Comparing Dobson, Boyce and Thompkins

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Pneumonic

Pneumonic

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Like many I am super excited about the progress these 3 kids are showing thus far in camp and I'm elated to know that it's very possible that they may be highly productive receivers in this offense for many years to come.

As an non NE'er I very much appreciate the internet and all it provides, vis-a-vis news and info, and I have digested all I possibly can on the progression of these guys but, I am wondering ......... would it be possible for someone, with better access to the skills that these guys possess, to (quickly) summarize, for this outsider, how these guys differ from each other? Specifically when it comes to deep speed, short area burst, cutting ability, route running, hands, setting up defenders, focus and concentration, grasp of the game, those kinda things .... well as best as they can be determined this early on anyhow.

TIA.
 
Chev did us all the great service of breaking down every draftable WR this spring complete with YouTube clips.

It's in this forum somewhere.
 
Dobson is the best of the three right now. He is a tall rangy guy who can threaten a variety of ways putting CBs on an island. He has a wide catch radius and good hands. Right now he is playing the X role running Fades, Hitches, Slants and in-cuts.

Thompkins is a similar long body playing on the outside mostly as well. He has been running a lot of deep seam release double move stuff and getting separation frequently down the middle of the field and in the deep corners.

Boyce is a raw explosive talent. He's more of a physical presence who can use his speed on crossing routes and vertical guts against man coverage. He is thick and powerful and has a serious burst. He is more of a "Slot" type who can run reverses and take screens up the field.
 
I keep saying Dobson will be that big play WR. That brady has missed since Moss left. Dobson & thompkins will give something . Brady has not had yet 2 big deep threats. I can't wait to see how well they play in preseason.
 
Until we see these guys in game situations where they have to read what the defense is doing as it is happening, we have no idea what kind of receivers any of them will be. A lot of guys look like all pros before the games begin. Hopefully, at least one of them will work out. Our track record regarding receivers has not been good, and TB does not have a history of helping young guys develop, either.
 
fjdad said:
Until we see these guys in game situations where they have to read what the defense is doing as it is happening, we have no idea what kind of receivers any of them will be. A lot of guys look like all pros before the games begin. Hopefully, at least one of them will work out. Our track record regarding receivers has not been good, and TB does not have a history of helping young guys develop, either.
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Have the receivers he did not help develop go somewhere else and develop? Maybe they just sucked....Givins had no problem, Branch had no problem, maybe its not Brady but the players that he is trying to develop. If you have an example of this guy that Brady could do nothing with that went on to be wonderful elsewhere, let me know. Gronk seem to develop pretty good under Brady, Hernandez? Honestly though in other years that young receivers were here, I do not remember them getting some of the write ups that the ones here are getting.
 
midgar8784 said:
Have the receivers he did not help develop go somewhere else and develop? Maybe they just sucked....Givins had no problem, Branch had no problem, maybe its not Brady but the players that he is trying to develop. If you have an example of this guy that Brady could do nothing with that went on to be wonderful elsewhere, let me know. Gronk seem to develop pretty good under Brady, Hernandez? Honestly though in other years that young receivers were here, I do not remember them getting some of the write ups that the ones here are getting.
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We have probably done a bad job drafting wide receivers over the years, and we have wasted several high picks on guys that did not work out. It is harder to develop a WR in today's game because of the "reading" they have to do as the play develops. Hopefully, these guys will make an immediate contribution. They will need to.
 
king of kings said:
I keep saying Dobson will be that big play WR. That brady has missed since Moss left. Dobson & thompkins will give something . Brady has not had yet 2 big deep threats. I can't wait to see how well they play in preseason.
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I agree. Add Boyce as the slot guy, Amendola as the split end and Vereen lining up almost wherever and this group has an opportunity to be versatile and very good.
 
fjdad said:
We have probably done a bad job drafting wide receivers over the years, and we have wasted several high picks on guys that did not work out. It is harder to develop a WR in today's game because of the "reading" they have to do as the play develops. Hopefully, these guys will make an immediate contribution. They will need to.
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In the past, I think at the very least these guys are getting a bit more push than some of the others. Because of the situation at hand, these guys are pretty much thrust to the front of the line, its pretty much sink or swim, just from what we have heard, they seem to be doing a good job holding up their end.
 
I just hope they break the streak. Not having a Rookie WR. Have success in the passing game. Since Branch & Givens. If they can't the passing game . Will go back to Amendola & the RB's being featured in the passing game.
 
Dwight Schrute said:
Who'd a guessed....
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I have no idea if that's true or not, but we do hear quite a bit around here how if Brady doesn't trust a guy completely he basically shuns them.

We can argue the accuracy or merit of that approach, but if true that can't be good for the development of a young player at a position that typically takes 2-3 years to make the adjustment from college to the NFL. Part of learning is failing, and if failing gets you shunned immediately that just makes things even harder.
 
Jaric said:
I have no idea if that's true or not, but we do hear quite a bit around here how if Brady doesn't trust a guy completely he basically shuns them.

We can argue the accuracy or merit of that approach, but if true that can't be good for the development of a young player at a position that typically takes 2-3 years to make the adjustment from college to the NFL. Part of learning is failing, and if failing gets you shunned immediately that just makes things even harder.
Click to expand...

Thankfully, it isn't all that accurate. :thumb:
 
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