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Diontae Johnson is a #1 Receiver

Discussion in 'Steelers Talk' started by Blast Furnace, Jan 13, 2022.

  1. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    Pickens does need more targets, but part of that is on him. He has to run better routes and get open more. Part of the reason Johnson gets so many targets is that he is much better at getting open than anybody else on the team.
     
  2. mikeyg

    mikeyg Well-Known Member

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    he will never run routes like DJ, that is ALL that DJ can do great. Pickens can catch anything thrown in a 10 mi radius to him. THROW IT TO HIM, open or not, throw it to the open shoulder, throw it high (er). Teach him to knock it down if he won't catch it. throw him the ball, OFTEN. in the RZ, throw the old alley-opp to him. He will catch 7/10 of them, IF PICKETT throws it correctly. He should be an unstoppable force. MAKE TEAM double and triple him, that will open up other stuff.
     
  3. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    bottom line is your number 1 receiver has to get the ball in the end zone. at least once a season. :cool:
     
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  4. mikeyg

    mikeyg Well-Known Member

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    remember how close he was in the last game, didn't he get to the 4 yd line or something?

    Poor Diontae....
     
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  5. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    So your solution is to constantly force the ball to a covered receiver? Um, okay....
     
  6. mikeyg

    mikeyg Well-Known Member

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    not exactly, but throw it more, that is for sure.
     
  7. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    Pickens had 78 targets with 4 drops. 56 of those 78 deemed catchable.

    Johnson had 137 targets with 6 drops. 91 deemed catchable.

    I called this back when Johsnon had his 15 drop season, I said then no matter how few drops Johnson has moving forward, he will always be associated with those 15 drops. He’s been among the league fewest drops ever since and still people think he’s dropping 20 passes because as soon as he drops one it gets magnified.

    People will say well he has drops at the worst time. Well, Devante Adams had seven drops, were they good drops? it’s a loss of down with nothing to show for it, none of them are really a good time.

    Now the last playoff game he had two drops, that can’t happen but it’s too small a sample size, they actually need to start getting into the playoffs regularly to see if this will be a problem for Johnson, he does seem to let things get into his head.

    Pickens needs to be a better route runner because like it or not, the QB is going to throw it to the WR thats open and thats usually Johnson. Someone in this thread actually downplayed route running, the silliest thing I ever read. AB’s route running is what made him so great, he didn’t have size or great speed, it was his ability to shake any coverage and get open.
     
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  8. thorn058

    thorn058 Well-Known Member

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    Blast I think his route running which as you pointed out is a great strength was less an issue as the scheme and game plan over utilizing him. By all means if he gets clear then hit the guy but we began to see where teams were attacking him with bracketed coverage because he was the top option. As soon as Canada started calling plays that got Pickens involved and Muth as well as Warren and Harris on the swing routes you saw teams backing off shading coverage to DJ's side. I'm really hoping that in year 2 they allow Pickett to read those coverages and see guys playing 8 yards off of DJ and have him call a quick hit to him as well as hitting him inscribe instead of the catch loop backwards run east and west and turn a 10 yard play into a 4 yarder. But I'm hopelessly optimistic so who knows.
     
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  9. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    2 yard line I believe or there about

    And when he saw a defender he quit trying to hit the end zone slowed up and started to dance

    Hines Ward would have put his shoulder down and drove for the score

    Diontae is a pretty boy not a driven man
     
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  10. S.T.D

    S.T.D Well-Known Member

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    I agree with the Hines Ward part for sure.
     
  11. S.T.D

    S.T.D Well-Known Member

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    I agree, but....they should have waited too pay Him, and He drops the easy ones....that's why they are so magnified......also that running backwards almost every catch $Hite just has to stop.
     
