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How hard is it to be a WR?

P

phan1

Rookie
OK, this is going to sound pretty arrogant, but I don't really know what makes a good WR. I played highschool football and never payed attention to the WRs. Even when you watch football on TV, you see the line of scrimmage, not the WRs running down the field.

So right now, I'm thinking WRs just run down the field and catch balls. So if you're 1) fast 2) have soft hands and 3) are tall enough to catch balls over defenders, than you can be a great WR. Where am I going wrong here? What makes a WR so much better than another one? I'm sure there are tons of guys equally as fast as people like TO and Heins Ward, and there are lots of people taller than Marvin Harrison. And there's gotta be lots of people equally as athletic as Jerry Rice. What made him such a great WR? I know AJ is a obviously a great WR because he's a huge and fast guy who breaks tackles. But what makes orinary looking guys like Marvin Harrison and Heins Ward so special? I mean, I can't see how running routes can be that hard...

I've been wondering about this because it seems like we have yet to find a solid #2 reciever. Isn't Corey Bradford a tall and very fast guy? Why hasn't Gaffney lived up to expectations? These guys seem to physically make the mark on paper, but not on the field. How does this happen?
 
There are intangible talents that make up great wide receivers. Often, these intangibles separate just good from great.

For instance, some guys have the knack for getting open. Sounds easy, but not really, especially when a really fast DB has studied your every move on game film and has memorized your tendencies (along with a good portion of your playbook). It's a mind game to fool the defender, and then you only get a split second to be open.

Another intangible is toughness, which is something you can't teach. You either have it or you don't. I remember some of the hits Ernest Givins used to take up the middle, and man, were they brutal.

I'm sure there will be much better explanations from other posters. But I thought I'd just add my thoughts for you.
 
Here's a few:

Route Running: Not easy in the NFL since many routes have options based on coverage. Teams are scouted so well that many DBs can anticipate the route. A timing route run incorrectly leads to INTs. Being a yard off when finding the soft spot in a zone can turn a first down into an incomplete pass.

Effort: If a WR only goes full speed on routes he's expecting the ball than he becomes predictable.

Blocking: Not all great WRs block but it can be a factor for sure.

Separation: Just because a WR is fast doesn't always mean he can get open. If he can't get open he's going to be average at best.

It: Some players have "it" and others don't. All the greats seem to be able to snatch the ball away from defenders that have tight coverage. Is it eyesight, brains or some supernatural power? You decide.
 
Well first off, it helps to have OUTSTANDING hands. Look at Orande Gadsen...marginal abilities, some of the softest hands ever.

Route running is probably the next thing. You hear someone say "run a 12 yard out" in your rec league and most guys just run 12 yds and turn to the outside. Those 12 yards you're running downfield, you're setting up that DB for your break.

Now, I'm no great WR, in fact I was a RB/QB in my days, but....if you've got football knowledge, MOST guys should know what to do. If I'm running a 12 yard out, I'm running slightly at the CBs inside hip, trying to sell the post or inside route, trying to get him to turn his hips inside. If he does, you've just made it a WHOLE LOT easier to be open for the QB, because when you make your outside break, the CB is either gonna have to speed turn (sping around putting his back to you for a moment) or if he's got great hips open back up to the sideline.

That's just my .02 on route running, but good route runners can make up for a lack of speed by doing the little things.
 
Exascor said:
Here's a few:

Route Running: Not easy in the NFL since many routes have options based on coverage. Teams are scouted so well that many DBs can anticipate the route. A timing route run incorrectly leads to INTs. Being a yard off when finding the soft spot in a zone can turn a first down into an incomplete pass.

Effort: If a WR only goes full speed on routes he's expecting the ball than he becomes predictable.

Blocking: Not all great WRs block but it can be a factor for sure.

Separation: Just because a WR is fast doesn't always mean he can get open. If he can't get open he's going to be average at best.

