Greg Little hype train (1 Viewer)

[Faust]

Receiver Little hopes to shake case of the drops

MIKE McLAIN , Tribune Chronicle | TribToday.com

BEREA - The joke with Browns receiver Greg Little last year was that you wouldn't want him holding anything of value because he might drop it.

A football isn't a valuable item, except for three hours on Sunday afternoons in the fall. Then it becomes something that no running back or receiver ever wants to put on the ground.

Little showed plenty of potential in his rookie season, but he also exhibited the shakiest set of hands in the NFL. Little is believed to have dropped a league-high 14 while catching 61 of 122 passes thrown in his direction, which may be more of an indictment of quarterback Colt McCoy's inaccuracy than Little's receiving skills.

No matter how the numbers are evaluated, Little knows he has to step up his game. Sometimes he watches film of last season and wonders what he was thinking.

"When we watched some of the games it was like 'why did it do that? It's terrible,' " Little said Wednesday after an organized team activity (OTA) practice. "You get out here and understand why you're doing things. That's when you kind of see your game take over."

The drops became a major issue, especially after he had five in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"Just not focusing. Trying to do too much," Little said. "Trying to catch the ball before it's secure. Trying to get down field before the ball is tucked away. Defenses are taught to swipe at it and get it out when they can."

Little was challenged by coach Pat Shurmur during his exit interview last January, and he took the advice seriously. Shurmur feels that Little can be an elite receiver if he does all the right things during the offseason.

"I basically told him that he needed to do everything he can to make a huge jump for his second season," Shurmur said. "I think he has a good start on that. We drafted him with the idea that he can be a starter in this league and be productive, but he'll be the first one to tell you he needs to be more consistent. Being in better shape and having better understanding of what he has to do will help him."

Little started by improving his diet. Gone were the seven to 10 cupcakes he ate courtesy of linebacker Chris Gocong's wife once a week. He's lost 11 pounds, looking more like a receiver than a tight end.

"I feel just as strong and even faster," he said. "I feel better on my feet as well."

It's not that Little was carrying too much fat. If anything, it was the opposite; he was too muscular. Having been ineligible in his final season at North Carolina because of contact he had with an agent, Little spent an inordinate amount of time in the weight room.

"I was in the gym so much that I gained so much weight from always wanting to pump iron," he said. "I went into the combine and was so jacked. It was like you have to get out of the weight room. That's one of the things I stepped back from this year."

The Browns feel that Little can be a dominant player with his size (6-foot-2, 220 pounds) and decent speed. He's also a fun-loving person that has some of the showboat characteristics that plague many receivers.

Team president Mike Holmgren said during training camp last year that he told Little he would personally keep a close watch on him.

"When you look at his history and the reason why he didn't play in his senior year, we wanted to take that into account when we drafted him," Shurmur said. "We feel like he has skill and ability, and we want to work with him.

"When you coach him, he's very coachable. You can whisper at him or yell at him. It's not his first rodeo."

 

[Faust]

Greg Cosell Part II:The Pats TE Duo and Rookies

Excerpt from Matt Waldman's RSP interview series with Greg Cosell (Posted on August 29, 2011):

Cosell: You know who I really like from what Ive seen even though its way too early and hes a rookie and you never really know when the real bullets start flying and how hell fit into the teams game plan? I really like that Greg Little kid. And I personally believe that the reason Cleveland made the trade with all of those picks for him when Julio Jones was sitting there is because I dont think they see a huge difference between Julio Jones and Greg Little.

Waldman: I think Julio Jones will make a nice starter in this league, but Im not as enthused over Jones as others. I always thought Jones had issues catching the ball when he knew that contact was coming.

Cosell: Thats a good point and I think its valid. I like him on film. I liked AJ Green more, but I agree with that. And by the way, I dont think there is a huge difference between Julio Jones and Greg Little. My guess is that Mike Holmgren saw a little Sterling Sharpe in Greg Little in terms of body type and movement.

 

[Skipdog77]

Rookies WRs in 2011 who did better than Greg Little (ppr) - with the same lost off seasonAJ GreenJulio JonesTorrey SmithDoug BaldwinSomeone who did worse (but not much worse):Titus YoungI think I'd rather have Titus Young, Doug Baldwin and Torrey Smith than Greg Little this year - Julio and AJ goes without saying.

All those gentlemen played in 2010, Little didn't. That, combined with the shortened training camps of 2011, put him at a greater disadvantage than those players going into the 2011 season.

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

Rookies WRs in 2011 who did better than Greg Little (ppr) - with the same lost off seasonAJ GreenJulio JonesTorrey SmithDoug BaldwinSomeone who did worse (but not much worse):Titus YoungI think I'd rather have Titus Young, Doug Baldwin and Torrey Smith than Greg Little this year - Julio and AJ goes without saying.

All those gentlemen played in 2010, Little didn't. That, combined with the shortened training camps of 2011, put him at a greater disadvantage than those players going into the 2011 season.

Not only that, but they all played more than 1 year of WR in college.

 

[lbouchard]

Rookies WRs in 2011 who did better than Greg Little (ppr) - with the same lost off seasonAJ GreenJulio JonesTorrey SmithDoug BaldwinSomeone who did worse (but not much worse):Titus YoungI think I'd rather have Titus Young, Doug Baldwin and Torrey Smith than Greg Little this year - Julio and AJ goes without saying.

I could see an argument for Torrey Smith, but no way Titus/Baldwin are > Greg Little

 

[Time Kibitzer]

how good would Jimmy Graham's Stats be with Colt McCoy throwing him the ball, and then put Little on NO with Drew Brees.

I get your point, but it's in reference that he gets a free pass due to rookie season/not much experience as a WR. Jimmy Graham didn't have much experience at football period and he worked out.All of this can't be Colt McCoy's fault...it's not like he's Tim Tebow bad

Yeah, he's worse.

McCoy= 57.2 comp %Tebow= 46.5 comp %

With much worse WRs

There's more to being a QB than comp %. Tebow had the better YPA and significantly better TD/INT ratio. I hate Tebow (as a QB) and think he'll never be anything better than considerably below average as a QB, but I'd still rather have him than McCoy. I really don't know much about Weeden, but I'd be shocked if he does worse than McCoy did last year.

 

[msommer]

Rookies WRs in 2011 who did better than Greg Little (ppr) - with the same lost off seasonAJ GreenJulio JonesTorrey SmithDoug BaldwinSomeone who did worse (but not much worse):Titus YoungI think I'd rather have Titus Young, Doug Baldwin and Torrey Smith than Greg Little this year - Julio and AJ goes without saying.

