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Selection 3.70, Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State

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steelbtexan said:
How fast do you think AJ runs the 40 these days? I know defenses weren't threatened vertically last yr.
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I think AJ would still clock 4.4s. I think he is a much more complete WR now than earlier and varies his speed as part of his route running and it fools fans apparently as well as DBs.

And you can say you know they weren't threatened. The evidence of the coverage said otherwise. And of course they weren't threatened deep when OB was using him as a split wide RB.

But no point in arguing this more. We'll see in Indy with Luck and a HC who chuckled at the notion he's lost his speed and dared teams to single cover AJ.
 
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infantrycak said:
I think AJ would still clock 4.4s. I think he is a much more complete WR now than earlier and varies his speed as part of his route running and it fools fans apparently as well as DBs.

And you can say you know they weren't threatened. The evidence of the coverage said otherwise. And of course they weren't threatened deep when OB was using him as a split wide RB.

But no point in arguing this more. We'll see in Indy with Luck and a HC who chuckled at the notion he's lost his speed and dared teams to single cover AJ.
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When is your A. JOHNSON Colts jersey due to arrive?
 
CretorFrigg said:
AJ is a has been. Mark my words. We've seen his decline year after year.
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I think he's going to be just the opposite. I think he's going to rip us and practically everyone they play a new one. Nothing worse than playing against a rejuvenated badass that likely has your team circled twice on his calender.

Decline? My ass
 
HOU-TEX said:
I think he's going to be just the opposite. I think he's going to rip us and practically everyone they play a new one. Nothing worse than playing against a rejuvenated badass that likely has your team circled twice on his calender.

Decline? My ass
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Looking at the 9 WR's on the All-Time Receiving Yards list that are ahead of AJ and still playing at 34, they averaged 81/1168/14.6

I could see AJ with an 85/1200/14.7 type of season. I don't think he going to be a 110/1500 kind of guy anymore because yes, age takes its toll on everyone, but I see no reason why he couldn't have a good bounce back year. Harrison (95/1366) and Wayne (106/1355) had great years at 34 in this system. Interesting to note that Harrison's season came while Wayne had 86/1310 in the same year, which was their SB year. But when Wayne was 34 his 106/1355 season came on almost 200 targets with the next closest receiver at 125 targets. He was massively over-utilized by Luck. Should be interesting to see what AJ does this season, especially with TY having solidified himself into at least a WR1a role.
 
I'm pretty certain AJ still has it. I'm less certain on his production. There is one football and a whole lot of really good players vying for it.
 
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Jaelen Strong is driven and showing it this summer
Tania Ganguli, ESPN Staff Writer

A condition of human nature often causes us to use words in an aspirational manner. Saying things we hope to do, describing ourselves in ways we hope to be, not actually as we are.

So when you hear a person tell you he's motivated, tell you he wants to be great, those words need corroboration.

Jaelen Strong shed 20 pounds in the offseason and enters training camp weighing 211 pounds. AP Photo/David J. Phillip
That's exactly what receiver Jaelen Strong offered when he returned from the break between the Houston Texans' offseason program and training camp this year. He lost 20 pounds in the month off, and he lost them for a very important reason.

"Thought about what I went through to get here to where I’m at today, how much of an opportunity the Texans gave me by picking me," Strong said. "Just had to sacrifice and do whatever I needed to do."

Strong, who the Texans drafted in the third round, has looked quicker and smoother in the first two practices. He's known for having good hands and has shown it so far.

"He came back in shape, passed the conditioning test," O'Brien said. "He has had two decent days of practice, decent days. He just needs to keep stringing them together. He has had a good couple of days here, and that’s good for us to see that."

It's a stark contrast compared to his start to organized team activities which featured Strong suffering a hamstring injury on the first day -- an injury often indicative of being out of shape. He came in after the draft at 231 pounds -- 14 pounds heavier than he weighed at the combine. As a result we didn't get to see what Strong could do, and he didn't really have an opportunity to get back into shape during that time. O'Brien made clear to him that he needed to fix that, and soon.

