Thoughts on Jaylin Lane as a playmaker

If he can get over the dropsies he could be a playmaker.
 
I love we have found a solid return guy who is exciting to watch
 
HOF44 said:
If he can get over the dropsies he could be a playmaker.
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Hard to argue that. He had 3 fumbles last year, and he only managed 16 catches on 32 targets.

On the other hand, you have to love the speed, and if he keeps returning punts for touchdowns he will have a place.
 
I don’t think he’ll ever be much of an offensive playmaker because I don’t think his route-running or ball-tracking ability (never mind his ability to pluck downfield) will ever have him making many big plays. He’d be best used for his YAC ability in the short passing game, I’m not sure why Kliff tried using him downfield last year when that’s not been his game, raw speed isn’t enough.

If he remains a good punt returner, I think we can count that as a win. But he came out of college as a LOS player and Antonio Williams is both better at that AND better downfield, and a more natural receiver and mover, so I’m not sure where that leaves Lane unless we continue to fail to add competitive WR talent the next couple years.
 
Lane came in super raw. He played in a bad offense with a QB in college. Basically, they threw to him short and said, "Do something." I suspect he hasn't ever gotten good coaching so it's not impossible we could see a big jump. It's on him to put on the work though. Is he disciplined enough to pick it all up? Can he get the routes down so much that he's no longer thinking through every route. If that happens, the other stuff may improve too. The question is whether he's dropping because he has bad hands, has difficulty finding the ball, or some other reason.

Seems to me if you can catch punts you probably can catch. We've seen him catch punts easily on the run. He's really natural when facing the ball. So, what can he do to get to the next step? Can he get to the next step?

Long way of saying, I think he can do it if he puts in the work, but I'm not sure putting in the work by itself will be enough.
 
Conn said:
I don’t think he’ll ever be much of an offensive playmaker because I don’t think his route-running or ball-tracking ability (never mind his ability to pluck downfield) will ever have him making many big plays. He’d be best used for his YAC ability in the short passing game, I’m not sure why Kliff tried using him downfield last year when that’s not been his game, raw speed isn’t enough.

If he remains a good punt returner, I think we can count that as a win. But he came out of college as a LOS player and Antonio Williams is both better at that AND better downfield, and a more natural receiver and mover, so I’m not sure where that leaves Lane unless we continue to fail to add competitive WR talent the next couple years.
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I generally agree with you. Though you can have 4 WR sets where you get a ton of speed on the field all at the same time.

Theres a phrase I use at work: the work finds the worthy. If he’s worthy of more playing time, it will find him somehow.

There is also a world where Williams can be good outside as well as inside, where he could, in some situations, slide outside and Lane come in to the slot.

The issue with that is, what happens to McCaffery?

And the answer might be “bye bye.” Which is fine if not somewhat unfortunate.
 
Voice_of_Reason said:
I generally agree with you. Though you can have 4 WR sets where you get a ton of speed on the field all at the same time.

Theres a phrase I use at work: the work finds the worthy. If he’s worthy of more playing time, it will find him somehow.

There is also a world where Williams can be good outside as well as inside, where he could, in some situations, slide outside and Lane come in to the slot.

The issue with that is, what happens to McCaffery?

And the answer might be “bye bye.” Which is fine if not somewhat unfortunate.
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Yeah, I agree with that take about snaps being earned, I’m not worried in the least about these developmental guys being undeservedly buried and have kept up that refrain whenever the topic of developing them comes up. I am not high on them actually doing the developing, but nothing we’re going to do can stunt it if they have that ability in them (assuming good coaching, which I can’t).

You aren’t wrong about 4-WR sets, technically, but outside of the Cardinals (20%) and the Bills (14%) 10 personnel only made up ~4% of all offensive playcalls across the rest of the 30 teams in the league. And we’re definitely leaning more towards the heavier side, we didn’t go 4-WR much under Kliff and that’s who would have done it, if anyone did. And I imagine our weak WR group and massive injuries contributed to that with him. So I don’t expect to see it much at all outside of desperate Hail Mary situations
 
Agreed, but it does demonstrate he has hands.
 
SkinsFTW said:
Carlos Rogers also had hands, which proved to be hands of stone.
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Just to be difficult... It's literally called catching a punt. So, if you are a good punt returner by definition you can catch.
 
burgold said:
Just to be difficult... It's literally called catching a punt. So, if you are a good punt returner by definition you can catch.
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Yup, and Carlos couldn't catch an interception either, even if he had Fred Biletnikoffs stickem all over his hands.


...I think Fred could have caught a pass if it hit the back of hands 🤣
 
burgold said:
Just to be difficult... It's literally called catching a punt. So, if you are a good punt returner by definition you can catch.
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Having a punt fall from the air and landing in your arms is not the same thing as stretching out and plucking the ball out of the air with your fingers.

I can lob a bag of chips from the kitchen to my wife sitting on the couch she's going to catch it 90% of the time if her arms are under it. If I hurl it at her above her shoulders she's never going to make that catch.

Which Lane seemingly has a problem with half of the time.
 
My hope is he can grow new pair of hands and add another weapon to the offense along with his punter returner
 
DWinzit said:
Yup, and Carlos couldn't catch an interception either, even if he had Fred Biletnikoffs stickem all over his hands.


...I think Fred could have caught a pass if it hit the back of hands 🤣
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A lot of scuttlebutt around Rogers and him getting his eyes fixed after he left here... He was in position a lot but the eyesight got the best of him. He went to San Fran and had the same number of INTs in his first year there, than the previous 5 here.


SkinsFTW said:
Having a punt fall from the air and landing in your arms is not the same thing as stretching out and plucking the ball out of the air with your fingers.

I can lob a bag of chips from the kitchen to my wife sitting on the couch she's going to catch it 90% of the time if her arms are under it. If I hurl it at her above her shoulders she's never going to make that catch.

Which Lane seemingly has a problem with half of the time.
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What if you shot that bag of chips 60 feet in the air, then ran as fast as you could at her trying to hit her when she catches it?


Ability to catch requires so many different skills, a lot of which can be developed and refined. Lane had 200+ catches in College. He's got the ability to catch the ball. According to Google, he had 12 drops on 294 targets / 205 catches. As a reference, here's the top 30 highest drop % (it has all pass catchers WR / RB / TE). Some prominent names there... Jameson Willams / Brian Thomas / Jerry Jeudy... all with 10 drops

1785762366994.png
 
Primus Porcus said:
What if you shot that bag of chips 60 feet in the air, then ran as fast as you could at her trying to hit her when she catches it?

View attachment 15254
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If I did that she'd probably lock me out of the bedroom for a couple days.

Your ideas are going to get someone in trouble 😂
 
Also catching a punt you're looking directly at the ball, most routes that wouldn't be the case surely?
 
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