A faster Landry might be something that will improve the quality of life for all of us Dolphin fans.

 

As always Jim, thank you for the post. I know that Landry can get deep..He did in college, but being that he is now even faster.....lookout league. And I was so happy to hear the news when Tannehill hit him deep. I do have a theory on Tannehill's deep passes, but I want to see this year how he does with Stills before I say anything because I do not want people jumping to conclusions and hammering me for an observation that I have when I really, really like Tanny and he is coming into his own right before our eyes. A special thanks to Dan Marino for faithfully working with Ryan as well to help him improve his game...this year could be special for him.

 

Deej mancrush forming in three..two...

 

What? Landry's faster?

Oh hell....

 

The next Zach Thomas is on the team and his name is Jarvis Landry.

 

Fantastic draft pick, Hickey!

 

Maybe we should move him to safety.

 

I told you guys a year ago Landry would be special.

 

You sure did...and I was one of the guys defending the excitement surrounding him, that the critics were trying to temper. Love the kid.

 

Forming? ***** I got there last season!

 

I do believe that I was talking him up right after the draft as well, since for some reason LSU games seem to always be on TV here..quite a few of us were talking him up early.

 

Nice to hear, pretty much every poster on this board was a fan of his when we took him. A lot of people were calling him the steal of the 2nd round, he's gonna ball this year.

 

I think it's fair to say that he would be a 1st rounder right?

 

In my experience, hitting the deep ball is just a matter of timing. Assuming a QB has enough arm strength, they all can hit the deep ball given enough practice to get the timing down with his targets. During that practice time the QB adjusts his arc and when to release but other than that there isn't much the QB changes. If the receiver is a consistent route runner, the timing comes more quickly. If the receiver is not consistent the timing may never come. With time and consistency from his targets it just isn't a difficult skill to acquire. On a large percentage of the deep passes the QB is really just throwing it up to a large general area. Unlike most of the passing game where passing accuracy is usually the largest factor, on the deep ball the QB is mostly relying on everybody else. Those beautiful, highlight worthy deep passes that seem to be perfect are largely the result of the WR doing a great job of adjusting to the ball in flight. Those adjustments by the WR of speed and angle are often the biggest factors in the success of the deep ball. The other factors that impact deep pass success pass blocking (time to throw) and play design. There are many moving parts involved and of all of them the QB's skill is the easiest to acquire. That's why I never worried much about Tannehill's ability to hit the deep ball. I was worried about the team's success in that regard. But while the fans and media focus on the QB in terms of blame and praise, the other factors are more determinant and more difficult to do well.

 

Definitely a "special" player. He doesn't have any freak physical traits, but he may be a freak in terms of discipline and focus.

 

Can guys get much faster at this stage of their careers? Legitimately wondering, never really heard of that happening.

 

I think Jarvis is a guy who is going to skyrocket up all Dolphin fans favorite player lists this year.

 

Wondered this myself...I guess I just always assumed the speed they ran at coming into the league was their cap, and they'd just stay there a while and eventually decline.

 

agree on most of them except Matthews and Benjamin

 

I think so, but I wouldn't expect dramatic results. Jarvis isn't going from a 4.6 to a 4.3. The three most important aspects to gaining speed are flexibility, technique, and reps. Despite being a trained athlete, I doubt Jarvis has ever really dedicated himself to specifically doing speed training work. He's a technician, which has likely been his career's focus to date.

Flexibility in the hip extensors and flexors is of the utmost importance when it comes to speed. Certainly all muscles must be loose and flexible, but speed is very much centered in the hips. It could be argued that the hips are the most important region of an NFL players body, for all positions. If Jarvis can improve his flexibility and strength in this region, speed and quickness gains are possible. Even though he's a highly trained athlete, if Jarvis has never done work specifically for this region, gains will be made. SIDE NOTE: Remember when Brandon Marshall had off-season hip surgery the year he was traded to us? He talked about losing some speed. I don't recall the specifics, but he made note of a weakness in his hips.

I'm not too familiar with the mechanical technique of running, suffice it to say that there's a proper way to run to max out speed. Most people run "naturally" or what they deem as comfortable, never really knowing what they're doing right or wrong.

And lastly, drills and reps. There are all kinds of drills that work to work to improve speed. The more practice and reps he gets doing these drills, in combination with the above, the more likely it is he gains speed.


Anyone catch Odell Beckham Jr.'s interview w/ESPN's the body issue? He talked about his nagging hamstring injuries stemming from a high school injury (broken verts in his back) that never got properly rehabbed. As a result, he developed strength inbalances with his body, with one side of his body (I believe he said left side) becoming dominant, which caused some atrophy issues, which caused certain muscles to stop firing properly when he ran. This off-season, he's apparently been dedicated to trying to make his body more balanced w/strength. Odds are, Jarvis is working on the same type of thing, only not because of injuries creating imbalances.

 

You don't think Jordan Matthews is going to be a stud? I agree with Benjamin, only because I think he's not really the right system fit. People are also forgetting about Allen Robinson.

I'm not trying to get too caught up in Jarvis vs. XYZ. Miami never had a shot at guys like Evans, Beckham Jr., Watkins, etc... Just like I'm not going to compare Amari Cooper vs. Devante Parker. We had no shot at Cooper, so it's whatever. As far as Cooks, I liked Cooks a ton, but offensive line was a bigger priority. And I'm still not a huge fan of guys sub 6' feet, 200 lbs going in round 1. Outside of DeSean Jackson and the Marks brothers, not many w/that frame have gone onto having consistent careers. Tavon Austin was a guy I rallied against for that reason, and so far, I'm looking good on that one.