"Coach O'Brien isn’t going to sugarcoat anything to me," Strong said. "He wants the best thing for me, so whatever he asks of me, I have to be coachable, I have to accept it. The opportunity he gave me to be a Houston Texan means a lot to me. I’m all ears. Whatever he needs me to do I’m going to do."

Young players don't always listen, but Strong did. It can take months or years for some to comprehend that they are wasting an opportunity, but Strong knew it right away and did something about it. He came into training camp at 211 pounds, and said repeatedly this past weekend that he still had a long way to go.

It's a good sign for his future.​
 
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Playoffs said:


Young players don't always listen, but Strong did. It can take months or years for some to comprehend that they are wasting an opportunity, but Strong knew it right away and did something about it. He came into training camp at 211 pounds, and said repeatedly this past weekend that he still had a long way to go.

It's a good sign for his future.​




https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CLVcAqgUAAAJYXJ.jpg
-stateofthetexans.com
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I'm really glad to see/hear/read this. This really means something to me, a whole lot more than choosing numner 11 as a reminder & saying he's gping to prove a lot of folks wrong.

This is a conclusive step in the right direction.
 
I think he's going to be fine. He's developing and he isn't going to be one of those guys like AJ was who walks in the door and immediately starts showing people who's boss. He's going to take a little time but he's developing before our eyes and as long as that keeps happening I think he can be a hell of a weapon in this offense. Certainly he's got the ability to take advantage of the attention that Hopkins is going to get from defenses.
 
Looks like Tarzen plays like Jane. 6th on WR depth chart to me. Fans always hope for best but they deserve honest opinion. Rick Smith invested in pick/player Posey, Texans 3rd, Texans 5th & Texans 7th to move up 12 draft slots.
 
beerlover said:
Looks like Tarzen plays like Jane. 6th on WR depth chart to me. Fans always hope for best but they deserve honest opinion. Rick Smith invested in pick/player Posey, Texans 3rd, Texans 5th & Texans 7th to move up 12 draft slots.
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I don't think he's quite that bad (Tarzan/Jane) but I see what you're saying and he needs work. Still I think he's getting there. Lots of things to worry more about than Strong at this point.
 
Reminds me of Jacoby Jones because he will make the hard catches or touchdown grabs, but drop easy passes. Needs to work on that and get consistent. He's got good tools.
 
beerlover said:
Looks like Tarzen plays like Jane. 6th on WR depth chart to me. Fans always hope for best but they deserve honest opinion. Rick Smith invested in pick/player Posey, Texans 3rd, Texans 5th & Texans 7th to move up 12 draft slots.
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Not a very good talent evaluator are you? Glad you can judge Strong after 3 preseason games. Games in which he has improved every week.
 
I'm not exactly sure what to make of this kid. I liked the selection, but I do not get a superstar vibe from him. Dunno why. He has the tools. Here's what Bucky Brooks thinks.

Houston Texans: Jaelen Strong, WR
GRADE: B

Strengths: Strong is a long, rangy pass catcher with sticky hands and outstanding ball skills. The rookie excels at snatching the ball out of the air with his big mitts, as evidenced by his 6-yard touchdown reception on a slant pattern in the second quarter against the Saints on Sunday. In addition, Strong is an improving route runner with sneaky stop-start quickness and body control.

Weaknesses: Strong lacks elite speed and acceleration. He must win on vertical routes through deception (double moves or creative play design) or maximizing his superior physical dimensions (6-2, 217 pounds) against smallish defensive backs.

