Optimum Scouting uses Stephen Hill as a case study.

[top dawg]

Matt Harmon of Optimum Scouting has written a sobering article on Stephen Hill that is somewhere between not quite scathing and not quite apologetic, but wholly critical.  Stephen Hill is the example set forth---a warning really---for why wide receivers fail.  His premise seems to be that teams need to be more careful when evaluating the players to mitigate what I'll coin as the Combine Super Measuables Effect, and that scouts must be realistic about whether or not a player can develop in a less than desired (basically crappy) circumstance, or would benefit by getting some time to grow, lest they be irrevocable spoiled by their surroundings.

 

Hill is still somewhat of an enigma---somewhere between heaven and hell---wide receiver purgatory.  According to the article there is still some hope, but the arrow is starting to point downward.

 

Even for Stephen Hill, the story is not over yet, although the pages are hanging to the book spine by tattered threads. As Michael Irvin asserted when airing his thoughts on Hill, perhaps it was the situation and quarterback tornado in New York that prevented the young receiver from developing into a technically proficient player, and deadly threat. Perhaps that happens now that he’s entering his second season in what appears to be a Carolina Panthers’ developmental program for him. Maybe the conclusion we can draw from Hill’s short NFL career is that situation and fit with his team is more paramount to a receiver’s development, and therefore public perception, than his individual skills.

 

 

And I would be remiss to not offer a quote about receivers in this year's draft whom he considers in the Stephen Hill mold.

 

So, who are the receivers in that Stephen Hill mold, that have gotten by almost exclusively on their physical gifts, in the 2015 draft class? The two that come to mind immediately are DeVante Parker and Sammie Coates. Pakrer is the more highly touted prospect, and is a consensus top-three wide receiver in this class.

 

 

Shocking for some of you, I am sure.  But it's a good read---something different.  This time of year, any fan should be able to appreciate that.  Even if you don't agree with the article, kudos to Optimum Scouting and Harmon.

 

http://optimumscouting.com/draft/nfl-draft-failed-stephen-hill-wide-receiver.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nfl-draft-failed-stephen-hill-wide-receiver

[LinvilleGorge]

Coates I can see, but Parker?  No.  Parker very well could bust, but not because he's out of the Stephen Hill mode.  Hill only caught 49 passes in his entire college career.  Hell, he only caught 28 passes his final year in college, but he averaged damn near 30 yards per catch.  It was pretty clear that Hill was a deep threat and a deep threat only coming out of college.  Kinda like Coates.  Parker only played 7 games last season due to injury and still caught 43 passes for 855 yards and 5 TDs... in 7 games.

 

Sammie Coates' stats last season?  34 catches for 741 yards and 4 TDs.  21.8 ypc average.  Now it's legit to use Hill as a precautionary tale when it comes to Coates.

 

Comparing Devante Parker to Stephen Hill is just idiotic.

[t96]

Forgot all about Hill... I guess there's still some hope for him and everyone should be happy that Gettleman won't be drafting any Hills.

[LinvilleGorge]

Parker scare me tha the most catches he ever made in a given year was 55 in his four year career at louisville.

 

If you just look at the raw stats, sure.  But, look deeper.  He improved every year.  18 catches for 291 yards and 6 TDs as a freshman.  40 catches for 744 yards and 10 TDs as a sophomore.  55 catches for 885 yards and 12 TDs as a junior.  Then, in an injury shortened senior season, he caught 43 passes for 855 yards in only 7 games.  Extrapolate that out to 12 games and you get 73 catches for 1454 yards.  That's a beast.

[RelaxImaPro]

Damn, I forgot about Hill as well.  So like, what if he ends up working out this year?  That would be awesome.

 

He's big as hell, and fast as poo.

 

If we do end up drafting a receiver it doesn't need to be one of those "raw prospect" types.  We've got enough of those on our hands with KB, Brown, and Hill.

[top dawg]

Damn, I forgot about Hill as well.  So like, what if he ends up working out this year?  That would be awesome.

 

He's big as hell, and fast as poo.

 

If we do end up drafting a receiver it doesn't need to be one of those "raw prospect" types.  We've got enough of those on our hands with KB, Brown, and Hill.

 

And Lucas (Mucas)

[LinvilleGorge]

If we do end up drafting a receiver it doesn't need to be one of those "raw prospect" types.  We've got enough of those on our hands with KB, Brown, and Hill.

