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Drill Speed vs. Game Speed

I may be posting a little late for this topic, but I thought with the emphasis of watching players in Training Camp, it would be nice to observe how they play in pads against competition versus expecting great things due to their combine measurables.

The Alphonso Smith debate a few weeks ago, with a great Myth-busting front page post by BroncoBear here, and all the ensuing conversation it provoked, nudged my thinking cap back into its (seldom used) position.  I started wondering about 40-yard dash times and whether a player’s straight line speed without pads on a fast track surface in a non-game day situation made the difference between good and great players in the NFL (or whether a cornerback registering a 4.51 second 40-yard time is fast enough to cover all those "blazing fast" NFL wide receivers).

As a result, I researched 40-yard dash times - Googling a number of different sites for accuracy since there were minor discrepancies in times for a majority of players – and what I came across surprised me as the research continued.  It wasn’t because straight line speed without pads made a little bit of difference versus a lot.  It was that more than a few elite/HOF/star/(insert superlative description here) NFL wide receivers are/were downright plodders in the 40 (as well as a number of running backs, but they weren’t the primary focus of my research).

Star-divide

 

It appears we can get blinded by the brilliance of Champ or Nnamdi Asomugha and start thinking all CB's should be like them, but there is a reason "shutdown corners" are so coveted and well-paid by the league, there aren't a ton of them available.  The next tier would be "good/solid" corners, with this tier expected to cover most NFL wide receivers a majority of the time (except "elite" WR's who are acknowledged league-wide to need double-team/safety help or when a QB just gets too much time in the pocket to throw).

To begin the speed debate, I will acknowledge that Champ and Nnamdi's 40-yard dash times were off the charts, which is a part of what makes them "shutdown corners."

 

Champ Bailey, CB, Denver - 4.28 sec  40 yard dash

Nnamdi Asomugha, CB, Oakland   - 4.36 sec  40 yard dash

After looking up a number of elite and talented NFL wide receiver's (past and present) dash times at the combine, it appeared speed wasn't the only thing that made/makes them successful.  A term called "game speed" kept coming up in article after article when describing how players with poor 40-yard dash times became successful at the NFL level.  The surprise was that "game speed" (the ability to produce at a high level during a game against opponents with better 40-yard dash times or straight line speed without pads) was not an anomaly, but something of a regular occurence over the years.

For evidence, I give you a long list of 40-yard dash times for successful NFL WR's, going from fastest to slowest.  The results may surprise you as much as they did me.  The intial fastest times are not astonishing, but the 4.45 seconds or slower times (which is not considered NFL elite by any stretch of the imagination) and who own them just might be.

Randy Moss, WR, New England   - 4.25 sec. 40 yard dash

Donnie Avery, WR, St. Louis   - 4.34 sec. 40-yard dash (5' 11" 192)

Torry Holt, WR, Jacksonville   - 4.34 sec. 40 yard dash

Calvin Johnson WR, Detroit    - 4.35 sec. 40 yard dash

DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadelphia   - 4.35 sec. 40-yard dash  (5' 10" 167)

Terrell Owens, WR, Buffalo   - 4.36 sec. 40 yard dash

Steve Smith, WR, Carolina    - 4.38 sec. 40 yard dash

Marvin Harrison, WR, Indianapolis   - 4.38 sec. 40 yard dash

Eddie Royal, WR, Denver    - 4.39 sec.  40-yard dash (5' 10" 182)

Andre Johnson, WR, Texas   - 4.40 sec. 40 yard dash (6-2, 230)

Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis   - 4.35-4.40 sec. 40 yard dash

Chad Johnson, WR, Cincinatti   - 4.4 40 yard dash

Greg Jennings, WR, Green Bay   - 4.42 sec. 40 yard dash

Roy Williams, WR, Dallas   - 4.42 sec. 40 yard dash

Anthony Gonzales, WR, Indianapolis    - 4.44 sec. 40 yard dash

Sterling Sharpe, WR, Packers   - 4.44 sec. 40 yard dash

---------- 4.45 second plus times -------------------------

Roddy White, WR, Atlanta    - 4.45 sec. 40 yard dash

Wincent Jackson, WR, San Diego   - 4.46 sec. 40 yard dash

Braylon Edwards, WR, Cleveland    - 4.48 sec. 40 yard dash

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona,     - 4.5 sec. 40 yard dash

Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City   - 4.51 sec. 40 yard dash

Marques Colston, WR, New Orleans   - 4.55 sec. 40 yard dash

Wes Welker, WR, New England    - 4.55-4.60 sec. 40 yard dash

TJ Houshmandzadeh, WR, Seattle    - 4.54-4.61 sec.  40 yard dash

Plaxico Burress, WR, New York    - 4.6 sec. 40 yard dash

Lynn Swann, WR, Pittsburgh   - 4.65 sec. 40 yard dash

Jerry Rice, WR, San Fancisco    - 4.65 sec.  40 yard dash

Chris Carter, WR, Minnesota   - 4.7 sec. 40 yard dash

Rod Smith, WR, Denver   - 4.7 sec. 40 yard dash (couldn't find definitive answer)

Anquan Boldin, WR, Arizona   - 4.71 sec. 40 yard dash  (NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2003)

John Stallworth, WR, Pittsburgh  - 4.8 sec. 40 yard dash (retested later to 4.5)

There is no doubt there are quite a few "burners" on the list, and that is one of the reasons they are successful in the league, but the amount of very successful receivers with 4.45+ times were eye-popping to me.

The reason I looked at this data was to see if speed was THE major factor in the success of NFL WR's.  I wanted to extrapolate that factor onto the ability of cornerbacks to cover those receivers (as a result of the "Alphonso Smith isn't fast enough to be a very good NFL cornerback and, accordingly, isn't worth next year's #1 pick" debate).  It seems while speed is A factor, it is not THE factor for NFL success.

Armed with the above information, it appears relevant to go to Training Camp with an eye out for who is performing on the field against competition, rather than dismissing certain players because of their measurables. I believe we are all of the opinion that is what Coach McD will be doing.

With all the new players and rookie FA's we have acquired, it should be interesting to see how both the offense and defense play this year and who makes the team.

Just for fun - a few more 40-yard dash times I discovered during my research:

 

Terrell Davis, RB, Denver    - 4.7 sec. 40 yard dash

Peyton Hillis, RB, Denver   - 4.58 sec. 40 yard dash

Knowshon Moreno, RB, Denver   - 4.62 sec. 40 yard dash

Brian Westbrook, RB, Philadelphia   - 4.57 sec. 40 yard dash

This is a Fan-Created Comment on MileHighReport.com. The opinion here is not necessarily shared by the editorial staff of MHR

11 recs  |  Comment 38 comments

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Well Done

Nice analysis. rec’d!

by Endzone on Jul 31, 2009 12:31 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

chased rabbits

I think it would interesting to see the 40 times for successful cornerbacks.

Years ago, I was watching Animal Planet or something and saw a lynx chasing a snowshoe hare (or some kind of rabbit). The rabbit’s agility made me realize that cornerbacks need speed more than receivers, because the receivers know where they’re going and the cornerbacks don’t.

But who will guard the guards themselves?

by Agent Jerry Fletcher on Jul 31, 2009 12:41 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

I was thinking about going that direction
I think it would interesting to see the 40 times for successful cornerbacks.

but realized the debate between who is a good/great cornerback is a lot more subjective and sticky than who is a good/great receiver. If I made a list of successful cornerback 40-yard dash times, I’m sure there would have been just as much debate about the list as there was about the post.

Take my advice... I'm not using it!
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

by BroncTastic on Jul 31, 2009 1:21 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Of course

hitting them right at the line of scrimmage instead of playing 10 yards off the line should make a big difference this year versus last (I hope)! That initial hit can create a level playing field regarding speed, then agility takes over, which is what most seem to describe as quickness. It’s a wonder the 40-yard dash is given such scrutiny, considering all the factors that come into play on every NFL down.

Take my advice... I'm not using it!
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

by BroncTastic on Jul 31, 2009 4:06 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

40 yard times seem...

almost meaningless to the way the game is played. Few plays require a player to go full speed for 40 yards. Yes they do occur, but, really not that often. I would agree with Agent Jerry that CBs need top flight speed more than the WRs do for the reason he gives. So the real measure of a great CB isn’t how fast he runs a 40, but how quickly does he make up the distant between himself and the receiver. Maybe what we need to see is how fast they get to 10 yards…….

by bchiper on Jul 31, 2009 12:49 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Or maybe

the agility or cone drills would be a more important factor in determining the future success of a cornerback? However, it seems like it is the more the heart and work ethic which seems to separate the great from the good and the good from the bad.

