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Biggest Rookie to Year 2 Jumps this upcoming season

BigBlueDownTheShore : 5/19/2017 10:27 am
We saw Landon Collins breakout this past season, after having an up and down rookie season.

I think Shepard and Adams are poised to have better seasons coming up. The added pieces on offense are going to make it easier to get these guys balls in different offensive pairings.

Who do you have?
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RE: Well, for one thing it's not an all-rookie league.  
SGMen : 5/19/2017 11:54 am : link
In comment 13476287 Klaatu said:
Quote:
Compare Shepard to all of the WRs in the NFL and his numbers are, as I said, pedestrian. Now, maybe I got spoiled watching Steve Smith and Victor Cruz set records in the slot, and maybe Sterling Shepard will improve (no doubt there's room for it), but based on last year's performance, yes, consider me underwhelmed.
He was a rookie?? I think he did fairly well for a rookie. But this year will be telling. My only issue with Shepard is his lack of apparent "exploviness" after the catch. He also made a back-breaking drop in the playoffs along with OBJ.
Shepard may  
Ron Johnson : 5/19/2017 11:55 am : link
actually be a better player but not have it show up in his stats.

He's going to lose a lot of snaps to Engram.
Considering the garbage he had playing with him, O  
Klaatu : 5/19/2017 11:56 am : link
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Shepard had a lot of catches.
RE: Darian Thompson...  
SGMen : 5/19/2017 11:56 am : link
In comment 13476182 Milton said:
Quote:
Hopefully.
He is my darkhorse. And if both he and Apple become studs along with Collins, Jenkins and DRC we clearly would have the NFL's best secondary. We pressure the QB and this secondary will feast. Again, much remains to be seen in camp and so forth but the flashes of talent last year have me feeling pretty good. Health is the big issue.
RE: Considering the garbage he had playing with him, O  
Klaatu : 5/19/2017 11:57 am : link
In comment 13476301 Klaatu said:
Quote:
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Shepard had a lot of catches.


oops. wrong button.
RE: Shepard may  
SGMen : 5/19/2017 11:59 am : link
In comment 13476300 Ron Johnson said:
Quote:
actually be a better player but not have it show up in his stats.

He's going to lose a lot of snaps to Engram.
That may be true. I actually see the Giants throwing the ball to a lot more players this year as we have more skilled players than any of the McAdoo era, for sure.
Considering the garbage he had playing with him, OBJ excepted...  
Klaatu : 5/19/2017 12:04 pm : link
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Shepard had a lot of catches. But if you look at a rookie like Tajae Sharpe, sure, he didn't have as many catches, yards, or TDs, but his yac was more than two yards better, and he was also playing in the shadow of a top-tier WR and a highly productive pass-catching TE, on a team with a much stronger running game, but a much less experienced QB. So who was actually more impactful?
Paul Perkins  
annexOPR : 5/19/2017 12:26 pm : link
becomes a star.
Shepard  
Keith : 5/19/2017 12:33 pm : link
was, obviously. If that's underwhelming or disappointing, I hope we draft an underwhelming WR in the 2nd round every season. Unbelievable.
RE: Shepard  
Klaatu : 5/19/2017 12:38 pm : link
In comment 13476383 Keith said:
Quote:
was, obviously. If that's underwhelming or disappointing, I hope we draft an underwhelming WR in the 2nd round every season. Unbelievable.


If you're playing Fantasy Football, then maybe it's obvious. If all you care about is stats, then maybe it's obvious. If you're trying to help your team win football games, then maybe it's not so obvious.
Shepard will underwhelm in fantasy  
annexOPR : 5/19/2017 12:41 pm : link
and be a huge factor in Eli's 3rd SB ring.

I'm so glad I quit fantasy football last year.
You keep dropping that line and it just doesn't make sense.  
Keith : 5/19/2017 12:45 pm : link
If you want to win games, score more points. Shepard had 8 TD's to Sharpes 2. Does that help win games?

