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3rd round pick Braxton Miller WR Houston texans

9baller said:
I know we're all saying that he's going to return punts/kicks, and you can correct me if I'm wrong but he didn't do that at Ohio State. Do we think that he's going to suddenly become an elite returner ex nihilo? Maybe he returned kicks in HS, but this is the NFL. There might be an adjustment period for him before he is really ready. I hope I'm wrong..
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Although he didn't return punts or kicks for the Buckeyes because Jalin Marshall and Dontre Wilson were already covering those duties, there are several reports that relate that he would often practice punt and kick returns last year.

Braxton Miller Dazzles During Senior Bowl Practices
Posted Jan 29, 2016
Stephen Czarda Associate Writer @Redskins


Standing out among his fellow wide receivers, quarterback-turned-wide receiver Braxton Miller was among the top players during 2016 Senior Bowl practices.

By the looks of it at this week’s Senior Bowl practices in Mobile, Ala., it’s hard to believe Ohio State’s Braxton Miller played just one season of wide receiver.

Fluid in his routes, Miller stood out alongside fellow wide receiver and cornerbacks who had been at their positions for years, often winning his 1-on-1 battles and showing NFL speed.

Miller also returned punts and kickoffs, an important aspect to his potential usability in the professional ranks.


“I can do it all,” Miller said this week. “Like playing special teams, playing punt returner, kick returner, coming straight out to special teams and, you know, doing receiver stuff. I can go full-go every rep, so they can understand where I’m coming from, playing the slot and playing outside receiver, too, and beating man coverage.”


NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks even noted that Miller is “the most natural punt returner that I've seen in years.”


“He catches the ball effortlessly with his hands and looks like a veteran judging the ball in the air,” Brooks said. “With Miller also displaying improved route-running skills and impressive ball skills, he could make an immediate impact as a multipurpose playmaker.”

Miller started his Buckeyes career at quarterback.
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xtruroyaltyx said:
I hear what you're saying but I'll disagree.

I'd take Miller turning into an Edleman type of player.

I don't understand looking at career vs the type of player he is for them now especially since they still had welker when they got him. He wasn't always as big of a part of the offense.
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I believe that looking at a player's entire body of work is more telling than looking at a single season, especially one in which the player only managed 9 games. Not to mention he has Tom Brady throwing him the rock.

I'm not hating on Edelman, I'm just not his biggest fan and I think that Miller is a much better all-around athlete. I expect many more TD's from Miller than Edelman has scored and more creative ones, to boot.

It's going to be interesting to see how the ball gets distributed now that the Texans have so many playmakers on offense. It's also going to be interesting to see how a contract extension works out with Hopkins if his numbers dip and one or more of Strong, Fuller and Miller blossom into top wideouts.
 
TheRealJoker said:
I pulled up another converted college QB turned NFL wide receiver's measurables for a comparison.

Julian Edelman Kent State 7th round pick (could only find pro day numbers. So take with a grain of salt when comparing Miller's combine numbers)

5'10 195

4.52 40

36.5" vertical

10'3" broad jump

3.92 20 yard shuttle

6.62 3 cone

Braxton Miller Ohio State 3rd round pick

6'1 201

4.50 40 (ran 4.42 at pro day)

35" vertical

10'3" broad jump

4.07 20 yard shuttle

6.65 3 cone


I'd be very happy if Braxton Miller can convert his similar physical gifts to identical production on the field with Julian Edelman!
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How on earth could you possibly expect Miller to turn into an Edelman..............with a horrendous 1 1/2 inch shorter vertical? Sheesh, some people!:dangit:
 
DBCooper said:
How big are his hands?

I've heard Texian likes em big!
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GaelBigHands.jpg
 
I just hope Miller can make WR screens (and slants) into something productive instead of a throw-away play.
 
If I never see another WR screen it'll be too soon.

Our problem with them wasn't the speed of the guy catching the ball, it was the speed of the guys trying to get in front to block.

Same with punt & kick returns. Even if the returner managed to make the first guy miss (who was on him as soon as he caught the ball), there's another dozen guys right there.