All you have to do is look at JaMarcus Russell as evidence of that point. All the talent in the world, but no heart and no drive.

Take my advice... I'm not using it!
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

by BroncTastic on Jul 31, 2009 1:18 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

cone drills

would certianly help you determine they foot quickness that is for sure. Great example of how not to do it in Russell

by bchiper on Jul 31, 2009 2:43 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

statistical artifacts

There are limits to the utility of these metrics. Jerry Rice was slow but you’d never know that by watching him play. Micheal Crabtree isn’t fast but who cares? Karl Paymah, a high school track star, ran a 4.36 in 2005 Combine, but I don’t think anyone here is particularly sad that he’s gone.

Running a 40 yard dash is skill that track athletes develop and refine. Raw speed is important but don’t underestimate the importance of technique, particularly as it relates to the start, but also in maintaining body posture (lean) and stride. Sprinters DO work on these things, and football players with a background in track usually outperform their teammates. Bruton ran well because of this, and it’s not just because he’s faster.

There’s a reason football players train for the Combine. If only raw speed were being measured then it would be somewhat pointless to train.

The problem now is that everyone’s a “mini-Kiper” and believes ‘they know’ that unless an athlete hits a certain metric it’s a mistake to draft him in a given range. Malcolm Jenkins fared even worse than Smith but his 3-cone was the best at the combine. Alphonso Smith’s time has been panned by the erstwhile Bronco fans upset over Cutlergate, but he’s far from slow, and the tape of him playing confirms that.

There were some reputable sources that added credibility to the “Smith is too slow” controversy but even ‘better’ sources get it wrong sometimes. Some of the same ‘experts’ were raving about his ability but backed off when they learned how much he cost in terms of draft pick value. What this illustrates is a bias in thinking similar to cognitive dissonance. And it’s odd that the same people who speak of the fixation with metrics and the distorting influence they have on draft decisions still fall prey to this cognitive bias.

"If people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences". W. I. Thomas

by Colinski on Jul 31, 2009 4:11 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Colinski sparked my thoughts here.

Instead of everyone getting so worked up about what the 40 Yard Dash doesn’t tell you, you can see the things it DOES tell you. Try noting the differences between a player’s combine time and his pro-day time. Another thing is judging his 40 time by his weight/body type. These little hints will tell you a lot about how a player prepares and how well he competes with himself. These are far more useful peices of information than his top speed.

If they really want to measure a player’s game speed realisitcall than the entire combine should be performed in full equipment, and intstead of having a 40 yard dash they should just let every player sprint down the field and clock them with a radar gun, giving you the yardage that he reached his top speed.

This year was the first combine I watched and I doubt i’m going to watch next years. I’ll browse the “projected top” draft picks but little else. There’s no reason for me to go study everyone out there, when I only care about the players that Denver is picking up.

The MHR Staff, and most of the fans, do so much research in their articles; and have plenty of information about new rookies during the off-season. No more NFLN for me. Goodbye, and good RIDANCE MSM!

It's Orange Crush time. And no I am NOT talking about the soft-drink.
Which I beg the question: "Can liquid really be... soft?"

3 TE Set = 3 losses or less.

Do it MickeyD... 13-3!!

by USMCWall on Jul 31, 2009 5:17 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

also

you can compare the 40 yard time to the 20 yard shuttle. The comparison should be very close (subtracting .05 from the shuttle first), and if it leans towards a faster 40 or a slower forty, you can tell whether a player tends towards being a faster player or more agile player.

There is no army so powerful as an idea whose time has come.

by Jeremy Bolander on Jul 31, 2009 5:58 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Nice work - Rec'd
It seems while speed is A factor, it is not THE factor for NFL success

.
This is a very good point. As with height, most of the conversations that you hear regarding speed are entirely theoretical. For example, you often hear, “Well, all other things being equal…” And, in that hypothetical situation, the point is valid. However, it has to be noted that all things are never equal. Every player has a skillset. Nearly every one has weaknesses. They all have strengths. Speed can be incredibly helpful, but you’ll never hear someone say, “Well, Larry Fitzgerald would be one of the best if his 40 time was just .1 seconds faster, you know…..”

