But look at all the pretty colors!!! So pretty. . .

I mean....it'd be great if someone were wide open on every play, but that's obviously not the case. Last year, in particular, our WRs got open at a much lower rate than the top receiving crews.

I think it's ridiculous to claim that Mahomes doesn't like to throw a jump ball. When has he had a WR who could grab one? But apparently you know him better than Veach or Andy.

RAS by itself, sure. But RAS along with his college production? Yeah, he's no slouch.

I really wish RAS didn't quantify. Just tell me how faster it is than the average/mean/median. Don't interpret the data, just give it to me, and I'll draw my own conclusions.

also this is the NFL. don't you come in here with metric bullshit.

RAS is what it is... One tool of comparison and doesn't determine success, but a higher score entails physical traits that may help them be successful.

I don't know. It's a game where an inch can make all of the difference between winning and losing.

I don't think it's the be all end all, but it's another tool.

I see RAS as-what is this kid physically capable of? And the numbers give me the ability to compare at the raw athletic ability level different athletes.

There's a lot more that goes into making a successful football player; like prior coaching, mental make-up, the situation they're being put in, etc.

But for non-QB's, it's pretty useful. More so for some positions then others. Particularly for skill position guys, DE's, LB's, OT's and places like that.

I mean the casual fan ONLY looks at a 40 time when they look at WR's. RAS is certainly more detailed than that.

If he's blowing DeAndre Hopkins out of the water, RAS even in concert with anything else don't mean shit.

It says Rice is 40% more athletic than Hopkins.

I mean...c'mon.

Even strictly as a measure of athleticism, it just doesn't tell you anything. It's a bad composite.

RAS may not mean a lot, but a high score can't be a bad thing.

Probably a stupid question but Is the RAS comparing what each player was at the time of them being drafted? That is how I take it.

OR, it tells us that he's got 5 inches more vertical leap at almost the same size, and has greater capacity for acceleration, judging by his explosion scores and superior splits.

I find it encouraging, because it means that while Hopkins has maximized his potential, Rice has the ability to match or exceed that if he wants it bad enough. He's certainly in a much better situation than Hopkins has EVER been in.

Now, will he? Man, who knows. Reports are that he's got high football intelligence, that body control is indeed special, and he's in the best possible situation but shit happens.

And I see inconsistency in his releases (maybe partly due to the toe) and just some general sloppiness in the details that he could get away with in college that he won't be able to in the pros. Does he WANT to be a star? It's right there for him to take it.



But it's May, and it's the time for hopes and dreams.

But by and large RAS doesn't tell you any of that.

The numbers that go into it do - but the score itself means nothing.

As a clearinghouse for data, it has some use. But as a 'score' it just means nothing. The 'score' element of 'revised athletic score' is where it falls apart. The score means precisely dick because there's just no foundation for meaning. If it meant anything at all, Hopkins wouldn't have even been drafted, let alone drafted high.

It some really bad attempt at creating a WAR for athleticism. It's a lousy algorithm.

And on the subject of 'contested catch' guys-

Man, how many times do we have to watch Chase come down with the ball when we've got a CB right on him? Or Brown in the SB coming down with the ball with TWO Chiefs defenders right there?

I don't know about you, but it's pretty frustrating. Why can't we get a guy like that?

Oh, ok. Now we have one.