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Welcome to the Steelers Darnell Washington

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by dirty, Apr 28, 2023.

  1. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    Sometimes guys have a great average per catch because the defense is paying attention to everybody else. Given the relatively few targets Washington got at Georgia, that is a big part of it with him.
     
  2. SteelersFan369

    SteelersFan369 Well-Known Member

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    I'm not sure about that. There were 22 Georgia players that caught passes in 2022, and he was the 5th highest total at 28

    Washington was 2nd on the team in yards per catch, the 1st place holder was greased lightning

    # 1 - Arian Smith, WR, Georgia 4.28 40, 7 catches 28.3 avg, 2024 draft

    #2 - Darrel Washington 28 catches 16.2 avg
     
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  3. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    Smith barely touched the ball. Seven receptions is such a small sample size that it really isn't worth considering. The point is that defenses were paying a lot more attention to Georgia's other weapons, especially Bowers.
     
  4. oldschool

    oldschool Well-Known Member

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    Like they likely will with Muth in Pittsburgh.

    If he catches just a few chunk targets per game, every time this mountain sheds a block or plain just runs a pattern, defenses will have to adjust to this moving behemoth or pay the price that his 4.6 speed, wingspan and 11’ hands provide. Or the other receivers get open too.

    This upgraded offensive line should give Pickett and second or so to process his options.

    Most of us will continue with the excitement of what is inside the extra large gift beneith the tree has under the paper. A big wheel in a box made me just as happy as child and maybe more than the smaller gaming console (that I never got).

    I’m not tempering my expectations, because he he’s only showed on any tape I’ve seen, to be exactly what is there, and not what isn’t. When given the opportunity to perform he did. Not sure his stats will suffer with this Steelers team that also has plenty of other weapons that defenses will need to also remain keyed on. Everyone will eat. He just brought bigger plates to town for them to all feast from.

    Keep these articles coming, I like reading the same sentiments over and over, just like just before the draft. I have only seen a few that kinda piss on the parade. I’m going with the masses on this one.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2023
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  5. oldschool

    oldschool Well-Known Member

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    FFF6C417-6B65-4F8B-80DD-F2C65388F62E.jpeg
     
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  6. oldschool

    oldschool Well-Known Member

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    Look at those pretty knees! They make me weak, not him….
     
  7. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    The masses, at least the knowledgeable ones, aren't talking about this guy being an impact receiver. They are talking about him as a blocker with the occasional reception, not some huge weapon as a receiver.
     
  8. oldschool

    oldschool Well-Known Member

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    Oh boy, I’m not going through this again. We are reading some different things in the reports. At this point they are countless. It’s not JUST his receptions that count, but how it impacts and opens things up everywhere on an offense for everyone else. When he gets his he gets his. I’m believing it will be more and more as he develops in the pros. Again, when he eats they all eat.

    I’m just glad he’s not on the Bengals and we’d have to try and deal with him. That was as much a fear of mine as much as I wanted him on the Steelers.
     
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  9. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    I was far more concerned about them getting Mayer, a better, more complete player.

    I'm fairly certain they were very happy the Steelers passed on Battle so they could take him. They needed the help at safety.
     
  10. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    Great. Now show the drops from while he was at Georgia. He had a problem with those. Or show the simplistic route tree. Or pay attention to the video of one of his touchdowns, when he was left alone in the end zone because the defense was focused on Bowers.

    Don't get me wrong. He's a great value. He is going to help the run game with his blocking. He will make defenses pay for ignoring him, and as long as he learns to stop trying to hurdle defenders, he can be a dangerous runner after the catch. I just think we need to temper expectations as a receiver and not assume he was some 60-catch monster if only Bowers hadn't been there soaking up so many receptions. The guy mostly relies on being ignored in the coverage scheme or making combat catches. That is based on his highlights, which should showcase the best of him. They don't even show the plays he failed to make.

    Give me guys who can actually run a route and get open with some consistency.
     
  11. oldschool

    oldschool Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, we will continue to disagree on that. They each excelled at a different function of the position at their program. The same or similar writers expounded on both (and more) tight ends. Values were placed.

    Then I watched *highlight tape* because I’m not studying every play game tape as a living. So, from each players best tape/highlights, and considering their roll in their program and the opponents they faced, plus their measurables, I liked what I saw from Washington in totality much more than the other available Tight Ends and players .

    Washington looked better to me all around and actually in each major function. Yeah, maybe Mayer had more varied routs. But that wasn’t enough to sway me.

    Especially as I am comparing what Mayer offers in relation to Muth. They are more comparable players. I don’t think a 2nd Muth is what will make the Steelers better. Washington + Muth is a far more formidable Batman and Robin 1-2 punch. Hence my desire for him above anyone else by a mile.