All those gentlemen played in 2010, Little didn't. That, combined with the shortened training camps of 2011, put him at a greater disadvantage than those players going into the 2011 season.

Not in the NFL they didn't. But one other guy that I know of took a year 'off' between college and the draft: Big Mike Williams. That didn't work out so well.

 

[DansRams]

Rookies WRs in 2011 who did better than Greg Little (ppr) - with the same lost off seasonAJ GreenJulio JonesTorrey SmithDoug BaldwinSomeone who did worse (but not much worse):Titus YoungI think I'd rather have Titus Young, Doug Baldwin and Torrey Smith than Greg Little this year - Julio and AJ goes without saying.

All those gentlemen played in 2010, Little didn't. That, combined with the shortened training camps of 2011, put him at a greater disadvantage than those players going into the 2011 season.

Not in the NFL they didn't. But one other guy that I know of took a year 'off' between college and the draft: Big Mike Williams. That didn't work out so well.

My response to that pathetic comeback had to be

 

[Skipdog77]

Rookies WRs in 2011 who did better than Greg Little (ppr) - with the same lost off seasonAJ GreenJulio JonesTorrey SmithDoug BaldwinSomeone who did worse (but not much worse):Titus YoungI think I'd rather have Titus Young, Doug Baldwin and Torrey Smith than Greg Little this year - Julio and AJ goes without saying.

All those gentlemen played in 2010, Little didn't. That, combined with the shortened training camps of 2011, put him at a greater disadvantage than those players going into the 2011 season.

Not in the NFL they didn't. But one other guy that I know of took a year 'off' between college and the draft: Big Mike Williams. That didn't work out so well.

They may not have played in the NFL, but they played in NCAA game situations, at full game speed, and had a season of practice time that Little didn't. You can't tell me that you think it wouldn't take him some time to get back up to speed after a year away from the game, compared to these other guys. All I'm saying is don't write him off yet. See what he can do after a full NFL season and training camp, then see where he's at. Where he's being drafted, with the amount of targets he got last year, I think he's worth the risk to get in on the ground floor with his potential. With some improved concentration and a more accurate QB than Colt McCoy, he could have a very solid season.

 

[msommer]

Rookies WRs in 2011 who did better than Greg Little (ppr) - with the same lost off seasonAJ GreenJulio JonesTorrey SmithDoug BaldwinSomeone who did worse (but not much worse):Titus YoungI think I'd rather have Titus Young, Doug Baldwin and Torrey Smith than Greg Little this year - Julio and AJ goes without saying.

All those gentlemen played in 2010, Little didn't. That, combined with the shortened training camps of 2011, put him at a greater disadvantage than those players going into the 2011 season.

Not in the NFL they didn't. But one other guy that I know of took a year 'off' between college and the draft: Big Mike Williams. That didn't work out so well.

My response to that pathetic comeback had to be

Don't get your panties in a twist, big guy. It's just a disagreement.

 

[msommer]

Rookies WRs in 2011 who did better than Greg Little (ppr) - with the same lost off seasonAJ GreenJulio JonesTorrey SmithDoug BaldwinSomeone who did worse (but not much worse):Titus YoungI think I'd rather have Titus Young, Doug Baldwin and Torrey Smith than Greg Little this year - Julio and AJ goes without saying.

All those gentlemen played in 2010, Little didn't. That, combined with the shortened training camps of 2011, put him at a greater disadvantage than those players going into the 2011 season.

Not in the NFL they didn't. But one other guy that I know of took a year 'off' between college and the draft: Big Mike Williams. That didn't work out so well.

They may not have played in the NFL, but they played in NCAA game situations, at full game speed, and had a season of practice time that Little didn't. You can't tell me that you think it wouldn't take him some time to get back up to speed after a year away from the game, compared to these other guys. All I'm saying is don't write him off yet. See what he can do after a full NFL season and training camp, then see where he's at. Where he's being drafted, with the amount of targets he got last year, I think he's worth the risk to get in on the ground floor with his potential. With some improved concentration and a more accurate QB than Colt McCoy, he could have a very solid season.

Sure. I'd still rather have the other five guys than him though. I could be wrong, has happened before.

 

[sspunisher]

I absolutely love Little. Went out of my way to draft him in every league last year. I'm probably higher on him than most. In a couple years, best case scenario we'll consider him the best WR to come out of the 2011 Draft Class and I think that's very possible. At worst, he'll be right up there with Green and Julio.

Green and Julio admittedly do a few things better than Little, but Little absolutely blows them out of the water with his YAC RUNNING AFTER THE CATCH ability. I'll go as far as saying he's already one of the best WRs in the league after he catches the ball. He's the next T.O. we've all been waiting for and only Little's QB can hold him back. Unfortunately that's a serious concern but I think they'll figure that situation out in Cleveland sooner than later. Hopefully it's already taken care of with Weeden.

 

[Therapist16]

Last Season 61 - 709 - 2

This season: Pros: Full offseason, new (better) QB, better RB, another season to work on transition from RB to WR

Cons: Drops, Rookie QB

Add 1 Catch a game 61 + 16 = 77

Stretch the field more reasonable to assume a 2 YPC bump from rookie season 13.6 YPC at 76 grabs = 1034 yards

TDs cannot be predicted but you would have to assume with his own improved play, imporved RB play and improved QB play he scores at least 6 Tds

76/1034/6

Last season that would have ranked him #16 ahead of AJ Green, Greg Jennings, antonio brown, dez bryant, stevie johnson

by no means am i suggesting he is anywhere near the player AJ Green, Greg Jennings, or Dez but a small and reasonable bump in stats that could be expected due to changes in the cleveland offense could fairly easily make him a top 20 WR. He has strong hands and it appeared to be more mental lapses than lack of skill that produced the drops. Also he has a RB mentality with the ball in his hands towards the end of last season he really seemed to become more comfortable. For the price your pay in redraft how can you pass on this guy, in dynasty he could become a top 15 WR if not better if Weeden is any bit the QB they expect. He has worked to become quicker and is already improving.

 

[sspunisher]

BTW, I'd highly recommend you guys ignore the drops completely. All the WRs who've ever excelled at RAC are prone to drops, just like the best pass rushers in the league often tend to have a high number of offsides penalties. The WRs want to turn upfield as quick as possible and sometimes they forget the ball. Comes with the territory. Owens, Marshall, Andre Johnson and Megatron are a few names that were always be up there in drops simply because of their high target numbers and because they know they can make something special happen after the catch. I'd expect Little to lead the league in drops just as much as I expect him to lead the league in broken/missed tackles.