You are in lala land and you are making no sense. Shepard vs Sharpe:

Catches-67 vs 41
Yards-683 vs 522
TDs-8 vs 2

Completion % of balls thrown to them-61.9% vs 49.4%

Sharpes longest play of the year was 34 yards. Sheps was 32 yards. They each had 3 "big plays". Shep had 42 catches for a first down. Sharpe had 27. So yeah, I'd say it's pretty clear Shep had a more impactful rookie season. Now.....your turn.
RE: Well, for one thing it's not an all-rookie league.  
Capt. Don : 5/19/2017 12:49 pm : link
In comment 13476287 Klaatu said:
Quote:
Compare Shepard to all of the WRs in the NFL and his numbers are, as I said, pedestrian. Now, maybe I got spoiled watching Steve Smith and Victor Cruz set records in the slot, and maybe Sterling Shepard will improve (no doubt there's room for it), but based on last year's performance, yes, consider me underwhelmed.


This is such a myopic view it doesnt really deserve a response but I wanted to throw out some data to show that your "underwhelming" evaluation is, well...dumb.

Because we are talking about how much improvement we expect you cant just ignore that it was his rookie year. It is not like we are talking about a guy who has been in the league for 8 years and he is what he is. We are not talking about simply evaluating last season. The question was, who will make a big jump and ignoring the fact that he was a rookie changes the discussion entirely.

Below is how he ranks among all WRs taken in the 1st and 2nd rounds since 1978 (when the NFL went to a 16 game schedule) almost 40 years ago.

REC: Top 6.8%
YARDS: Top 22.7%
TDs: Top 3.6%

So I ask you, by what metric is that an "underwhelming" rookie year?

Pro Football Reference - ( New Window )
The best part about your argument is you mentioning  
Keith : 5/19/2017 12:50 pm : link
the supporting cast. So defenses didn't have to key on the Giants running game. They NEVER had more than 7 in the box. Defenses didn't have to worry about anyone other than OBJ and you think that helped Shepard?

In comparison, defenses constantly loaded the box on Tenn and they had to key on 2 other WR's and you think that hurt Sharpe?

Odd way your brain works there Klat.
Shepard was the 2nd option for Eli more often than not...  
Klaatu : 5/19/2017 12:51 pm : link
On a team that had little else other than OBJ. Sharpe was, at best, the 3rd or 4th option on a team that had many more offensive weapons, in the air and on the ground.
So ya think  
Keith : 5/19/2017 12:52 pm : link
that maybe Sharpe had more room to run because defenses didn't key on him? He had 20 less targets than Shepard and 25 less catches. You were saying?
RE: So ya think  
Klaatu : 5/19/2017 12:56 pm : link
In comment 13476429 Keith said:
Quote:
that maybe Sharpe had more room to run because defenses didn't key on him? He had 20 less targets than Shepard and 25 less catches. You were saying?


He should have had less targets - but he made more with what he had.
RE: RE: Well, for one thing it's not an all-rookie league.  
Keith : 5/19/2017 1:00 pm : link
In comment 13476419 Capt. Don said:
Quote:
In comment 13476287 Klaatu said:


Quote:


Compare Shepard to all of the WRs in the NFL and his numbers are, as I said, pedestrian. Now, maybe I got spoiled watching Steve Smith and Victor Cruz set records in the slot, and maybe Sterling Shepard will improve (no doubt there's room for it), but based on last year's performance, yes, consider me underwhelmed.



This is such a myopic view it doesnt really deserve a response but I wanted to throw out some data to show that your "underwhelming" evaluation is, well...dumb.

Because we are talking about how much improvement we expect you cant just ignore that it was his rookie year. It is not like we are talking about a guy who has been in the league for 8 years and he is what he is. We are not talking about simply evaluating last season. The question was, who will make a big jump and ignoring the fact that he was a rookie changes the discussion entirely.

Below is how he ranks among all WRs taken in the 1st and 2nd rounds since 1978 (when the NFL went to a 16 game schedule) almost 40 years ago.

REC: Top 6.8%
YARDS: Top 22.7%
TDs: Top 3.6%

So I ask you, by what metric is that an "underwhelming" rookie year? Pro Football Reference - ( New Window )


If this is underwhelming, I want more of it.
Capt. Don  
Klaatu : 5/19/2017 1:02 pm : link
Why don't you include 3rd round picks, or exclude 1st rounders? Can you find how much improvement was made by WRs picked in the 2nd round in their sophomore years?

