How smart do you have to be to be a great WR in the NFL?

[Kelly the Dog]

This is an extremely interesting article to me. I'm not really sure either way on it. Frankly, I think you don't need a decent Wonderlic to pick up what kind of defense the opposing is playing you, or to learn your responsibilities as a WR. It has to be the position on the field where the least intelligence is required, even if a significant amount is required.

 

I do think it takes WRs a little longer time to explode on the field from college to pros, but it's very debatable as to how much it has to do with intelligence. Learning the game through experience is not the same as intelligence.

 

The really low Wonderlics, however, for a large chunk of the high round failures is something to examine, although it may be just the kind of person who leans toward that position more than anything else.

 

Still, it's interesting to discuss I think. And at the end of the article, even if these scouts quoted seemed to be stating that smarts are needed more than ever in that position, when asked to rate the best WR in the draft, they chose the dudes with the 11 and 7 scores.

 

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/tennessees-patterson-with-plenty-of-talent-and-question-marks-rt9i5uj-203524771.html

 

I just saw the WR wonderlic score thread and this could fit inside it. I don't know why I can't see the delete post option anywhere. Mods can merge this thread into that one.

[BuffOrange]

Not very. Different position, but I remember reading a few yrs ago that dumber CB's were more successful.

[Leelee Phoenix]

Not at all. WRs only have to know how to create separation and catch the ball.

 

The Wonderlic is a poor test of intelligence, anyway.

[zonabb]

The Wonderlic is a poor test of intelligence, anyway.

 

Really, how so? Lots of people say that but no one ever backs it up. Intelligence has been defined in a multitude of ways, including problem-solving (we can agree that those who can solve problems are in most cases more intelligent); the ability to learn; and retaining knowledge.

 

So a test that measures problem-solving

And what you've learned and retained isn't measuring intelligence?

 

It might not be perfect and have some inherent bias like any testing instrument but I says it's a joke misses the point. The point is measure many people to be able to compare them and rank them. And when you look at scores, in particular for high intelligence positions like QB (we can all agree that it's the most mentally tough position on

The field and requires high intelligence, decision making and mental processing skills), you'll see a high correlation between success at QB (if we measure success by championships first ad playoff wins second) and Wonderlic scores, indicating that the test does measure intelligence.

[RK_BillsFan]

The Wonderlic test is a poor test of ability to recognize and react to you're position and surroundings in football. N on gives a dam if you can figure out where train A and train B will collide while going separate speeds on a track in under 10 seconds.

 

I do care if in under 10 seconds you can:

 

1) know what you are supposed to do

2) read the D or O and make an educated guess as to what they are dong

3) make changes according to #2

 

 

Outside of QB, players are pretty much responsible for what... maybe 4 players at a time? Looking up and identifying 4 people does not take the same amount of "intelligence" as:

 

In printing an article of 48,000 words, a printer decides to use two sizes of type. Using the larger type, a printed page contains 1,800 words. Using smaller type, a page contains 2,400 words. The article is allotted 21 full pages in a magazine. How many pages must be in smaller type?

 

To be blatantly honest, i would care more if they could do this game first time around

 

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2267243

[K-9]

This is an extremely interesting article to me. I'm not really sure either way on it. Frankly, I think you don't need a decent Wonderlic to pick up what kind of defense the opposing is playing you, or to learn your responsibilities as a WR. It has to be the position on the field where the least intelligence is required, even if a significant amount is required.

 

In terms of playbook copy to be absorbed, the least amount is by CBs. Not sure if that means anything in terms of intelligence or not but WRs have far more to learn than CBs do anyway.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Kelly the Dog]

In terms of playbook copy to be absorbed, the least amount is by CBs. Not sure if that means anything in terms of intelligence or not but WRs have far more to learn than CBs do anyway.

 

GO BILLS!!!

Maybe, But i'm not sure about that. More often than not, especially on pass plays. all the WR has to know is his own responsibilities. Sometimes the other receiver routes, but very rudimentary stuff. And then may have one key to look for to alter his route. A moron can do that. A CB doesn't have the playbook to memorize like an offensive guy does, but he very often needs to know what other guys, if not the entire defense, are doing on plays when the defense is called, which is a lot tougher and taxing on the brain, IMO

[K-9]

Maybe, But i'm not sure about that. More often than not, especially on pass plays. all the WR has to know is his own responsibilities. Sometimes the other receiver routes, but very rudimentary stuff. And then may have one key to look for to alter his route. A moron can do that. A CB doesn't have the playbook to memorize like an offensive guy does, but he very often needs to know what other guys, if not the entire defense, are doing on plays when the defense is called, which is a lot tougher and taxing on the brain, IMO

 

Offensive playbook is to defensive playbook as torrent is to trickle. WR material is to CB material as thimble-full is to a drop. Nobody has to be a rocket surgeon to play the game, though.

 

But it helps.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Kelly the Dog]

Offensive playbook is to defensive playbook as torrent is to trickle. WR material is to CB material as thimble-full is to a drop. Nobody has to be a rocket surgeon to play the game, though.

 

But it helps.

 

GO BILLS!!!

Of course, but when a QB calls a play, all the WR needs to listen to is the WR portion of that call for the most part, and there are relatively few routes to run. he doesn't really even need to listen to the rest of it. I know that is rather simplistic and not always true, but pretty close.

[Ramius]

AJ Green scored a 10 on the wonderlic. Julio Jones a 15. Andre Johnson a 14. Megatron a 23. Roddy White a 4. Percy Harvin a 12.Vincent Jackson a 33. There doesn't seem to be much correlation between wonderlic and on-field ability/success.