What he needs to work on: The third-round pick finally broke through with a strong performance in Week 3. He showed the Texans' coaching staff that he could thrive as a possession receiver and earned another look as a WR4 heading into the season. He needs to sustain the momentum he built by making more critical conversions (third-down plays or red-zone scoring chances) in the preseason finale.
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http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...ominates?campaign=fb-nf-sf12667466-sf12667466
 
beerlover said:
Looks like Tarzen plays like Jane. 6th on WR depth chart to me. Fans always hope for best but they deserve honest opinion. Rick Smith invested in pick/player Posey, Texans 3rd, Texans 5th & Texans 7th to move up 12 draft slots.
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Wow. That seems kind of harsh. WR is a pretty tough position to learn. I've been happy with the improvemjent I've seen week to week. Posey being part of that deal was no loss at all for the Texans. Talk about a wasted pick. Looked like Jane played like Cheetah. LOL

I think an honest assesment of Strong would be that he's a rookie WR, trying to get his feet under him, but improving every week. I bet he's a hard worker and a good team mate. HAHA
 
He's not a complete stud number one receiver, but I don't think anyone has tried to fool anyone else into thinking that about him. He lacks in and out quckness and he seems to be struggling in his own head a bit. Perhaps a little intimidated. No worries though as we have a set of receivers in front of him to give him a minute to settle in and find his rhythym as a player that does have a valuable skillset. He has speed once he's moving and he's strong in the air with the ability to body defenders off of the ball. He'll excell in the red zone and on sideline routes where his body control will be an asset.

I still like this pick a lot.
 
Mollywhopper said:
He's not a complete stud number one receiver, but I don't think anyone has tried to fool anyone else into thinking that about him. He lacks in and out quckness and he seems to be struggling in his own head a bit. Perhaps a little intimidated. No worries though as we have a set of receivers in front of him to give him a minute to settle in and find his rhythym as a player that does have a valuable skillset. He has speed once he's moving and he's strong in the air with the ability to body defenders off of the ball. He'll excell in the red zone and on sideline routes where his body control will be an asset.

I still like this pick a lot.
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I like having two receivers with a huge catch radius who will catch the contested ball. Leave spreading the field to the slot receiver.
 
DocBar said:
I think an honest assesment of Strong would be that he's a rookie WR, trying to get his feet under him, but improving every week. I bet he's a hard worker and a good team mate. HAHA
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Agree. I he just don't see the "1st round talent"
 
DocBar said:
Posey being part of that deal was no loss at all for the Texans. Talk about a wasted pick. Looked like Jane played like Cheetah. LOL
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This really gets my goat when evaluating a draft pick.

Now Posey is a player who came in his rookie season and made some good plays and looked like he could develop into a good player. He got a really nasty injury towards the end of that year, a career ending injury that he hasn't been able to fully recover from as it turns out.

Of course his rookie contract has meant that he ended up sticking around a couple of years longer than he might have otherwise, and that's enough time for people to forget what happened to him.

He was a wasted pick in the same way as Charles Spencer was a wasted pick, we got nothing out of him due to injury.
 
I agree about the injury causing it to be a wasted pick and that's why I don't consider Posey to be a bust. He had some talent, pre-injury.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
infantrycak said:
Is that the vibe you normally get from 3rd rounders?

We are talkng on the field vibe right?
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Sure I expect good things and stars to come out of the 3rd round. As far as WR's go, Terrell Owens comes to mind.

Yes... on the field. Not saying he won't become that.
 
Im not ready to write him off but my expectations are fairly low. Mumph has looked like a better rookie WR. Strong is double catching the ball, he should already have that down. Maybe he's in his own head and needs some time to work on his game. Not unheard of in rookie WRs but after last years stud class, fans are expecting more polish on the WRs in general.
 
PapaL said:
Im not ready to write him off but my expectations are fairly low. Mumph has looked like a better rookie WR. Strong is double catching the ball, he should already have that down. Maybe he's in his own head and needs some time to work on his game. Not unheard of in rookie WRs but after last years stud class, fans are expecting more polish on the WRs in general.
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I'm not too worried about Strong.... yet.

I've got Mumphery ahead of him at this point, but I think it's because he lost so much time in the OTAs with that hamstring and being overweight.
 
