Dallas has too many slow WRs, need to add speed!

[LACowboysFan1]

40 yard speed is time speed at the combine, pro days, etc. with the player in shorts and shirt, running on a perfectly straight and level track designed for running. Football is seldom like that. And some guys train hard to run a great 40 time, some don't. I suspect there are many players who, if they run a 4.45 or such at the combine, could have done better if they worked at it, but didn't care to.

But just for grins I looked up the top 40 time guys at the combine ever. They are:

. 4.22 seconds, John Ross, WR (2017)

• 4.24 seconds: Rondel Menedez, WR (1999)

• 4.26 seconds: Jerome Mathis, WR (2005)

• 4.27 seconds: Marquise Goodwin, WR (2013)

• 4.27 seconds: Henry Ruggs III, WR (2020)

• 4.28 seconds: Jacoby Ford, WR (2010)

• 4.28 seconds: J.J. Nelson, WR (2015)

• 4.30 seconds: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR (2009)

• 4.30 seconds: Yamon Figurs, WR (2007)

We can take Ruggs off as he's not played yet, but most of the rest haven't had careers any better than slower receivers.

If great speed is such a big advantage it would seem more of the above would have had HOF or multiple All Pro careers. Taking a player just because he has exceptional speed is not a good idea...

 

[Scotman]

There is a such things as too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

I don't think that phrase means what you think it means.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

so, they do that in a straight line

Routes are anything but that unless you are simply talking Go routes.

we have more than enough speed ...if you want to see speedy crappy receivership cheer for Philly

this is the part that a lot of fans don't understand....its not about straight line speed (which is important, I don't deny it), but how they read, react, as WR, how they set up the DB, use the righ tfoot work, right number of steps to set up a route, how they catch, etc.....its not like its the freaking Olympic 100 meter dash....

 

[big dog cowboy]

Emmitt Smith was slow also. It's a shame he wasn't a burner.

If he had been faster he could have been the NFL's all time leading rusher.

 

[Doomsday101]

Amari Cooper ran a 4.42 at the combine but was later corrected by the NFL to between 4.35 and 4.38.

But overall, I agree with the original premise that the Cowboys lack speed on offense. They should have a least 1 guy who can take the top off the defense, a DeSean Jackson kind of WR.

BTW, I read Devin Smith ran a 4.42 at the combine.

I just think the 3 top guys on this team at WR are more than capable of taking any defender deep. I'm more interested in their rout running and their hands. They may not run a 4.2 but this team does not lack speed.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Emmitt Smith was slow also. It's a shame he wasn't a burner.

If he had been faster he could have been the NFL's all time leading rusher.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

But you do realize that guys that run 4.2 speed don't have a advantage either right? The best receivers in the league don't run 4.2's. John Ross, Marquis Goodwin, etc.......

and that's straight line speed, not change of direction, route running, etc. so they are probably good at one route, which is the go route. and if that's all you are good at, as a defensive coach, I can have my 4.5 guy negate your 4.2 guy easily knowing what's coming....that's why route running, being a WR is more important than speed alone.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

40 speed is more important for a running back, the extra few hundredths of a second can mean the difference between making it through a hole before the defensive player can get their hands on him. Just think how many more yards and touchdowns Emmitt could have had if he'd been a 4.3 guy? Chris Johnson wasn't as a good a runner as Emmitt, but he had a 2,000 yard season....

 

[Dak_Attack_09]

I just think the 3 top guys on this team at WR are more than capable of taking any defender deep. I'm more interested in their rout running and their hands. They may not run a 4.2 but this team does not lack speed.

In the modern NFL where every team has multiple CBs that un 4.4 yeah it matters. What happened to Amari and the receiving Corp when they faced Patriots, Vikings, Saints etc..

I think the route running ability as an asset was eliminated.

You can run all the damn routes you want and break in, out, left, post,etc but if you get shadowed all the way you ain’t catching no damn ball especially when you have drop issues to begin with.

I remember watching Chiefs win a SB because their WRs just blew by CBs and safeties for game winning TD.