 

[bigmarc27]

I absolutely love Little. Went out of my way to draft him in every league last year. I'm probably higher on him than most. In a couple years, best case scenario we'll consider him the best WR to come out of the 2011 Draft Class and I think that's very possible. At worst, he'll be right up there with Green and Julio. Green and Julio admittedly do a few things better than Little, but Little absolutely blows them out of the water with his YAC ability. I'll go as far as saying he's already one of the best WRs in the league after he catches the ball. He's the next T.O. we've all been waiting for and only Little's QB can hold him back. Unfortunately that's a serious concern but I think they'll figure that situation out in Cleveland sooner than later. Hopefully it's already taken care of with Weeden.

I like Greg Little a lot but do you really think his YAC ability blows them out of the water? Julio's YAC last year was nearly double (7.9 yac to Little's 4.1). Being high on someone is one thing, but let's not go overboard.

 

[sspunisher]

I absolutely love Little. Went out of my way to draft him in every league last year. I'm probably higher on him than most. In a couple years, best case scenario we'll consider him the best WR to come out of the 2011 Draft Class and I think that's very possible. At worst, he'll be right up there with Green and Julio.

Green and Julio admittedly do a few things better than Little, but Little absolutely blows them out of the water with his YAC ability. I'll go as far as saying he's already one of the best WRs in the league after he catches the ball. He's the next T.O. we've all been waiting for and only Little's QB can hold him back. Unfortunately that's a serious concern but I think they'll figure that situation out in Cleveland sooner than later. Hopefully it's already taken care of with Weeden.

I like Greg Little a lot but do you really think his YAC ability blows them out of the water? Julio's YAC last year was nearly double (7.9 yac to Little's 4.1). Being high on someone is one thing, but let's not go overboard.

Actually I'm not going overboard at all, but it was my mistake for saying YAC (YARDS after the catch), what I really meant was RAC (RUN after the catch). I'll fix my original post. As for the difference between the two...the YAC stats you posted are literally the yards they get after they catch the ball, a long bomb or a pass in stride up the seam doesn't really tell the whole story about a player's physical running ability. RAC on the other hand is avoiding and shedding tackles: A combination of speed, elusiveness, lateral agility, balance, power, etc, and this is where Little blows Green and Julio away (although Julio is much closer to Little than Green is). This isn't really disputable IMO, Little used to play running back in North Carolina and it's so obvious when the ball is in his hands. The Browns even used him quite a few times as an RB last year.

Some stats:

Greg Little:

Receptions: 61

Broken/Missed Tackles: 17

Broken/Missed Tackle Rate: 28%

Julio Jones

Receptions: 54

Broken/Missed Tackles: 12

Broken/Missed Tackle Rate: 22%

AJ Green

Receptions: 65

Broken/Missed Tackles: 2

Broken/Missed Tackle Rate: 3%

28% is extremely high. Not only did Little lead all WRs in the league, but he wasn't so far away from some pretty physical RBs:

Broken/Missed Tackles for a few RBs

Michael Turner: 62 (league high)

Marshawn Lynch: 52 (#2 in the league, to give some perspective).

...

Chris Johnson: 29

Frank Gore: 26

Arian Foster: 25

Steven Jackson: 23

Michael Bush: 19

Ray Rice: 17

I can't stress how impressive this is. These RB all had well over 250+ carries (receptions weren't included) and yet Little's mere 61 receptions sneak him at the end of this list. Like I said, I'm higher on Little than most, but I did my homework on him and kept up with him and the sorry Browns all last year. Not only is he for real, but he's going to pass a lot of people's expectations.

 

[jurb26]

Some stats:

Greg Little:

Receptions: 61

Broken/Missed Tackles: 17

Broken/Missed Tackle Rate: 27.9%

Julio Jones

Receptions: 54

Broken/Missed Tackles: 12

Broken/Missed Tackle Rate: 22.2%

AJ Green

Receptions: 65

Broken/Missed Tackles: 2

Broken/Missed Tackle Rate: 3%

27.9% is extremely high. Not only did Little lead all WRs in the league, but he wasn't so far away from some pretty physical RBs:

These stats are laughably unreliable. For example AJ Green had more than 2 missed tackles on a single play vs. St. L, the screen pass where he juked past 3 defenders.

 

[sspunisher]

These stats are laughably unreliable. For example AJ Green had more than 2 missed tackles on a single play vs. St. L, the screen pass where he juked past 3 defenders.

Can't confirm or deny the stats but they're from PFF so make of that what you will. Either way I didn't use the stats to come to my conclusion, they just happened to support my conclusion so I threw them out there. I watched a lot of Little's 2009 games and every single Browns game last year. His ability after the catch is undeniable. As of right now, AJ and Julio both play bigger than Little... he definitely has to refine his jump ball game. AJ's got the hands and Julio's got the speed, but what Little does after he catches the ball is elite. Best part is he happens to play in a WCO system that is tailor made for that unique ability.

 

[IHEARTFF]

I'm buying him as a WR 3 for sure. I think he will outperform his ADP quite easily. Richardson is going to open things up for him. Weeden has a much better arm than Colt. I'm thinking 75/975/7 for a solid WR2 value pick. Love him in dynasty.

 

[IHEARTFF]

He reminds me of Dwayne Bowe quite a bit.

 

[Coeur de Lion]

I like Little also; he definitely has rare ability after the catch and what he did last year was impressive for a rookie in a really poor situation. Dynasty-wise, he's definitely a guy I'm trying to acquire.

I'm much more sceptical than most about his 2012 prospects, however, for two reasons:

1.) Cleveland threw 570 passes last year and ran 415 times. With Richardson and a rookie likely starting at QB, that's not going to continue. I'll definitely be surprised if they throw 500+ passes again, so even if Little improves (which I expect), I'm not expecting a big increase in targets.

2.) Quite a few people seem to be expecting improved QB play, which I am not seeing at all. Weeden is a rookie. It's very possible that he's a big improvement over McCoy in the long run, but highly unlikely that he's an improvement in any way right out of the gate. I expect some serious growing pains for the Browns in 2012, which will hold back the entire team fantasy wise.

 

[finito]

I like Little also; he definitely has rare ability after the catch and what he did last year was impressive for a rookie in a really poor situation. Dynasty-wise, he's definitely a guy I'm trying to acquire.I'm much more sceptical than most about his 2012 prospects, however, for two reasons:1.) Cleveland threw 570 passes last year and ran 415 times. With Richardson and a rookie likely starting at QB, that's not going to continue. I'll definitely be surprised if they throw 500+ passes again, so even if Little improves (which I expect), I'm not expecting a big increase in targets.2.) Quite a few people seem to be expecting improved QB play, which I am not seeing at all. Weeden is a rookie. It's very possible that he's a big improvement over McCoy in the long run, but highly unlikely that he's an improvement in any way right out of the gate. I expect some serious growing pains for the Browns in 2012, which will hold back the entire team fantasy wise.