The Pencil Neck said:
I'm not too worried about Strong.... yet.

I've got Mumphery ahead of him at this point, but I think it's because he lost so much time in the OTAs with that hamstring and being overweight.
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I'm really excited about the potential of both Strong and Mumphery. While Mumphery has been making a lot more plays this training camp and preseason, Strong appears to be a good red-zone target with size and strength. He can shield away defenders on fade routes in the back of the end zone quite easily. Exactly what we need because we've been a poor red-zone offense for years now. We improved a little last year because J.J. Watt played some amazing tight end for us in goal line situations. He had those automatic hands down there.

I think we have our long-term answer at the #2 and #3 wideout positions after DeAndre Hopkins. That's how much I like Strong and Mumphery. Even though right now Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts are ahead of both of them on the depth chart. These rookies have big-play potential for many years to come. Washington is on his last legs anyways. Probably has 1 or 2 good years left. Shorts is in his prime and looks useful as that speedy slot guy.
 
Mr.Scarface said:
Not a very good talent evaluator are you? Glad you can judge Strong after 3 preseason games. Games in which he has improved every week.
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Perhaps you should do a bit of research before you criticize a very respected member of this MB. Most knowledgeable folks here know Beerlover and others here watch players for 1-4 years in college before they get to NFL. After working closely with him for years and doing many mock drafts together, I respect his opinion even if we do not always agree.
Perhaps you could have asked him how he arrived at his posted comments?
 
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Texans receiver Jaelen Strong accepting advice, taking lessons to heart

The first few months of Texans receiver Jaelen Strong's time in the NFL weren't easy.

"Unknowingly an adjustment," he said.

He had to learn how important details were in the NFL. He had to learn to study better than he did before. He had to make up for time lost early on because of a hamstring injury. With the help of mentors, from receiver Nate Washington to receivers coach Stan Hixon, Strong has made that adjustment.

"Study, study, study, study," Strong said. "Sacrifice a lot of things. I’d rather give up everything just to be perfect on the football field. That’s just how my mindset has changed. Before I was trying to take little pieces here, little pieces there. You’ve got to make that sacrifice."

Strong was featured two weeks ago on the second episode of "Hard Knocks" receiving stern lectures from Houston Texans coaches. The cameras and audio showed Washington mentoring Strong. Two weeks later the tough love seems to have paid off for Strong. He's caught two touchdown passes this preseason.

"He’s improved every week," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said. "I think that he’s taken the coaching to heart. He’s a very talented guy. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s a very instinctive player, he makes contested catches. I think that he’s improved every week. The key for Jaelen is the key for every rookie, is to keep improving."

Strong came to the Texans with a chip on his shoulder. The 11th receiver taken, he vowed to outplay his draft slot. Saying that, though, was easier than learning what it took to be successful in the NFL.

Hixon helped.

"He reminds me of my grandfather you know," Strong said. "A lot of knowledge. He puts it into football. He puts it into life aspects as well so you can understand it much better. He’s older so he has a lot of wisdom. ... One thing I have to do is just listen to him and trust him. ... You know me being a grown man, it’s going to be human nature for you to have your guard up."

As for Washington's help, there are times when Washington comes to Strong, and other times when Strong goes to Washington.

"He told me he’s in his 11th year and he’s still trying to make the team," Strong said. "There’s always somebody coming for your spot. Always somebody trying to take that food off your plate. Granted these are your teammates, you go out there to win together. But it’s your job. This is how you feed your family. Everything you do you’ve gotta do it the right way."​
 
I really think this guy is going to do well. He just seems to have his mind right and the tools are all there.
 
I continue to think Shorts, Washington and Nuk allow Strong time to get use to NFL. Same for Mumps. I'm believing these four will give us solid receiving corps for at least 2-3 years. Hopefully, Worthy will be our burner down field.
 
I just don't see it. Hard hands, lazy routes, lazy blocking, a body-catcher and appears to have less than half of a full route tree. He's physical, and against second team players (and busted coverages) he can look good with passes that hit him in the gut. I don't know of a preseason catch that happens against a 'real' defense.
 