Shepard is, as I said, a good, serviceable shot receiver, but the idea that he's anything more than that is, to me, ludicrous. Maybe he'll prove me wrong, so let's see.
RE: Capt. Don  
Capt. Don : 5/19/2017 1:15 pm : link
In comment 13476452 Klaatu said:
Quote:
Why don't you include 3rd round picks, or exclude 1st rounders?
sure, as you can see below those parameters actually discredits your argument even more.

Compared to 2nd Round Picks (1978-Present)

REC: Top 5.6%
YARDS: Top 13.4%
TDs: Top 5%

Compared to 2nd AND 3rd Round Picks (1978-Present)

REC: Top 3.1%
YARDS: Top 10%
TDs: Top 1.4%

Quote:
Can you find how much improvement was made by WRs picked in the 2nd round in their sophomore years?


I could but I am not going to. You can though!

Quote:
Shepard is, as I said, a good, serviceable shot receiver, but the idea that he's anything more than that is, to me, ludicrous. Maybe he'll prove me wrong, so let's see.


You are talking about what he IS based on his rookie year and that is wrong on at least two levels.

1. The discussion is not what a player is but what kind of improvement he will make from last year to this year.

2. Your assessment of his rookie year as "serviceable" and "underwhelming" is not supported by facts.
I re-thought this, and still believe we will show a STRONG draft  
SGMen : 5/19/2017 2:37 pm : link
I like what I saw from this class last year. The potential upside is very HIGH from all of our picks and UDFA's.

The only player we can't be "sure about" really is MLB Goodson because he had so few snaps on defense.

But the potential of Eli Apple, Sterling Sharpe, D. Thompson, P. Perkins, J. Adams, Okwara, FS Adams is very high based on the flashes they showed last year and coach comments. Health is of course important and will key the class upside but man does it look good.
.  
Danny Kanell : 5/19/2017 2:45 pm : link
Klaatu's having a rough thread.
what Capt Don  
giants#1 : 5/19/2017 3:18 pm : link
fails to account for, is that WRs nowadays have a much easier time contributing right out of the gate than they did back in 1978 when his data starts. So including data back until then, skews his numbers in SS's favor. For example, only 5 guys on the total receptions list joined the league before 2000.

So a better comparison for setting current expectations would be SS vs rookie WRs in the last 5 seasons. Here's his ranks (146 WRs drafted). Note that I included all drafted rookies, not just those taken in the 1st two rounds.

Rec
Shepard - tied 9th (top 6%)

Yds
Shepard - 17th (top 12%)

TDs
Shepard - tied 5th (top 3.5%)

Yds/Rec (min 20 rec) - 51 total WRs
Shepard - 40th (top 79%)
*Shepard - 93rd out of 174 (top 54%)

*his rank compared to rookie WRs drafted in rds 1-2 dating back to 1978.

So I think it's pretty fair to be 'underwhelmed' by Shepard's ability after the catch (to date).
Just so I understand how we need to watch WR's nowadays....  
Keith : 5/19/2017 3:26 pm : link
YAC is now the only thing we should look at in judging WRs? It's an indicator, but there are also a lot of things that go into YAC(such as the fact that defenses keyed on SS because of the lack of weapons around him). He didn't say he was concerned about his YAC, he said he was underwhelming as a rookie and basically said that SS won't ever get better and will always be a JAG.
that said  
giants#1 : 5/19/2017 3:27 pm : link
Some notable players who had lower Y/R #s their rookie years:

Jarvis Landry
Brandin Cooks

Cooks was surprising to see at <10.5 due to his great speed and I don't think he's a great comp for Shepard, though he's also undersized. But Landry might be the best comp out there since he's primarily a slot WR. Shepard's 40 yd/3 cone/20 yd shuttles all blew away Landry's numbers, so hopefully there's a lot of untapped potential there. That said, Landry definitely plays faster than his timed numbers. I knew his 40 wasn't fast, but didn't realize his 3-cone/short shuttle were so pedestrian. Watching him play, he's one of the best at making the 1st defender miss.
Link - ( New Window )
RE: Just so I understand how we need to watch WR's nowadays....  
giants#1 : 5/19/2017 3:29 pm : link
In comment 13476621 Keith said:
Quote:
YAC is now the only thing we should look at in judging WRs? It's an indicator, but there are also a lot of things that go into YAC(such as the fact that defenses keyed on SS because of the lack of weapons around him). He didn't say he was concerned about his YAC, he said he was underwhelming as a rookie and basically said that SS won't ever get better and will always be a JAG.