Then again maybe it was O'bs fault for splitting them out so wide, expecting Newton to get out there in time.
 
DocBar said:
I believe that looking at a player's entire body of work is more telling than looking at a single season, especially one in which the player only managed 9 games. Not to mention he has Tom Brady throwing him the rock.

I'm not hating on Edelman, I'm just not his biggest fan and I think that Miller is a much better all-around athlete. I expect many more TD's from Miller than Edelman has scored and more creative ones, to boot.

It's going to be interesting to see how the ball gets distributed now that the Texans have so many playmakers on offense. It's also going to be interesting to see how a contract extension works out with Hopkins if his numbers dip and one or more of Strong, Fuller and Miller blossom into top wideouts.
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When you watch the Patriots play..atleast when I do, I notice that Edelman is the one who moves the chains and then when they get down in the red zone Gronk is the TD machine.. hard to knock Edelman for low TD receptions when you have that option on your team... Edelman is a good player, but yes Miller has a higher ceiling however if he just becomes Edelman I'd be happy with that too

I expect DeAndre Hopkins to do the same thing.. Hell with playing with nobodys at QB he got double digit TDs.. something the HOFer Andre Johnson in his entire career couldn't do even with a decent Matt Schaub
 
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I think he's going to fit in just fine with our current staff:
http://www.theplayerstribune.com/dear-buckeye-nation-braxton-miller/

Then, once Coach Meyer got here, everything really worked. The culture shifted immediately. Coach Meyer taught us how to carry ourselves like professionals. And he taught us how to apply that pro’s mentality to every single part of our lives: in the classroom, at practice, and then eventually, finally, on game day. Coach demanded nothing short of perfection from us — and our very first year, that’s what we gave him. A perfect 12-0 record.
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Former qb turned WR....good with YAC.... more quick than fast...he's damn near and Edelman clone.......with a tan. And in alot of ways him getting hurt & going on ahead and making the transition to WR in his last year at Ohio State was a good thing for him b/c he was probably never going to be drafted as high as he was if he'd stayed at qb. Plus he got a year of play in at the position. This pick has the potential to put the offense over the top if we can get anything from him.
 
Mr teX said:
Former qb turned WR....good with YAC.... more quick than fast...he's damn near and Edelman clone.......with a tan. And in alot of ways him getting hurt & going on ahead and making the transition to WR in his last year at Ohio State was a good thing for him b/c he was probably never going to be drafted as high as he was if he'd stayed at qb. Plus he got a year of play in at the position. This pick has the potential to put the offense over the top if we can get anything from him.
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For those that did not know, Edelman was also a college QB.......for Kent State.
 
Found this little piece.
Buckeye Football Notebook: Braxton Miller Can Throw, But His Focus is Elsewhere
Wednesday, October 14, 2015 09:51 AM
Buckeye Football Notebook: Braxton Miller Can Throw, But His Focus is Elsewhere
By Tony Gerdeman


COLUMBUS — It's a question that has been asked for a while now — when is Braxton Miller going to throw the ball?

Miller says that his shoulder is good and that he can throw the ball, but right now he is focused on other things besides throwing the ball.

"I can throw, but I just don’t think it’s important right now for me to be throwing," he said. "My main focus is playing receiver and focusing on what I’ve got to focus on for my position right now."

Miller said on Monday that he now views himself as a receiver, and the transition has been made easier by the fact that he knows that's what he will be playing at the next level.

What about when he is lined up at wildcat. What does he see himself as then?

"My mom asked me that same question Saturday," he said.

What does he tell her? "I was like, ‘I don’t know.’ I’m just an athlete back there."

Miller said he does have the option to audible when he's at wildcat, which he actually did against Maryland, but it wasn't into a pass play. He does have one completion this season, if you'll recall. It was a touch pass jet sweep to Jalin Marshall that he initially had forgotten about.

"I did?" he said when he was reminded that he has technically thrown a pass this season. "Oh, to Jalin? That ain’t no pass."
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I watched a 30 something minute highlight tribute for Miller this past weekend on YouTube and it was damn good.