But Allen Robinson... We had him in our grasp. He flashed a little last season and I think he's due for a breakout year in Jax, if Bortles steps up.

p.s. What's going on w/Justin Blackmon? Is he getting reinstated or what? I haven't heard his name in ages, it feels like.

 

Depends, longevity also counts.

Think of this, as a Rook, Landry almost had 2k all purpose yards, for a Dolphins Rook that is unheard of probably since Mercury Morris way back when. Landry finished fourth in the NFL in APY behind guys like D Murray and Antonio Brown.

As an offensive player who plays ST's, there is not much more Landry can be doing to help the team

 

Honestly...Im taking Landry pretty high. For me personally, you cant overstate the value of his hard work as to how it rubs off on his team mates. You can list all of those receivers as physically more gifted...but if he stays healthy, he will out perform 90 percent of them over his career.

 

I thought speed also had to do with fast vs slow twitch musculature

 

Agreed that no one goes from 4.6 to 4.3. IMO people underestimate Landry's speed b/c he had that high time at the combine when he ran with the hamstring injury. At his pro day where he was presumably healthy, he ran a 4.51. That's not a freak time or anything, but it isn't slow either. I do believe that with training Landry could reasonably improve his time into the 4.4 range. With a time in 4.4s nobody would call him slow.

 

His hand size was above average, but I wouldn't say it was freakishly so. I do agree that his catching ability is an elite trait. But I don't believe he has any physical traits that are freakish.

 

I know the last that I heard, he has completed everything the league has asked of him and it has been under review with Goodell for several months..the guy has worked very hard to stop smoking and he deserves another chance. I mean it was only for weed.

 

I am glad to see he is working on his speed. While I do not expect dramatic results, I do think it can help him in space, especially when it comes to redirecting, sudden start/stop movements. He was caught on several occasions last year, and I felt it was his inability to hit top speed quicker in space that hindered potential yardage gains.

He has juke-ability (if you get my drift). He just can't separate from a defender in space with regularity. I think this 'in space' area is where we will see the most results. He'll still have to learn when to save it for another play. That 'get as much as I can' mentality is wonderful, but it can be disastrous, like the fumble last year.

He's working his *** off, so that is highly commendable. And I am glad he has someone who is close with whom he can train, bounce ideas off of.

I don't know if he'll be special in the eyes of the NFL, dynamic maybe. But I think he will be special to this team. And that's all I care about.

 

Did he run 4.51? 4.58 and 4.61 were the most common numbers I remember reading about. Could be wrong though.

If 4.51 is accurate, I do think 4.45 is possible. The thing about Jarvis is, and I brought this up in another thread, his 10 yard split was identical to Odell Beckham and his twenty yard split was close enough. 2.69 vs. 2.58. Outside of the 9 route, I don't worry too much about the additional 20 yards to make up the 40 yard dash. He's got enough speed to run every other route. Even a minor improvement in speed and/or explosiveness will pay dividends. Excited about Jarvis this season.

 

hand eye coordination is freaky, freaky awareness..freaky natural talent encompassed in a small package that lacks top end speed..Prolly his only weakness.

 

You're right but that's why this team went out and drafted Devante Parker to play outside and brought in Stills as another young target. Between the hands and elusiveness of Landry, the attitude and speed of Stills and size and leaping ability of Parker, the foundation of Miami's WR-corp should be more or less good to go. The excitement about Landry is more a reflection of that. Landry in and of himself doesn't win the entire war for you--there are only a few WRs that can single-handedly make a WR-corp look legit (Calvin, Dez, AJ, etc.).

I think the fans are universally excited about Landry because he's an over-achiever, who's attitude is exactly what the team needs. His physical attributes don't shock you but he's a high-energy player who seems to be very mature, very positive and totally dedicated. More than that he seems to surround himself with good people and come from a place with a good tradition.

I like the Hines Ward comparisons that many people have brought up in terms of career production. Hines amassed some 12k yards and 85 TDs on 1k receptions in 14 seasons with the Steelers--all while playing with a distinctive attitude and energy. To break it down, he averaged about 860 yards per season with right at 6 TDs and 71 receptions which would be an incredible career for any player with "moderate" physical traits like Ward/Landry. Landry came in as a rookie and produced numbers very much on par with all of those. I don't see any reason to think he won't keep doing that with a slight increase in yardage and scoring.

The guys you listed are all either bigger guys that play outside and who are therefore possession WRs or players with elite speed and separation that can easily create big plays against single coverage. Hines Ward wasn't that player. Jarvis Landry isn't going to be that player. We all know that. No one's saying he is. There is a reason all those players went ahead of Landry and why they will all probably score more TDs throughout their career.

I like Landry for what he brings to the Dolphins. He's going to be a great fit for the team, the culture and the offense with the weapons and QB he's currently surrounded by.

Landry is definitely going to be a fan favorite throughout his tenure in Miami--which probably means he'll get more support from Miami fans than the national media, but who cares?

 

I heard that after his speed training, he is flying to the planet Dune where he will try to successfully transmutate giant worm placental fluid to attain perfect memory which will help with remembering the playbook; also, the ability to explode the chest cavity of his opponent through sound, which will help him get a clean release and separation...Kid is gonna ball!!!

 

Keep an eye on Allen Robinson who was available before we traded down.

 

you can keep an eye on him JD but I bet you wouldn't trade strait up would ya?

 

He IS the Kwisatz Haderach!

 

It's possible. I'm in the camp that sees Landry as physically limited. Love the kid's heart and determination and I could end up being wrong, but I'd be surprised if he becomes a lot more than he was last year in the NFL. High volume, short targets great hands. Not a game breaker.