Chad Morris and Wide Receivers

[McLoofus 35,182]

Just for fun, I thought I'd list Chad Morris's top pass catchers among WRs and TEs (total number of receptions) each of the 4 years he was at Clemson, and then list their draft position and what they were paid by NFL teams 4 years after they were drafted.

2011:
Sammy Watkins, WR- 1st round, 4th overall, $17 million in 2018
Deandre Hopkins, WR- 1st round, 27th overall, $1 million in salary in 2016 + $445k roster bonus
Dwayne Allen, TE- 2nd round, 64th overall, $2.5 million in salary in 2016 + $5.5 million roster bonus (Seems odd but that's what I saw)

2012:
Deandre Hopkins
Sammy Watkins
Adam Humphries, WR- Undrafted, $2.9 million in 2018

2013:
Sammy Watkins
Martavis Bryant, WR- 4th round, $1.46 million in 2018
Adam Humphries

2014:
Artavis Scott, WR- Undrafted, currently on Colts practice squad
Mike Williams, WR- 1st round, 7th overall pick, $825k salary + $3.1 million signing bonus + $2.4 million roster bonus in 2020, 5th year option exercised, $15.7 million base salary in 2021
Adam Humphries

 

7 guys. 2 top-10 overall picks. 3 1st rounders. 4 guys in the 2nd round or higher, one of them a tight end. 5 guys drafted. 6 guys on active NFL rosters. All 7 got paid NFL money in 2019. 

 

[Win4AU 4,052]

Not too shabby.  I feel like last season was years ago and can’t think of who Auburn has other than Seth, Flash, Eli, and Jackson with much playing time.  Seth and Flash have huge upside potential.  Who is Auburn’s dependable #3 option this season?  Maybe a TE? Auburn has plenty of those all the sudden.  

[McLoofus 35,182]

10 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

Not too shabby.  I feel like last season was years ago and can’t think of who Auburn has other than Seth, Flash, Eli, and Jackson with much playing time.  Seth and Flash have huge upside potential.  Who is Auburn’s dependable #3 option this season?  Maybe a TE? Auburn has plenty of those all the sudden.  

Eli has to be #3, I'd think, but I won't be surprised if Javy Johnson makes a big move this offseason. But then again, we brought in a beast class. Capers and Canion are both listed at 6'4 and have true WR frames (as opposed to Sal or JayJay Wilson). And then Evans and Hudson both have WR1 potential.  

But then, yeah, there are the TEs. The Gronk clone from Texas in particular has me excited. 

[Sizzle 3,912]

34 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

Not too shabby.  I feel like last season was years ago and can’t think of who Auburn has other than Seth, Flash, Eli, and Jackson with much playing time.  Seth and Flash have huge upside potential.  Who is Auburn’s dependable #3 option this season?  Maybe a TE? Auburn has plenty of those all the sudden.  

Stove is our dependable 3rd receiver

[steeleagle 2,945]

50 minutes ago, Sizzle said:

Stove is our dependable 3rd receiver

 I realize Williams is our big WR go to guy, but I wonder who will fit that backup big-receiver deep guy?

Williams, more than likely is gone after this year, and although I like Stove and Schwartz as guys for slants and screens, and in Schwartz' case a deep ball threat as long as he gets separation we still need that tall ball hawk on deep balls that are fairly well covered. 

Farrar? one of the incoming FR? 

[McLoofus 35,182]

7 minutes ago, steeleagle said:

 I realize Williams is our big WR go to guy, but I wonder who will fit that backup big-receiver deep guy?

Williams, more than likely is gone after this year, and although I like Stove and Schwartz as guys for slants and screens, and in Schwartz' case a deep ball threat as long as he gets separation we still need that tall ball hawk on deep balls that are fairly well covered. 

Farrar? one of the incoming FR? 

My money's on Hudson or Evans, but Canion and Capers are both strong candidates, too. Canion went to Worm's high school and Capers was one of the top kids in Georgia. But Evans just feels like a guy in that all-purpose receiver mold like Seth, and Hudson is a freak athlete and is tall enough at 6'0 to do whatever is needed. 

What I'm really hoping, though, is that we see the traditional role-based WR depth chart we've gotten used to disappear. We'll still have "specialists", probably, but I don't see the roles being so narrowly defined like they always have been under Gus. 

Look at Clemson in 2011-12. In 2011, Watkins (6'1) and Hopkins (6'1) had 82 and 72 receptions, respectively. In 2012, it was Hopkins's turn to pull in 82 and Watkins dropped down to 57. For reference, Gus has never had a WR2 with over 50 catches and more often than not WR1 didn't have that many. And the only time he sniffed 82 was when Ryan Davis pulled in 84 while averaging 9.7 per. (Almost more explosive RB than true WR.)

Also, a really tasty nugget to chew on. WR4 under Morris in 2012 was 6'3 240 Brandon Ford with 40 catches. He was sort of a WR/TE hybrid. 

Since Gus has been our head coach:
WR3 has never had 40 or more catches
WR2 has only had more than 40 catches once- it was 41
WR1 had less than 40 catches once
None of CJ Uzomah, Chandler Cox, or Sal Cannella had 40 catches for their careers

 

[Sizzle 3,912]

42 minutes ago, steeleagle said:

 I realize Williams is our big WR go to guy, but I wonder who will fit that backup big-receiver deep guy?