I'm not speaking for Klaatu or anyone else. And I never said YAC was the only thing important. I was merely elaborating on my earlier post in which I said his YAC performance was below my expectations.

RE: .  
Canton : 5/19/2017 3:30 pm : link
In comment 13476555 Danny Kanell said:
Quote:
Klaatu's having a rough thread.


of all time?
Also curious about the numbers listed by Giants#1....  
Keith : 5/19/2017 3:32 pm : link
1. Why only 5 years? Was that random or a cutoff that solidified your point? If we are comparing SS to other WR's, I think you make a fair point that going back to the 70's skews the numbers. What about to 2000.

2. Minimum of 20 receptions seems low as well. To compare SS to other WR's, you have to go minimum of 50 catches. Think about a rookie that has 20 catches in a season(1 per game). You can't compare that to SS who plays every snap.
RE: RE: Just so I understand how we need to watch WR's nowadays....  
Keith : 5/19/2017 3:34 pm : link
In comment 13476625 giants#1 said:
Quote:
In comment 13476621 Keith said:


Quote:


YAC is now the only thing we should look at in judging WRs? It's an indicator, but there are also a lot of things that go into YAC(such as the fact that defenses keyed on SS because of the lack of weapons around him). He didn't say he was concerned about his YAC, he said he was underwhelming as a rookie and basically said that SS won't ever get better and will always be a JAG.



I'm not speaking for Klaatu or anyone else. And I never said YAC was the only thing important. I was merely elaborating on my earlier post in which I said his YAC performance was below my expectations.


Gotcha. I didn't see your earlier post.
RE: Also curious about the numbers listed by Giants#1....  
giants#1 : 5/19/2017 3:43 pm : link
In comment 13476629 Keith said:
Quote:
1. Why only 5 years? Was that random or a cutoff that solidified your point? If we are comparing SS to other WR's, I think you make a fair point that going back to the 70's skews the numbers. What about to 2000.

2. Minimum of 20 receptions seems low as well. To compare SS to other WR's, you have to go minimum of 50 catches. Think about a rookie that has 20 catches in a season(1 per game). You can't compare that to SS who plays every snap.


5 years was just a "round" number, though there have been a larger # of WRs making an immediate impact the last few years compared to even 2000 (think Beckham, Landry, Benjamin, Cooks, Cooper, Evans, etc). Here are the numbers for 10 years (53 total WRs)

Rec (min 40 rec)
Shepard - tied 11th (top 21%)

Yards (min 40 rec)
Shepard - 30th (top 57%)

TDs (min 40 rec)
Shepard - tied 6th (top 12%)

Yards/Rec(min 40 rec)
Shepard - 44th (top 83%)

Yards/Rec (min 30 rec)
Shepard - 68th out of 80 (top 85%)
agreed RE: Shepard being just OK  
area junc : 5/19/2017 3:45 pm : link
The explosive ability, YAC ability and + blocking ability weren't as advertised. This guy was billed as a dominant blocker. He didn't block a thing and McAdoo all year was calling out the WRs for bad blocking. His YAC was poor and he was easily tackled in the open field. I suppose you can "work" on that but those kind of skills are generally intrinsic. I was very disappointed with his inability to make people miss.

You look at the explosive 2nd/3rd round type slot WRs around the league - a young Cobb, Jamison Crowder, Ty Lockette, Doug Baldwin etc - that's what I was personally expecting from Shepard. That said, like any rookie, there's plenty of room for improvement and it's unfair to look at him as a finished product. Landon Collins is the poster boy.
RE: Just so I understand how we need to watch WR's nowadays....  
giants#1 : 5/19/2017 3:45 pm : link
In comment 13476621 Keith said:
Quote:
YAC is now the only thing we should look at in judging WRs? It's an indicator, but there are also a lot of things that go into YAC(such as the fact that defenses keyed on SS because of the lack of weapons around him). He didn't say he was concerned about his YAC, he said he was underwhelming as a rookie and basically said that SS won't ever get better and will always be a JAG.