Good points. I think it's highly doubtful Little sees an increase in targets, but I do think he'll do more with the ones he gets. Also, I think his TDs will increase simply because they will be a better offensive team with Richardson in there and should get more trips to the red zone.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

These stats are laughably unreliable. For example AJ Green had more than 2 missed tackles on a single play vs. St. L, the screen pass where he juked past 3 defenders.

Can't confirm or deny the stats but they're from PFF so make of that what you will. Either way I didn't use the stats to come to my conclusion, they just happened to support my conclusion so I threw them out there. I watched a lot of Little's 2009 games and every single Browns game last year. His ability after the catch is undeniable. As of right now, AJ and Julio both play bigger than Little... he definitely has to refine his jump ball game. AJ's got the hands and Julio's got the speed, but what Little does after he catches the ball is elite. Best part is he happens to play in a WCO system that is tailor made for that unique ability.

The problem with Little is that he's not explosive. If he breaks a tackle...he gets 3-5 more yards. He's not going to make a guy miss and go all the way for a TD. Little is missing that "it" factor that good players possess. He doesn't have great hands. He is just a big guy and that is what breaks 90% of the tackles.Elite tackle breaks is quite hilarious. He had 3 plays all last year where he put together multiple tacklers to miss...none of them went for more than 20 yards after he made them miss. He doesn't have those plays. Hakeem Nicks, Boldin(back in the day), Bowe, TO, Marshall, Victor Cruz, Steve Smith, Percy Harvin, Miles Austin, Demaryius Thomas are all better after the catch than Greg Little. They can make that guy miss and then go the distance. That's not even including the guys that are on par with Greg Little. Greg Little is just a bigger Michael Crabtree...meaning a player that has the mindset of a explosive player, but not the ability.His ceiling is a WR3

 

[NJ]

It's pretty unreal how much AJ Green and Julio Jones have skewed peoples opinions on rookie WRs. All of a sudden now if a guy doesn't have 1000 yards or 8 TDs as a rookie his ceiling for his career is a WR3? Or are we talking about his ceiling just for this season? Because in any other year in the last decade, besides 2011, people would have been talking about 60 catches and 700+ yards for a rookie as being a GREAT year and expect him to only get better in his 2nd and 3rd years. But this guy somehow is never going to be any better than a 7 to 8 ppg player (WR3). I think part of what is skewing his stats is he only had 2 TDs last year, but TDs are hard to predict from year to year and for gods sake Colt McCoy only threw 14 all year, I don't see how Weeden can be any worse. If Little even caught 6 TDs he'd only need to increase his receiving yards about 100-200 yards next year to be a low end WR2. I actually think his floor barring injury is a low end WR3 and his ceiling is much higher.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

It's pretty unreal how much AJ Green and Julio Jones have skewed peoples opinions on rookie WRs. All of a sudden now if a guy doesn't have 1000 yards or 8 TDs as a rookie his ceiling for his career is a WR3? Or are we talking about his ceiling just for this season? Because in any other year in the last decade, besides 2011, people would have been talking about 60 catches and 700+ yards for a rookie as being a GREAT year and expect him to only get better in his 2nd and 3rd years. But this guy somehow is never going to be any better than a 7 to 8 ppg player (WR3). I think part of what is skewing his stats is he only had 2 TDs last year, but TDs are hard to predict from year to year and for gods sake Colt McCoy only threw 14 all year, I don't see how Weeden can be any worse. If Little even caught 6 TDs he'd only need to increase his receiving yards about 100-200 yards next year to be a low end WR2. I actually think his floor barring injury is a low end WR3 and his ceiling is much higher.

I watched every single reception Greg Little had last season. I'm basing my opinion on that and from my draft analysis coming into the league. He's not dynamic enough to be a WR1 his whole career(dynasty perspective) and therefore won't see enough targets for his possession big body style to be effective. He also doesn't have a stud QB and probably won't for a long time. Also factor in that Trent Richardson will get a large chunk of the redzone TDs and I don't see a lot of upside for an undersized TE that lacks explosiveness.

 

[Time Kibitzer]

It's pretty unreal how much AJ Green and Julio Jones have skewed peoples opinions on rookie WRs. All of a sudden now if a guy doesn't have 1000 yards or 8 TDs as a rookie his ceiling for his career is a WR3? Or are we talking about his ceiling just for this season? Because in any other year in the last decade, besides 2011, people would have been talking about 60 catches and 700+ yards for a rookie as being a GREAT year and expect him to only get better in his 2nd and 3rd years. But this guy somehow is never going to be any better than a 7 to 8 ppg player (WR3). I think part of what is skewing his stats is he only had 2 TDs last year, but TDs are hard to predict from year to year and for gods sake Colt McCoy only threw 14 all year, I don't see how Weeden can be any worse. If Little even caught 6 TDs he'd only need to increase his receiving yards about 100-200 yards next year to be a low end WR2. I actually think his floor barring injury is a low end WR3 and his ceiling is much higher.

I watched every single reception Greg Little had last season. I'm basing my opinion on that and from my draft analysis coming into the league. He's not dynamic enough to be a WR1 his whole career(dynasty perspective) and therefore won't see enough targets for his possession big body style to be effective. He also doesn't have a stud QB and probably won't for a long time. Also factor in that Trent Richardson will get a large chunk of the redzone TDs and I don't see a lot of upside for an undersized TE that lacks explosiveness.

What are you talking about?

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

It's pretty unreal how much AJ Green and Julio Jones have skewed peoples opinions on rookie WRs. All of a sudden now if a guy doesn't have 1000 yards or 8 TDs as a rookie his ceiling for his career is a WR3? Or are we talking about his ceiling just for this season? Because in any other year in the last decade, besides 2011, people would have been talking about 60 catches and 700+ yards for a rookie as being a GREAT year and expect him to only get better in his 2nd and 3rd years. But this guy somehow is never going to be any better than a 7 to 8 ppg player (WR3). I think part of what is skewing his stats is he only had 2 TDs last year, but TDs are hard to predict from year to year and for gods sake Colt McCoy only threw 14 all year, I don't see how Weeden can be any worse. If Little even caught 6 TDs he'd only need to increase his receiving yards about 100-200 yards next year to be a low end WR2. I actually think his floor barring injury is a low end WR3 and his ceiling is much higher.

