Wright versus Floyd

[SF Dolphin Fan]

If the Dolphins solve their qb issue in free agency, I think there's an outside shot that Miami picks a wide receiver in the first round. I know it's not the biggest weak spot on the team, but I'm sure the front office will want to upgrade over Brian Hartline sooner rather than later. So who do you guys prefer if Michael Floyd and Kendall Wright are sitting there at #8/9?

Floyd has a few red flags, injuries and potential drinking problem, but he's a big target who compares to Larry Fitzgerald. I also like the fact that he blocks and seems to be a team player. Defenses would have a hard time matching up against Marshall and Floyd.

Wright constantly beats his man deep, has good hands, amazing acceleration and can turn a bubble screen into a 60-yard touchdown. His comparison is usually to Mike Wallace or Steve Smith. At 5-11 his size is the only issue, but he plays with toughness and is a big-play guy.

 

[ckparrothead]

I like Michael Floyd better.

I think Kendall Wright is a good solid WR prospect, but I also think his hype is getting away from itself. This is a guy that has track speed and he played with spacing in that Briles offense that resembles the spacing you see in the CFL, where every receiver looks absolutely awesome. He and RG3 worked together to make each other look better. Griffin has uncommonly good deep accuracy and Wright is uncommonly good at beating man coverage on the deep ball. Both players will have to expand their repertoires in order to make it at the next level.

Floyd I think has the more physically impressive skill set because of his size and speed combination, in addition to ball skills and RAC skills that have always looked good. Way back in the day the four guys that I put together were A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Jon Baldwin and Michael Floyd. Floyd just became the one that stayed in school, but I think he's just as good.

Baldwin of course is a total primadonna, which is hard to know until you see the tell tale signs of it, so we'll see if he gets over himself and actually plays some football. Floyd with his alcohol abuse issues could be walking down the same road.

But until I see more signs of that I've got Floyd above Wright.

 

[hoops]

that high...neither...overall i'll go wright slightly over floyd but i really like them both...just not in the top 10...i think floyd if he can keep his head on straight is gonna be a better pro than many think...he's got some things in his game that will translate to the pros...no question

 

[Roman529]

I don't see using a #8 or #9 pick on a wide receiver. I think if we trade down to say #15 then this is a possibility (Floyd or Wright). I also would be ok if we traded down and take a receiver like Mohamed Sanu late in the first round as he has really nice hands. The only first round potential WR that I have concerns with is Alshon Jeffrey, who could eat himself out of the league quicker than Jamarcus Russell.

 

[mnphinfan]

I like Michael Floyd better.

I think Kendall Wright is a good solid WR prospect, but I also think his hype is getting away from itself. This is a guy that has track speed and he played with spacing in that Briles offense that resembles the spacing you see in the CFL, where every receiver looks absolutely awesome. He and RG3 worked together to make each other look better. Griffin has uncommonly good deep accuracy and Wright is uncommonly good at beating man coverage on the deep ball. Both players will have to expand their repertoires in order to make it at the next level.

Floyd I think has the more physically impressive skill set because of his size and speed combination, in addition to ball skills and RAC skills that have always looked good. Way back in the day the four guys that I put together were A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Jon Baldwin and Michael Floyd. Floyd just became the one that stayed in school, but I think he's just as good.

Baldwin of course is a total primadonna, which is hard to know until you see the tell tale signs of it, so we'll see if he gets over himself and actually plays some football. Floyd with his alcohol abuse issues could be walking down the same road.

But until I see more signs of that I've got Floyd above Wright.

CK, what are your thoughts on taking a WR this early or most importantly two impact players with our first two picks? Most of the mock drafts have us taking an OL in the first but with this being a pretty deep draft in terms of better talent for OL I really like the idea of getting a playmaker with our 1st (WR) and 2nd (TE) round picks and addressing the OL in the 3rd and 4th rounds.

Also, when is Universal Draft gonna start the draft wind series as well as update the webpage for mock drafts and player rankings?

 

[hoops]

i like sanus body and his tools but he just seems awfully raw to me...not someone i'd use a 1st round pick on...too raw for my blood...and i think he can fight the ball...top 50 guy...ehhh...not sure i'd go that route

i think i'd be looking at other fish in the sea

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

I don't think I'd take either one in the top 10 due to better prospects at other positions likely being available. It depends on what you're looking for in terms of which one I'd prefer over the other. Floyd has the off-field concerns, but he's a legitimate big time prospect with spectacular talent to annihilate the jam at the line, and outstanding ability to track the football with his eyes.... and the ability to outjump DB's and highpoint the football. He can create his own seperation, which is a must have for me.

All of this make Floyd the type that can consistently get your 3-step passing game going without being hindered.

I like Kendall Wright significantly better than Jonathan Baldwin as a prospect. They're two completely different types of receivers, and I prefer what Kendall Wright gives me in terms of run-after-catch-ability that Baldwin just didn't have.

Baldwin isn't even in the same class as A.J. Green and Julio Jones, never was.

 

[SCOTTY]

I don't see using a #8 or #9 pick on a wide receiver. I think if we trade down to say #15 then this is a possibility (Floyd or Wright). I also would be ok if we traded down and take a receiver like Mohamed Sanu late in the first round as he has really nice hands. The only first round potential WR that I have concerns with is Alshon Jeffrey, who could eat himself out of the league quicker than Jamarcus Russell.