Also, his percentiles are inflated by my numbers since I include all drafted WRs, not just those in the top 2 rounds. His absolute ranks are relatively the same, but if you only look at WRs that actually caught passes (see my subsequent post) his percentile's don't look as 'sexy'.
Perkins  
River : 5/19/2017 3:56 pm : link
can be a star in the making. Some of the footage from last year shows a young back with the instincts of a more mature back.
RE: Perkins  
SGMen : 5/19/2017 4:21 pm : link
In comment 13476657 River said:
Quote:
can be a star in the making. Some of the footage from last year shows a young back with the instincts of a more mature back.
I'd like to see Perkins with some blocking in front of him. Ellison will be a big boost to the run game.
RE: RE: Perkins  
River : 5/19/2017 4:32 pm : link
In comment 13476679 SGMen said:
Quote:
In comment 13476657 River said:


Quote:


can be a star in the making. Some of the footage from last year shows a young back with the instincts of a more mature back.

I'd like to see Perkins with some blocking in front of him. Ellison will be a big boost to the run game.

Think of this
last year Will Tye and Adams tried to move LBs and Safeties and couldn't do it. This year Ellison is a monster on the line moving guys. Perkins only needs to see daylight and the yards will come. Add in Fluker on the RT who can really run block and you can really have a nice ground game.
I'll go with Goodson.  
Ira : 5/19/2017 4:54 pm : link
He's going from not playing much on d to starting at mlb and I think he'll be a good one. If Tomlinson replaces Hankins and Goodson is an upgrade over Shepard, our run d could be the best in the league.
RE: I'll go with Goodson.  
SGMen : 5/19/2017 5:53 pm : link
In comment 13476709 Ira said:
Quote:
He's going from not playing much on d to starting at mlb and I think he'll be a good one. If Tomlinson replaces Hankins and Goodson is an upgrade over Shepard, our run d could be the best in the league.
Because Tomlinson is from AL, is a fifth year senior and strong as hell, I think he'll have enough down technique wise to start. I don't know if he'll be as good as Hankins as a rookie, but I do believe he'll be a strong starter in the NFL. Running up the middle will be quite tough if both Tomlinson and Goodson develop.
RE: RE: Perkins has already been penciled in as the starter.  
OC2.0 : 5/19/2017 5:54 pm : link
In comment 13476209 Danny Kanell said:
Quote:
In comment 13476208 Klaatu said:


Quote:


So his production should hopefully increase. He's going to get more carries, so let's hope he makes the most of them.

I was underwhelmed by Shepard last year, and don't really expect much more out of him this year.



65 catches, 683 yards and 8 TD's from the slot for a 2nd round rookie is underwhelming?


No shit. That was a stupid statement
Shepard had an excellent year  
xman : 5/19/2017 9:17 pm : link
Just want to know if it was a poor WR class. What is Shepard ceiling : that theres more to him then meets the eye
RE: Shepard had an excellent year  
SGMen : 5/19/2017 10:25 pm : link
In comment 13476903 xman said:
Quote:
Just want to know if it was a poor WR class. What is Shepard ceiling : that theres more to him then meets the eye
Shepard does have speed & quickness. Maybe he'll never be a 110-1200-10 type numbers in the slot (few do...), but he'll be solid and showed as much last year.

I look forward to training camp and seeing the leaps that last year's class will certainly make. I think last off-season will go down as the Giants best ever in terms of talent coming aboard. It will take 3 years to truly judge, maybe even four years, but I BET it will be a great grade, A+.
I thought about this thread some more, how important year 1 to 2  
SGMen : 5/20/2017 9:11 am : link
jumps in development are to a team's success AND why these jumps in talent can make evaluating a team from year to year difficult.

We saw solid play from CB Eli Apple for much of the season. He had some down times too BUT what rookie doesn't? He has the size and speed to matchup with today's NFL receivers. I predict he gets his technique down and becomes a "top quarter" of the NFL corner, someone you can leave "1 on 1" with top receivers and get good production. The triplets of Jenkinks, DRC and Apple will be a headache for everyone they face.