I watched every single reception Greg Little had last season. I'm basing my opinion on that and from my draft analysis coming into the league. He's not dynamic enough to be a WR1 his whole career(dynasty perspective) and therefore won't see enough targets for his possession big body style to be effective. He also doesn't have a stud QB and probably won't for a long time. Also factor in that Trent Richardson will get a large chunk of the redzone TDs and I don't see a lot of upside for an undersized TE that lacks explosiveness.

What are you talking about?

Little is such a big/thick WR that he looks like an undersized TE. Just trying to have a little fun in here

 

[wiscstlatlmia]

It's pretty unreal how much AJ Green and Julio Jones have skewed peoples opinions on rookie WRs. All of a sudden now if a guy doesn't have 1000 yards or 8 TDs as a rookie his ceiling for his career is a WR3? Or are we talking about his ceiling just for this season? Because in any other year in the last decade, besides 2011, people would have been talking about 60 catches and 700+ yards for a rookie as being a GREAT year and expect him to only get better in his 2nd and 3rd years. But this guy somehow is never going to be any better than a 7 to 8 ppg player (WR3). I think part of what is skewing his stats is he only had 2 TDs last year, but TDs are hard to predict from year to year and for gods sake Colt McCoy only threw 14 all year, I don't see how Weeden can be any worse. If Little even caught 6 TDs he'd only need to increase his receiving yards about 100-200 yards next year to be a low end WR2. I actually think his floor barring injury is a low end WR3 and his ceiling is much higher.

I watched every single reception Greg Little had last season. I'm basing my opinion on that and from my draft analysis coming into the league. He's not dynamic enough to be a WR1 his whole career(dynasty perspective) and therefore won't see enough targets for his possession big body style to be effective. He also doesn't have a stud QB and probably won't for a long time. Also factor in that Trent Richardson will get a large chunk of the redzone TDs and I don't see a lot of upside for an undersized TE that lacks explosiveness.

Benson, the reason people have a problem with you is because you speak about everything as if you already know it, when, at this point in time, you cant possibly know. how did Darrius Heyward Bey look like after his rookie year? what about CJ Spiller? what about Brandon Lloyd? What about Steve Johnson coming out of college? what about Pierre Garcon coming out of college? Why was Greg Jennings a late second rounder? how about Mike Williams TB after his rookie year?

Stating subjective things as if they were fact gets you in trouble, I've learned my lessons, I suggest you do the same.

I'm sure you are an intelligent person and I'm sure you do get the majority of things right, but the thing is, a lot of us in here do, thats why we are here, so give it a rest.

I watched every catch of Greg Little's Rookie year also... because it was on youtube... a lot of people have, dont talk like that's some crazy accomplishment. I was one of the first to watch it actually(judging by views)... and posted it on here... so everyone else could watch it as well.

you can believe things and state your views without forcing your correctness on people.

 

[sspunisher]

If it's one thing I learned, it's that people can watch the exact same tape and come away with ridiculously different analysis. Some people just don't know what to look for.

If I had to choose a single "unproven" player to go all in on, it would be this guy. Little will sneak into the first couple rounds of fantasy drafts sometime during his career and the only thing that would prevent that is inept QB play. Many believe if he played his senior year that he'd not only be a 1st rounder, but some would mention him in the same sentence as Green and Julio. He's got all the physical tools. At 6'2" 231 pounds, he had a 40+ vertical, did 27 bench reps and ran a 4.50 40. Those are freakish numbers and he's since lost 11 pounds so I expect him to be much quicker.

He's also very receptive to coaching and is a very intelligent kid, his college coaches called him smart often and many said he'd be very quick to learn any offense in the NFL. Think about what he did last year statistically while taking into account that he was not only a rookie, but a rookie that didn't play a single snap the year before. Some of you should be WAY more impressed with Little than you are.

The improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 will be dramatic.

 

[JPeso]

If it's one thing I learned, it's that people can watch the exact same tape and come away with ridiculously different analysis. SomeMost people just don't know what to look for.

 

[Patroclus]

If it's one thing I learned, it's that people can watch the exact same tape and come away with ridiculously different analysis. Some people just don't know what to look for.If I had to choose a single "unproven" player to go all in on, it would be this guy. Little will sneak into the first couple rounds of fantasy drafts sometime during his career and the only thing that would prevent that is inept QB play. Many believe if he played his senior year that he'd not only be a 1st rounder, but some would mention him in the same sentence as Green and Julio. He's got all the physical tools. At 6'2" 231 pounds, he had a 40+ vertical, did 27 bench reps and ran a 4.50 40. Those are freakish numbers and he's since lost 11 pounds so I expect him to be much quicker. He's also very receptive to coaching and is a very intelligent kid, his college coaches called him smart often and many said he'd be very quick to learn any offense in the NFL. Think about what he did last year statistically while taking into account that he was not only a rookie, but a rookie that didn't play a single snap the year before. Some of you should be WAY more impressed with Little than you are.The improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 will be dramatic.

Very good write up. From my point of view Greg Little was a must stash on my dynasty team. There is way to much pointing at potential with this guy. When it came time to cut a WR Titus Young was the one to go without hesitation. And I'm a Detroit homer.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

If it's one thing I learned, it's that people can watch the exact same tape and come away with ridiculously different analysis. Some people just don't know what to look for.If I had to choose a single "unproven" player to go all in on, it would be this guy. Little will sneak into the first couple rounds of fantasy drafts sometime during his career and the only thing that would prevent that is inept QB play. Many believe if he played his senior year that he'd not only be a 1st rounder, but some would mention him in the same sentence as Green and Julio. He's got all the physical tools. At 6'2" 231 pounds, he had a 40+ vertical, did 27 bench reps and ran a 4.50 40. Those are freakish numbers and he's since lost 11 pounds so I expect him to be much quicker. He's also very receptive to coaching and is a very intelligent kid, his college coaches called him smart often and many said he'd be very quick to learn any offense in the NFL. Think about what he did last year statistically while taking into account that he was not only a rookie, but a rookie that didn't play a single snap the year before. Some of you should be WAY more impressed with Little than you are.The improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 will be dramatic.

