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Should LSU even recruit slot receivers as a "need"?
Posted on 1/23/10 at 12:14 pm
Posted on 1/23/10 at 12:14 pm
For those that know me, you'll understand that this is not a flame but an honest question / assessment.
In recent years, we've routinely recruited slot guys as if they fill a position of need. Guys like Jared Mitchell, Chris Mitchell, Ricky Dixon, John Williams, and Chris Tolliver come to mind. Guys who committed elsewhere but were recruited to play the slot include Rantavious Wooten, Kenny Bell, Andre Dubose, and others.
However, the offense seems to revolve completely around getting the ball outside the hashes. So my simple question is... is the slot receiver truly a "position of need" in the current scheme?
ETA: My question does not exclude simply debating the semantics of a "position of need."
It's a slow day.
In recent years, we've routinely recruited slot guys as if they fill a position of need. Guys like Jared Mitchell, Chris Mitchell, Ricky Dixon, John Williams, and Chris Tolliver come to mind. Guys who committed elsewhere but were recruited to play the slot include Rantavious Wooten, Kenny Bell, Andre Dubose, and others.
However, the offense seems to revolve completely around getting the ball outside the hashes. So my simple question is... is the slot receiver truly a "position of need" in the current scheme?
ETA: My question does not exclude simply debating the semantics of a "position of need."
It's a slow day. This post was edited on 1/23/10 at 12:16 pm
4
Posted on 1/23/10 at 12:18 pm to Stagg8
quote:
Jared Mitchell, Chris Mitchell, Ricky Dixon
Were those guys slot receivers? Jared definitely got a chance at playing slot end. Chris was the third receiver by default, and Ricky Dixon just came in to block occasionally.
quote:
John Williams, and Chris Tolliver
These guys are definitely slot guys, and we'll see how they are used this season.
quote:
Rantavious Wooten, Kenny Bell, Andre Dubose
If we had landed any of these guys, especially the first and the last names on that list, my guess is we would have used our slot receivers more last year.
quote:
So my simple question is... is the slot receiver truly a "position of need" in the current scheme?
All that said....no. We have Tolliver and Williams. If you assume Taylor will back up Randle at slot end, what we really need is a true wide out ala Terrance Toliver. Hunter fit that bill. Oh well.
Posted on 1/23/10 at 12:21 pm to TxTiger82
quote:
Were those guys slot receivers?
Jared Mitchell and Ricky Dixon were definitely slot guys. The whole idea with Dixon was that even though he was a little slow (4.6ish), he had good enough hands to play the slot as a "possession" guy.
I do agree that saying that Chris Mitchell was a slot guy may be a little deceiving, because he did get some reps on the outside as a junior.
Posted on 1/23/10 at 12:27 pm to Stagg8
Name one guy who can take it 70 yards on offense ? Shep and who else ?
Posted on 1/23/10 at 12:29 pm to MrWiseGuy
quote:
Name one guy who can take it 70 yards on offense ? Shep and who else ?
I'm not getting the significance and/or meaning in reference to the thread.
Posted on 1/23/10 at 12:48 pm to Stagg8
We haven't had a true slot reciever since Early Doucet. IMO that is what is wrong with our offense. We don't have that guy that can take a 5yd pass and take it to the house.
So YES we need to recruit slot guys. I was thinking maybe Lache gets a look at the slot and could be used like Reggie Bush.
So YES we need to recruit slot guys. I was thinking maybe Lache gets a look at the slot and could be used like Reggie Bush.
Posted on 1/23/10 at 12:51 pm to offshoretrash
quote:
We haven't had a true slot reciever since Early Doucet.
Well, we haven't had a guy who produced in the slot, but we have had guys who are "true slot receivers." They're just not thrown to.
quote:
We don't have that guy that can take a 5yd pass and take it to the house.
Early wasn't that kind of guy when he was here.
Posted on 1/23/10 at 12:52 pm to offshoretrash
We actually have lots of guys who can catch a five yard pass and take it to the house.
Chris Tolliver is a speedster.
John Williams is an all-around athlete who has just been overshadowed by other all-around athletes to this point. He was at one time considered as a punt returner, and he apparently played a heck of a Josh Nesbitt in Ga Tech bowl prep.
Drayton Calhoun is supposedly electric with the ball in his hand.
Then there is always "crazy legs" Murphy.
Any of these guys could be a serviceable slot receiver, and present a dangerous threat the defense would need to account for.
ETA: That is, of course, if we actually use the slot receiver, which we wouldn't do (and that is Stagg's point).
Chris Tolliver is a speedster.