I'm not even an Ohio State fan but I liked a snippet on there from an interview where he was asked if he ever considered transferring and his answer was something like "naw man, are you serious? I'm a Buckeye all the way through. My sons' gonna come here one day".

I really like that kind of non wavering fanatical loyalty.

He was the star qb. He hurt his shoulder and watched two guys come in and play qb and win games and a nat'l championship. He kept a positive attitude and remained a team first guy and didn't dwell on what could've been. He rededicated himself to his new position and fully embraced it.

I'm a fan.
 
Mr teX said:
Former qb turned WR....good with YAC.... more quick than fast...he's damn near and Edelman clone.......with a tan. And in alot of ways him getting hurt & going on ahead and making the transition to WR in his last year at Ohio State was a good thing for him b/c he was probably never going to be drafted as high as he was if he'd stayed at qb. Plus he got a year of play in at the position. This pick has the potential to put the offense over the top if we can get anything from him.
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Bingo..this told me the guy has something between his ears also which is very important to me. Often I have heard guys refusing to change position but Brax wants to play.
 
Interview with Braxton: http://www.houstontexans.com/news/a...n-Miller/8a24888b-3188-4a25-a5fd-0ce0136ee4fc


Outside of his dynamic quickness to get open, Miller’s understanding of being a receiver showed. He knew Murray had a chance to get back into the play. So, Miller positioned himself in such a way as to box out the Golden Gopher defensive back. That’s uncanny for a guy still learning to play the position. On the second rep, which you can see at the 10 second mark of the above video, he was aligned as a perimeter receiver against Northern Iowa’s Deiondre’ Hall. He drove at Hall who maintained inside leverage. It was clear Hall wasn’t going to let Miller back inside. Yet, Miller was able to make it happen.

Coach O’Brien talked about these very reps with us just after the draft on Saturday. We asked how valuable the Senior Bowl was to each senior’s draft analysis. He distinctly mentioned these plays as he talked about how valuable Miller can be for this offense. He noted the ability to get separation anywhere on the field, especially in the red zone, and how valuable that will be in 2016 and beyond.
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I forgot about the Vrabel connection...

If you haven't already seen the senior bowl videos, check him out running a couple of routes in the one on one drills in the video at the link....

:yikes:
 
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The thing that I really like about him is that, coming from the QB position, he is used to running from behind the LOS. Most WR aren't, so that can (potentially) limit their effectiveness from behind the line. This is a guy who knows how to operate around the big uglies, so he has more tools in his tool box than your average receiver.
 
For those not familiar with the CBA's "minicamp participation agreement, those drafted rookies that have not signed their player contracts will sign letters of protection, ensuring that they’ll be paid in 2016 what they would have made if they end up suffering a serious injury.
 
Texans are feverishly working on Miller signing. Miller is due a four-year, $3.167 million deal that includes a $709,103 signing bonus and a $627,276 first-year salary cap figure.
 
Man Miller is such a cunning, elusive player in space. He just throws out so many moves at you to get free and blow by; head fakes, feints, stutter steps, side steps, hop backs, stiff arms, and hurdling. He has an incredible sense of balance and manages to stay upright when most players would go down. He also seems to clearly see how the chaos is developing and find holes. I wouldn't be surprised if we used him on occasional reversals as well as that quick dump off to the side that Brady always does and just let the kid run!
 
Cloaked in secrecy, Braxton Miller switched to WR to prepare for his NFL dream
9:03 AM ET
Tania GanguliESPN Staff Writer


Just days after Braxton Miller's NFL dream began, he returned to the place where he secretly reinvented himself and fashioned his NFL future one year ago.

Inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, the Jugs machine ejected footballs that Miller caught. The skill was still a bit new to him, but he never tired of working on it.

In some ways his transition from quarterback to receiver has already started to pay off. The Houston Texans drafted the freakish but enigmatic athlete in the third round of the 2016 draft.

But there is so much more he wants.

As he worked to rehab in the fall of 2014 and as other schools tried to recruit him away from Ohio State, Miller hatched a covert plan. His recovering shoulder wouldn't stop him -- he wouldn't let it. The most decorated quarterback in Big Ten history decided to switch to a position where it didn't matter that his shoulder wasn't healthy enough to throw the football more than 45 yards.