Just because I don't agree with your analysis on Greg Little doesn't mean it's ridiculous, nor is yours.Most everything you've written is opinion based:-If Greg Little played his senior season-He will be a first round pick-He is a intelligent kid-Freakish athleteWhy didn't Greg Little play his senior season?He was suspended for academic misconduct, accepting gifts and multiple trips. That doesn't sound like an intelligent person. Freakish athlete?He's a thick and strong athlete 6'2 231, 27 bench reps(doesn't matter in FF and most overrated lift in football)40.5 vertical is very good10'9 broad jump, 5 others tied or beat that at his combine...but still good.However4.53/40...not freakish4.19 short shuttle at his pro day would've put him in dead last out of his 2011 NFL combine WR group.6.80 3 cone drill would've put him in dead last out of his 2011 NFL Combine WR group as well.What is the reasoning to think he will be anything special in FF?-Hands=12 drops and 50.8 catch % in 2011.-Speed=4.53, I don't think he plays even that fast-Quick Twitch=I listed his 3 cone/short shuttle times which weren't good. These are essential for a WR to run good routes-Route Running= Looks lazy and isn't very explosive. He uses his hands well and pushes off of defenders though.-Breaking Tackles= Yes due to his large frame and mentality he breaks tackles. But as I listed before he doesn't string them together for big gainers. I'd rather have ten other WRs after the catch than Greg Little, which keeps him out of the elite category.-Touchdowns= 2 TDs on 120 targets. Desmond Briscoe had 6 TDs on 50 targets, David Nelson had 5 TDs on 98 targets...both very mediocre possession WRs. -Yards per catch= 11.6 YPC...which is below Marcedes Lewis to give you a reference-Natural WR= He looks far from a natural WR, which may come in time. But just look at Devin Hester, great playmaker...not a natural WR. Can he improve, yes. I just don't see a special FF player in the future.

 

[NJ]

However4.53/40...not freakish4.19 short shuttle at his pro day would've put him in dead last out of his 2011 NFL combine WR group.6.80 3 cone drill would've put him in dead last out of his 2011 NFL Combine WR group as well.

Little's 40 time was 4.51 and AJ Green was 4.48Little's 3 cone drill 6.8 and AJ Green was 6.91Little's 20 yard shuttle was 4.21 and AJ Green was 4.21 (Julio Jones was 4.25)His Bench Press, Vertical Jump and Broad Jump were all better than AJ Green. Little was almost identical if not better than AJ Green in almost every combine stat there is, the fact that he did that while being 20 pounds larger than AJ Green is what makes people call him "freakish".

I listed his 3 cone/short shuttle times which weren't good. These are essential for a WR to run good routes

As pointed out his 3 cone drill was better than AJ Green and his Short Shuttle was equal to Green and faster than Julio Jones so I guess neither of those guys are able to run good routes? He dropped to the 2nd round because of his off the field troubles. If you want to make an argument that he's risky because he's a head case, that makes sense, but I don't think you're going to convince anyone that's he not physicaly gifted enough to be any more than a WR3.

 

[Clifford]

Hoping he can be consistent WR3 this year, and it sounds like even his detractors think he will be that. IMO drops and concentration are the only thing standing in his way of becoming a WR2. I don't see Cleveland fielding a fantasy WR1 this year if they had a genetic mashup of Jerry Rice's and Randy Moss's DNA. That's just not realistic.

If he can take care of his drops and up his catch % to the low sixties I will be impressed. Better red zone presence would be good too as he has the size already.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

However4.53/40...not freakish4.19 short shuttle at his pro day would've put him in dead last out of his 2011 NFL combine WR group.6.80 3 cone drill would've put him in dead last out of his 2011 NFL Combine WR group as well.

Little's 40 time was 4.51 and AJ Green was 4.48Little's 3 cone drill 6.8 and AJ Green was 6.91Little's 20 yard shuttle was 4.21 and AJ Green was 4.21 (Julio Jones was 4.25)His Bench Press, Vertical Jump and Broad Jump were all better than AJ Green. Little was almost identical if not better than AJ Green in almost every combine stat there is, the fact that he did that while being 20 pounds larger than AJ Green is what makes people call him "freakish".

I listed his 3 cone/short shuttle times which weren't good. These are essential for a WR to run good routes

As pointed out his 3 cone drill was better than AJ Green and his Short Shuttle was equal to Green and faster than Julio Jones so I guess neither of those guys are able to run good routes? He dropped to the 2nd round because of his off the field troubles. If you want to make an argument that he's risky because he's a head case, that makes sense, but I don't think you're going to convince anyone that's he not physicaly gifted enough to be any more than a WR3.

, fine lets go on this tangent.Nobody has ever said AJ Green is a freakish athlete...he isn't. However, AJ Green is a damn good WR because of things he does well naturally: shields off defenders, high points the ball, great hands, long arms, gets good positioning, knows how to run good routes, locates the ball easily.The problem with taller WR's is they have a higher center of gravity...therefore they can't get in and out of breaks as well. This is why NFL CBs are smaller because they have to be quick in reacting to routes. They also are generally longer striders. The way that these tall WRs get separation is through vertical threat down the field(speed) and being able to shield off/box out defenders to catch the ball. Greg Little doesn't have great speed and while having a big frame, doesn't play big. Steve Smith, while small, plays huge in high pointing passes and shielding off defenders.Julio Jones is a freakish athlete. Perhaps our disagreement is in the term "freakish" or "elite". IMO you need to be top 5 in the NFL to be throwing out those terms.ETA: If being a "freakish" athlete were all that mattered in being a WR then Stephen Hill and Dale Moss would've been first round picks.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

you guys throwing all these work out stats around remind me of a saying from the great Kenny Powers

"Im not trying to be the best at exercising, I play real sports"

 

[NJ]

, fine lets go on this tangent.Nobody has ever said AJ Green is a freakish athlete...he isn't. However, AJ Green is a damn good WR because of things he does well naturally: shields off defenders, high points the ball, great hands, long arms, gets good positioning, knows how to run good routes, locates the ball easily.

I won't disagree with anything you're saying about AJ Green, I think he's a great natural WR and I don't think Little will be as good as him. I wasn't trying to compare Little's receiving skills to AJ Green, you pointed out a bunch of combine stats as reasons that he won't be good, you said that Greg Little's 40 time was slow and his "Quick Twitch" wasn't good because his "3 cone/short shuttle times weren't good" and "These are essential for a WR to run good routes" and when it was pointed out that his 40 time was on par with Green and his 3 cone/short shuttle times were as good if not better than AJ Green and Julio Jones, you completely changed the direction of the conversation. You've made some excellent points in this thread, all I was doing was pointing out that none of his combine stats were any reason to think he'll never be anything more than a WR3.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

, fine lets go on this tangent.Nobody has ever said AJ Green is a freakish athlete...he isn't. However, AJ Green is a damn good WR because of things he does well naturally: shields off defenders, high points the ball, great hands, long arms, gets good positioning, knows how to run good routes, locates the ball easily.