When did Sanu become a first round talent?? He will still be on the board going into round 3. Where I would love to see the Fins make a play for him.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

Floyd can snag the ball while seemingly blanketed, and demoralize you into an understanding that it will happen again. I comfortably prefer him above Wright.

Frankly, if it's a bubble screen I throw it out. Relying on that is like putting full faith in overachievers to put you over the top. Top defenses wipe out bubble screens before they develop. The higher the level, the fewer screens you see and the less frequently they succeed.

CK has the right idea to bracket players in top tier ability level and remember that designation for months/years. I always have to laugh at the preoccupation with tape...tape....tape, particularly the final handful of games. It would be like evaluating my betting systems solely on how they've performed recently.

I don't know why we wouldn't prioritize receiver. It's a pass and defend-pass league, as much as I hate to concede it, and strenuously object to the changes in the league since I started following more than 40 years ago. The Giants can screw around and win 9 games and still be a threat because they have excellent components in the most critical areas -- pitching, catching and sacking.

 

[Finfan4lyfe91]

Floyd can snag the ball while seemingly blanketed, and demoralize you into an understanding that it will happen again. I comfortably prefer him above Wright.

Frankly, if it's a bubble screen I throw it out. Relying on that is like putting full faith in overachievers to put you over the top. Top defenses wipe out bubble screens before they develop. The higher the level, the fewer screens you see and the less frequently they succeed.

CK has the right idea to bracket players in top tier ability level and remember that designation for months/years. I always have to laugh at the preoccupation with tape...tape....tape, particularly the final handful of games. It would be like evaluating my betting systems solely on how they've performed recently.

I don't know why we wouldn't prioritize receiver. It's a pass and defend-pass league, as much as I hate to concede it, and strenuously object to the changes in the league since I started following more than 40 years ago. The Giants can screw around and win 9 games and still be a threat because they have excellent components in the most critical areas -- pitching, catching and sacking.

I somewhat agree with this because good defenses do seem to sniff those out and it relies heavily on the WR's making and holding the blocks but I think NE runs the bubble screens more than most college teams and has great success with it. Granted that is the only team I can think of that runs it consistently, but I usually see them break those for big plays.

 

[Pachyderm_Wave]

Bubble, tunnel, and smoke screens are nothing more than running plays to these spread attack coaches. A bubble screen is essentially a toss sweep out of the backfield to them, it's the same concept.

You can't run the football effectively when your offensive lineman are playing from a 2-point stance, which they typically are in these finesse spread attacks. Trap and draw are basically the only two running plays you can have out of this concept, and most of the programs running these spread-to-pass attacks can't recruit RB's good enough to be a factor.

The reason coaches like Urban Meyer and Gus Malzahn were able to have some success in the SEC using variations of the spread is because they made adjustments, and both coaches are spread-to-run rather than spread-to-pass (June Jones, Mike Leach, etc.). Urban's version is more power based at it's core (pulling guards, kick outs by the TE, fold blocks by the center, etc.) and more "veer" oriented. The jet/rocket sweep, inside shovel and midline are run instead of a series of bubble screens that he knows are completely ineffective against SEC caliber defenses.

Gus Malzhan made a lot of the same adjustments to his version of the spread in order to run it in the SEC. Again, very much power based at it's core in terms of personnel and alignment as opposed to what you see from the spreads run in the Big-12.

In other words, they took a page out of Steve Spurrier's book, who revolutionized offense in the SEC in the early '90's and proved that you could win in the SEC by throwing it all over the place. Again, the difference is the adjustments Steve Spurrier made to his offense. Spurrier took the same concepts of Mouse Davis' (the founding father of the Run-and-Shoot) offense and made it more balanced.

Balance is the key, and it's something that most Air-Raid versions of the spread don't have.

Kevin Gilbride is also a Run-and-Shoot guy, and still uses those concepts (switch, choice, etc.) with the N.Y. Giants passing game in the NFL. Once again, the difference is his ability to make it more balanced in order to succeed against NFL defenses.

Hopefully you see the pattern by now.

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

I like Michael Floyd better.

I think Kendall Wright is a good solid WR prospect, but I also think his hype is getting away from itself. This is a guy that has track speed and he played with spacing in that Briles offense that resembles the spacing you see in the CFL, where every receiver looks absolutely awesome. He and RG3 worked together to make each other look better. Griffin has uncommonly good deep accuracy and Wright is uncommonly good at beating man coverage on the deep ball. Both players will have to expand their repertoires in order to make it at the next level.

Floyd I think has the more physically impressive skill set because of his size and speed combination, in addition to ball skills and RAC skills that have always looked good. Way back in the day the four guys that I put together were A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Jon Baldwin and Michael Floyd. Floyd just became the one that stayed in school, but I think he's just as good.

Baldwin of course is a total primadonna, which is hard to know until you see the tell tale signs of it, so we'll see if he gets over himself and actually plays some football. Floyd with his alcohol abuse issues could be walking down the same road.

But until I see more signs of that I've got Floyd above Wright.

Everytime I see Floyd I think he could easily become a superstar in the NFL. It's not like he has Andrew Luck or Brandon Weeden throwing him the ball either. The red flags could be significant, but this guy IMO has to be seriously in the discussion at #8/9. I keep throwing his name out there to see what other people think, but you certainly have him ranked with some really good receivers from the last couple of years.