DeVonta Smith>WR>Alabama

Originally posted by Dshearn:

Originally posted by adrianlesnar:
I don't know...we literally have zero historical precedent for success for a WR his size that I can think of; I just can't look past it.

Everything I see does tell me, though, that he will be fine. But I don't see how he is a better prospect than Waddle

The Run and Shoot offense was built for exactly this. That offense was a precursor to the spread offense. The idea was there was ton of college WR talent that could not work outside, but if you brought them inside... you could force linebackers off the field. The combined these hyper quick small WRs with big.. power backs and ran out of a one back set. That would force your two worst CBs to tackle big power backs.

the oilers got major production with small guys. Think of them as the Anti 49ers. The 49ers at one point in the late 80s early 90s were the ONLY NFL team that started 3 WRs over 6 foot, but the NFL did not go as small as the Oilers.

Ernest Givins played forever, and was almost allways an 800 to 900 yard WR. He event went over 1k once or twice. He was listed as 5-9 175 but it was rumored he was closer to 150.

Drew Hill was also Micro Sized...he was listed as 5-9 170..... but I met the guy once... I was taller then him ( I am 5-9) and I will be DAMNED if he was over 150. I felt like a monster next to him. He was the size of my kid sister.

They had other guys that were slight on that team too Webster Slaughter (around 170) Curtis Duncan (around 180) both of them were 900+ yard WRs too.

One thing to keep in mind about all these tiny guys.... they flat out performed. All of them challenged for 1k yards any given season ( in that 800 to 900 range). At one point the oilers almost ended the season with 3 1000 yard WRs...i think it was 91 or 92. i forget who missed it, but one of them ended up with like 995 or 998 or something like that...barley missed the 1k mark. It would have been the first team with 3 1000 WRs in a season.

Warren Moon was no joke, he never gets his due....the dude was damn solid.

The NFL is gentle today verus the 90s... If they could work in the 90s there is a way to make little guys work today.

That was a different NFL. In today's NFL, LBS are fast and made to hit and cover. That's why WRs under 170 don't last. The routes ran today are more horizontal. The WR's that primarily run the vertical routes aren't worth a 1st round pick.

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by 49erBigMac:
If the league is stupid enough to let this guy get down to a good team they're going to regret it.

He's just so good, going to make everyone rethink their size thresholds.

Until he gets hit. He's a leaner/weaker version of Tyreke Hill, if even that. Probably Desean Jackson.

Well we'll see won't we. He plays with physicality and hardly any injuries occur from hits, it's all tears, strains and pulls.

I don't think he has any more chance of being injured than anyone else.

Originally posted by Joecool:
That was a different NFL. In today's NFL, LBS are fast and made to hit and cover. That's why WRs under 170 don't last. The routes ran today are more horizontal. The WR's that primarily run the vertical routes aren't worth a 1st round pick.

It's definitely a different game, it's alot tamer now, it's built for passing offenses.

The run and shoot (oilers version) would likely work in today's nfl if you some how managed to collect the talent. Chunks of it were ran in NY with Manning. It was basically a read and react offense that exploited the entire field. Ungodly amounts of motion and rout trees.

The whole idea of run and shoot ( oilers version) was no te no FB, forced the linebackers off the field. Saying LBers are faster doesn't mean anything unless you are also saying LBers can cover Ruggs and Smith...those are two very Run and shoot type WRs. That was the challenge of chasing around 4 wrs. On top of that was dealing with Lo White at RB a big huge brusier.

The reason run and shoot never got the respect from a historical point of view was the K gun ( the run and shoot married the WCO and had a no huddle hurry up offense baby) and Buffalo going to 4 straight superbowls.

Much like the league absorbed the WCO and everyone runs some WCO, everyone absorbed some KGun and some Run and Shoot too.

If you watch teams attack zones and watch old 49er games you will notice Montana and Young getting targets wrecked by throwing them into hits. The oilers with their rout trees were some of the first teams to use rout trees to put defense in a chase position on routs to counter act zone. That exists in almost every offense today.

Originally posted by 49erBigMac:

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by 49erBigMac:
If the league is stupid enough to let this guy get down to a good team they're going to regret it.

He's just so good, going to make everyone rethink their size thresholds.

Until he gets hit. He's a leaner/weaker version of Tyreke Hill, if even that. Probably Desean Jackson.

Well we'll see won't we. He plays with physicality and hardly any injuries occur from hits, it's all tears, strains and pulls.

I don't think he has any more chance of being injured than anyone else.

Not saying he will get hurt. Just that players adjust the way they play when they take NFL hits.

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by 49erBigMac:

Originally posted by Joecool:

Originally posted by 49erBigMac:
If the league is stupid enough to let this guy get down to a good team they're going to regret it.

He's just so good, going to make everyone rethink their size thresholds.

Until he gets hit. He's a leaner/weaker version of Tyreke Hill, if even that. Probably Desean Jackson.

Well we'll see won't we. He plays with physicality and hardly any injuries occur from hits, it's all tears, strains and pulls.

I don't think he has any more chance of being injured than anyone else.

Not saying he will get hurt. Just that players adjust the way they play when they take NFL hits.

Fair enough, I don't think that'll happen and either. He's Devantae Adams lite and with the right team he'll be a stud.

He'll go lower due to this than he would if he was 170, 4 pounds is nothing, I find it all ridiculous.

The kid just had a historical season, we've got a Heismann winning WR which doesn't happen, and we're quibbling over a few pounds. Will be a huge mistake for a lot of teams.

This man has clearly had enough of his time in Philly and is already looking for a way out. No sane man would ever say such cruel and unusual things about cheesesteaks especially in Philadelphia if he wasn't trying to get traded.

Go get him Mr Lynch

Originally posted by evil:


This man has clearly had enough of his time in Philly and is already looking for a way out. No sane man would ever say such cruel and unusual things about cheesesteaks especially in Philadelphia if he wasn't trying to get traded.

Go get him Mr Lynch

This is what you want your 180 pound receiver to be saying. Every cheesesteak lowers your speed rating by 2 points.

Originally posted by evil:


This man has clearly had enough of his time in Philly and is already looking for a way out. No sane man would ever say such cruel and unusual things about cheesesteaks especially in Philadelphia if he wasn't trying to get traded.

Go get him Mr Lynch

Yeah so he can come here and say "I don't think the Diaz brothers were all that".... He can stay in Philly

Originally posted by evil:


This man has clearly had enough of his time in Philly and is already looking for a way out. No sane man would ever say such cruel and unusual things about cheesesteaks especially in Philadelphia if he wasn't trying to get traded.

Go get him Mr Lynch

For the first time in 20 years, I can proudly say we don't need to trade for a receiver, unless Philly is giving him up for a day 3 pick.