Paul Richardson is now Cleared!

[SomersetHawk]

Sounds like he's back to full speed and more. I can't see anything but an improved passing game with P-Rich back, though I'm not expecting immediate results.

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

Lockette has straight ahead speed, Richardson and Lockett have speed in and out of routes as well as straight line.

Yup, his combine times bear that out as well:
http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/ric ... id=2495306

40 time (straight line): 4.37 = elite
3-cone (lateral agility): 7.15 = much slower than the average NFL WR and the slowest time of any WR on our roster.

To put that in perspective, Jimmy Graham ran a 6.90 3-cone (above average for a WR) at 260 lbs.

Paul Richardson has similar traits in terms of elite straight line (4.40) with a mediocre 3-cone (7.09).

Richardson is plenty fast.

Richardson's 3 cone is kind of terrible. I would offer however that there are instances where metrics generally fail to measure certain skills.

While PRich doesn't test out well in the 3 cone, what you could see on the college tape, and what you could easily see as a pro, is that Richardson has a very unique skill when it comes to running routes. The 3 cone is supposed to measure your change of direction agility by way of a circuitous route. In that regard, Richardson is no bueno. But if you tested him by making just one cut at speed, he'd test through the roof.

Richardson is incredibly gifted and carrying nearly full speed through his cuts/breaks. For a guy with his kind of natural speed, that's just a huge asset that not many pros have. Not only does he carry great speed through cuts, but his ability to accelerate almost instantly gives him a huge benefit in creating separation.

I'm actually super excited to see Richardson pair up with Lockett as receivers. Both are electric at getting open. Wilson was trusting Richardson at a high level at the tail end of last season -- to the point where he was equaling the targets to Baldwin. Lockett is gaining that same trust. Having 2 (really 3) receivers with excellent speed and quickness and route precision (and high level ball skills) could really bring this offense out of it's funk.

With that kind of personnel, should Seattle want to employ a quick passing attack to account for a porous offensive line -- we'd be easily capable of doing just that.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Man it would have been so awesome if JS had drafted Allen Robinson in 2014 instead of PRich. Imagine RW with a legit, big bodied, freak athlete at WR on the outside.

Yeah I like Paul Richardson, but Allen Robinson was the guy I was praying would be drafted by us and he sure hasn't made me change my mind on that. Dude can flat out play.

We could have stayed pat at 32 and got Bitonio and possibly Robinson or Landry with a small trade up. Instead we got Justin turnstile Britt and Paul Richardson with 2 ACL tears already.

 

[McGruff]

I actually think Richardson's 3 cone is pretty accurate. He and Lockett, while similarily sized, are pretty different players.

Richardson has instant acceleration and is straight line fast. He's excellent on flys and screens and drags. Not so good on anything involving turning corners.

Lockett is a footwork and route master. I don't think he's as fast as Paul, but his ability to turn a corner without losing speed is elite. On in's, outs, comeback and double moves, he will kill corner's.

 

[Bobblehead]

Lockette has straight ahead speed, Richardson and Lockett have speed in and out of routes as well as straight line.

Exactly right. One game showed the difference, same route, but Lockett jukes the db and gain 10 yards of separation. Lockette tries to out race and is covered in protection.

 

[jdemps]

I challenge people to go back and watch the Prich tape from last year. The guy is a monster in the intermediate and deep passing game... deep comebacks, deep outs, go routes. He eats up cushion on deep routes like a fat kid eats cake. On top of that, Russ trusts him to highpoint and catch a ball.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-...8/Richardson-catches-32-yard-pass-from-Wilson

Oh, and he knows how to get open and sit in a zone in the scramble drill.

http://www.seahawks.com/video/2014/12/07/russell-wilson-hits-paul-richardson-20-yards

Russ even hits him on a hot route (at 45 sec. sorry about the potato quality.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLfw1Tbj2Jg

This guy is a Seahawks receiver. I know we laugh about Bevell and route concepts, but you'd think No E, Prich, Baldwin, JG and BM would make a pretty damn good 11 personnel group.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I love the idea of going vertical with P-Rich, Lockett and Graham..............that is if our O-line could give Russell more than half a second to throw.

But in THEORY it's a great way to beat the typical 8 men in a box we face on a weekly basis.

 

[McGruff]

One way Richardson beats Lockett (no E) is in the jump ball. Paul high points the ball better than anyone but Kearse. Lockett has struggled in that area.

 

[MysterMatt]

PRich is a fine player, albeit with serious durability questions due to his frame. That said, I don't see much reason to get too excited in the short term. I'm playing a wait-and-see game for now. If he can use his speed to get open quickly, or if Bevell can take advantage of that speed to get other guys open, then hooray! I'm just not holding my breath.

 

[Jville]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/DavisHsuSeattle/status/659049848662962176[/tweet]

Link Edit >>> [urltargetblank]http://espn.go.com/blog/seattle-seahawks/post/_/id/15445/seahawks-wr-paul-richardson-im-definitely-faster[/urltargetblank]

 

[Sgt. Largent]

PRich is a fine player, albeit with serious durability questions due to his frame. That said, I don't see much reason to get too excited in the short term. I'm playing a wait-and-see game for now. If he can use his speed to get open quickly, or if Bevell can take advantage of that speed to get other guys open, then hooray! I'm just not holding my breath.

I agree, that's why I'm excited to see him on the field at the same time as Lockett and Graham, because unlike last year we don't need him to run crossing patterns where he's going to get hurt again.