    If a player just like Washington wasn’t in the draft then I would have been hoping for another position early and not even cared about a TE. I think he alone changes everything from the draft class (after a round 1 LT) in regards to the offense becoming a match-up nightmare for defenses.
     
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  12. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    Mayer isn't a second Freiermuth because he is a much better blocker. He is a better blocker than Washington right now, too, because he is far more technically sound. Washington has more upside in that area, but right now, Mayer is a much better player. As a receiver, he can make combat catches, but do so while running better routes and making plays more consistently than Washington.

    Washington is mostly about what you hope he can do. Mayer has actually shown what he can do.
     
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  13. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    How does that make sense? First of all Mayer is a much better blocker than Muth but having two very good receiving threats that can block is better than one very good receiving threat and one great blocker that offers some receiving capabilities like Washington.

    I hope you are right, I hope Washington is a monster in the passing game because I don’t see a path for him to make much of an impact if he is not. The only path I see for him is if Robinson and Austin flop which opens up the opportunity for Washington to see more work there.

    Pickens
    Johnson
    Austin/Robinson
    Najee/Warren
    Muth

    Lot of mouths to feed, most games Pickett will be throwing 25-30 times. Scraps left for Washington.
     
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  14. oldschool

    oldschool Well-Known Member

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    I can’t and I won’t because I don’t have the time and energy or desire to compile all of that. But maybe since it seems like you’ve done all that work maybe you have it saved to show us.

    Did you study the other TEs bad plays? Anything to gleam from that? Man, if you put in that time then kiddos to you!

    His size, range, and speed make already open to begin with before he gets any separation. His presence helped Bowers, doesn’t explain Bowers or their other weapons, but I think plays a realistic part. I can’t quantify - call it a hunch. I value my hunch, and it’s fine with me that you don’t.

    Leaving him left alone OR him finding soft spots in the defense only strengthens my appreciation of his talents. Can we call those routs?

    Him hurdling twice? Well, a guy of his size and stature being pinned against a sideline and players going low at his knees, maybe going up is the smartest thing for him and his health. Gold star for him.

    “60 catch monster”? I said that??? There you go again misrepresenting.
     
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  15. oldschool

    oldschool Well-Known Member

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    We will see. I can’t be sure of that.
     
  16. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    And that will work perfect here
     
  17. oldschool

    oldschool Well-Known Member

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    Then I guess it’s good that we didn’t get mayor because he would be under used and maybe we shouldn’t have got a tight end at all. Good call.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2023
  18. GoldBurgh

    GoldBurgh Well-Known Member

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  19. SteelersFan369

    SteelersFan369 Well-Known Member

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    How many passing TDs did we get with this crew last season? If he is not a key part of the 3rd and 4 type plays and end zone passes, it's a huge miss by Steelers of talent.
     
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  20. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    I agree, I’ve said before his impact will be felt most in the redzone.

    I’m just wondering where people think the targets are coming from between the 20’s.
     
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  21. S.T.D

    S.T.D Well-Known Member

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    Well worse comes to worse....He can be the next Jason Peters.....He was a TE for the Razorbacks, and well You know the rest....He's probably a future HOF OL Man now.
     
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  22. METALMAN_68

    METALMAN_68 Well-Known Member

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    It's not going to be the quantity of targets for this kid but the quality and timing of them. He is just one more target for Pickett to utilize so I'm not seeing what the issue is. Not sure I really understand the deep dive into exactly how many targets he will get. The kid wants to block, let him block. The kid wants to catch the ball and run with it, let him do that too.
     
  23. SteelersFan369

    SteelersFan369 Well-Known Member

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    That's true. One knock on Washington is he was only the TE2 not the TE1. I don't think they realize who was in front of him and coming out in the 2024 draft.

    One write up...
    Brock Bowers has been the best tight end in college football from the minute he stepped onto Georgia’s campus. As a true freshman, he was both the highest-graded and most valuable tight end in the country according to our wins above-average metric. This past season, he was once again the most valuable tight end and led them all in receiving yards (942), yards after the catch (479) and receiving yards after contact (274).
     
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  24. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    I'm going by what I read and heard about him, that he had some problems with dropped passes and that he needed to refine his blocking technique. He will have a tougher time bullying defenders in the NFL than he did in college.

    He didn't find a soft spot in defenses in the highlights I was talking about. He was left uncovered because the defense focused elsewhere.

    You insisted that his production was limited by the presence of other weapons, which really means he wasn't as good as those other weapons. That number may have been hyperbole, but your implication that he would have done more given the opportunity is dubious at best. Please don't falsely claim that I misrepresented what you wrote previously. That's simply not true.
     
  25. Brice

    Brice Well-Known Member

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    I have to admit, I was looking forward to seeing Washington out there playing with #0 on his Steeler's jersey.

    A little Disappointed that it will not happen.
    upload_2023-5-4_23-53-39.png
     
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