(05-16-2021, 04:19 AM)TheO-LineMatters Wrote:

(05-15-2021, 09:49 PM)Bullseye Wrote: If Jimmy Smith is right about Collin Johnson.....man oh man!

Channeling Darth Vader...

"I sense something.  A felling I have not felt since...."

That hope thing is strange.

I hope he is right about Johnson. The biggest hurdle he has is the lack of speed. He never ran the 40 at the Combine due to injury and then his Pro Day got cancelled, so his speed is unknown, but he certainly wasn't a "burner" in college. He was more of the possession receiver type. He used his size, physicality and excellent body control to make plays. I think he has a bright future in that role, but I've been a big Chark fan since he was at LSU. He has size, speed and big play making ability. If he can shake off some nagging injuries that have made him miss a few games, I believe he will quickly become Lawrence's favorite target.

Well here's this to try and get some what of a picture on Johnson's speed. Keep in mind, Dorsett ran 4.33 at the combine. Godwin ran 4.55. Griffin ran 4.38 and Johnson ran 4.4 at his Pro Day.
https://twitter.com/Demetrius82/status/1...62/photo/1

(05-16-2021, 09:58 PM)Bullseye Wrote:

(05-16-2021, 05:58 PM)TheO-LineMatters Wrote: That is a very accurate description. 

Agreed. I just wonder how much of a chance he will get with Chark, Jones and Shenault ahead of him, not to mention Etienne lining up at WR on some plays? I liked what i saw from Johnson last season. There is always a place for a big, redzone target with good hands.

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I was expecting Johnson to run somewhere in the 4.57 to 4.70 range. Remember, Jerry Rice ran a 4.71/40, so speed isn't everything.

I wonder what the depth chart will be going into camp.

Presumably, it will be something like:

Chark
Shenault
Jones
and then Johnson, Etienne, Dorsett and the rest filling in the rear.

But someone raised a point earlier about Etienne vis-a-vis Shenault.  It seems Etienne will be utilized in many of the same ways that Shenault was used last year.  While it's entirely possible Meyer simply wants more playmakers, it does raise the question of why you should have two guys dong essentially the same thing instead of having 5-6 guys to complement each other.  Who knows what UM, Baalke and Lal concluded after reviewing the tape.

As for Rice's speed, I had always heard he ran in the 4.6 range, but your larger point about speed not being everything still stands.  Wilford could be timed with the OL & DL and might finish in the middle of the pack of the DL, but he wound up being better than faster and higher drafted Reggie Williams and Matt Jones.

But I reiterate that I hope Jimmy Smith is right about Collin Johnson and I hope he gets his shot to thrive in this offense if Smith is right.  While I believe in emphasizing skill players early, it is important to bolster the trenches next year.  Even assuming Walker Little starts this year and upgrades one of the T positions, contracts are expiring, players are aging, and some just flat out need to be replaced, and there's depth needed, and this is just on the O-Line.

I think it'll be Chark, Shenault, Jones, Johnson and Agnew rounding out the top 5. Agnew specifically for his return duties. Johnson has the big body type at receiver that we have lacked in the past.

The 6th spot is the one that's really up in the air for me. I'd like to see Camp get it though. Hes got the H/W/S that you take the chance on and try to develop. I think somebody would snag him off the PS eventually.

Chark, Shenault, Jones and Agnew are the locks though. Agnew signed a 3 year, $14.2m and Jones signed a 2 year $12.5m contracts this off season. Would be a definite head scratcher if either were cut before they even played a game for us.

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