Williams, more than likely is gone after this year, and although I like Stove and Schwartz as guys for slants and screens, and in Schwartz' case a deep ball threat as long as he gets separation we still need that tall ball hawk on deep balls that are fairly well covered. 

Farrar? one of the incoming FR? 

It’ll likely be one of the incoming freshmen. One of those guys will end up being big for us by the end of the year, the same way Seth was his freshmen year.

Also you don’t HAVE to have multiple big guys to jump for one on ones, you just need guys to create consistent separation IMO. Bama’s main playmakers were all like 6’0 or shorter

[McLoofus 35,182]

5 minutes ago, Sizzle said:

It’ll likely be one of the incoming freshmen. One of those guys will end up being big for us by the end of the year, the same way Seth was his freshmen year.

Also you don’t HAVE to have multiple big guys to jump for one on ones, you just need guys to create consistent separation IMO. Bama’s main playmakers were all like 6’0 or shorter

Out of likes but amen. 

Really, if you look around the NFL, most WR1s are 6'1 or shorter. 
 

[Sizzle 3,912]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Out of likes but amen. 

Really, if you look around the NFL, most WR1s are 6'1 or shorter. 
 

Yep that’s why Javarrius Johnson will probably be important for us this year, he’s that type of receiver who will get that separation. Kobe Hudson too

[SuperAUsome09 738]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Out of likes but amen. 

Really, if you look around the NFL, most WR1s are 6'1 or shorter. 
 

Some of the best come in around that 5'10 mark (Antonio B, Edelman, Cobb). Maybe that's the number of WR divinity! 

[McLoofus 35,182]

20 minutes ago, SuperAUsome09 said:

Some of the best come in around that 5'10 mark (Antonio B, Edelman, Cobb). Maybe that's the number of WR divinity! 

I think Tyreek Hill is in that range as well. Not that I think we have anyone quite like him, lol.

[McLoofus 35,182]

23 minutes ago, Sizzle said:

Yep that’s why Javarrius Johnson will probably be important for us this year, he’s that type of receiver who will get that separation. Kobe Hudson too

Man, I have been so high on Johnson since we signed him. I go back and forth between hyping him and trying to shut my mouth so I don't jinx him. But I feel like he might be part Ryan Davis and part Steve Smith.

[Sizzle 3,912]

1 hour ago, SuperAUsome09 said:

Some of the best come in around that 5'10 mark (Antonio B, Edelman, Cobb). Maybe that's the number of WR divinity! 

Odell Beckham, TY Hilton, Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper all around that same hype 

[Sizzle 3,912]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Man, I have been so high on Johnson since we signed him. I go back and forth between hyping him and trying to shut my mouth so I don't jinx him. But I feel like he might be part Ryan Davis and part Steve Smith.

He was one of the guys who I thought would contribute as a true freshman, but he didn’t play a single snap if I’m not mistaken 

[AUcivE09 582]

Hopkins, Watkins, Allen...............

I forgot they were all on the same team.

[Win4AU 4,052]

I would love to have two big guys like we had with Coates and Duke.  Add a speed guy in the middle who can make a catch in space and make guys miss.  A TE who resembles a WR like Gronk or Jimmy Graham and watch out.  Running game will explode too.

[aubiefifty 16,777]

man this has me missing some football. i hope we have some kind of season but i also want everyone to be safe. but it is tough. oh! i have ryan davis auto rookie card.

[McLoofus 35,182]

10 hours ago, Win4AU said:

I would love to have two big guys like we had with Coates and Duke.  Add a speed guy in the middle who can make a catch in space and make guys miss.  A TE who resembles a WR like Gronk or Jimmy Graham and watch out.  Running game will explode too.

Evan seems to have that possession receiver frame, but with more athleticism than Duke. Capers and Canion are both long at 6'4 and Canion, I believe, was a track kid. And while I'm not about to compare Hudson to Percy Harvin, he seems to be in a similar all-everything mold. 

I don't see a Sammie. That dude was just built different. I think we probably have several better all-around receivers, though. 

I definitely see that Gronk replica TE, though.

[AUsince72 11,084]

Impressive but how are their skills at run blocking?

......I kid, I kid.....

Seriously, promising stuff Loof.

[McLoofus 35,182]

5 minutes ago, AUsince72 said:

Impressive but how are their skills at run blocking?

......I kid, I kid.....

Seriously, promising stuff Loof.

Hah! 

Actually, though, we've got a Shed for that. I don't think that dude's going to catch a ton of balls but I think he's going to have a big say in the success of our offense.

[Beaker 2,457]

On 5/7/2020 at 12:17 PM, McLoofus said:

Also, a really tasty nugget to chew on. WR4 under Morris in 2012 was 6'3 240 Brandon Ford with 40 catches. He was sort of a WR/TE hybrid. 

Since Gus has been our head coach:
WR3 has never had 40 or more catches
WR2 has only had more than 40 catches once- it was 41
WR1 had less than 40 catches once
None of CJ Uzomah, Chandler Cox, or Sal Cannella had 40 catches for their careers

 

THIS.....

wow.   I am not on  anyone's 'bus',  but I am so optimistic about next year.   

I just hope, hope, hope if we have a breakout year, we keep the OC for 3 yrs minimum.    Remember J Campbell had to suffer through 3 or I think 4 OCs.