 

KB definitely has a lot of room for improvement, but "raw prospects" don't have 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie while serving as their team's #1 WR.  I actually think Brown is fairly polished as a route runner.  He really impressed me as a receiver last year.  Hill was just a shot in the dark on a former draft bust who can run really fast.  If he works out, great.  If not, nothing lost.

 

IMO, adding a true field stretcher at WR would make a big difference.  It could really open up a lot of room underneath for KB, Olsen, and Philly to go to work.

 

[Verge]

Parker is not even relatively close to Stephen Hill, Parker is such a clean prospect.

[top dawg]

KB definitely has a lot of room for improvement, but "raw prospects" don't have 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie while serving as their team's #1 WR.  I actually think Brown is fairly polished as a route runner.  He really impressed me as a receiver last year.  Hill was just a shot in the dark on a former draft bust who can run really fast.  If he works out, great.  If not, nothing lost.

 

IMO, adding a true field stretcher at WR would make a big difference.  It could really open up a lot of room underneath for KB, Olsen, and Philly to go to work.

 

 

I could be wrong, but I think that Corey Brown is going to be relegated to the bench for the most part.  In my mind, he is a WR4 or 5.  He would have done so much for his importance if he had just learned to hold onto the ball during special teams.  Sure he had the Steekers game where he showed some mediocre route running ability, but he didn't get the separation and YAC (2.7 average) that I would have liked to have seen out of a guy with his speed.  Plus, he is just too small for my taste to be playing across the middle where he can get racked up. He is arguably injury prone. Brown is at his best being a one-trick Pony, flying down the field for a bomb. 

 

To your point, another weapon may make it easier for him to do his thing, but I just don't see a bigger, more polished receiver not keeping Brown on the bench.

[MV%doe]

I don't know much. I know catching the ball, knowing playbook, and route tree are very important to being a WR. If you're a 6'5 250 lbs, runs a 4.13 40 dash, 5sec three crone, etc etc all that. Then a play is called; you lineup wrong, run the wrong route, gets open and QB throws a perfect soft pass.... and you drop it. Repeat all that months later, well you're not a nfl WR.

[SteveSmithTD89]

Devante Parker is far better than any numbers will show.

He missed more than half the games this season with a broken foot and still came back and dominated.

Last year with Teddy Bridgewater (who always spreads the ball around) they would come out on fire and then cruise after 14pts. Charlie Strong made John Fox look like Bill Belicheck.

Parker will be fine. He's far better coming out than Hill is now

[LinvilleGorge]

I could be wrong, but I think that Corey Brown is going to be relegated to the bench for the most part.  In my mind, he is a WR4 or 5.  He would have done so much for his importance if he had just learned to hold onto the ball during special teams.  Sure he had the Steekers game where he showed some mediocre route running ability, but he didn't get the separation and YAC (2.7 average) that I would have liked to have seen out of a guy with his speed.  Plus, he is just too small for my taste to be playing across the middle where he can get racked up. He is arguably injury prone. Brown is at his best being a one-trick Pony, flying down the field for a bomb. 

 

To your point, another weapon may make it easier for him to do his thing, but I just don't see a bigger, more polished receiver not keeping Brown on the bench.

 

I don't necessarily disagree with most of what you said.  I'd love to see a decent vet brought in and another draft pick added to the mix at WR. 

 

The one thing I do disagree with is Brown's speed.  I just don't see.  He strikes me as being quicker than fast.  I don't get all this talk about him possibly being the fastest player on the Panthers roster and all this hype about his speed.  He was a 4.5 guy at the combine and honestly, he plays like a 4.5 guy on the field.

[Nate Dogg]

There is no way in hell that Brenton Bersin is better than Stephen Hill. This organization's plans for Hill in the future are a real head scratcher. You would think if Cam made use of Ginn he could make use of Hill.

[LinvilleGorge]

There is no way in hell that Brenton Bersin is better than Stephen Hill. This organization's plans for Hill in the future are a real head scratcher. You would think if Cam made use of Ginn he could make use of Hill.

 

Bersin isn't much of a WR, but he did catch the majority of the balls that came his way.  Everyone who saw Hill at camp basically said he couldn't catch anything.