Darren Rizzi says Jakeem Grant is disappointed and working hard in the offseason | Page 2 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Darren Rizzi says Jakeem Grant is disappointed and working hard in the offseason

Maybe Jakeem is the exception rather than example of returners with little to no experience returning kicks in the pros


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I want the best for Grant and the Fins.

His knock coming out of college (other than his size) is the fact he was terrible at ball security, so it was a known issue.

As small as he is, it may take longer than average to help him with his trouble.
 
Draft weekend made it clear that Jakeem Grant has already secured a roster spot on the team, and that will remain the case until/unless the Dolphins acquire an experienced, roster worthy punt returner, and/or one of the guys with virtually no experience (e.g. Drew Morgan, Maurice Smith) actually looks roster worthy at their position, while blowing the coaches away with their punt return savvy.

Adam Gase has put the emphasis on developing the roster. Whether fans are patient enough for that, does not matter. Grant showed them during the off season that his "no days off" approach to fixing all of his issues and getting better is exactly what they want, and when you get right down to it they looked at his film from 2016 and were reminded he is a uniquely electric player.

Notice they are talking about using him on the outside more. That is what KC did with Tyreek Hill. Miami have wanted to copy what KC was doing with Tyreek since mid-2016 but found themselves at a loss trying to install that stuff mid season. They will work on it all off season.

And regardless of whether anyone feels Kenyan Drake has "won" the kickoff return job, simple fact of the matter is the Dolphins like the dual return man approach on kickoff returns. If the ball goes to Grant's side, he takes it. If it goes to Drake's side, he takes it. Miami did not decide that Drake won the kickoff return job. The teams kicking the football decided they would rather Drake return it than Grant.

And again I go back to punt returns. Who are the punt return guys? The Dolphins do not want their #1 WR to be the lone punt returner. They really only want him back there in select situations. Who fields the punts that Jarvis doesn't field? There is not another guy on roster who is proven at doing it. And thus, for the time being, Jakeem Grant has a safe roster spot, pending another roster maneuver.
 
DefensiveEnd76 said:
Well if they could make Grant about 5 inches taller and 25 pounds heavier it would be great.
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How would that help him, if only to catch higher passes? Speed, speed speed when the balli is in his hands. Securing the ball, weather its catching a punt/ko cleanly or not fumbling when getting tackled...leave his natural abilities along, that include his size.
 
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Clyde Christensen was effusive when talking about Jakeem Grant:

“I think both. I think he is going to be a gimmick guy. Gimmick is kind of a demeaning word but he’s so darn explosive. I think he should be a highlight film. His big plays per snap ought to be a huge number. We’re always looking for ways to get him on the field. Some of it we’ll learn how to use him better. Some of it he’ll become a better player and a more mature player and understand the offense better. We’re going to play him a little bit more outside.

“Just because he’s a little guy doesn’t mean you have to be a slot guy. Sometimes outside you can throw him a hitch out there and he can turn it into a 50-yard play. So we are looking for ways for him to be an every down player more. I don’t know that he becomes a starter, but just to be able to stick him in for chunks of time and leave him. It’s really, really hard in this league to slip a guy in there and run a reverse. It sounds good but it’s hard to do practically, and so it’s important for him to be an every down guy and for us to be able to put him in, and if we do have injuries, that he could play chunks. There’s no reason he can’t, right?

“He’s a good football player. He’s an extremely good technique kid. He has good hands. He runs good routes. He has to learn the offense better and I think he’ll do that, but look to see him maybe a little bit more outside and mix it in. We can stick him out there away from trips and get some one on ones out there. He’s a scary guy one or one. So we’re experimenting with some new things. Or different things, not new. But just some different places for him just to find a little niche for him to get a bigger role. I think we all see him having a little bit of a bigger role and getting more out of him than we did last year. He has a unique set, a unique skillset (and) a unique way of doing things.