Sterling Sharpe had a very good campaign. He didn't display YAC ability and burst but he may improve there with some experience. Where I think he'll improve most is getting open in the short area. He may give up some playing time to Engram as we diversify our lineups and sets, but he'll have a very good year and become a blanket for Eli Manning.

FS D. Thompson flashed before his injury. He clearly gets the intellectual, technique part of the game. Assuming he is 100% for camp and stays healthy, he is an upgrade over UDFA Adams, who should also improve some. But D. Thompson can make this backfield the NFL's best if he is as good as the coaches think and stays healthy. A true mid-fielder.

MLB Goodson was a leader in college but didn't start much. He played special teams last year and learned the NFL game by watching. The coaches obviously like him as they didn't resign a veteran MLB. I look for him to be a run thumper and upgrade, but its just a guess since his body of work is small.

RB Perkins will bust out. He will share carries, sure, but he can run & catch which makes him very useful. I see him getting quite a few dump off passes, those easy ones where he is wide open and can get those 4 - 7 yards to keep the chains moving.

TE Adams flashed at times. His run blocking must improve and he has the physical tools to do it. I look for him to bring it this year and be part of 2 TE lineups at times. Ellison, Engram will get most of the playing time but he'll still see snaps and help.

UDFA Okwara played well as a rookie, filling in for JPP. Look for this kid to really step up now that he's had an off-season, weight room training and so forth. A DL rotation is best and he'll suit up each week.

Once again, I think last off-season will go down as one of the Giant all-time off-seasons in terms of UFA's, draft picks and UDFA additions who impact.

Bravo to Reese!
RE: Considering the garbage he had playing with him, O  
djm : 5/20/2017 5:42 pm : link
In comment 13476301 Klaatu said:
Quote:
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Shepard had a lot of catches.


You do realize that a somewhat dysfunctional offense actually hinders a wr, right?
RE: Considering the garbage he had playing with him, OBJ excepted...  
djm : 5/20/2017 5:44 pm : link
In comment 13476318 Klaatu said:
Quote:
It shouldn't come as a surprise that Shepard had a lot of catches. But if you look at a rookie like Tajae Sharpe, sure, he didn't have as many catches, yards, or TDs, but his yac was more than two yards better, and he was also playing in the shadow of a top-tier WR and a highly productive pass-catching TE, on a team with a much stronger running game, but a much less experienced QB. So who was actually more impactful?


I'd say Shepard was more impactful since he out produced sharpe and played on a team that won more games. But stats can be misleading. Lol.
RE: RE: Considering the garbage he had playing with him, O  
SGMen : 5/20/2017 5:55 pm : link
In comment 13477216 djm said:
Quote:
In comment 13476301 Klaatu said:


Quote:


It shouldn't come as a surprise that Shepard had a lot of catches.



You do realize that a somewhat dysfunctional offense actually hinders a wr, right?
Absolutely. As has been noted, we ran pretty much the same formation 90% of he time making it easy for defenses to zero in on what we were doing and how to "man up" and stop the attack. Sterling did very well for a rookie and will be even more effective this year.
To say Sheppard was underwhelming  
GuzzaBlue : 5/22/2017 10:43 am : link
last year is ludicrous itself. He was a rookie and had 60+ catches and 8 tds. I don't think its even an opinion at that point when you compare him to history not just that year.

If you argue that Sheppard's game doesn't have that much room to grow, then I can agree. He's nothing special, but very very solid. He runs good routes and has good hands. I think fans are asking for too much. Just be glad he wasn't a bust. There's always room on a roster for a guy like him.
RE: To say Sheppard was underwhelming  
SGMen : 5/22/2017 10:57 am : link
In comment 13478226 GuzzaBlue said:
Quote:
last year is ludicrous itself. He was a rookie and had 60+ catches and 8 tds. I don't think its even an opinion at that point when you compare him to history not just that year.

