If we are being honest about it, DeVonta Smith is going to establish himself as the best WR in the league within the next 3 years.

[Iggloo]

Two spectacular catches here in the joint practice with the Colts. By all accounts he looks to be in top form.

 

[Iggloo]

View attachment 337988

He’s also a Celtics fan so yes he has some undesirable qualities as a human being in addition to questionable fashion sense.

 

[Iggloo]

Seriously though for star receivers neither AJ Brown nor Devonta Smith are that bad on the diva scale. They’re average diva level at worst. Nothing compared to, say, Desean Jackson or Terrell Owens.

 

[RememberTheKoy]

 

[Sweetswingingsammysosa]

He's a lil boy. Bump him of the LOS like JA did to JJ and you shut his tiny a55 down. I said the same thing about JJ and finally someone checked him at the LOS and shut him down. Too much zone and soft coverage in the NFL today.

 

[PDay8810]

Cue the confetti.

 

[fightinfunbags]

He's a lil boy. Bump him of the LOS like JA did to JJ and you shut his tiny a55 down. I said the same thing about JJ and finally someone checked him at the LOS and shut him down. Too much zone and soft coverage in the NFL today.

You can win playing that shit on 3 of 4 downs but on that 4th down he’s running by you for a 40-50 yard catch.

Oh and there’s motion. And there’s lining him up in the slot. Or there’s you actually watching football and not a players height or weight in their profile. If you actually watched football you’d understand that he’s a technician that knows he’s small and has worked diligently to be good vs press. Go watch football.

 

[jarntt]

Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion but I want the guys I root for to take the field with an ego thinking they’re the best to have ever done it. It takes that level of confidence to perform at a high level at the highest level in the sport. What becomes problematic is when they put themselves and their individual goals over team goals. I don’t think Devonta fits that bill at all. He entered week 17 his rookie season within reach of a 1,000 yard season and only needed a few yards to get the single season rookie receiving record. He got the one or two catches needed for the rookie record and he accepted that he was immediately sat down to protect him for playoffs in a year where even the most die hard Eagles fan knew it was a blessing to even make the playoffs in a rebuilding year and they weren’t a threat to make a deep run. I’ve actually seen some Eagles who were divas who put himself over the team in Ricky Watters, T.O., etc…. So far, Smith isn’t that guy. He could have been all up in his feels when AJ Brown was acquired and took his WR1 spot. He started the season getting fewer targets early. Never complained. Never became a distraction. He was patient and worked knowing he would get his and he posted a better year with more catches, more yards, and more TDs.

Yeah, but unfortunately for him, the most annoying poster on here has tied himself to him for 123 pages...

 

[fightinfunbags]

Yeah, but unfortunately for him, the most annoying poster on here has tied himself to him for 123 pages...

That’s why this thread presents such a conundrum for me haha. Love the player and very excited with his progress thus far but the OP is a whole case of Massengil level douchebag.

 

[Sweetswingingsammysosa]

You can win playing that shit on 3 of 4 downs but on that 4th down he’s running by you for a 40-50 yard catch.

Oh and there’s motion. And there’s lining him up in the slot. Or there’s you actually watching football and not a players height or weight in their profile. If you actually watched football you’d understand that he’s a technician that knows he’s small and has worked diligently to be good vs press. Go watch football.

You should take your own advice. As stated before I said the exact same thing about JJ who's vastly better than D. Smith and what do you know I was 100% correct. JA destroyed him routinely at the LOS and his sweet and sour chicken ass did absolutely nothing it was the worst game of his career. He even cried like a baby on the field.

It's not just about their height/weight (which is a factor) combo it's also about strength, technique and repitions. From what I've seen so far is D. Smith is given a free release for the most part as was JJ. I never said the two of them can't learn I just said they will be shutdown when they finally do face someone that straps them at the LOS which is what happened to JJ and will happen to Smith eventually. Now inevitably they will adjust and better themselves in this area but you have to go through that experience before you can consistently learn to handle this type of play. Therefore, until D. Smith faces this type of play for most of a game and routinely beats it he will have to prove it for me to believe he can beat it.

Yes there's motion, slot etc but for the most part you will run into being checked at the LOS by a top tier CB who knows what he's doing.

