6'4, then he needs to spread out and catch some medium to deep balls.
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Okay, so let's run this on offense:
- put Thomas out wide and Mixon in the slot;
- at the snap, Thomas runs a slant and Mixon runs an out (Thomas "picks" Mixon's defender);
- Mixon should be wide open.
Defenses play lots of man coverage against us. This play should work every time against man coverage.
I've never seen us run it.
Have we?
- put Thomas out wide and Mixon in the slot;
- at the snap, Thomas runs a slant and Mixon runs an out (Thomas "picks" Mixon's defender);
- Mixon should be wide open.
Defenses play lots of man coverage against us. This play should work every time against man coverage.
I've never seen us run it.
Have we?
I would love to see the reverse to mixon or donald gray ran with Jordan out wide and another TE and Aeries blocking... Those guys would just plow through... it would be one of those plays you keep in your back pocket that could be explosive. Hold on to it for the right time... heck maybe run it the first time you let Jordan get out wide cause they are on their heels and don't know what's coming. Then run it using gabe miles but as a reverse QB throwback.
Fitz may be exaggerating a little, but not much. As a recruit Thomas ran 4.6-4.7 at camp...at 6-6, 285.
For a good NFL comp, Vernon Davis is 6'3", 255 and runs a 4.4-4.5.
Davis actually ran sub-4.4 at his combine. Good lord.
I think we see a bunch of TEs splitting out this year. All of them can be successful pass catchers outside other than maybe Farrod, who I am slow to short-sell, because he's already better than I thought he would be when we signed him.
I think we see a lot of TE motion this year both inside and outside. It would seem to me that you don't recruit so many of those guys unless you've got a grand scheme on how you are about to use them...
I think we see a lot of TE motion this year both inside and outside. It would seem to me that you don't recruit so many of those guys unless you've got a grand scheme on how you are about to use them...
No way Jordan Thomas runs a 4.4. I can see a 4.6-4.7 which is freaking moving for a guy his size. Bear was a 4.8-5.0 guy and he was very effective. Thomas can be too.
Im sure you right about 4.4 exaggerated, but hell at 4.4-4.6-4.7.... our recent favorite big outside wr ran a 4.9, and it worked for him...
im curious to see how they use him and Farrod on the same side......run blocking..
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Let's hope the word on Gabe Myles is true that he is looking good. Because Gray is the only guy I have confidence in right now. Mullen has hinted that he feels good about Gray, Myles, Mixon, and also said that Thomas and Jackson have looked pretty good. Gray is the only guy in that bunch who is proven and he was the #2 option last year. I say all that to say that we are scrambling to find pass catchers so moving Thomas around could speak to our lack of WR's. Thomas is a physical specimen but I see him as more of an attached TE.
Gabe can get open... he's a good receiver, but for some reason he forgot how to catch last year... hopefully he's been working on that. maybe he got lit up last year early and got gun shy... i dunno what happened.
Yeah, he looked pretty good in the slot early in his career, but we need him on the outside due to lack of success in recruiting. Last year he struggled with that adjustment and couldn't get on the field. Now all of the sudden we are hoping he can be a legit #2. We need Gray to be a legit #1. And then the money maker in our offense is slot where we need Mixon or someone to be big time. That's why I disagreed with dawgstudent the other day about Ross. 12 TD's and all those catches were a big loss to this offense.
I always find it fascinating how 40 yard times are such a huge measuring stick. I just don't see that much separation in a 40 yard sprint between a 4.5 WR and a 4.8 DB. You cannot snap your fingers quick enough to create the .3/10 of a second difference. Add to that fact that there is only a 40 yard sprint by a WR or Slot guy 3, maybe 4 times per game.
We saw a 4.75 Jerry Rice destroy the NFL and is in the HOF. We saw a 4.8 MSU QB outrun guys in 2014/15.
We saw a 4.75 Jerry Rice destroy the NFL and is in the HOF. We saw a 4.8 MSU QB outrun guys in 2014/15.
Well, if nothing else we know he is faster than Bear Wilson. I actually like doing it if it can work, we have WAY too many TEs on this team and not enough WRs.
Gabe didn't forget how to catch. He's always had inconsistent hands. He just wasn't targeted down the field very often before last year; used mostly on screens, sweeps, and trick plays. Sounds like he's made large strides this offseason though, and while that could just be coach speak, it would be huge for our offense if true.
What team runs this play on every down? I am telling you, if you got the science guy to do an "absolute" test on 40 yard dashes with one that runs a 4.5 and one that runs a 4.8, throwing the ball in that direction. The 4.8 DN is going to make the play inside 41 yards down the field on a Straight fly more 90% of the time if he has equal ball skills. And the other 10% will not be because the WR was 3/10 of a second faster but because he either has better hands or out jumps the DB. Give me a 4.6 or 4.7 great route Runner, over a straight fly guy at 4.4 or 4.5 everyday that ends in Y and all the ones that don't!
The NFL is full of guys who run the 4.6 or 4.7 and came from Eastern BF Egypt Group of 5 schools.
What was Paidwell's (top WR recruit in 2013) 40 time? He must be the best WR in the NFL since he was the best HS Senior.
I used to think that until I saw one of these. If the guy in front is a WR and the guys behind him are DB's, the QB has an easy TD pass over the top. Even if the guy in the middle is a WR and the guy in back is a DB, it's still doable for the QB to pass over the DB and the WR grab it. At only 20 yards the first guy already has a decent lead.
View attachment 7750
Except that the DBs dont start at the line of scrimmage, and even if he does get past them, he still has to catch the ball. Speed is one important factor for a WR. But route running and hands are at least equally as important. Ideally, you'd like a mix of receivers who excel at all three.
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