Lewis at Combine

[BGSU33]

Big play threat? The NFL doesn't look at 6ft tall guys who run a 4.6 as a big play guy. They're the same guy...but Freddie was more developed even though he was a QB for two years.

I'm honestly not trying to piss all over the kid, but this idea that he's going to be percieved as some kind of deep threat seems out of sync with reality.

Well we can agree to disagree but I don't see them being the same guy whatsoever. Barnes was a much more versatile player and was utilized differently. I like what we did with him but we focused way too much on him. But we also didn't have that much quality at WR outside of him. Lewis was a much bigger big-play threat than Barnes was. Barnes would catch 12-15 balls for 150 yards and Lewis could grab 5-6 and could get 150. Barnes had 22 catches for 278 in a game. If Lewis had 22 catches he'd have had 400-yards plus. The TD Barnes scored vs Idaho in the bowl at the end was the kind of balls we threw up for Lewis all the time as Lewis was head-and-shoulders better at caching balls over his shoulder than Barnes was. We didn't go deep to Barnes like that often at all. Barnes would work the entire field, was more physical inside of the first ten yards, and had pretty good hands for a guy who saw time at QB and was a converted WR. We never really saw Lewis utilized like we did Barnes. If I need a guy who could fight off blocks and make catches in traffic, I'm taking Barnes. If I need a guy to catch post and fly routes, I'm taking Lewis. But I don't see the two as a mix and match at all. Far from it actually.

[hammb]

Just FYI that we had scouts from 26 NFL teams at our Pro Day last year and considering the "draftable" players expected to take part in our Pro Day this year, I would be surprised if that number dipped.

Wow, I stand corrected. Didn't think we'd get that sort of showing at our products days. Did we have anybody at the combine last year? Lewis was our only guy there this year.

As for the other conversation I get what flipper is saying and agree with him. On the field at bg the two were vastly different players. As NFL prospects though they are not dissimilar. Similar size, similar speed, production at bg that will be mostly deemed as due to the system.

And Barnes was a more developed player with a much wider variety of routes. The advantage Lewis has always had is that he is a big play threat compared to Freddie who wasn't...but he is not an NFL big ah threat and probably never will be. Doesn't win 50/50 balls, is ho hum size, and ho hum speed.

If he wasn't a falcon he wouldn't be on my draft radar at any round as a browns fan...as a falcon I hope he goes somewhere and plays well but I honestly don't think he's a lock to get drafted with that speed/size combo.

[Flipper]

So Lewis is a better pro prospect because he ran deep routes by MAC corners while Barnes ran a variety of routes?

The NFL doesn't care about the stats...they'll see a guy who isn't particularly tall...or fast...or accomplished at the craft of being a WR. He might have been a deep threat in college....I don't see how he'd be perceived as such beyond that.

You're letting how the coaches utilized them color your perceptions of them as athletes. They're the same guy physically.

Hopefully...pro day will go better because most of the stuff I'm reading online collectively trashes the WR and TE position groups.

[BGSU33]

So Lewis is a better pro prospect because he ran deep routes by MAC corners while Barnes ran a variety of routes?

The NFL doesn't care about the stats...they'll see a guy who isn't particularly tall...or fast...or accomplished at the craft of being a WR. He might have been a deep threat in college....I don't see how he'd be perceived as such beyond that.

You're letting how the coaches utilized them color your perceptions of them as athletes. They're the same guy physically.

Hopefully...pro day will go better because most of the stuff I'm reading online collectively trashes the WR and TE position groups.

No, no, and no. I simply think Lewis is the better pro prospect between the two because I think he is, can be and will be a better NFL WR than Barnes. Period. You're reading too much into it. Barnes had his shot at the NFL and it fizzled, it never amounted to much of anything. He wasn't drafted, he bounced around a couple camps/practice squads and then went north of the border. Lewis is about to get his crack at it so it's TBD. Both were really good collegiate WR's at what the did, and they both did it well. But the NFL is a completely different monster. For the record, I stated multiple times that I felt Lewis should come back for at least one more year because he does have things he needs to improve, but that ship has sailed. So we'll see what happens. I hope he makes it since he gave up two years of college eligibility by declaring, but now it's up to him. But if I see both these two with exactly what they did at the same time prior to their potential NFL futures being determined, I'm picking Lewis 10 out of 10 times between the two. But if we're talking college, then I'm taking Barnes 5 of of 10 times (when I need to move the chains) and I'm taking Lewis the other 5 out of 10 times (when I need a chunk of yards).

[falconfan1]

Scouts like Roger. Pro Day may indeed help. But Roger can catch the ball. Only one thing matters- making a roster and getting a chance. All else would be extra positive. If you looked just at measurables on Jude Adjeh- Barimah, you would literally never have said he could start as an NFL rookie. Absolutely not.

He did.

He wasn't drafted; things had a to break.

They did.

And Jude was ready.

Roger will be ready and I expect him to get his chance. I believe he will be drafted. And that 40 time? Did you see the other times? There are some "high;y though of" guys at the same level/ same size. Doesn't win 50 50 balls? Yes he does. Serious ball skills? Absolutely. Willing to be coached? No doubt. Can block? Check the film/yes. Limitations? No question. No doubt. Like all but a couple draftable WRs. More than some? Yes. Less than some? Yes.

But all that matters is he gets his chance. He will. He got a combine invite, He is a good player. They don't just hand those out.

Go Falcons!