One other point: We commonly say that “speed can’t be taught”. The fact is – that isn’t true, and it hasn’t been in decades. There are extensive ways to train for timed speed that are very effective. One option is the overspeed training that was pioneered in the 1970s by the Russian track and field team trainers. A fellow by the name of Chip Smith brought it to the US in 1987. Smith claims that he can shave .2 seconds off of anyone’s 40 time with a couple of month of training in his system, and he has the world champions in track and field to prove it. But running a ‘naked’ straight line 40 (a concept originally instigated by the great Paul Brown in the 1940s, since it was the distance that he felt someone would run on average to cover a punt) has very little to do with your more important ‘playing speed’. Those players, like Smith and Bailey, who can diagnose plays with lightning quickness are already moving to the point of attack before other players are out of their backpedal and they take angles that shave off time further. Since that is true, how fast they might cover a punt if they didn’t have pads or opponents is only of minimal importance.

Sure, if all else is equal, go with the fellow with a faster time. But things are never equal, and we shouldn’t let ourselves get confused. Thanks for a very informative article!

Hillis/Moreno in '09

by Emmett Smith on Jul 31, 2009 12:50 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Thanks Bear!

Here’s a salmon for ya!

Take my advice... I'm not using it!
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

by BroncTastic on Jul 31, 2009 1:18 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Ummm....salmon...

By the way, Smith’s fastest 40 at the Combine was a quick 4.36, so he’s quite capable of burner speed. He just hasn’t learned how to maximize his speed in that drill consistently, which is something he probably won’t ever be asked to do again.

Hillis/Moreno in '09

by Emmett Smith on Jul 31, 2009 4:09 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

I hadn't heard 4.36

That’s Eddie Royal territory, which is nice to hear.

I have seen 4.51 listed for Smith in quite a few places. 4.36 is quite a bit faster. Very good.

Take my advice... I'm not using it!
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

by BroncTastic on Jul 31, 2009 4:15 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Straight speed means very little when cutting is involved. A lot of info though can't hurt.

You have Hillis faster in the 40 than Moreno, but when it comes time to switch lanes, I would put my money on Moreno any day. He’ll juke him.

by bfree2bronc on Jul 31, 2009 1:25 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Speed versus quickness

Pure straight line speed is nice to have, but not the most crucial characteristic for a receiver. We hear the term quickness used separate from speed to describe that quality that allows faster reaction to occur . This can be helpful to allow a receiver to get off the line quicker and beat press coverage or a cornerback may use it to adjust to a receivers cut in the pass route. The ability to run an effective pass route relies more on quickness and deception than pure speed for most receivers. Although as noted above having great speed is certainly an asset (especially if you get behind the defensive back!)

by Ponderosa on Jul 31, 2009 2:18 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

I researched some of these Times

for a rebuttal on Yahoo when The “Shut Down Corner” claimed that the Broncos did not have a “Deep Threat.” So lined up Eddie , and Randy Moss, TO, Jerry Rice , and Larry Fitzgerald among others just to prove him wrong in an intelligent manner. With that response, I believe at least two people have at the very least been exposed to this site.

I would like to see our DB times in this comparison, especially the Phonz.
Excellent work BroncTastic! Rec’d

"You give 100 percent in the first half of the game, and if that isn't enough, in the second half you give what's left." – Yogi Berra
"No, I'm from Iowa, I only work in outer space."

by KaptainKirk on Jul 31, 2009 3:36 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Phonz is 4.51 sec.

I believe, which is what started the whole, he’s too slow to have used next year’s #1 on him.

Take my advice... I'm not using it!
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

by BroncTastic on Jul 31, 2009 3:45 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Thanks

"You give 100 percent in the first half of the game, and if that isn't enough, in the second half you give what's left." – Yogi Berra
"No, I'm from Iowa, I only work in outer space."

by KaptainKirk on Jul 31, 2009 3:58 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

No, no... thank YOU!!!

