Is Speed The Only Thing That Matters?

[jazz1988]

Speed on offense can help in many ways but in the end does it really matter? Is it the key to solve every problem? And is it the main reason why a player is so good? The NFL seems to value speed a whole lot and in most cases for a young rookie whom trying to enter into professional football through NFL draft can see his stock rise or fall depending on his 40 time.

Jerry Rice whom is now recognize as the greatest wide receiver of all time had a 40 time of 4.71 and there were definitely teams that were wary of his speed and some were skeptical in thinking he was worthy of being drafted in the first round because of it but the 49ers still took a chance on him by trading up in the first round to draft him. Jerry Rice didn’t have blazing speed like Torrey Smith, Randy Moss, and etc. but was still able to be dominate for many years in the NFL but what was the reason for this? How was a receiver that was consider to be slow able to beat so many good cornerbacks in the NFL?

 

The NFL has definitely changed since Jerry Rice has played in it but can the need for speed be contributed to an idea that maybe receivers are not as smart route runners/hard workers as they were in the past? which may lead to teams needing receivers to beat opposing defenses due to speed/physique alone a lot more or is it just that Speed is just great to have?. Anquan Boldin whom ran 4.72 4O yard time turn out to be a dominate wide receiver and also became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 600 receptions.

 

In 2013 NFL Draft two very fast wideouts such as Tavon Austin( 40 time 4.34) and Cordarrelle Patterson (40 time 4.33) were drafted in the first round but does their speed mean they will be great receivers in the future or become an instant force for their team right away in their rookie year? Speed does kills but it can’t be everything because a young wide receiver by the name of Deonte Thompson ran a 40 time of 4.29 was not drafted at all last year during the 2012 NFL Draft. Deonte Thompson is currently in the mix to become The Baltimore Ravens # 3 wide receiver and he's competition is mostly against Tandon Doss. Tandon Doss is a receiver that had a 40 time of 4.62 and it's something to keep in mind as Ravens Fans look forward towards this year preseason/regular season because in the end Tandon vs Deonte may answer everything this topic is about but any way is speed the only thing that matters?

 

( I like to say I copied and paste this from BaltimoreBeatdown.com and i made this post there first but figure i'll share it here as well)

 

[RavensAllTheWay]

Speed is by far not the only thing that matters.  It does help in some situations though.

[billick]

In the olde days, the adage was size on offense, speed on defense.

 

Speed is not the only thing that matters. They also used to have triangle #, height, weight, and, you guessed it, speed.

 

Fractions of a second look good, in shorts.  Bob Hayes was once the worlds fastest human, and he was a good WR for the Cowboys.

 

They don't score the game with a stopwatch, but speed is not going away as a major factor in playing in the NFL.  Speed on defense was a major reason we won Y2K Super Bowl.

 

Running fast in the wrong direction will not win NFL games, just ask Cam Cam.

 

Get used to it.

[Sami84]

yeah and thats what worries me about our offense. sure we are fast..but no top class route runners

[izvoodoo]

yeah and thats what worries me about our offense. sure we are fast..but no top class route runners

Well for the long run you can teach route running.  Can't teach speed.

[Sami84]

Well for the long run you can teach route running.  Can't teach speed.

 

to be honest..i think route running is a natural ability..Boldin had it the moment he came into the league.

[izvoodoo]

to be honest..i think route running is a natural ability..Boldin had it the moment he came into the league.

Well certainly players can be better at it, but every players improve their routes.

 

And not to beat a dead horse, but we need to move on from whether trading Boldin was a good idea.

 

Better offense with Boldin? Yes

Better Team?  No.

[Sami84]

honestly if we had pitta i wouldn't care as much. Now i do. We don't have any natural route runners. Having a natural route runner makes the rest of the outfielders more effective.

[The Raven]

to be honest..i think route running is a natural ability..Boldin had it the moment he came into the league.

 

You're right. Route running is all natural ability. That's why Torrey Smith hasn't improved his route running. That's why he never will.

 

:rolleyes:

[Sami84]

torrey smiths stats last year were hardly amazing guys.  they were ''good''. Lets wait and see if he has taken that next step.

[beanfigger]

to be honest..i think route running is a natural ability..Boldin had it the moment he came into the league.

 

I never really considered route running to be one of Boldin's strengths.  He was extremely strong, physical and had good hands.  It isn't like he was constantly open after beating man coverage due to his route running.  He made the grabs in contested situations with strength and never shying away from contact.  We haven't had a great route runner at WR since maybe Mason.

[The Raven]

torrey smiths stats last year were hardly amazing guys.  they were ''good''. Lets wait and see if he has taken that next step.