Wow, pretty harsh criticism aimed at a rookie. Think I'll wait a little longer. If he keeps on improving, he's gonna be real good.
 
My criticisms are more at the person than the player. A huge article about how he's learning the meaning of sacrifice to be a better football player. He appears (speculation) to be getting more attention than other receivers in regards to direct coaching and targets. Why then are the routes soft and lazy? Why is the blocking soft and lazy? These aren't rookie technique and learning curves, these are player issues. Covington is his opposite. He's got rookie holes in his game, but that kid is playing his ass off. Nix is the same as Strong, though he's started showing (minor) signs of life.

Being a rookie is not an excuse for half-assing it. Hard hands I'll accept as something he can overcome with work ... picking daisies on run plays and when the ball isn't going to him isn't something I hope to see Texans WR's doing on Sundays.
 
Scooter said:
I just don't see it. Hard hands, lazy routes, lazy blocking, a body-catcher and appears to have less than half of a full route tree. He's physical, and against second team players (and busted coverages) he can look good with passes that hit him in the gut. I don't know of a preseason catch that happens against a 'real' defense.
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Reminds me of what people were saying about Dez Bryant after his rookie preseason with the Cowboys and he was a first-round pick. He also had a less than stellar rookie season and dropped a lot of balls, and he had a piss poor attitude to boot. Not to mention Dez's rocky home life and his constant physical altercations with his own mother. If you are quick to label a rookie wide receiver after his first preseason in the NFL, or even their entire rookie year, then Dez Bryant would have been a major bust.

I think Jaelen Strong is going to become a really good one before all is said and done. Not to say he'll become an All Pro and arguably the best in the game like Dez is now but certainly he's far from a bust so far. As a third-round pick the sky is the limit for Jaelen.
 
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Bulls on Parade said:
Reminds me of what people were saying about Dez Bryant after his rookie preseason with the Cowboys and he was a first-round pick. He also had a less than stellar rookie season and dropped a lot of balls, and he had a piss poor attitude to boot. Not to mention Dez's rocky home life and his constant physical altercations with his own mother. If you are quick to label a rookie wide receiver after his first preseason in the NFL, or even their entire rookie year, then Dez Bryant would have been a major bust.
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What is the comparison you want to make? That rookie WR's are all awesome if you give them a chance - because an obvious phenom like Dez, taken in the first round in spite of major issues, finally overcame his off-field chaos? Are you making this argument for 3+ of our young wide receivers and about 90 others across the league? They're going to be great because Dez had a tough rookie season?
 
Scooter said:
My criticisms are more at the person than the player. A huge article about how he's learning the meaning of sacrifice to be a better football player. He appears (speculation) to be getting more attention than other receivers in regards to direct coaching and targets. Why then are the routes soft and lazy? Why is the blocking soft and lazy? These aren't rookie technique and learning curves, these are player issues. Covington is his opposite. He's got rookie holes in his game, but that kid is playing his ass off. Nix is the same as Strong, though he's started showing (minor) signs of life.

Being a rookie is not an excuse for half-assing it. Hard hands I'll accept as something he can overcome with work ... picking daisies on run plays and when the ball isn't going to him isn't something I hope to see Texans WR's doing on Sundays.
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You can find similar articles written about former rookie wideouts Terrell Owens, also a third-round pick, or Dez Bryant like I mentioned. Both turned into All Pros and among the best in the game. They also had the same issues as rookies. Both produced less than great rookie years. 500-something yards, dropped a ton of balls, looked like they half assed it around the field, physical players who couldn't play hard. etc... etc...

Let's wait and see how Jaelen Strong develops into year two and three. If we judge the kid on one year that would be a huge mistake. He's going to make plenty of mistakes but he can also make some big plays and help contribute. You can't teach his size, physical play or speed. That much is certain to me.
 
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