 

[Sydla]

I think it's safe to say this guy starts the dumbest threads.

 

[John813]

There's only been a small handful of fast game changing receivers in the past handful of years. Tyreek Hill and DeSean Jackson to name a couple.

Outside of that, there are more guys like John Ross or Darius Heyward Bey who ran fast 40's but didn't do much in the NFL.

It's an overrated combine/pro day stat.

Cooper and Gallup have shown they can go deep/gain YAC. We have no issue with speed at receiver.

 

[Dak_Attack_09]

Emmitt Smith was slow also. It's a shame he wasn't a burner.

If he had been faster he could have been the NFL's all time leading rusher.

Damn I didn’t know RBs and WRs were the same position? He did have the best OL in the NFL and didn’t get hit or was seen until 3 yards pass the line of scrimmage.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Damn I didn’t know RBs and WRs were the same position?

I knew you were going to bring this up. That's why I intentionally didn't mention anything about RBs or WRs in my post.

Hook, line and sinker.

 

[MrPhil]

There is a such things as too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

While I agree with the premise of this statement, I am not sure what is has to with the premise of this post which is the speed of the WRs.

 

[Dak_Attack_09]

I knew you were going to bring this up. That's why I intentionally didn't mention anything about RBs or WRs in my post.

Hook, line and sinker.

You don’t have to his title says it. I see you intentionally didn’t answer my question about the OL.

Hook, line and sinker. P.S. I think I caught a whale cause that’s the type of OL Emmit was running behind.

Please don’t forget to include context next time! @Reality

 

[Doomsday101]

In the modern NFL where every team has multiple CBs that un 4.4 yeah it matters. What happened to Amari and the receiving Corp when they faced Patriots, Vikings, Saints etc..

I think the route running ability as an asset was eliminated.

You can run all the damn routes you want and break in, out, left, post,etc but if you get shadowed all the way you ain’t catching no damn ball especially when you have drop issues to begin with.

I remember watching Chiefs win a SB because their WRs just blew by CBs and safeties for game winning TD.

That is a load of BS, routs do not matter? lol get a clue. Dallas does not lack speed that is the dumbest thing I have heard. Cooper nor Gallup have had any issues of beating their man deep.

 

[Dak_Attack_09]

While I agree with the premise of this statement, I am not sure what is has to with the premise of this post which is the speed of the WRs.

The point being that NFL is always evolving, 4.4 was considered elite speed and not many WRs and CBs ran it as prevelant as now. You have DE / DT running sub 4.8 ... which means that 4.4 is average speed nowadays in the NFL.

 

[JoeKing]

We have two thousand-yard WRs last year and we just added CeeDee Lamb, but the OP still thinks we have problems at WR.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

In the modern NFL where every team has multiple CBs that un 4.4 yeah it matters. What happened to Amari and the receiving Corp when they faced Patriots, Vikings, Saints etc..

I think the route running ability as an asset was eliminated.

You can run all the damn routes you want and break in, out, left, post,etc but if you get shadowed all the way you ain’t catching no damn ball especially when you have drop issues to begin with.

I remember watching Chiefs win a SB because their WRs just blew by CBs and safeties for game winning TD.

they faced better players, who were good CBs. just as we are discussing WR ability to run routes, etc....the CBs have similar traits and not just about their speed. what's their reaction like, how loose is their hips, how do they read the WR route clues, how do they read the offensive play, etc....New England defintley had some of the best CBs in the league and they did face some speedy WRs too and they were good against them as well....

and route running is the most important part....if all you could do is run a go route, then I can easily take you away knowing that 90% of the time you are going deep and the other 10% you are not good at.....and lets not forget we had Smith and Austin, neither could accomplish much with their speed.

and when you find a WR, that can run routes and has speed, then you got something special, like the chiefs...you named one good player on the chiefs with speed, I can name 15 other speed WRs who are craap….

 

[boro]

Most CBs in the league run 4.4 minimum.

That’s why you have receivers that can break ankles running routes.