“And some of them are really hard traits to find, as far his speed and his big play (ability), his confidence, his swagger, thinking he can score on every single play. Every time he touches the ball he thinks he can score. The other thing he has, he has to fix his protecting the ball. We’ll figure it out a little bit more and then I think you’ll see him play some bigger chunks and more snaps. He’s always going to be a little bit of a specialist but there’s no reason he can’t play some series and go for a series. There’s nothing that he can’t do. He’s a physical guy. He’s maybe the strongest guy on our team pound for pound. He’s not afraid, as you saw. There’s no reason he can’t play a bunch of snaps.”
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And Darren Rizzi swept in with some more praise:

Meanwhile, Grant has been working on fielding punts after fumbling four times in games last season. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi commended him for flying punter Matt Darr out to Texas so Grant could work on fielding punts.

“That’s pretty impressive, so that tells you how serious he is about it,” Rizzi said. “He knows the corrections he has to make. It’s great that he’s recognized that and he’s working on it. I’ll see when we get out there for the OTAs – for OTA No. 1 – really where he is and how much he has improved, and we’ll take it from there. The one thing you can’t deny is what he did with the ball in his hands when he did have the ball. We just have to make sure his ball security is a lot better, his decision making is better. Those are things that certainly have to improve.

“I think people forget that he returned another one for a touchdown that got called back for a questionable penalty. He actually had – in the Seattle game – another long return that got called back for a penalty. So his average – his numbers – were a little bit skewed. But I’m really, really proud of him and really happy about his work ethic here in this offseason, because you can tell that he’s taking this thing seriously.”
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It's not Jakeem's fault. His drops are due to the Ted Ginn curse. No Dolphins receiver should ever be allowed to wear #19 again.
 
Good to see ya C.K.! I love Grant in the open field, the kid has moves you're not supposed to make! Dropping punts better be a thing as the past for him, turn the page on last year and give him a clean slate but if he's putting the ball on the ground again he's going to be gone. I'm rooting for him because the upside is so good and he's fun to watch. Catch the ball!!! It looks like you're close to 50,000 posts on Finheaven!! When you hit 50k we all have to buy you a beer!
 
I'd much rather see Drake back there than Grant. I see him as more or a threat


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Miami return man Jakeem Grant asked to learn outside WR

  • The Miami Dolphins have reportedly asked Jakeem Grant to learn outside receiver positions.
  • Grant was primarily a return man during his rookie year, scoring on a punt return and averaging 8.3 yards per punt return.
  • He played just 19 snaps on offense over the season, and was targeted once.
  • Of those 19 snaps, eight of them came at outside receiver positions, with the other 11 coming inside from the slot.
  • At 5-foot-6 and 169 pounds, it’s going to be a challenge to carve a traditional role for him on offense whatever the position.

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I think Grant is going to have to work so hard to make the team again. Drake has a better avg on kick returns, and Landry had better avg on punts. 4 fumbles, and the coaching staff didn't have faith in him, so Landry got the nod when it was crunch time. Grant also can t contribute on covering kicks. Then he is so far behind the 8 ball as a WR he has an uphill battle to out perform the more polished Carroo and Ford. It's hard to give a spot in the 53 man roster to a guy who is only a returner, but almost impossible to give a spot to a guy who only contributes on 50% of returns. I'm not saying it will be impossible for him, but he will need to look elite in the return game.
 
We have a lot of backend talent at receiver. Too much for Grant to keep a roster spot without being an elite dynamic return man. Can't imagine him giving anything on offense.
 
I do not think he is that bad. just work on catching football and you will be alright. i think he try to do to much with football when he is in game.
 
He muffed punts and he needs to work on that. He'd not done it in college. That's what people forget. He was a kickoff returner in college, never punts. Jarvis Landry hadn't done it in college either, and when the Dolphins had him do it in the NFL he also dropped some punts and kickoffs. And Devin Hester of course muffed a whole bunch of them his rookie year.

People never want to hear that it may take some time. They want to make snap decisions. He sucks. Get rid of him. He's never going to do anything.

Darren Rizzi pointed it out, there were a couple of big returns Jakeem Grant had called back on him that were on questionable penalties. Two against Seattle for 23 yards. One against the Jets for a 57 yard touchdown. Figure those into the mix and Jakeem had 245 punt return yards on 23 returns, with 2 TDs. That's outstanding.