I won't disagree with anything you're saying about AJ Green, I think he's a great natural WR and I don't think Little will be as good as him. I wasn't trying to compare Little's receiving skills to AJ Green, you pointed out a bunch of combine stats as reasons that he won't be good, you said that Greg Little's 40 time was slow and his "Quick Twitch" wasn't good because his "3 cone/short shuttle times weren't good" and "These are essential for a WR to run good routes" and when it was pointed out that his 40 time was on par with Green and his 3 cone/short shuttle times were as good if not better than AJ Green and Julio Jones, you completely changed the direction of the conversation. You've made some excellent points in this thread, all I was doing was pointing out that none of his combine stats were any reason to think he'll never be anything more than a WR3.

Fair enough, not saying you don't have a point. It's Apples to Oranges IMO. I changed the direction because they're different WRs. Body types, Greg Little is stocky...Green/Jones are long. AJ Green/Julio Jones make their living as being X/Y WRs on the outside. Greg Little makes his living as a W/Y and working the slot/middle of the field. Those separation times are important, but Greg Little just isn't natural enough to get away without having good times. He needs to work on body positioning/route running/effort/hands/locating the ball/etc before he's going to be the next _______ WR in dynasty football. If the OP means a WR3...I can see that, otherwise i'm not seeing it.BTW, I own Greg Little in a dynasty.

 

[MAC_32]

He's played 28 games at receiver his entire life, I think anyway, unless he played it in high school but I think he was a RB.

Anyone claiming to know they know what he'll do is lying to themselves. There is no sample here. We should have a much better idea who he is and who he will be in 6 months, for this season it's all about risk tolerance and how you feel about comparable wide receiver fliers. One thing I am encouraged about is how often Weeden looked at him downfield over the last month, something he didn't do much of last year as most of his routes were compressed under 10 yards because he didn't know all the routes and the staff didn't trust Colt's arm.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

He's played 28 games at receiver his entire life, I think anyway, unless he played it in high school but I think he was a RB.Anyone claiming to know they know what he'll do is lying to themselves. There is no sample here. We should have a much better idea who he is and who he will be in 6 months, for this season it's all about risk tolerance and how you feel about comparable wide receiver fliers. One thing I am encouraged about is how often Weeden looked at him downfield over the last month, something he didn't do much of last year as most of his routes were compressed under 10 yards because he didn't know all the routes and the staff didn't trust Colt's arm.

I think Brandon Weeden will be better than most expect, not a stud but lower end QB2.

 

[MAC_32]

He's played 28 games at receiver his entire life, I think anyway, unless he played it in high school but I think he was a RB.Anyone claiming to know they know what he'll do is lying to themselves. There is no sample here. We should have a much better idea who he is and who he will be in 6 months, for this season it's all about risk tolerance and how you feel about comparable wide receiver fliers. One thing I am encouraged about is how often Weeden looked at him downfield over the last month, something he didn't do much of last year as most of his routes were compressed under 10 yards because he didn't know all the routes and the staff didn't trust Colt's arm.

I think Brandon Weeden will be better than most expect, not a stud but lower end QB2.

If he's a lower end QB2 then he will at best be a backup/veteran camp competition in 3-4 years, which is unfortunately what I think he'll be but we've made our bed and there's no sense dwelling on it. What's good for the WR's is he is not afraid to take gambles throwing the ball down field into coverage, they won't get penalized for the INT's and deflected passes, more opportunities --> more production. He doesn't have to be a top 15 QB for Little to be a top 20 WR.

 

[Tau837]

...Little absolutely blows them out of the water with his YAC RUNNING AFTER THE CATCH ability. I'll go as far as saying he's already one of the best WRs in the league after he catches the ball.

Actually I'm not going overboard at all, but it was my mistake for saying YAC (YARDS after the catch), what I really meant was RAC (RUN after the catch). I'll fix my original post.

As for the difference between the two...the YAC stats you posted are literally the yards they get after they catch the ball, a long bomb or a pass in stride up the seam doesn't really tell the whole story about a player's physical running ability. RAC on the other hand is avoiding and shedding tackles: A combination of speed, elusiveness, lateral agility, balance, power, etc, and this is where Little blows Green and Julio away (although Julio is much closer to Little than Green is). This isn't really disputable IMO, Little used to play running back in North Carolina and it's so obvious when the ball is in his hands. The Browns even used him quite a few times as an RB last year.

Some stats:

Greg Little:

Receptions: 61

Broken/Missed Tackles: 17

Broken/Missed Tackle Rate: 28%

Julio Jones

Receptions: 54

Broken/Missed Tackles: 12

Broken/Missed Tackle Rate: 22%

AJ Green

Receptions: 65

Broken/Missed Tackles: 2

Broken/Missed Tackle Rate: 3%

28% is extremely high. Not only did Little lead all WRs in the league, but he wasn't so far away from some pretty physical RBs:

Broken/Missed Tackles for a few RBs

Michael Turner: 62 (league high)

Marshawn Lynch: 52 (#2 in the league, to give some perspective).

...

Chris Johnson: 29

Frank Gore: 26

Arian Foster: 25

Steven Jackson: 23

Michael Bush: 19

Ray Rice: 17

I can't stress how impressive this is. These RB all had well over 250+ carries (receptions weren't included) and yet Little's mere 61 receptions sneak him at the end of this list. Like I said, I'm higher on Little than most, but I did my homework on him and kept up with him and the sorry Browns all last year. Not only is he for real, but he's going to pass a lot of people's expectations.

According to Pro Football Focus, there were 115 WRs who played 25% or more of their teams' offensive snaps last year. Among those, Little was #1 with 17 "missed tackles" (tackles either broken or avoided). That sounds good, and that's what you seem to be so excited about, right?But Little averaged 4.1 YAC per reception last year, which was tied for #68 among those 115 WRs. What difference does it make if he eludes or breaks tackles if it doesn't result in a lot more yards?

I'm not seeing this as the big positive you are.

 

[Tau837]

Just to continue with the PFF theme, among those 115 WRs who played at least 25% of their teams' offensive snaps last year, PFF rated Little as follows:

#114 overall, the second worst WR, ahead of only Legedu Naanee.

#115 receiving, the absolute worst.

Tied for #91 in blocking.

Combine that with his past character/off field issues and his lack of experience at WR, which puts him behind at his own position, and I'm really not getting all the positive hype.

 

[wiscstlatlmia]

Just to continue with the PFF theme, among those 115 WRs who played at least 25% of their teams' offensive snaps last year, PFF rated Little as follows:#114 overall, the second worst WR, ahead of only Legedu Naanee.#115 receiving, the absolute worst.Tied for #91 in blocking.Combine that with his past character/off field issues and his lack of experience at WR, which puts him behind at his own position, and I'm really not getting all the positive hype.

What criteria do they use to get those rankings?

 

[sspunisher]

I can go on forever on this thread, but bottom line, he had every single excuse in the book to fail last year and yet he turned in what I believe to be a very promising rookie season. If all you see on PFF is red numbers next to his stats then I'm going to leave it at that.