 

What's your point? Where are you going with this? I don't see how this is relevant to what you were saying about route running...

 

While his stats might not have been amazing, they don't tell the whole story. First, Cam sent him deep every play and didn't utilize Torrey very well. Second, Torrey didn't put up amazing numbers, but the effect he had on opposing defenses was amazing. See the Denver game in the post season too, by the way. 

[beanfigger]

torrey smiths stats last year were hardly amazing guys.  they were ''good''. Lets wait and see if he has taken that next step.

 

They're pretty comparable to the guy we used to have that you're so worried about us losing.

[Sami84]

They're pretty comparable to the guy we used to have that you're so worried about us losing.

Lets keep this basic. We lost our 2 most consistant offensive receivers whom were our best route runners. Denial is never a good thing. We have a bunch of ? Marks to replace them.

[5aiah]

I never really considered route running to be one of Boldin's strengths.  He was extremely strong, physical and had good hands.  It isn't like he was constantly open after beating man coverage due to his route running.  He made the grabs in contested situations with strength and never shying away from contact.  We haven't had a great route runner at WR since maybe Mason.

It wasn't. He ran quality routes but he wasn't a standout. He is definitely not a great route runner.

 

You're right. Route running is all natural ability. That's why Torrey Smith hasn't improved his route running. That's why he never will.

 

:rolleyes:

Actually what most people don't get is that route running is just a technical skill. What is natural is agility and the fluidity of your moves. This is why Streeter will take so long before he can be a starting receiver and why guys like Pitta can eventually become better than faster guys like Dickson. It is more about who has upside in terms of route running, Torrey does but he isn't the norm. Also some guys just didn't have good coaching in certain areas.

 

 

[beanfigger]

Lets keep this basic. We lost our 2 most consistant offensive receivers whom were our best route runners. Denial is never a good thing. We have a bunch of ? Marks to replace them.

 

I actually think Smith might be just as good at running routes as Boldin, he's just never been asked to.  It isn't like Boldin was tremendous in that area, like I mentioned before.  I also think Dickson is far more physically talented than Pitta, so becoming the route runner Pitta was is a matter of work ethic.  I have been pining for a true route runner in Baltimore for years, and I still am.  I don't think that aspect of the game is what we will miss from Boldin and Pitta.  The chemistry they had with Joe will be missed more.

[hawkprey]

Lets keep this basic. We lost our 2 most consistant offensive receivers whom were our best route runners. Denial is never a good thing. We have a bunch of ? Marks to replace them.

They were our most consistent because they were the only players we used over the middle of the field. It's much easier to complete routine passes there. 

[dhstandard]

Ask Boldin Mason and Heap...

 

 

Something people don't know, Jerry Rice had one of the fastest 20 yd dashes recorded.  He may not have had great max speed but his acceleration was very fast.

 

Most routes happen within 10-15 yards anyways.  40 yard dash is just stupid.  That's why basketball does a 3/4 court sprint.  Cause you rarely run the entire length of the court.

[Yatagarasu]

Why you can outrun your opposition, then they will put you on the game plan to keep you contain, thus you can do more for your offense, since they will double the speed guy. That's why Torrey Smith gets the double coverage treatment. Everyone saw what he did  to Champ Bailey on his own island.

[Sami84]

the problem with torrey is he has a great game and then goes missing for a couple. We can't afford that. Jacoby Jones is NOT a legit number 2. Sorry no one here will ever convince me. Tandon Doss has shown me nothing in 2 years. Deonte thompson is a complete wildcard. Ed Dickson is coming off a forgettable season and now has an injury to the hamstring which can linger.

 

Boldin and Pitta were what made me confident in the outfield. I'd be like 3rd down...boldin or pitta.  Best catchers we had.

 

Our team isn't perfect. Ive never been bias. I don't think flacco has enough weapons this year.

[jazz1988]

the problem with torrey is he has a great game and then goes missing for a couple. We can't afford that. Jacoby Jones is NOT a legit number 2. Sorry no one here will ever convince me. Tandon Doss has shown me nothing in 2 years. Deonte thompson is a complete wildcard. Ed Dickson is coming off a forgettable season and now has an injury to the hamstring which can linger.

 

Boldin and Pitta were what made me confident in the outfield. I'd be like 3rd down...boldin or pitta.  Best catchers we had.

 

Our team isn't perfect. Ive never been bias. I don't think flacco has enough weapons this year.