Three fast receivers? Gonna be hard for teams to defend that.

 

[chris98251]

PRich is a fine player, albeit with serious durability questions due to his frame. That said, I don't see much reason to get too excited in the short term. I'm playing a wait-and-see game for now. If he can use his speed to get open quickly, or if Bevell can take advantage of that speed to get other guys open, then hooray! I'm just not holding my breath.

I agree, that's why I'm excited to see him on the field at the same time as Lockett and Graham, because unlike last year we don't need him to run crossing patterns where he's going to get hurt again.

Three fast receivers? Gonna be hard for teams to defend that.

Only hard if Wilson has time, real easy if he doesn't.

 

[MontanaHawk05]

PRich is a fine player, albeit with serious durability questions due to his frame. That said, I don't see much reason to get too excited in the short term. I'm playing a wait-and-see game for now. If he can use his speed to get open quickly, or if Bevell can take advantage of that speed to get other guys open, then hooray! I'm just not holding my breath.

I agree, that's why I'm excited to see him on the field at the same time as Lockett and Graham, because unlike last year we don't need him to run crossing patterns where he's going to get hurt again.

Three fast receivers? Gonna be hard for teams to defend that.

Only hard if Wilson has time, real easy if he doesn't.

Wilson doesn't need more time than he's getting.

Go watch guys like Brady and Manning. They're famous for getting the ball out before pressure can arrive. Their offensive concepts work, their receivers get open, and their QBs pull the trigger.

I realize Wilson isn't Brady or Manning yet, but the point is, QB and OL are a symbiotic relationship. They benefit each other. And the fact that the last ten Super Bowl winners (including us) have had mediocre to bad OL's suggest that the QB is really the more influential player in this day and age.

 

[chris98251]

PRich is a fine player, albeit with serious durability questions due to his frame. That said, I don't see much reason to get too excited in the short term. I'm playing a wait-and-see game for now. If he can use his speed to get open quickly, or if Bevell can take advantage of that speed to get other guys open, then hooray! I'm just not holding my breath.

I agree, that's why I'm excited to see him on the field at the same time as Lockett and Graham, because unlike last year we don't need him to run crossing patterns where he's going to get hurt again.

Three fast receivers? Gonna be hard for teams to defend that.

Only hard if Wilson has time, real easy if he doesn't.

Wilson doesn't need more time than he's getting.

Go watch guys like Brady and Manning. They're famous for getting the ball out before pressure can arrive. Their offensive concepts work, their receivers get open, and their QBs pull the trigger.

I realize Wilson isn't Brady or Manning yet, but the point is, QB and OL are a symbiotic relationship. They benefit each other. And the fact that the last ten Super Bowl winners (including us) have had mediocre to bad OL's suggest that the QB is really the more influential player in this day and age.

More time as in consistent time, his trust level is now lacking, if he had consistent time that he could count on to throw I think he would see more 3rd and 4th options. I beleive the clock is going 1, 2 , bail out right now. Getting consistent 3 and 4 second windows I think would incrementally increase his success rate and that of our receivers.

Sure your going to have an occational breakdown on the bets lines, but I woud like to see him have those 4 seconds 80 percent of the time at least.

 

[CurryStopstheRuns]

PRich is a fine player, albeit with serious durability questions due to his frame. That said, I don't see much reason to get too excited in the short term. I'm playing a wait-and-see game for now. If he can use his speed to get open quickly, or if Bevell can take advantage of that speed to get other guys open, then hooray! I'm just not holding my breath.

I agree, that's why I'm excited to see him on the field at the same time as Lockett and Graham, because unlike last year we don't need him to run crossing patterns where he's going to get hurt again.

Three fast receivers? Gonna be hard for teams to defend that.

He was hurt on a Go route.

 

[HawKnPeppa]

Let's get back on topic. Richardson helps because he knows the Offense, has great hands, and potentially is another deep threat if his speed hasn't been too damaged by the injury. He made some really clutch catches last season, and Russ was starting to develop some good chemistry with him in the games leading up to his injury.

And for him personally, I'm glad he is able to get back to playing football. It must suck rehabbing an injury when you want to be out on the field. I thought he would be out all year, so I'm happy for him that he has been cleared to play.

Agreed. He adds a dimension that our other WRs can't seem to grasp or execute properly. The advanced short-to-intermediate routes seemed his exclusive domain prior to the injury, although Lockett shows promise in that regard.

 

[Basis4day]

The O-Line has been better (Which is relative), so i think he'll have his opportunities whenever he is activated.

 

[HawKnPeppa]

I don't understand the enthusiasm. The guys who are there aren't even getting the ball enough. Jimmy needs the damned ball. 2 catches against SF? Matthews isn't even getting used. PR doesn't have the same chemistry with RW as Doug and Jermaine. And it will take at least a full season to build it.
PR is a waste of a spot today.
Our most urgent needs are O-Line and Defensive back.

Don't be enthused then.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Problem solved.

How dare you people get excited about another weapon on the team.

 

[WindCityHawk]

PRich is someone Wilson will trust more than Matthews or Lockette, but he won't make a huge dent. We'll keep seeing the same predictable empty-backfield, long-developing, no-hot-options formations on 3rd and long, and Wilson will keep dropping back, looking for someone, and getting buried.

This was my first thought as well. It doesn't matter how good he is if we keep asking him to run a 7-second route and the play breaks down.