Possession, outside, Sharpe differences for the Titans
Some wide receivers are possession wide receivers. Some are outside wide receivers. Not every wide receiver performs well in the slot and well as an outside wide receiver too.
Slot wide receivers are generally super route runners that run with such precision. They can stop on a dime, catch balls in traffic, and get to a spot quickly against a zone. There is a cerebral skill to the slot that only comes with experience. The best “feel” and recognize things the defense is trying to do and can react as well. That experience or savvy is difficult to word and some use the phrase “knows how to get open.”
The New England Patriots have been home to some of the best slot wide receivers- Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, and even Danny Amendola at times. The defenses all know they’re going to get the rock and they can’t stop them.
Calvin Johnson or Randy Moss could each be prototypical outside wide receivers. They were each big and fast with over-powering athleticism.
There’s no exclusivity here, just in general.
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The Titans drafted Tajae Sharpe in the fifth round. He did not get much work as a typical NFL outside wide receiver. Curls, hooks, hitches, slants, and one cut routes he was fantastic on. According to PFF though, he only caught 33 percent of his passes on go routes.
We can dig into those numbers some and see that he didn’t run too too many go routes at all. Why? If he is clearly the best wide receiver on the team, why not? Why not get a 40 yard gain? Why go for short to medium routes almost all the time? Without the opportunity to ask his college coach, let’s assume it was because he was so incredibly efficient. He led FBS in catches.
Here we are in 2016 and it seems completely reasonable for the Titans rookie wideout to do well in the slot. He flourished in college so it wouldn’t even be that surprising if he was very good at it.
It’s very uncomfortable to project him starting outside. 203 catchable passes the last two years and he only caught 33 percent of go routes?
At this point, let’s roll with he is fine at it and his college coach was mistaken.
Rishard Matthews is a possession wide receiver. Would the Titans really start two possession wide receivers? And then bring in a third for three wide receiver sets? That would be quite uncommon for an NFL offense.
If we pencil in Justin Hunter or Dorial Green-Beckham’s big play and deep ability at one of the outside wide receiver spots….that seems normal.
Plaxico Burress had many big plays. Eric Moulds played a similar role in a Mularkey offense. Lee Evans had a wonderful ability to look slow and then “turn on the jets” and get open deep. Justin Blackmon would fit the Moulds and Plax type.
It seems Matthews and Sharpe could fill one outside wide receiver spot and one slot wide receiver spot, but both outside spots seems both unlikely and almost uncomfortable.
The lack of a big play threat would sorely hurt this offense. As they run “every down” and then throw when the defense is expecting a run; they want to catch the safeties out of position. The safeties could be up too close to help tackle Henry or wrestle Murray to the ground and then an outside wide receiver “takes off” and catches a beautiful “bomb” from Marcus Mariota.
This is not happening with two possession wide receivers outside. The safeties would almost be in a fortuitous position to cover a simple curl route.
I’m not buying both Sharpe and Matthews outside. Dorial Green-Beckham or Justin Hunter will start in 2016.
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