If you argue that Sheppard's game doesn't have that much room to grow, then I can agree. He's nothing special, but very very solid. He runs good routes and has good hands. I think fans are asking for too much. Just be glad he wasn't a bust. There's always room on a roster for a guy like him.
Sterling won't likely be on the field for as many snaps this year (unless we have a hell of a lot more snaps, which we may....) but he'll likely produce better overall with a year's experience. I don't see him as a "100-1100-10" type slot guy necessarily (jury is out) but he'll always be solid and reliable none-the-less.
RE: RE: To say Sheppard was underwhelming  
GuzzaBlue : 5/22/2017 2:54 pm : link
In comment 13478253 SGMen said:
Quote:
In comment 13478226 GuzzaBlue said:


Quote:


last year is ludicrous itself. He was a rookie and had 60+ catches and 8 tds. I don't think its even an opinion at that point when you compare him to history not just that year.

If you argue that Sheppard's game doesn't have that much room to grow, then I can agree. He's nothing special, but very very solid. He runs good routes and has good hands. I think fans are asking for too much. Just be glad he wasn't a bust. There's always room on a roster for a guy like him.

Sterling won't likely be on the field for as many snaps this year (unless we have a hell of a lot more snaps, which we may....) but he'll likely produce better overall with a year's experience. I don't see him as a "100-1100-10" type slot guy necessarily (jury is out) but he'll always be solid and reliable none-the-less.


I agree, he is a solid slot receiver with some potential to grow on.

At first he may not get as many looks. And I hear a lot of BBIers saying Sterling won't see the field that much and will take a bench role. First off, guys/gals, there is such a thing called injuries (I think we know something about that). Marshall has quite the injury history, even if its just a game here or a few games there. Also, there will be plenty of formations where Sheppard is not only included, but will be an important piece to the play calls. It's almost as if people didn't watch this kid last year. He was very good in the slot and with all the added size at WR, he will probably get almost all his looks from the inside again. Also, Engram will get plays off, as with Ellison. I believe Sheppard will still be an integral part of this offense.
If Flowers is the one to make the biggest jump  
xman : 5/25/2017 10:28 pm : link
we will be in great shape
RE: If Flowers is the one to make the biggest jump  
SGMen : 5/25/2017 11:09 pm : link
In comment 13482936 xman said:
Quote:
we will be in great shape
Flowers and Hart are both 3rd year guys BUT both are younger than 6th round pick Bisnotway. So yeah, Flowers is the #1 guy we need to see may a big jump up in performance followed by Hart, Apple, D. Thompson, Perkins, Goodson, Okwara (pass rusher), Adams (2 TE block sets, goal line, redzone), FS Adams and WR R. Lewis.
2nd & 3rd year players who I think will step up the most:  
SGMen : 5/26/2017 5:40 am : link
While the biggest leap in learning, performance usually occurs between year 1 and 2; well, sometimes there is a delay due to youth, lack of college top notch experience, reps, immaturity, injury, dings, etc.

My list, in the general order of how I think things will play out rather than "Wish List" is as follows:

1. Flowers - I think he worked very hard this off-season. He has the physical tools; is only 23; and now has a 2nd off-season with top notch OL coach Solari. Look for him to jump from bottom five LT to the 12 - 14 range, give or take. I especially see him and Pugh being dominant run blockers.
2. Apple - the kid flashed well and now has a solid year under his belt. Look for him to start and be a Top 10 corner, yes top 10.
3. D. Thompson - if healthy, and I believe he'll be fine, this kid flashed centerfielder ability and leadership you rarely find in a rookie. A true shame he was hurt last year as he'd have made our defensive secondary almost impossible to throw on. He will solidify our secondary to league best, bar none, along with Apple.
4. B. Hart - this is a bit of a leap for even me but last year he was a bottom 5 RT, this year he steps up to acceptable level. A guy you can live with and when necessary protect with Ellison.
5. Sterling Shepard - look for this guy to become "Mr. Automatic" on 3rd downs.
6. P. Perkins - 1,000 yards +, 4.5 ypc +, and a bunch of those "I'm wide open" catches.
7. B. Goodson - starting MLB upgrades over Shepard.
8. A. Adams - he'll step up after a decent rookie year and be a solid backup, ST performer
9. J. Adams - big guy who can catch but how much his blocking steps up remains to be seen. I like that he'll be behind Ellison, learning.
10. Okwara - I love that he stepped in and held his own at DE when JPP went down.

Those are my top 10 to step up, ranked generally where I think it will fall. I'm ecstatic that we had a great off-season last year.
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