Interesting...Welker credits Soccer...big part of his success

[Hardy Pyle]

http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumors/nfl?page=3

 

Welker reveals secret to Moss

Posted: Thursday May 22, 2008 05:24AM ET

Over the course of his remarkable 112-catch season last year, Wes Welker added a distinguished admirer to what has become a growing legion of boosters - Randy Moss. The two were naturally spending a lot of time together as Patriots receivers, and it wasn't long before Moss started chatting up Welker on some of the finer points of his smooth route-running. How do you get in and out of your cuts so efficiently while running full speed? What helps you find those creases in tight spaces, which is such a key in the NFL passing game these days? Tell me more about your footwork. Welker shared with Moss that he believed his background in soccer was a big part of it. He started playing soccer when he was 4 years old, and continued through his senior year at Heritage Hall High School in Oklahoma City. Welker still keeps a soccer ball close by, and regularly uses it as part of his football training. He juggles it between his feet, not allowing it to touch the ground. Sometimes it's the simple skill of possessing the ball, on the ground, with the bottom of his feet. Or he'll dribble it between his feet as he surges up and down the field, focusing on short, quick cuts.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Ya, that and cheating!

 

[twist_to_open]

I'm sorry. but Moss only loves Moss!

[Ramius]

I'm sorry, but wes welker is one of thr most overrated WRs in the entire league. he's a glorified slot receiver who spent all of last season catching nothing but short dump offs. the guy averaged barely 10 yards per catch, which is the mendoza line for WRs. All of that while lining up with moss too.

[eball]

I'm sorry, but wes welker is one of thr most overrated WRs in the entire league. he's a glorified slot receiver who spent all of last season catching nothing but short dump offs. the guy averaged barely 10 yards per catch, which is the mendoza line for WRs. All of that while lining up with moss too.

I'm glad you posted this, because it's been eating at me as well. Welker is a quick guy, certainly, but his stats were the result of scheme. Does anybody think Welker is quicker than Tasker was, or quicker than a guy on our own roster right now (Roscoe)?

 

Put some legitimate "threats" on the outside, throw in a smart QB, and watch the kind of numbers Parrish would put up catching 5-yard passes.

 

I still look back at the Bills' offensive "gameplans" (if you want to call them that) last year and shake my head in disgust. Fairchild really had no clue.

 

It's nice to read that Welker credits his "moves" to kickball. Super for him.

[My Friends Call Me Tebucky]

A soccer background can be exceptionally helpful for any athlete. Look at some of the South American and European players in the NBA- Manu Ginobili of the Spurs probably couldn't beat me in a 40 yard dash, but nobody can stop him because of his quickness and footwork.

 

And...Welker's a slot receiver...everyone knows that- but he's better at what he does then our two supposed slot aces, Reed and Parrish.

[Hardy Pyle]

I could always see the hint of soccer influence in European hockey players as well.....both for the better and worst!

[Alaska Darin]

I'm glad you posted this, because it's been eating at me as well. Welker is a quick guy, certainly, but his stats were the result of scheme. Does anybody think Welker is quicker than Tasker was, or quicker than a guy on our own roster right now (Roscoe)?

 

Put some legitimate "threats" on the outside, throw in a smart QB, and watch the kind of numbers Parrish would put up catching 5-yard passes.

 

I still look back at the Bills' offensive "gameplans" (if you want to call them that) last year and shake my head in disgust. Fairchild really had no clue.

 

It's nice to read that Welker credits his "moves" to kickball. Super for him.

Parrish would put up about 20 catches before he was done for the year from the hits adding up on him. Welker certainly doesn't possess the quickness or elusiveness of Roscoe but he's about a billion times tougher.

 

Welker is a really good football player and kudos to New England for getting him from Miami for nothing AND using gameplanning to his strengths. I wish our coaches could do that. Of course, if they knew the defense the other teams were running...

[Ramius]

Parrish would put up about 20 catches before he was done for the year from the hits adding up on him. Welker certainly doesn't possess the quickness or elusiveness of Roscoe but he's about a billion times tougher.

 

Welker is a really good football player and kudos to New England for getting him from Miami for nothing AND using gameplanning to his strengths. I wish our coaches could do that. Of course, if they knew the defense the other teams were running...

 

To be fair AD, NE stole welker from miami with a poison pill RFA offer. Of course, miami should have given him the 1st rond tender, but thats another argument for another day.

 

You are correct in that welker is good at what he does (read: slot receiver who catches nothing but glorified dump offs),but he's simply not as good as the media makes him out to be. I'll argue that he's no better than Josh Reed. NE just uses him extremely effectively. Put Reed in welker's position and he'll put up at least the same numbers.

[My Friends Call Me Tebucky]

To be fair AD, NE stole welker from miami with a poison pill RFA offer. Of course, miami should have given him the 1st rond tender, but thats another argument for another day.

 

You are correct in that welker is good at what he does (read: slot receiver who catches nothing but glorified dump offs),but he's simply not as good as the media makes him out to be. I'll argue that he's no better than Josh Reed. NE just uses him extremely effectively. Put Reed in welker's position and he'll put up at least the same numbers.

 

 

I doubt that- and that's not a knock on Reed. Welker is just as tough before the catch, much better against man coverage, and has better hands. Welker's probably not as good as his numbers from last year indicate, but he's as good of a slot receiver as you'll ever see.

[Pete]

Parrish would put up about 20 catches before he was done for the year from the hits adding up on him. Welker certainly doesn't possess the quickness or elusiveness of Roscoe but he's about a billion times tougher.