 

You right Torrey does have a great game then goes missing in couple other games but  you have to consider that Torrey is under new offensive coordinator which in most cases means he wont be going deep just about every play i expect him to be used in different ways maybe some slants, fades, come back routes,  drag routes and other things along with during what he does back which is  going deep. Most of all the ravens receiver would have a great game then dissappear  the next which in most cases are due   to Cam lack of creativity and etc but now we  have a new offense coordinator whom did a job last year in the playoffs/superbowl and Torrey is alot more experienced

[The Raven]

You right Torrey does have a great game then goes missing in couple other games but  you have to consider that Torrey is under new offensive coordinator which in most cases means he wont be going deep just about every play i expect him to be used in different ways maybe some slants, fades, come back routes,  drag routes and other things along with during what he does back which is  going deep. Most of all the ravens receiver would have a great game then dissappear  the next which in most cases are due   to Cam lack of creativity and etc but now we  have a new offense coordinator whom did a job last year in the playoffs/superbowl and Torrey is alot more experienced

 

Not to mention the fact that many teams double him.

[beasy2487]

No.

[flynismo]

You answered your own question the minute you mentioned Jerry rice

[BALTIMOREFLACCO]

If you're trying out for the Raiders, yes it is the only thing that matters

[jazz1988]

You answered your own question the minute you mentioned Jerry rice

my topic wasnt really meant to  ask a question and  I mention Jerry Rice for a reason to prove my point that speed doesnt matter but i didnt want to be straight forward with it because i thought it would be boring that way. The motivation of this topic really started  when i seen  few ravens fans mention that Tandon Doss wasnt goood enough because he doesnt have blazing speed but Deonte Thompson   is good enough because he does have blazing speed;  I remember when Mike Mayock and many others / creditable websites mention during the time of 2013 draft that Keenan Allen is the best wideout among the wideout class but he wasnt drafted as the best wideout due to his slow 40 time and in the end the wideouts with the blazing speed were drafted before him ( Tavon Auston and Corrdelle Paterson )

 

I overall wanted to get a clear understand what other people thought about this matter and some agree with me and some disagree also some agree but provide some good/knowledgeable info  that help me get a better understanding/

[beanfigger]

my topic wasnt really meant to  ask a question

 

You can understand the confusion, though, given that the topic title ends with a question mark.

[flynismo]

my topic wasnt really meant to  ask a question and  I mention Jerry Rice for a reason to prove my point that speed doesnt matter but i didnt want to be straight forward with it because i thought it would be boring that way. The motivation of this topic really started  when i seen  few ravens fans mention that Tandon Doss wasnt goood enough because he doesnt have blazing speed but Deonte Thompson   is good enough because he does have blazing speed;  I remember when Mike Mayock and many others / creditable websites mention during the time of 2013 draft that Keenan Allen is the best wideout among the wideout class but he wasnt drafted as the best wideout due to his slow 40 time and in the end the wideouts with the blazing speed were drafted before him ( Tavon Auston and Corrdelle Paterson )

 

I overall wanted to get a clear understand what other people thought about this matter and some agree with me and some disagree also some agree but provide some good/knowledgeable info  that help me get a better understanding/

 

My bad, I should have read more of the thread before answering.

 

Obviously, speed isn't the only factor, at any position. At certain positions, speed (or more accurately, quickness), makes you more likely to make big plays (WR, RB and DB), but it is meaningless if you simply are not a good football player...guys like Yamon Figurs, Allen Rossum, Trung Canidate and Jerome Mathis immediately come to mind....you cant make those big plays if you cant ball and apply that speed. Really is just as simple as that. You look for smart, fundamentally sound players, and out of those guys, you look for the guys who play the fastest (not to be confused with their 40- times), and then finally, of the few remaining, you look at raw measurables, like speed and strentgh

[5aiah]

Actually i would argue agility and quickness are more important in this league. Tavon is quicker than he is fast that is why he is such an explosive playmaker. It is easier to teach a agile guy to run better routes than just a speed guy. Thats why Streeter's speed means so little and Thompsons means so much. Acceleration is big too, that is another thing Streeter lacks. Speed means nothing if those things don't back it up.

[The Raven]

Actually i would argue agility and quickness are more important in this league. Tavon is quicker than he is fast that is why he is such an explosive playmaker. It is easier to teach a agile guy to run better routes than just a speed guy. Thats why Streeter's speed means so little and Thompsons means so much. Acceleration is big too, that is another thing Streeter lacks. Speed means nothing if those things don't back it up.

 

Don't know how you got negged, because you couldn't be more right. Top speed is crap in this league. Top speed is for track stars. I care about how fast you can run 10-20  yards, and how fast you can change direction. That's what matters.