Take my advice... I'm not using it!
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

by BroncTastic on Jul 31, 2009 4:01 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

interesting video

This video shows two DHB catches against Wake Forest. The first is routine, but the second is against our very own Alphonso Smith.

As you know, DHB logged the fastest time at the combine. As you can see in the video, Alphonso does a nice job of staying with DHB and only an exceptional effort from Heyword-Bey allows him to make the catch.

Sadly, in what could be a preview of many epic AFC West battles, DHB had a career game against Wake Forest, catching 11 balls for 101 yards and a touchdown. Obviously, Alphonso didn’t cover DHB the entire game, as the first catch demonstrates.

But who will guard the guards themselves?

by Agent Jerry Fletcher on Jul 31, 2009 6:00 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Nice find, Secret Agent Man

Take my advice... I'm not using it!
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

by BroncTastic on Jul 31, 2009 6:49 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

wow

Great find, and that was actually pretty damned good coverage from Smith.

by BroncosBassist on Jul 31, 2009 7:38 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

The AFC West battlefield is different than the ACC....

JaMarcuss the Hutt actually eats the ball before he passes it.

Peyton Hillis is also referred to in early Greek mythology by his other names such as Zeus or Poseidon.

by Joe Medina on Jul 31, 2009 7:44 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

lol

+1

"Reality continues to ruin my life." - Calvin (Calvin & Hobbes)

by RockyMtnHigh on Aug 1, 2009 3:45 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Fitz isn't one of the fastest?

That would certainly seem surprising given his abilities on a professional level. Good post! Rec’d

Peyton Hillis is also referred to in early Greek mythology by his other names such as Zeus or Poseidon.

by Joe Medina on Jul 31, 2009 7:41 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

I know

Which just goes to show you the difference between straight speed and “game speed.” Great players have a different motor wearing pads and playing between the lines. That’s why hyping or dissing guys based on combine stats can be dangerous. Game film overrules a lot of things for the good Head Coaches, I imagine.

Take my advice... I'm not using it!
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

by BroncTastic on Jul 31, 2009 7:50 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

A lot of guys

actually perfer NOT to be in the spotlight, and are more comfortable when they are blurred into being a part of the team. Putting a spotlight on a player like they do at the combine doesn’t always bring out the best in them, nor should it. Keep in mind, there are still many colleges that don’t wear individual names on the back, just a number. It wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of players could feel uncomfortable enough that their subconscience battles against their will-to-be-the-best at their position.

It's Orange Crush time. And no I am NOT talking about the soft-drink.
Which I beg the question: "Can liquid really be... soft?"

3 TE Set = 3 losses or less.

Do it MickeyD... 13-3!!

by USMCWall on Aug 1, 2009 8:09 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Andre Johnson comes to mind

Superstud, and though Fitz had a nice run in the playoffs, I still think that AJ is the best WR in the NFL, bar none.

There is no army so powerful as an idea whose time has come.

by Jeremy Bolander on Aug 1, 2009 1:16 PM MDT up reply actions   1 recs

+1!!!

AJ is just amazing. Whenever I actually see him play in a whole game, I am amazed anyone can cover him at all. Huge talent and a real physical specimen.

Take my advice... I'm not using it!
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

by BroncTastic on Aug 1, 2009 2:26 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Is vertical leap related ino the equation somehow?

I’m definitely not a physiologist but it seams to me that the same muscles for vert leap would be used in change of direction which is critical for being reactive for a db.

rep’d btw good info!

At sea level, but I'll always be a mile high.

by DaytonaBronco on Jul 31, 2009 8:59 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Also funny to me...

The greatest wide receiver to ever play the game was “slow” in 40 yard dash terms.

Of course one has to consider that back in the 80’s when the greatest ever was drafted, players weren’t as fast as they are now. Nonetheless though, there are some VERY interesting names on there that were/are considered “slow” by that standard. It really makes you wonder why coaches rely so heavily on combine stats.

Let it be known that I believe it works both ways, not just in defense of things. Just because a guy wearing my team colors got a good combine scorecard doesn’t mean he’s an instant hit either. He has no more or less “bust” potential than anyone else, in my opinion.

Peyton Hillis is also referred to in early Greek mythology by his other names such as Zeus or Poseidon.

by Joe Medina on Jul 31, 2009 9:24 PM MDT reply actions   0 recs

the greatest ever

was Jerry Rice, for those who may be curious hahaha.

