Matt Waldman's RSP Cast

Matt Waldman's RSP defines how he grades focus versus contact at the catch point for NFL Draft prospects with the help of a play from Penn State Wide Receiver Parker Washington.   Football Will Always Be A Collision Sport Even if tackle football goes the way of the dodo and the game evolves into a mashup of basketball and flag football, the fundamental aspects of the game will always include bodies moving with high intensity and often in close quarters. Even if unintentional, collisions are an inevitable part of the game. Although the vast majority of collisions take place at the line of scrimmage between linemen and ball carriers, pass catchers are recipients of the most violent collisions in the sport because routes and coverage demand players to build momentum into the point of impact. Pass catchers understand the potential of being on the receiving end of a hit that feels like a car wreck any time they attack a target. The ability to concentrate on the task of completing the catch before protecting oneself from an oncoming hit is the hallmark of a receiver with the physical and mental toughness to compete in the NFL. Even when the contact isn't as violent as a collision and instead, it's a surgically-placed reach, push, or pull at the ball, hands, or arms of the receiver, a pass catcher must display focus and comfort with defender contact at the catch point. Scenarios Requiring Focus The Rookie Scouting Portfolio has four basic scenarios where a receiver must display heightened focus and physical toughness to win the football. * Tight Coverage: A defender has tight coverage on a receiver when he is making contact or he is close enough to make contact or extend his hand into the frame of the receiver. * Contact to the Back: When a defender can slap, push, or hit the receiver from an indirect angle away from the receiver's field of vision that lands on the receiver's side, back, or the back of his legs. * Contact to the Chest: When a defender can slap, push, or hit the receiver from a direct angle within the receiver's field of vision that lands on the receiver's chest, side, or front of his legs. * Hard Shots: Catching the ball against collisions with violent impact have a higher degree of difficulty than other forms of contact. The RSP gives them their own category of value relative to contact that isn't as violent. A hit with notable force from the defender is violent contact and it's generated based on a combination of factors: * Momentum heading into the collision point. * An accurate strike that hits the opponent as intended. * A strike hits through the target point of the opponent's body and not just onto the target. How the receiver or ballcarrier reacts to the hit doesn't define whether the hit is violent. We've seen ballcarriers bounce off violent hits as if they weren't violent at all. What It Looks Like on Film with Penn St. WR Parker Washington https://youtu.be/MOc3dwRKUCk   And of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing ...

A weekly phone conversation between fantasy veterans Bob Harris and Matt Waldman is a quick and dirty run-down of NFL players, units, or teams. https://youtu.be/YiMSSHxH2vQ 1. Treylon Burks ROS 2. Terrace Marshall ROS 3. WanDale Robinson 4. D'andre Swift 5. James Cook 6. Amari Cooper fantasy WR1 with Deshaun Watson? 7. Backup RBs for NFL playoff teams to help fantasy playoff teams--think Samaje Perine 8. Russell Wilson 2023 9. Justin Watson 10. Skyy Moore 11. Najee Harris 12. Quez Watkins 13. Chase Claypool 14. Nico Collins 15. Van Jefferson 16. Logan Thomas 17. Jahan Dotson 18. Antonio Gibson 19. Pat Friermuth 20. Allen Robinson And of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children. 

Footballguys staff writer Adam Harstad joins RSP Film and Data as Matt Waldman’s cohost for the 2022 football season to discuss practices that will make you a better fantasy GM and NFL fan.   There are a lot of excellent writers and analysts in the fantasy industry. There are few that I hold in as high a regard as Adam. He’s a forthright human being with a tremendous intellect whose approach to analysis in this space differs from most. He’s also an excellent fantasy GM in re-draft and dynasty formats. Unlike Dwain McFarland, whose work delves into the statistical process, Adam spends a lot of time examining results and dealing with broad themes of decision-making that help us become better fantasy players and fantasy analysts. This week’s topics: * The Marty Schottenheimer Rant: * Why he should be a Hall of Famer. * A decent guideline for determining worthwhile football stats. * The nerds' slow evolution toward valuing indirect data. * The irony of task-oriented thinkers in analytics judging strategic thinking. * Areas where Schottenheimer was a task-oriented and strategic thinker. * Dented Cans in Dynasty formats: * How to identify these players. * Why value is often gained even before they see the field in an attempt to rebound from their value trough? * Recent examples of dented cans that regained or added value. * Current dented cans to leverage. Of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children. 