[CBD2032]

The dude had an average speed for the WRs in this draft. That doesn't hurt his stock at all, it keeps it where it was IMO, maybe drops it a tad. His production was among the best in the NCAA, there's no denying that. Yes, he was in a high octane offense, but it wasn't focused on him. We had 2 WRs over 1,000 yards, as well as a RB over 1,000 yards. The difference between he and Barnes, is that the offense wasn't focused around him, and he still produced.

I think the fact that he was able to show that he can go up and get a ball, based on the routes he ran vs the route Barnes ran, is huge. It's not about the routes either of them ran. It's about their ball skills. Roger was able to show he possessed them, Freddie wasn't able to as much.

Tyler Boyd, 1 inch taller, roughly the same measurables, broke Larry Fitzgeralds records at Pitt. Jalin Marshall ran a 4.6, and I'm pretty sure Ohio State fans aren't thinking that he's going to fall from the undrafted ranks.

[fredthefalcon]

FYI, MSU WR Aaron Burbridge who is considered likely to go in the top 3 rounds only ran .01 faster than Lewis.

[hammb]

It hurts his stock because it degrades his film. I knew none of the top wideouts this year would run especially well because there aren't really many big play stud athletes this year. This wr class is very poor, I suppose that is one thing that makes his decision to enter this class better.

The difference between him and a lot of the other guys is that his production was predicted on deep routes. He basically just showed he cannot run deep routes in the nfl. I don't remember him winning 50/50 balls at all...id like to see some film of that. I remember seeing a guy who was able to find himself behind the defense with regularity at this level and has very good ball skills at adjusting to the ball in the air. He has good hands, but did have some concentration drops.

Production means very little to the scouts. It's about film. In Rogers case I think that film is very limited and his workout numbers will make scouts question what they do see.

As for the combine invite, remember that they invited 332 players this year. There will be 225 players drafted, plus some compensatory picks putting it probably closer to 250.

And my discussions on this topic have never been about him getting a shot. A combine invite virtually guarantees he'll be In a camp, and then all you have to do is make plays and wow people. My eval on him has always been with the thought that he gave up two years of eligibility. Two years where he could have put up some better film to make the workout numbers less meaningful. I said all along that, for h is career, if he doesn't get picked in the first 3-4 rounds leaving early is a mistake, imo. I think with these workout numbers he's looking at a sixth as the earliest and it makes it a hell of a lot harder to make a team and a career at that slot.

I follow the draft and nfl a lot. I've seen a lot of kids that I thought could play never reach their potential as pro players because they made the jump too early. I don't want to see that happen to roger.

[Flipper]

He put up 8 bench reps...Burbridge did 20. 8 reps was at or near the low for the group. His broad jump and vertical were also towards the bottom. The picture you get...unfortunately for him...is that he's a below average athlete in a group of below average athletes. Yes his 40 time was average for the group, but it was the slowest group in five years.

Should have stayed a year and focused on conditioning and running more varied routes.

If it's any consolation....Alonzo Russell looks like the worst athlete of the group. He didn't even crack 30 on his vertical

[fredthefalcon]

He put up 8 bench reps...Burbridge did 20.

Do you think that difference also speaks volume about BG's strength training as opposed to MSU?

[Globetrotter]

http://draftbreakdown.com/video/roger-l ... is-2015-2/" target="_blank

Hes not jsut going deep and outrunning guys. He is setting guys up, catching in stride, catching the actual ball. And he runs other routes as well. His lack of strength might be seen as a positive in that it can be easily explained and changed.

[TG1996]

If it's any consolation....Alonzo Russell looks like the worst athlete of the group. He didn't even crack 30 on his vertical

But did he at least earhole any defenseless opponents? That might at least get him a look with the Bengals...

[Flipper]

He put up 8 bench reps...Burbridge did 20.

Do you think that difference also speaks volume about BG's strength training as opposed to MSU?

MSU lines up and beats the hell out of people physically....I don't recall us doing that the past couple of years.

[hammb]

http://draftbreakdown.com/video/roger-l ... is-2015-2/

Hes not jsut going deep and outrunning guys. He is setting guys up, catching in stride, catching the actual ball. And he runs other routes as well. His lack of strength might be seen as a positive in that it can be easily explained and changed.

Dude...seriously?? I watched that entire scouting video because a) I wanna be proven wrong, and B) I didn't get to attend that game because of a wedding.

And what did I see on that tape but 1000% confirmation of everything I've said! That video backed up with 4.6 speed is not a guy I'm drafting in the first 150 picks.

He ran 3 routes. Go routes and hitches repeatedly, which is exactly what I've said over and over again. The fact that he hitches at 5 and 10 yards does not make it a different route...just depth. He runs those hitches to set up the go. I get it. It makes sense for the scheme. But it's about the easiest thing a wr will ever be asked to do. And in the video you just posted the go routes he ran not once did they try to jam him. The db just let him run by and get vertical. He did run these routes from the outside, the slot, and the stacked formation...but still 2 routes.

The third route was one single half assed dig where he let himself get undercut by the safety/lb and was the second option on the play. Johnson got sacked/threw it away.

There were 2 50/50 balls thrown his way (both go routes) and in both of them he was walled off by the defender who got his hands on the ball (into in the endzone on one).

I wanna be wrong here but that Memphis game was everything I've been saying about Lewis since we started discussing his future.

[Flipper]

yep...on the two TD's I saw the smurf corner let him by like he was expecting the safety to cover him over the top