It: Some players have "it" and others don't. All the greats seem to be able to snatch the ball away from defenders that have tight coverage. Is it eyesight, brains or some supernatural power? You decide.
Click to expand...
THAT PRETTY MUCH SUMS IT UP
 
Gotta add courage, espically for the guys who routinly go over the middle. Leaving your feet to make a catch on a short crossing pattern, knowing with an LB or a S is just waiting for ball to hit your hands and still be willing to do it again on the very next play takes alot more heart then some guys have.

Also the good/great ones know how to read the D; and know when to snap off a route to make the play.
 
Pretty good list going here. Different receivers get by with different skills...the great ones are good or great at several of them.

Watching the Bears v. Dolphins game I got the chance to see Muhsin Muhammad run a beautiful fly route. He basically ran straight down the field, then started to chug his feet as if he was going to break off the route--right at the moment where the cornerback was about to turn and run with him. As soon as the CB reacted, he turned on the jets again and beat the guy by about 5-8 yards to catch the ball wide-open at the endzone.

Muhammad isn't all that fast, but he completely worked the CB with great timing and technique. It reminded me that 40-times don't directly translate into a guy being a great deep receiver.

In that same situation you might have seen Randy Moss just loaf down the field a little bit before blasting on his jets to get open.

TO might not have gotten much seperation at all and just out muscled the guy when the ball was in the air.

And andre just might have done something that looked like this:

aj_air.jpg
 
Its extremely hard especially in the texan offense look at our passing attack the 1st 2 years and all the ints... You have to look at the guy covering you read what his position is then you have 3 optioned routes, an example if he is up on you in bump & run chances you are gonna go inside the make a double move back to the outside and carr will have the ball hopefully over your right shoulder in stride. now that same play the corner is giving you a 10 yard cushion then the option may be a simple hitch. so if you have a mental lapse and think 5 yard crossing pattern when it was a simple hitch, Carr is throwing that ball out of bounds or into the defenses hands. and think of how many ofensive plays are in a playbook. say there is 50 offensive plays. ok so far you have 50 plays now say on each play you have 3 options by god you have to remember 150 different plays and then know your other recievers plays as well otherwise you might collide on the field if one of you misreads.

Hands you gotta be able to grab an NFL football flung at you with considerable velocity with all of your concentration on catching the ball not on the defensive back jawing in your ear maybe tugging a lil jersey. Catching could be leaping into the air, laying all out, or stooping to practically pick it clean off the ground.

Now between the mind and hands is the "intangibles" The ability that is more nature than traning. Some can be trained but to execute them flawlessly is difficult. One ability to get open is the ability to lull the cb into a rhythmn then change the pace instantly. So even though you wanna run flat out and burn this trash talking jerk who is in your ear after every play tryin to get in your head. You know you really can't until its a deep ball, then you wait till its in the air then you flip to that next gear and create space. There is the rhythmn of getting the corner on one side of your body while the balls is flying to the other side. The ability to make the catch depite a hard collision. The innate ability to know you are beyond the first down marker. The ability to fight for the extra yard you may need. The other intangible is adlib if you r QB is getting hunted down and he is on the run can you adlib a comeback route to provide a safe outlet so the QB doesnt take the sack?

Its intense like in every position in football, keep in mind this is all they do year round so it may seem easier to them.
 
It is hard enough where about 20 or so teams in the league don't have number 2 Wrs much better than what the Texans run out there.
 
To me the only real difference between the "Great" WRs and the "decent" ones is that they fight for the balls that aren't thrown well. Rather than letting a ball get deflected by a CB or interecepted they fight tooth and nail for the ball. Look at the balls that culpepper was throwing last year to Moss and you'll see why when Moss was out of the game his stats died.
 
To me with the great ones, it is concentration. The ability to block out everything except that football coming towards you. And to align yourself to make the catch.
 
wr is all about timing. you have to make the cb think your going deep every play then when he starts to cheat the deep route you make your move.
 
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