Montreal Alouettes’ head of scouting Russ Lande and the RSP’s Matt Waldman discuss the success of Miami Dolphins' quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the Colts' hiring of Jeff Saturday, Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells, Andy Reid, and how it relates to effectively balancing task-oriented management principles with flexible and strategic thinking as an NFL head coach. Topics This week: * The successful marriage of the player and scheme in the case of Tua Tagovailoa shouldn't be a knock on Tagovailoa. * Where teams make mistakes by taking proven players and forcing new tasks on them. * Why many task-oriented coaches fail. * When task-oriented coaches are needed and when they must expand their skill base to reach another level of value. * How owners influenced by the media create a "can't-win" situation for coaching hires if you play their game. * How Bill Walsh's regimes succeeded with a lot of task-oriented principles thanks to the self-scouting of the coaches in action. * Why Bill Parcells might have been a good NBA coach. * Why Andy Reid has a strong balance between task-oriented and strategic thinking. * How Jeff Saturday could potentially change how the NFL hires coaches. * Even if the media and former players and coaches are proven right specifically about Saturday, there's a broader point underscoring the situation where they will remain wrong. And of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children. 

TD Wire's Laurie Fitzpatrick returns to Matt Waldman's RSP Cast for a conversation about NFL teams with the potential to make a stretch run.  Topics * Why do Laurie and Matt like the Patriots' chances to overtake the Jets in the division for a potential third wildcard spot? * The pros and cons of Cleveland's stretch-run potential and why it hinges on Deshaun Watson's acclimation time. * Laurie's pick in the AFC West. * Matt's pick in the AFC South. * Why Laurie believes the Giants are a paper contender and how the NFC East's linebackers will expose New York's passing game. * Why Matt believes the Packers will go the path of Christian Watson's development track, which will be very up and down. * Laurie's thoughts on the 49ers' potential run. And of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children.   

Matt Waldman defines the basics of Transitions in this edition of the RSP NFL Scouting Glossary with the help of a play from Iowa State NFL Draft Prospect, WR Xavier Hutchinson. What Are Transitions? Transitions are the techniques used to change from pass catcher to ball carrier. Effective transitions get receivers downhill in a hurry and help them maximize yardage. Offenses that employ a lot of pass patterns with receivers moving across the field after the break rely heavily on the receiver to execute good transitions. Teams that feature a lot of these patterns in their scheme drafted these receivers for their skills in the open field. Receivers who don't transition effectively aren't optimizing the intent of the pattern, the timing of the target, or the quarterback's placement of the ball relative to the coverage. Even when receivers are running patterns with breaks that terminate with a turn back the quarterback against tight coverage, an effective transition can create space that isn't there at the catch point. There are two simple and valuable rules for effective transitions that help receivers optimize their transition from a pass catcher to a ballcarrier. The Basic Techniques of Transitions * Catch and Pierce: Getting downhill as fast as possible. * Snap turns north-south. * Limit unnecessary steps and make the turn tight and immediate. * Accelerate through and out of the turn. * When possible, use optimal pad level and body lean to anticipate contact and maximize gains through collisions. * Tight ball security. * Obey the Ball: The receiver turns downhill in the direction where the target leads them. * The premise is to trust that the quarterback is acting as the receiver's eyes and placing the ball in the optimal position. * The exception to this premise: When the receiver is aware of the position of the coverage relative to the break and it requires a turn away from the target's placement. * Even when the target isn't accurate and leads the receiver into potential contact that the receiver couldn't anticipate prior to the break, a tight catch and pierce can mitigate contact if not avoid it altogether. What It Looks Like on Film with Iowa St. WR Xavier Hutchinson https://youtu.be/goyGsDGRNXU And of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children. 