 

Welker is a really good football player and kudos to New England for getting him from Miami for nothing AND using gameplanning to his strengths. I wish our coaches could do that. Of course, if they knew the defense the other teams were running...

Christiano Ronaldo would beat Roscoe in a 40- while dribblig a soccer ball. Do you wish to argue kickball players are not athletes?

[Alaska Darin]

Christiano Ronaldo would beat Roscoe in a 40- while dribblig a soccer ball. Do you wish to argue kickball players are not athletes?

WTF are you talking about? Do you !@#$ing kickball fans have such low self esteem that you have to invent stuff? Or did you just cite the wrong post?

 

I don't even hate kickball itself. Just the goddamn fans. Guess why.

[ajzepp]

Easy AD...I think Pete's just developed a Pavlovian response that's triggered by your presence in any thread pertaining to the word soccer.

 

On that note, my money's on C.Ronaldo

[KD in CA]

Easy AD...I think Pete's just developed a Pavlovian response that's triggered by your presence in any thread pertaining to the word soccer.

 

On that note, my money's on C.Ronaldo

 

Sorry, the idea that anyone dribbling a soccer ball could outrun a guy with world class speed is

laughable. Maybe this guy just looks fast because at any given time on a soccer field, about 10 guys are standing completely still, 10 more are lightly jogging, and 2 are actually running.

 

Someone here once boasted about soccer players running 6 miles during a game. 6 miles in 90+ minutes? That's 4 miles an hour -- walking speed. I'm 42 and out of shape and could do that easily. Some of you guys really buy into the mythology of the soccer players way too easily.

[ajzepp]

Sorry, the idea that anyone dribbling a soccer ball could outrun a guy with world class speed is

laughable. Maybe this guy just looks fast because at any given time on a soccer field, about 10 guys are standing completely still, 10 more are lightly jogging, and 2 are actually running.

 

Someone here once boasted about soccer players running 6 miles during a game. 6 miles in 90+ minutes? That's 4 miles an hour -- walking speed. I'm 42 and out of shape and could do that easily. Some of you guys really buy into the mythology of the soccer players way too easily.

 

 

C.Ronaldo could probably out-walk Roscoe, too.

[Kelly the Dog]

To be fair AD, NE stole welker from miami with a poison pill RFA offer. Of course, miami should have given him the 1st rond tender, but thats another argument for another day.

 

You are correct in that welker is good at what he does (read: slot receiver who catches nothing but glorified dump offs),but he's simply not as good as the media makes him out to be. I'll argue that he's no better than Josh Reed. NE just uses him extremely effectively. Put Reed in welker's position and he'll put up at least the same numbers.

I have to disagree on that, too. IMO Welker is absolutely terrific and always has been. I think he was easily the best receiver on the Dolphins, too, and that included Chambers and McMichael and Booker. He runs great patterns, catches everything, is fabulous after the catch, tough as hell, great at knowing where the marker is and getting first downs, and getting an extra yard or two when he, terrific return man. What's not to like? Sure it helps to have Randy Moss on the field and Brady throwing 5 yard passes to you, but the fact is, he always gets open, always catches it, always gets the tough yards and did it on the Dolphins, too, they just didn't have anyone to get the ball to him consistently. The 10 ypc issue you refer to is immaterial in my mind since they hardly ever throw the ball downfield to him. It's rather amazing in fact that he averaged 10 ypc with 110 receptions.

[keepthefaith]

I'm sorry, but wes welker is one of thr most overrated WRs in the entire league. he's a glorified slot receiver who spent all of last season catching nothing but short dump offs. the guy averaged barely 10 yards per catch, which is the mendoza line for WRs. All of that while lining up with moss too.

 

112 catches is 112 catches and he averaged over 10 yards per catch. I'll take those numbers. Credit the Patriots for finding a player they thought could help them and then turning that acquisition into a difference maker for their team. That's perfect execution in my book.

[gmac17]

Christiano Ronaldo would beat Roscoe in a 40- while dribblig a soccer ball. Do you wish to argue kickball players are not athletes?

 

even as a soccer fan, this is one of the dumbest things I have read. i hope you aren't serious.

[MDH]

You are correct in that welker is good at what he does (read: slot receiver who catches nothing but glorified dump offs),but he's simply not as good as the media makes him out to be. I'll argue that he's no better than Josh Reed. NE just uses him extremely effectively. Put Reed in welker's position and he'll put up at least the same numbers.

 

Yeah, Reed would be as good as Welker on NE - if he had fantastic hands, ran perfect routes and had a knack for always finding the weak part of a D.

[stuckincincy]

I have to disagree on that, too. IMO Welker is absolutely terrific and always has been. I think he was easily the best receiver on the Dolphins, too, and that included Chambers and McMichael and Booker. He runs great patterns, catches everything, is fabulous after the catch, tough as hell, great at knowing where the marker is and getting first downs, and getting an extra yard or two when he, terrific return man. What's not to like? Sure it helps to have Randy Moss on the field and Brady throwing 5 yard passes to you, but the fact is, he always gets open, always catches it, always gets the tough yards and did it on the Dolphins, too, they just didn't have anyone to get the ball to him consistently. The 10 ypc issue you refer to is immaterial in my mind since they hardly ever throw the ball downfield to him. It's rather amazing in fact that he averaged 10 ypc with 110 receptions.

 

 

Well, I seldom bother to watch a NE or MIA game, but in the few time I've seen him play, he goes over the middle, snares a 1st down pass, secures the ball, then dives for the ground. I can't say I've seen him "tough it out" for extra yards after a reception.