John Williams is an all-around athlete who has just been overshadowed by other all-around athletes to this point. He was at one time considered as a punt returner, and he apparently played a heck of a Josh Nesbitt in Ga Tech bowl prep.
Drayton Calhoun is supposedly electric with the ball in his hand.
Then there is always "crazy legs" Murphy.
Any of these guys could be a serviceable slot receiver, and present a dangerous threat the defense would need to account for.
ETA: That is, of course, if we actually use the slot receiver, which we wouldn't do (and that is Stagg's point).
This post was edited on 1/23/10 at 12:54 pm
Posted on 1/23/10 at 12:59 pm to TxTiger82
I mean what makes a slot receiver a "slot receiver"
Is usually seems like a certain size and some shiftiness but idk
Is usually seems like a certain size and some shiftiness but idk
Posted on 1/23/10 at 1:00 pm to Stagg8
quote:
Well, we haven't had a guy who produced in the slot, but we have had guys who are "true slot receivers." They're just not thrown to.
We haven't had anyone close to ED talent level since he left. BL and TT are outside guys we've had no one in the slot that scared anyone.
quote:
Early wasn't that kind of guy when he was here.
Hell he is that kind of guy now in the NFL! I seemed to remeber one helluva play he made against Bama.
Posted on 1/23/10 at 1:00 pm to TxTiger82
i would love to see LSU recruit the typical texas tech type inside slot receiver. with the LSU problems at quarterback coupled with the SEC speed of linebackers, a quick pass to a doucet type player would be $$$.
Posted on 1/23/10 at 1:02 pm to MrWiseGuy
quote:
Name one guy who can take it 70 yards on offense ? Shep and who else ?
TT, Murphy, Ridley, Ford, Randle, Shepard,etc.
Rantards
Posted on 1/23/10 at 1:03 pm to offshoretrash
quote:
We haven't had anyone close to ED talent level since he left.
You don't need a stud athlete at the slot position. You just need a guy slightly faster than a linebacker with good hands.
quote:
Hell he is that kind of guy now in the NFL! I seemed to remeber one helluva play he made against Bama.
Yeah, he caught a 10 yard TD against Bama. Doucet is not nor never has he been a speedster. He's tough in the open field cause he's strong as a damned ox.
Posted on 1/23/10 at 1:04 pm to Stagg8
quote:
However, the offense seems to revolve completely around getting the ball outside the hashes. So my simple question is... is the slot receiver truly a "position of need" in the current scheme?
Who is LSU's WR coach & pass game coordinator?
Posted on 1/23/10 at 1:04 pm to ynnhoj316
quote:
i would love to see LSU recruit the typical texas tech type inside slot receiver.
See this is my point. TT doesn't get slot guys with the talent of Tolliver or Williams. They just get used as a slot receiver. To me, that's the difference. Welker is a good athlete, but he would get lost in any system that doesn't utilize the slot position as a pivotal cog in the offense.
Posted on 1/23/10 at 1:05 pm to ashank3
quote:
Is usually seems like a certain size and some shiftiness but idk
Pretty much this. Hence the disagreement over which guys are and which guys are not "slot receivers."
In college, the receiver positions are determined, in part, by the physical needs of the position but also, in part, by the personnel the teams have.
For example, most people would probably call Jordan Shipley a true slot receiver. However, because Texas lacked experienced receivers this year, he played on the edge a lot.
In the NFL, you typically get assigned more of a permanent position. Wes Welker is probably the most iconic slot receiver in the NFL right now.
Posted on 1/23/10 at 1:06 pm to TxTiger82
Well maybe one of these guys will turn out to be that type of player. The guy we had were not in the same class as ED.
Posted on 1/23/10 at 1:08 pm to offshoretrash
quote:
The guy we had were not in the same class as ED.
I would agree with that... I mean Doucet is obviously a unique talent. We have guys who are faster, but not someone who can throw linebackers to the ground.
And in all honesty, the debate is not about athleticism. There are athletes at the WR position up and down the roster. The real issue is... does LSU have a "slot" receiver as the offense is currently run?
Posted on 1/23/10 at 1:08 pm to TxTiger82
What about a guy like a Golden Tate or Steve Smith. They seem like they should be slots guys but try telling them that and they'll roast you.
Posted on 1/23/10 at 1:10 pm to ashank3
quote:
What about a guy like a Golden Tate or Steve Smith. They seem like they should be slots guys but try telling them that and they'll roast you.
True... the elusive, small outside receiver.
ETA: It really wasn't until recently (as a previous poster mentioned) that "slot" was synonymous for small and fast. In the mid-90s, slot guys were tightend/wide receiver tweeners of the JJ Stokes build.
This post was edited on 1/23/10 at 1:12 pm
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