A weekly phone conversation between fantasy veterans Bob Harris and Matt Waldman is a quick and dirty run-down of NFL players, units, or teams. https://youtu.be/2JdXXeTSRLg 1. Matt Ryan 2. Jonathan Taylor 3. Parris Campbell 4. Michael Pittman 5. Christian Watson 6. Kadarius Toney 7. WanDale Robinson 9. Julio Jones 10. Rachaad White 11. Donovan Peoples-Jones 12. Cade Otton 13. Ryan Tannehill 14. Isiah Pacheco 15. Kyren Williams 16. Colt McCoy 17. Elijah Mitchell 18. D'Andre Swift 19. David Montgomery 20. Cole Kmet 21. Terrace Marshall And of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children. 

Footballguys staff writer Adam Harstad joins RSP Film and Data as Matt Waldman’s cohost for the 2022 football season to discuss practices that will make you a better fantasy GM and NFL fan.   There are a lot of excellent writers and analysts in the fantasy industry. There are few that I hold in as high a regard as Adam. He’s a forthright human being with a tremendous intellect whose approach to analysis in this space differs from most. He’s also an excellent fantasy GM in re-draft and dynasty formats. Unlike Dwain McFarland, whose work delves into the statistical process, Adam spends a lot of time examining results and dealing with broad themes of decision-making that help us become better fantasy players and fantasy analysts. This week’s topics: * Why touchdowns often follow yardage in the NFL: Adam breaks down the range of yards gained for every touchdown and which players' outputs recently had corrections to return to this range. * Winning in the salary cap environment: We discuss how much surplus value players give in relation to their contracts. Why the bill will eventually come due for Miami with the acquisition of Tyreek Hill (and the player who will have to emerge to prevent them from having to wash dishes in the back of the restaurant to pay the tab)? * The myth that running quarterbacks have more wear and tear: Matt explains why this oft-stated point of analysis, often from retired pocket quarterbacks like Trent Green, lacks merit. We delve into the factors behind the myth, injury data, and a more nuanced way of looking at quarterback styles and development trajectories. * Yards Per Carry Is Mostly Junk Stat: Why long speed and other factors distort a lot of value that the general public holds in this metric. Of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children. 

Campus2Canton’s Felix Sharpe and RSP’s Matt Waldman discuss five tips for excelling in Campus2Canton leagues and five receivers from the 2023 NFL Draft class.   Every other week, Felix @sharpereview of @campus2canton will be joining me to discuss college and NFL talent, many of them underclassmen (Devy). The show will be focused solely on these aspects of fantasy football so you can get familiar with them for your Devy, dynasty, and re-draft leagues. This Week’sTopics * Five tips to excel in Campus2Canton leagues. * Stanford's Elijah Higgins' use of his size intrigues Matt. * Depending on their application, Rakim Jarrett's hand usage is both his strength and his flaw. * Is Parker Washington's NFL ceiling closer to Josh Reed or David Bell? * Why is Matt a fan of Xavier Hutchinson? * The NFL receivers that Matt and Felix compare with Jordan Addison. * Matt's ambivalence with a behavior Addison displayed that will be valued underscores a problematic aspect of scouting talent. And of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children. 

