Steelers notebook: Bryant shows flashes of big-time potential

[stillers4me]

When the Steelers selected tall and speedy receiver Martavis Bryant in the fourth round of the NFL draft, they believed he could be a threat in the red zone as a rookie and eventually develop into a player they could use in all situations.

Over the weekend, Bryant flashed his red-zone credentials when he made a one-handed grab for a touchdown Saturday in practice, one of many fine receptions this 6-foot-4, 211-pound speedster from Clemson made the past two days.

The next goal for Bryant is to do it on a consistent basis.......


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2014/08/04/Bryant-shows-flashes-of-big-time-potential/stories/201408040091#ixzz39Q38hx9B

[Psycho Ward 86]

i saw this article the other day saying that martavis bryant was one of the most underused wide receivers in the red zone last season based on statistics: http://rotoviz.com/2014/02/figuring-out-the-red-zone-td-rate-puzzle/

also is it just me, or is anyone else puzzled by the fact that this article thinks he had 25 reception TD's in college. anywhere i look he had 13

[TMC]

Psycho, I do not see where it states he had 25 receiving TDs in college, maybe I am overlooking it. You have to take these kind of evaluations and put them in context. They dismiss Ellington because of some Pre-Combine Midterm and state he does not have much going for him. Ellington actually has a ton going for him. He is a little late to the party because he played basketball early in his career and did not play football at all. He returned to football, splitting time with both. This year, he did not play basketball and appears to have made that decision early, concentrating on football. He has great speed, leaping ability, body control, and hands. When South Carolina needed a play, Ellington was there to deliver. He made some exceptionally nice catches and won football games for them.

The 49ers have raved about him. In fact, Kap had this to say during some Q&A:

What is your impression of some of the young guys, WR Bruce Ellington in particular?

“Bruce has been amazing out here. He’s picked thing up very quickly. Good route runner. Very good feel for the game and he’s made plays when we’ve given him the opportunity.”

What’s his speed like? Deep speed.

“I feel like he has game speed. He’s faster than he looks and he can separate. So, we’re very excited about what he can add to this team.”

There are reports that the 49ers DBs are having trouble covering him, whether in drills or 11 on 11. So, I have a hard time buying into the types of numbers stating this guy is not worth looking at because "Ellington doesn’t have much going for him." and then skipping to other guys with lesser stats. I just do not think you can dismiss guys in a statistical evaluation because of bias.

I mean, look, I am not sold on Dri Archer. As a RB, I hate his weight. I hate any RB under 185 pounds and really hate guys under 180. I just question their ability to hold up. As a WR, I think he is exceptionally raw, so he leaves me with more questions than answers. But, if I were going to evaluate the performance of a RB, statistically, I would not leave him out. It would show a bias in my numbers. Same if I evaluated him as a WR. In order to know if your numbers are correct, you should strive to increase sample size, then look for bias, not build in a bias and look to prove your theory. Kind of ass backwards.

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With that said, I do like Bryant though and think he will continue to get better. He has flashed. He just needs consistency.

[Psycho Ward 86]

TMC, my bad. The 25 TD tidbit is in the original post's link

[TMC]

TMC, my bad. The 25 TD tidbit is in the original post's link

I see it. That is just shoddy reporting by Ray Fittipaldo. Bryant had 13 TDs in his college career. I cannot even fathom where he got 25.