 

[fightinfunbags]

You should take your own advice. As stated before I said the exact same thing about JJ who's vastly better than D. Smith and what do you know I was 100% correct. JA destroyed him routinely at the LOS and his sweet and sour chicken ass did absolutely nothing it was the worst game of his career. He even cried like a baby on the field.

It's not just about their height/weight (which is a factor) combo it's also about strength, technique and repitions. From what I've seen so far is D. Smith is given a free release for the most part as was JJ. I never said the two of them can't learn I just said they will be shutdown when they finally do face someone that straps them at the LOS which is what happened to JJ and will happen to Smith eventually. Now inevitably they will adjust and better themselves in this area but you have to go through that experience before you can consistently learn to handle this type of play. Therefore, until D. Smith faces this type of play for most of a game and routinely beats it he will have to prove it for me to believe he can beat it.

Yes there's motion, slot etc but for the most part you will run into being checked at the LOS by a top tier CB who knows what he's doing.

There’s a reason why he doesn’t see press a ton. He beats it. You’re trying to play football like it’s 1988 again. The rules have changed and there’s a reason why most CBs don’t play press anymore. You’re coming with one game you watched with an entirely different WR than the one we are talking about.

 

[Sweetswingingsammysosa]

There’s a reason why he doesn’t see press a ton. He beats it. You’re trying to play football like it’s 1988 again. The rules have changed and there’s a reason why most CBs don’t play press anymore. You’re coming with one game you watched with an entirely different WR than the one we are talking about.

You can still press a CB off the line and up to five yards. You can throw them to the ground if you really want to and that's what JA did to JJ. IF it doesn't work at all then JA would never use it. Is JJ different sure but he's a slim build and was never checked at the line and sure enough JA checked him and it worked perfectly just as I thought it would and it will work against D. Smith. It's much better than giving him 10-15 yards of a free release like the Cowboys and many other teams did. He doesn't want any of that smoke.

I watched all of D. Smith's receptions and he only beat press coverage twice. Once where he faked to the inside for two steps then ran towards the boundary line so he never really faced the guy physically and gained 10 yards and another time vs the 49ers where he did beat a guy but it wasn't a good attempt at a jam. Go watch what JA did to JJ that's real big boy press coverage and he knocked him on his ass multiple times. For the most part D. Smith faced soft coverage or zone with guys 10 to 15 yards off him giving him a free release over 95% of plays.

 

[Sweetswingingsammysosa]

When Jaire Alexander Had Justin Jefferson LOCKED UP & HEATED #nfl #shorts

www.youtube.com

Throws him to the ground like a lil boy. JA is now JJ's biological father after that game. He made him delete his social media accounts. That's what press coverage does to a guy who thinks he's hot shit but has been given free releases all season long.

 

[Sweetswingingsammysosa]

There’s a reason why he doesn’t see press a ton. He beats it. You’re trying to play football like it’s 1988 again. The rules have changed and there’s a reason why most CBs don’t play press anymore. You’re coming with one game you watched with an entirely different WR than the one we are talking about.

Go show me a game where he consistently faced press coverage like what JA did to JA. There is not tape out there. He doesn't beat shit but free releases for 95% of his plays. That's not even touch football. I'm telling you if a solid DB were to play press for a good portion of the game, he would be shut down with relative ease.

 

[Sweetswingingsammysosa]

There was probably 15 yards of soft coverage on those plays. WEAK

 

[fightinfunbags]

Go show me a game where he consistently faced press coverage like what JA did to JA. There is not tape out there. He doesn't beat shit but free releases for 95% of his plays. That's not even touch football. I'm telling you if a solid DB were to play press for a good portion of the game, he would be shut down with relative ease.

It doesn’t get played anymore and I’ve already pointed out why. Update your Rolodex clown.

 

[Sweetswingingsammysosa]

It doesn’t get played anymore and I’ve already pointed out why. Update your Rolodex clown.

That's a false notion believing they don't check him at the line because it doesn't work. Nobody ever checked him and the same goes for JJ nobody checked him for what 2 years and then JA bodied him and showed him he's just a lil boy and would do the same if he was given the same responsibility on D. Smith to Body him at the line. JJ was known as the best WR in the game until that matchup occurred and JA held him to 0 yards for 0 catches until garbage time in the last few minutes where he got one catch for 15 meaningless yards. He or any other top tier CB who can play bump and run would do the exact same thing to D. Smith.