But I do want to address this "off the field issue" that you guys throw around way too nonchalantly in Little's direction. I'll admit, I had my concerns about him last year when I heard he was suspended. But let's not give him that same label that was given to guys like Pacman, Burress, Tank Johnson, Chris Henry, Kenny Britt etc.

I was expecting to find a lot of dirt on Little when I was doing my research on him, simply because everyone threw the "off the field" comment at him so frequently. Matt Waldman in particular was very critical of Little's character and while I respect Matt's hard work, I saw something completely different. There was definitely some growing up to do, but Little's amazing interviews were what really convinced me.

This guy speaks very intelligently, has a nice touch of humility, and God forbid, sometimes pauses to think about a question before answering it. But what impressed me most about Little was the fact that he was accountable. I ####### LOVED that. I was expecting to hear excuses, or the typical 21 year old "I'm sorry I won't do it again," nonsense ala Justin Blackmon, or maybe even avoid questions about his suspension. Dude was answering questions like a grown ### man and all of it came across as 100% authentic. Little didn't just prove me wrong, he honestly won me over to the point where I knew this guy would succeed. After watching his interviews I believed every single word his coaches said about his intelligence and work ethic. So I took him ahead of Mark Ingram in one league and heard all the #### talking for a while but it didn't matter b/c I believed in the guy. One year later he's got a nice rookie season under his belt and he's off to a great start this offseason. I'm all in on Little.

Here's the video I was talking about:

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

...Little absolutely blows them out of the water with his YAC RUNNING AFTER THE CATCH ability. I'll go as far as saying he's already one of the best WRs in the league after he catches the ball.

Actually I'm not going overboard at all, but it was my mistake for saying YAC (YARDS after the catch), what I really meant was RAC (RUN after the catch). I'll fix my original post.

As for the difference between the two...the YAC stats you posted are literally the yards they get after they catch the ball, a long bomb or a pass in stride up the seam doesn't really tell the whole story about a player's physical running ability. RAC on the other hand is avoiding and shedding tackles: A combination of speed, elusiveness, lateral agility, balance, power, etc, and this is where Little blows Green and Julio away (although Julio is much closer to Little than Green is). This isn't really disputable IMO, Little used to play running back in North Carolina and it's so obvious when the ball is in his hands. The Browns even used him quite a few times as an RB last year.

Some stats:

Greg Little:

Receptions: 61

Broken/Missed Tackles: 17

Broken/Missed Tackle Rate: 28%

Julio Jones

Receptions: 54

Broken/Missed Tackles: 12

Broken/Missed Tackle Rate: 22%

AJ Green

Receptions: 65

Broken/Missed Tackles: 2

Broken/Missed Tackle Rate: 3%

28% is extremely high. Not only did Little lead all WRs in the league, but he wasn't so far away from some pretty physical RBs:

Broken/Missed Tackles for a few RBs

Michael Turner: 62 (league high)

Marshawn Lynch: 52 (#2 in the league, to give some perspective).

...

Chris Johnson: 29

Frank Gore: 26

Arian Foster: 25

Steven Jackson: 23

Michael Bush: 19

Ray Rice: 17

I can't stress how impressive this is. These RB all had well over 250+ carries (receptions weren't included) and yet Little's mere 61 receptions sneak him at the end of this list. Like I said, I'm higher on Little than most, but I did my homework on him and kept up with him and the sorry Browns all last year. Not only is he for real, but he's going to pass a lot of people's expectations.

According to Pro Football Focus, there were 115 WRs who played 25% or more of their teams' offensive snaps last year. Among those, Little was #1 with 17 "missed tackles" (tackles either broken or avoided). That sounds good, and that's what you seem to be so excited about, right?But Little averaged 4.1 YAC per reception last year, which was tied for #68 among those 115 WRs. What difference does it make if he eludes or breaks tackles if it doesn't result in a lot more yards?

I'm not seeing this as the big positive you are.

This is what I was saying, thanks for posting these.

 

[MAC_32]

But Little averaged 4.1 YAC per reception last year, which was tied for #68 among those 115 WRs. What difference does it make if he eludes or breaks tackles if it doesn't result in a lot more yards?

When your QB often doesn't lead you with the pass it makes YAC more difficult to come by.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

Over and Over in this thread you discredit people if they don't agree with you. I don't understand that.

I can go on forever on this thread, but bottom line, he had every single excuse in the book to fail last year and yet he turned in what I believe to be a very promising rookie season. If all you see on PFF is red numbers next to his stats then I'm going to leave it at that.

PFF has a rating system and they don't agree with what you see so you discredit them.

I was expecting to find a lot of dirt on Little when I was doing my research on him, simply because everyone threw the "off the field" comment at him so frequently. Matt Waldman in particular was very critical of Little's character and while I respect Matt's hard work, I saw something completely different. There was definitely some growing up to do, but Little's amazing interviews were what really convinced me.

Matt Waldman was critical of Greg Little and you don't agree so you discredit him.

So I took him ahead of Mark Ingram in one league and heard all the #### talking for a while but it didn't matter b/c I believed in the guy. One year later he's got a nice rookie season under his belt and he's off to a great start this offseason. I'm all in on Little.

Now this makes sense why you've been going almost blind in this thread as Greg Little is the next stud WR. I own Greg Little as well, but being critical/debating brings out more facts and helps bring a better consensus. Discrediting everyone that doesn't agree with you is immature. Help this discussion rather than hurt it.

 

[Faust]

Just to continue with the PFF theme, among those 115 WRs who played at least 25% of their teams' offensive snaps last year, PFF rated Little as follows:#114 overall, the second worst WR, ahead of only Legedu Naanee.#115 receiving, the absolute worst.Tied for #91 in blocking.Combine that with his past character/off field issues and his lack of experience at WR, which puts him behind at his own position, and I'm really not getting all the positive hype.

Can you link to that article?

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

But Little averaged 4.1 YAC per reception last year, which was tied for #68 among those 115 WRs. What difference does it make if he eludes or breaks tackles if it doesn't result in a lot more yards?

When your QB often doesn't lead you with the pass it makes YAC more difficult to come by.

This Colt McCoy excuse is getting old.I'm not sure on the YAC stats...but Josh Cribbs, Mohammed Massaquoi, and Jordan Norwood all posted better YPC than Greg Little and were WRs.7 other skill players (with over 10 receptions so we can base it on something) had a better catch % than Greg Little's 50.8. The only players Greg Little beat were Massaquoi and Alex Smith. Beating 2/9 players on your team is catch % doesn't make you the next big thing IMO.