Matt Waldman's RSP NFL Scouting Glossary defines three facets of finishing routes with NFL Draft prospect, wide receiver Zay Flowers of Boston College.  The Finish Is the Third Phase of Route Running in Football The Rookie Scouting Portfolio scouting criteria for route running separates the process into three phases: * The Release: When the receiver leaves the line of scrimmage and begins his route. * The Stem/Setup:  The path the receiver takes and the choices he makes to set up his break. * The Finish: The receiver's change of direction at the top of the stem (the break) and his position and his path taken to optimize his availability for the quarterback to target him. Although the best routes are routes where the receiver wins separation in the early phases of the pattern, the quarterback is not always in a position or situation to locate the receiver and deliver a viable target. How well a receiver finishes his route can be the difference in the outcome of the play. There are three facets of finishing routes that a receiver can execute to optimize the effectiveness of a passing play: finishing friendly, running away from the defender, and re-routing when the first break doesn't generate a target. Finishing Friendly Although many routes are choreographed so the quarterback throws the ball to an anticipated location of where the receiver will be when the ball arrives, there are also many routes where the quarterback doesn't begin his throw until the receiver has finished his break. This may have to do with the quarterback moving from one potential target choice to another and often while navigating his away around defenders trying to tackle him or fill his passing lane. There are a variety of factors that may disrupt a quarterback's timing or alter his choices. One of the most important things a receiver can to do aid his quarterback in these scenarios is to finish friendly: * Turn the chest and pads toward the quarterback out of the break. * Turn the head to the quarterback. Finishing friendly maximizes the visual size of the target and this is important for a quarterback operating from a crowded area. This is especially true when pressure forces a quarterback to drop his eyes from what's happening downfield to avoid imminent danger and then refocus on potential targets. There are a lot of bodies moving in space at a high rate of speed in a short period of time. The more a receiver can position himself to make the target easier, the better the quarterback's chances of delivering an accurate throw. Running Away from the Defender Regardless of the direction in that a route breaks, the receiver must be mindful of executing a break that will maximize the space between himself and the nearest defenders in the area. This is easier to do when a break requires the receiver to continue moving at a high rate of speed. It's still vital for a receiver to continue working away from defenders when running routes with a break that requires a 180-degree turn out of a sudden stop — a stop executed after the receiver has been accelerating downfield. Although the receiver may not re-accelerate to full speed from such a break, continuing to move away from the trailing defender with a friendly finishing position with the head and chest facing the quarterback also optimizes the potential for the receiver to earn the target. Re-Routing There's a point of diminishing returns with a route break where the coverage catches up to the receiver or the quarterback cannot make the throw due to pressure that forces him to avoid defenders. The receiver must understand when this is happening and work his way to an open area of the field where his quarterback has a reasonable chance of targeting him.

A weekly phone conversation between fantasy veterans Bob Harris and Matt Waldman is a quick and dirty run-down of NFL players, units, or teams. https://youtu.be/1mOFE-GcKkQ 1. Patrick Mahomes HOF, if his career ended today. 2. Malik Willis's fantasy value short/long-term? 3. Justin Fields top-5 QB by year's end? 4. Denzel Mims's bye-week appeal? 5. Michael Carter 6. Jeff Wilson 7. Raheem Mostert 8. Julio Jones 9. T.J. Hockenson top-3 TE rest of the season? 10. Dameon Pierce over Jonathan Taylor ROS? 11. Kadarius Toney this year? 12. Tyler Allgeier 13. Rhamondre STevenson an RB1 ROS? 14. James Conner 15. Zach Ertz top 3 TE 16. Does anyone other than Davante Adams or Josh Jacobs have fantasy value in Vegas? 17. Aaron Rodgers ROS? 18. Jamaal Willams > D'Andre Swift ROS? 19. Could you and I sack Sam Ehlinger at least once with that colts' OL? And of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children. 

Footballguys staff writer Adam Harstad joins RSP Film and Data as Matt Waldman’s cohost for the 2022 football season to discuss practices that will make you a better fantasy GM and NFL fan. There are a lot of excellent writers and analysts in the fantasy industry. There are few that I hold in as high a regard as Adam. He’s a forthright human being with a tremendous intellect whose approach to analysis in this space differs from most. He’s also an excellent fantasy GM in re-draft and dynasty formats. Unlike Dwain McFarland, whose work delves into the statistical process, Adam spends a lot of time examining results and dealing with broad themes of decision-making that help us become better fantasy players and fantasy analysts. This week’s topics: * Tight Ends Aren't Real: The prototype the league and the public envision for a tight end rarely exists in a sustainable fashion. * The financials * The high hit rate with scouting * Why tight end is virtually an impossible position to perform to its prototypical expectation. * Tight ends who were the rare prototypes and why they are problematic producers. * Current tight ends whose skills are a notch below the prototypical prospect. * Why dynasty rankings are just 90% time-delayed, age-adjusted redraft production. * Gabriel Davis' value serves as an example. * Ways you can exploit this in dynasty leagues. * Comparing and contrasting Adam and Matt's polar opposite dynasty GM styles. Of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children. 