That change, his willingness to adapt, gave Miller an advantage for his NFL career. Many college quarterbacks attempt this transition. Some do it by choice and some by necessity. It doesn't always work, but Miller is determined to make it work. The Texans, too, think it will. They're expecting Miller's ability as a receiver to grow and to add a dynamic dimension to their offense.

"I'm working toward something special here," Miller said. "I'm ready to showcase my talents. I'm ready to be one of the best draft picks they've picked. ... No time to waste."

Seeing his future
More quarterbacks have failed in trying to change positions than have succeeded.

Unwilling to switch, former Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein went undrafted and got just a tryout at Houston's rookie minicamp three years ago. Former Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor began his NFL career as a quarterback and recently began attempting the switch to receiver. The Jaguars drafted former Arkansas quarterback Matt Jones as a wide receiver in the first round in 2005, but he failed partially due to drug arrests.
Success stories include the retired Hines Ward, who played 14 seasons as a receiver with the Steelers, Antwaan Randle El, who played nine years as a skill player, and Patriots receiver Julian Edelman.

Edelman was a quarterback at College of San Mateo and then Kent State. The New England Patriots drafted him in the seventh round in 2009 and he's now a focal point of their offense.

"The thing with Julian and his transition is he had unbelievable traits of work ethic, and some intangibles of just being very driven, that really allowed him to be able to work so hard to transition into the position so well," said Chad O'Shea, the Patriots receivers coach who held the same position when Edelman was drafted.

"... He had a great skill set as far as his change of direction skills, which was noticeable at the beginning. Everything else was very raw, because he didn't do it, he didn't line up as a receiver. He was a quarterback."

Once Miller realized he wouldn't be able to play quarterback at the level he wanted, he sought a change.

"He went to Urban [Meyer, Ohio State head coach] and said this is what I want to do," said Zach Smith, Ohio State's receivers coach. "'I want to play receiver. It's my last year. I don't want to risk my shoulder. ... I want to start this transformation so I'm a year ahead of the game.'"

There was no question his athletic ability would translate. It helped make him a two-time Big Ten offensive player of the year as a quarterback.

"Watching him with the ball in his hands, [I was] going, 'This kid is a freakshow. He's a video game,'" said Tom Herman, Ohio State's offensive coordinator from 2012 to 2014. "'He's the most explosive, dynamic athlete I'd ever seen on a football field.'"

"What we saw at the Senior Bowl, you saw a guy who has the ability to play the position, and it looked very natural to him. ... so we think that he's got all the skill set that's necessary to be successful at the position."

Rick Smith, Texans GM
Herman, now the head coach at the University of Houston, taught Miller how to rely on his arms more than his legs, while trying not to stifle the weapon he had in Miller's athleticism. He taught Miller how to prepare as a big-time college quarterback. Ohio State lost only two games in Miller's sophomore and junior seasons combined -- the Big Ten championship game and the Orange Bowl.

In the Orange Bowl, Miller suffered the first of two injuries that changed the course of his career. Herman believes Miller could have been an NFL starting quarterback were it not for his two shoulder injuries.

In that Orange Bowl, Miller fell on his elbow and pain shot up his right arm. He finished the game, but played with a tear in his labrum that needed surgery.

He returned to football that summer, but his good health was short-lived. He re-aggravated the same shoulder during a routine 10-yard pass in a scrimmage in August of 2014. That the second injury happened without contact, without much exertion at all haunted him.


College QB to NFL WR: Three success stories
Player Team Best season Career
Hines Ward PIT 112 Rec, 1,329, 12 TDs 1,000-12,083-85
Antwaan Randle El PIT, WAS 51 Rec, 728 yards, 1 TD 370-4,467-15
Julian Edelman NE 105 Rec, 1,056 yards, 6 TDs 327-3,434-21


"I had to figure out what I was going to do," Miller said. "It was a lot of dark nights, a lot of lows. It was just a tragic situation I've never been through."

His physical therapist Kevin Wilk was the first person he told about his potential position change during the fall of 2014.

What if his arm didn't recover fully? What if he couldn't throw like he used to?