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  12. Steel_Elvis

    Steel_Elvis Staff Member Mod Team

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    Looking at DJ’s current contract on Spotrac, he’s 17th among WRs in annual average. However, his contract is only 32nd among WRs in fully guaranteed dollars. His cap hit is around $16 million for 2023 and 2024. I think it was a great deal structure for the team. After a bunch more WRs sign deals in March, he will probably be around the 20th - 25th in annual average. The only downside for the team is that they’ll be negotiating again after next season if DJ has a big year. I think the odds of DJ being in line for a monster payday are pretty low, but I think the odds of him being “worth” a $16 million cap hit the next 2 seasons is pretty good. I see him as a solid #2 receiver. Not a star, but a guy who could be very productive if Pickett makes a decent year 1 to year 2 improvement.
     
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  13. Wardismvp

    Wardismvp Well-Known Member

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    Folks, we have two receivers on our roster capable of catching.
    90 balls a season, true they must get into the endzone more. I think
    route design has alot to do with not getting into endzone. Why can't our receivers run routes to open areas?
    KP can get them the ball but their always seem to be in contested situations? Why? This is why I wanted a change in OC.
     
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  14. PWP

    PWP Well-Known Member

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    He is not a #1 in my book ..A true #1 is either a bigger stronger type with very strong hands who can high point balls and beat double coverage on a regular basis. DJ is more og the get open in a hurry guy , but he lacks strong hands and does not run like a RB in the open field . I look at him more as a #2 or # 3 because of the skills he is missing ..

    Route running I give him a A .. Catching a C .. Running after the catch a D.. Can he improve of course , but he has a long way to go ..
     
  15. Formerscribe

    Formerscribe Well-Known Member

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    He has actually gotten worse running after the catch. He used to be more decisive and aggressive. He still shows it sometimes, but not often enough.

    Of course, Ward was more physical than most receivers. The guy played a good bit of running back in college, so it's no surprise.
     
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  16. forgotten1

    forgotten1 Well-Known Member

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    On the other hand

    Maybe the defender doesn't give a damn Johnson juked because he'll drop it or catch and run right back towards him.:shrug:
     
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  17. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    Last edited: Feb 11, 2023
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  18. MadtownDruankard

    MadtownDruankard Well-Known Member

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    The lack of TD's IMO is indicative of his weaknesses as a WR. He's not good breaking tackles and getting up field after the catch. He does not have break away speed, His hands are suspect and does not catch contested balls well. WR's that score TD's usually excel at these aspects of the game. So he's good for 10 yard routes if the ball hits him in the body. He's often catching balls standing still in zone coverages - which is fine, he can find holes in zones but his quickness is not good. AB destroyed defenses all of the time doing this. Dude is avg to above avg at most aspects of being a WR. Sure he can catch a lot of balls but with that you would totally expect splash plays. He's a boring WR that's nice to have. So pay him the avg of an NFL WR with his service time. He also has little to no upside at this point of his career.
     
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  19. Blast Furnace

    Blast Furnace Staff Member Mod Team

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    His second season skewers that. The rest of his seasons have been a normal amount of drops.
     
  20. mac daddyo

    mac daddyo Well-Known Member

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    it's not just about the drops. The whole game doesn't add up to being a number one. I like dj but we need a coach to help this kid advance. Not an OC but we need to look at position coach. :cool:
     
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  21. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    Somehow DJ makes me think of Captain Wrongway Peechfuzz from Rocky and Bullwinkle

    300F66EE-8A46-42E3-A5C0-E915E827FDD3.jpeg
     
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  22. forgotten1

    forgotten1 Well-Known Member

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  23. Busman

    Busman

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    This has been brought up before but in fact the stats don't support your statement. He had 6 or 7 drops all year .. If memory serves Kelce had 7 . Some of the top wide receivers in the game had an inordinate amount of drops.
     
  24. jeh1856

    jeh1856 Beer is good

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    So

    DJ is a number 1 pass catching circle jerking route running loser we should teade
     
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  25. james weyandt

    james weyandt Well-Known Member

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    Get Kenny his guy forget dj
     

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