As it his, his 23+ yards per return on kickoffs was already outstanding. One of those kickoff returns against the Jets only went 19 yards, but took 13 seconds as he slipped tackle after tackle, tiring out the entire Jets coverage team. Calvin Pryor for example went limping off to the sidelines. When the play was flagged and re-kicked, this time to Kenyan Drake because the Jets wanted NO PART of Jakeem Grant anymore, Kenyan Drake had it easy. Took it for a big score. People want to solely credit Kenyan Drake for that but the simple fact of the matter is that 96 yard kick return TD doesn't happen without Jakeem Grant's 13 second serpentine romp tiring everyone out, and every COACH knows that to be true.

I am reminded somewhat of 2009 when the Dolphins got Cameron Wake from the CFL and the coaches stuck him behind Jason Taylor and Joey Porter, hardly ever played him. I think he got like 300 snaps that year. Because he hardly played, generally speaking here on the message board and elsewhere, everyone just assumed he sucked. They said things like, he's not a starter, I can't imagine him being anything but an pass rush specialist, he only has one move, he sucks against the run, etc. They let the circumstances dictate the perception of the player, instead of a well contextualized evaluation of what the player was actually doing on the field.

If people would stop to actually look and evaluate what Jakeem Grant was doing on the field last year, granted when he wasn't muffing punts lol, I think they would easily see why the coaches would like this guy to nail down our return spot for the next decade...or at least, however long his tiny body gives him. And they would easily see why they're working to incorporate him into the offense, too.

THIS is what Clyde Christensen is referring to when he says that Jakeem Grant is "scary" in one on one coverage:
https://youtu.be/-36bKZ5SoD0?t=93

That's Tre'Davious White. He just went in the 1st round. But when Jakeem Grant went up against him, Jakeem made him look like a total slapd-ck.

And it very nearly happens again here (watch the regular view then stick around for the field view):
https://youtu.be/-36bKZ5SoD0?t=142

Imagine if Patrick Mahomes's offensive line weren't a leaky sieve there. Because let me tell you. That corner, Jalen Mills, who played 700 snaps on the Philadelphia Eagles this year and is a genuine NFL player, was BEAT. Like a drum. If Mahomes had the pocket to read the play and launch that ball, only question is how accurate the throw is, because Jalen Mills was beat within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. I mean, Mills gave him 9-10 yards of cushion and Grant beat the hell out of him anyway.

This one might be my favorite though:
https://youtu.be/-36bKZ5SoD0?t=213

There are two NFL players trying to cover Jakeem Grant on this play. Jalen Mills who like I said played nearly 700 snaps for the Eagles this year has man coverage on him. And he's protected over top by the 1st round pick Tre'Davious White, who has taken the role of deep safety on the play. The throw isn't where it needed to be but you will notice that Jakeem Grant has beaten the hell out of Jalen Mills (again), and even though Tre'Davious White as a deep safety read the play and seemed like he had proper timing to come over for help, Jakeem had him beat as well. If that ball is on target then Grant just blew the top off a defense that tried whatever it could to make sure that didn't happen. LSU had made a scheme adjustment because of the previous plays I showed where Grant was easily getting open deep against even their best players in one-on-one. So they adjusted to make sure that would not happen. Nearly happened anyway.

This one is another favorite, because this is something the Dolphins have in mind for him:
https://youtu.be/-36bKZ5SoD0?t=263

Again, two NFL players converge on the kid. That's Jalen Mills who is practically a starter for the Eagles, and LB Deion Jones who was very nearly DROY for the Atlanta Falcons and made PFWA All-Rookie team. He embarrassed those two NFL players.

If you really watch that game all the way through, the only player that could hang with Jakeem Grant all day was Jamal Adams, because he's so good. But even he had to take his medicine at times, because Grant is just too quick:
https://youtu.be/-36bKZ5SoD0?t=336

And here is where you just start to feel sorry for LSU. Did anyone else play backyard football like this, where you had one guy fielding a punt and one guy trying to tackle him? For Jakeem Grant, that's like no guys trying to tackle him. Or once again, in the words of Clyde Christensen, one-on-one with Jakeem Grant is "SCARY":
https://youtu.be/-36bKZ5SoD0?t=584

Still, people are like, I don't imagine him ever contributing on offense. Really? Based on him dropping the one ball he was thrown in 2016?

I don't get it. People are anxious to get Jakeem Grant off the roster, to replace him with someone else. I'm anxious to get him the damn football some more, and I think the Dolphins coaches are too.
 
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