"I feel like he was worried about that happening again a third time," former Ohio State receiver Michael Thomas said.

Miller slowly started sharing his plan with his teammates. Sometimes he'd catch a few passes from the other quarterbacks in the spring of 2015, or punts, pretending he was just fooling around. He'd lightly tell Smith, the receivers coach, he was serious.

As he worked to get back and pondered his future at Ohio State, overtures from elsewhere began. Quarterbacks J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones played so well in Miller's absence, other schools saw an opening for Miller's services. Several SEC teams, Florida State, which had just lost quarterback Jameis Winston to the NFL and Oregon, which just lost Marcus Mariota, had interest, according to a source. They courted him as a quarterback, some suggesting they could better prepare him for the NFL than Ohio State could.

But Miller's heart was in Columbus.

"I was never thinking about leaving," Miller said.

He also never told any other interested school that he was planning to change positions.

That secret stayed within the program.

Receiver looks 'natural to him'
The nighttime workouts started about a year ago at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

Miller and a few teammates used their key fobs to get into the multi-million dollar facility after hours, around 8:30 p.m. They'd sometimes stay past 11. Thomas helped with the intricacies of the position. Quarterbacks Jones and Barrett sometimes threw passes for him. Safety Vonn Bell occasionally offered competition.

"He didn't want to have to answer questions," Thomas said, explaining the secrecy.

By June, Miller began working with coaches. He had to see the field differently -- vertically instead of horizontally. He had to shed fat to look more like a receiver. He learned receiver stances, how to stop and start properly, and how to get in and out of the top of a route effectively.

"You get a little nervous," Smith said. "Here's a two-time Big Ten player of the year, one of the most elite athletes in the country and one of the most successful head coaches ever hands him to you and tells you, 'You've got a month and a half. Make him a great receiver.'"

Each new way of moving was awkward at first, but when he got it, he got it quickly.

He had 26 catches for 341 yards in his only season as a receiver. When it ended, his task became convincing NFL teams he could do this professionally.

"What we saw at the Senior Bowl, you saw a guy who has the ability to play the position, and it looked very natural to him," Texans general manager Rick Smith said. "... He's into it, it's important to him, he loves football like Bill [O'Brien] said, so we think that he's got all the skill set that's necessary to be successful at the position."

He was mostly used in the slot at Ohio State, the Texans plan to use him there as well. They also plan to use him outside. Don't be surprised if he runs some wildcat formations. The Texans ran wildcat plays last year, but they never had an athlete like this to use.

Miller switched to receiver because he couldn't be the best at quarterback with his shoulder's condition. He knows he isn't quite there yet with receiver, but he fully intends to get there.

"I say my separation and the way I get off the ball so defenders aren't comfortable from start to finish," Miller said, when asked what he most needs to improve. "They will never be comfortable guarding me."

The work will guide him. He didn't forget that after being drafted. That's why he returned, just two days after the Texans drafted him, to the facility where this journey began. He needs no cover of darkness anymore and certainly won't get it. The NFL spotlight will brightly light his next step.
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bigbrewster2000 said:
I posted a few times after Osweiler was signed but before that it was a quite a while. Good to have a reason to be on. The team sucked the energy out of me and I didn't really want to post even though I have been lurking the whole time. And thanks, good to be seen.
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I hear you. Brian Hoyer zapped any enthusiasm I had for the season last year and put my Texans fandom on life support. I'm so happy to be optimistic and excited about the start of the new season again. I can't wait to go to our first home game,
 
Ric Smith has been temporarily suspended from my "Fire him, Bob" rant.

Brax Miller could be known as BM (bowel movement) as he scares poop out of defense.

As Nix didn't work out, here's hoping that Wilfork will tutor DJ Reader and both will be energized.

Blue could win me back if he could hit hole quicker and quit dancing.
 
badboy said:
yes but he is more like guy in second video on your link.
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Blue reminds me of Ron Dayne. He can get yardage when the hole is obvious, but will run right into the teeth of the defense if it isn't.
 
female friend of mine summed it all up last season when she yelled "hit the hole!" after he was tackled trying to bounce down the line.
 
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