Montreal Alouettes’ head of scouting Russ Lande and the RSP’s Matt Waldman go position-by-position and discuss productive NFL players who fit or don’t fit our desired archetypes at each position. https://youtu.be/pC5VVQYFYNs This week: * What makes a good leader at the quarterback position? * Where are the critiques of Russell Wilson fair/unfair? * Why are onsite visits to scout quarterbacks vital? * A behavior/trait where NFL evaluators are prone to overreacting when interviewing quarterbacks. * Why we're sold on the Vikings' acquisition of T.J. Hockenson. * Why do we love the Christian McCaffrey trade for both sides but agree there's a legitimate trap door for John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan? * The potential win-win-win for the Giants-Chiefs-Toney, but which of the three wins is the shakiest? * Why aren't we sold on the Chase Claypool deal for the Bears? * Why we're bullish on the Robert Quinn and Bradley Chubb deals, especially with the Jeff Wilson throw-in for Miami. * Why did the Colts go with Sam Ehlinger over Matt Ryan? * Why we're puzzled the Colts fired Marcus Brady and what it might mean. And of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children. 

  TD Wire’s Laurie Fitzpatrick returns to Matt Waldman’s RSP Quick Game in Week 9 to deliver first-semester report cards on NFL tight ends and wide receivers, including thoughts on T.J. Hockenson and Chase Claypool.  Topics: * Thoughts on the T.J. Hockenson trade. * Thoughts on Chase Claypool and what he could do with a new team, just prior to his trade to the Bears. * Struggling WRs and TEs that we expect to improve as the season progresses. * WRs and TEs that are emerging and are for real. * Promising WRs and TEs on the horizon. And of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children. 

Matt Waldman defines the basic concepts of route running against zone coverage in this edition of the RSP NFL Scouting Glossary with the help of a play from North Carolina NFL Draft Prospect, WR Josh Downs. Zone Routes Are A Different Animal Most conversations about route-running are devoted to beating defenders playing one-on-one against a receiver. Zone coverage is a significant part of defensive football and there's more to it than simply finding an open spot. Receivers have to see the coverage the same as their quarterback. They also have to understand how to manipulate the position of defenders to create open spots, maximize the potential space within that open area, and communicate in a timely and accurate manner to the quarterback that they are open and ready for the football. The Basic Techniques of Zone Routes * Scanning the Field. * Identifying the potential coverage triangles of defenders that will factor into the route. * Identifying the defender in the second level of the field: * A shallow safety. * A dropping defensive lineman. * A linebacker in the shallow or intermediate. * A cornerback playing the shallow/intermediate zone. * Building to Depth: Stretching the coverage to create a wide-enough hole in the zone. * Widening the position of defenders with the initial path (stem) of the route. * Working to an appropriate depth to force defenders playing deep to retreat or play on their heels. * Throttling Down to the Appropriate Spot: * Identifying when the defender is presenting favorable leverage for the receiver to make his break. * Snapping the turn of the break so the change of direction and pace is sudden to maximize separation. * Turning the head and chest to make a friendly target with the quarterback. * Tempo the Break: * Adjusting whether to throttle down to a specific spot or slowing the pace of a moving break based on the route and the position of defenders in the coverage triangle. * The objective is not to run into another defender's area and give him room to undercut or cut off the target. * Showing the Eyes at the Right Moment: The eyes communicate to the quarterback back when you're ready for the ball. What It Looks Like on Film with UNC WR Josh Downs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK_yoIO5B3w&list=PLX1Nx57UJgZnFoNiGj7K9qxCSXZVMtENm&index=9&t=252s And of course, if you want to know about the rookies from this draft class, you will find the most in-depth analysis of offensive skill players available (QB, RB, WR, and TE), with the 2022 Rookie Scouting Portfolio for $21.95.  Matt’s new RSP Dynasty Rankings and Two-Year Projections Package is available for $24.95 If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   If you’re a fantasy owner and interested in purchasing past publications for $9.95 each, the 2012-2020 RSPs also have a Post-Draft Add-on that’s included at no additional charge.   Best yet, proceeds from sales are set aside for a year-end donation to Darkness to Light to combat the sexual abuse of children.