Peyton Hillis is also referred to in early Greek mythology by his other names such as Zeus or Poseidon.

by Joe Medina on Jul 31, 2009 9:24 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Sorry it took me so long to get to your post.

As a DC, I was a huge fan of speed. I wanted fast LBs and DBs, and heavily recruited from the track team. However, I learned that straight line speed is not always an indicator of success. Still, speed can be so intoxicating that I often found myself trying to fit a lot of square pegs in round holes.

A lot of variables have to be factored into “speed”. Such as:

Can the guy tackle?
Is he scared of the game (does he shy away from contact)?
Does equiptment affect his abilities more than it does others?
How agile is he (can he “turn on a dime”)?
Does he have good hands (catching)?
Does he have a knack for the position?
Is he smart?

Speed was one of the things I liked to look at first, but it was almost always crowded out by other factors pretty quickly. My teams were known for being fast, but the fastest players I often wanted often turned out to not be cut out for the game.

Rec’d

"Greater is an army of sheep led by a lion, than an army of lions led by a sheep" Defoe

by Steve Nichols on Aug 2, 2009 8:20 AM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Always nice

to have real life experience added to the discussion. Thanks, HT, for the informative post.

Take my advice... I'm not using it!
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

by BroncTastic on Aug 2, 2009 8:55 AM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

Nice post and discussion

I think there’s two main things to consider: 1) actual speed, and 2) relevance of actual speed. By actual speed I mean a receiver or back in a footrace with a defender. It assumes equipment. Forty yard times don’t accurately measure this with or without pads, because technique in getting off the line and up to speed is such a huge factor. If a player is .15 slower than another that’s well within, it seems to me, the amount of time he could have lost at the start. It occurred to me that having a player run 50 or 60 yards and timing a 40-yard segment after he gets up to speed would be a better approximation of in-game “actual speed”, but USMCWall‘s radar gun is simpler and more effective. I’m surprised they don’t do that at the combine.

But speed isn’t everything and, anyway, the differences aren’t huge. We’re not talking about hares and turtles but faster and slower hares. “Football speed” sometimes seems to mean only “speed in football equipment”, but its more useful meaning refers to how quickly, from the start of the play, an offensive or defensive player gets to where he needs to be. As broncobear nicely puts it:

Those players, like Smith and Bailey, who can diagnose plays with lightning quickness, are already moving to the point of attack before other players are out of their backpedal and they take angles that shave off time further.

That’s part of what he calls their skillset. hoosierteacher adds tackling, love of contact, agility, hands, knack for the position, and smartness. I’d add fast-twitch reflexes and information processing speed. Since a player is presumably doing his best in all of them, an abrupt decline one makes him less effective. I mention this because I remember watching Bly run right by Champ when they were chasing Larry Johnson on his 65-yard run, and it looked like Champ on that and other occasions was running stiff-legged. I suspect that for much of his playing time last year his equivalent 40 time was closer to 4.68 than 4.28.

If he’s fully healed Champ will probably be a faster and better CB than last year. Smith, whatever his “actual speed”, was good enough in his total skillset to be unusually effective. At any rate, broncobear gives 4.36 as his fastest 40 at the combine and adds that “[h]e just hasn’t learned how to maximize his speed in that drill consistently”, so chances are good he’s faster than we thought. Speed isn’t always what it seems to be.

"Surprised to see you, Captain, though pleased." — from Star Trek episode Space Seed.

by spock on Aug 2, 2009 11:46 AM MDT reply actions   0 recs

Thanks, Spock

When you ended with:

Speed isn’t always what it seems to be

It reminded me of all those failed sign-up-a-world-class-sprinter experiments that were popular for a few years in the 80’s (I’m pretty sure it was the 80’s, but can’t think of the guys’ names right off the top of my head?). Those guys were blazing fast but had stone mittens for hands.

Appreciate the input, Spock. As Bones would say, “you green-blooded hobgoblin.

Take my advice... I'm not using it!
"If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague."

by BroncTastic on Aug 2, 2009 12:21 PM MDT up reply actions   0 recs

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General Manager/Head Coach

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Asst. Head Coach

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