Again, please show me where D. Smith ever beat bump and run press coverage in his entire career. It doesn't exist so you're making up a false reality to support your outlandish claims.

-The rules don't effect how DB's can play WR's at the LOS they can still play press coverage

-D. Smith hasn't proven he can effectively consistently beat this coverage because he hasn't been challenged in this regard. He gets free releases in soft coverage over 95% OF THE TIME. From all his catches in 21 and 22 he was only touched twice in each of those seasons within 5 yards.

-Just because he's skinny/small isn't the only reason why I he would be boddied at the LOS. It's because he doesn't have the reps, the strength, the skill set to beat it YET.

This doesn't mean he's trash he's a top 20 WR for sure but to be the best you will have to eventually learn to beat man to man bump and run press coverage vs the top CB's in the NFL. Davante Adams proved he can do that with relative ease.

Don't go away mad, just go away.

 

[fightinfunbags]

That's a false notion believing they don't check him at the line because it doesn't work. Nobody ever checked him and the same goes for JJ nobody checked him for what 2 years and then JA bodied him and showed him he's just a lil boy and would do the same if he was given the same responsibility on D. Smith to Body him at the line. JJ was known as the best WR in the game until that matchup occurred and JA held him to 0 yards for 0 catches until garbage time in the last few minutes where he got one catch for 15 meaningless yards. He or any other top tier CB who can play bump and run would do the exact same thing to D. Smith.

Again, please show me where D. Smith ever beat bump and run press coverage in his entire career. It doesn't exist so you're making up a false reality to support your outlandish claims.

-The rules don't effect how DB's can play WR's at the LOS they can still play press coverage

-D. Smith hasn't proven he can effectively consistently beat this coverage because he hasn't been challenged in this regard. He gets free releases in soft coverage over 95% OF THE TIME. From all his catches in 21 and 22 he was only touched twice in each of those seasons within 5 yards.

-Just because he's skinny/small isn't the only reason why I he would be boddied at the LOS. It's because he doesn't have the reps, the strength, the skill set to beat it YET.

This doesn't mean he's trash he's a top 20 WR for sure but to be the best you will have to eventually learn to beat man to man bump and run press coverage vs the top CB's in the NFL. Davante Adams proved he can do that with relative ease.

Don't go away mad, just go away.

You don’t get it. People don’t teach or coach bump and run anymore because of the way the rules have changed and how attuned passing offenses have become at beating that coverage. There’s maybe 3-4 corners in the whole league that can make a living playing that technique. It also doesn’t fit the popular scheming teams have turned to with light boxes and keeping the player in front of you. You’re stuck in the 80s and 90s.

 

[Sweetswingingsammysosa]

You don’t get it. People don’t teach or coach bump and run anymore because of the way the rules have changed and how attuned passing offenses have become at beating that coverage. There’s maybe 3-4 corners in the whole league that can make a living playing that technique. It also doesn’t fit the popular scheming teams have turned to with light boxes and keeping the player in front of you. You’re stuck in the 80s and 90s.

I don't care about the times or what is being taught or not. If it's proven to be extremely effective against the presumed best WR in the NFL last year then it should be a skill that CB's work on and utilize. If anything, defensive units would greatly benefit by adding this into their defensive arsenal. That doesn't mean they need to utilize it for an entire game but just have it for specific times and specific player or plays where it would be most effective.

Hey, the 80's and 90's were awesome dude. Much better than the shit we live in now .

 

[fightinfunbags]

I don't care about the times or what is being taught or not. If it's proven to be extremely effective against the presumed best WR in the NFL last year then it should be a skill that CB's work on and utilize. If anything, defensive units would greatly benefit by adding this into their defensive arsenal. That doesn't mean they need to utilize it for an entire game but just have it for specific times and specific player or plays where it would be most effective.

Hey, the 80's and 90's were awesome dude. Much better than the shit we live in now .

You’re still leaning on one football game where you admit the defense changed up the looks and employed press. They got them on a scheme adjustment. Let’s see what happens when the Vikings catch them again and how they adjust.