Paul Richardson to season-ending IR.

[SomersetHawk]

Beyond the injuries, Richardson's biggest issues are his slow change of direction and poor route running. He just doesn't get any natural separation on most routes and isn't a physical receiver. Straight-line speed is great though, which makes him a dynamic threat when healthy.

Prich had plenty of change of direction speed and was an excellent route runner for a rookie. I'm really not seeing what you're seeing there. He was Russel's go-to receiver before he hurt his knee and it wasn't because of his straight-line speed cause he wasn't even being utilized as a deep threat. It was his short and intermediate routes which were most effective and getting him his catches. The coaching staff has said as much, too. With Prich they were able to run some double move stuff that the other receivers couldn't run and it was obvious Prich was becoming the 3rd down receiver for Russ and not just a deep threat.

This. Just go check out his @Arizona tape from last season (and not just the catches).

 

[hawknation2015]

Beyond the injuries, Richardson's biggest issues are his slow change of direction and poor route running. He just doesn't get any natural separation on most routes and isn't a physical receiver. Straight-line speed is great though, which makes him a dynamic threat when healthy.

Prich had plenty of change of direction speed and was an excellent route runner for a rookie. I'm really not seeing what you're seeing there. He was Russel's go-to receiver before he hurt his knee and it wasn't because of his straight-line speed cause he wasn't even being utilized as a deep threat. It was his short and intermediate routes which were most effective and getting him his catches. The coaching staff has said as much, too. With Prich they were able to run some double move stuff that the other receivers couldn't run and it was obvious Prich was becoming the 3rd down receiver for Russ and not just a deep threat.

Calling Richardson Russell's "go-to receiver" when he averaged less than two catches a game is a bit much. His snaps per target were terrible, though he did have a few nice plays toward the end of the year. I just don't see the crisp route running or change of direction ability that you see.

To go along with that, Richardson has the 2nd worst 3-cone time of any receiver on the roster:
Doug Baldwin's 3-cone: 6.56
Jermaine Kearse's 3-cone: 6.83
Tyler Lockett's 3-cone: 6.89
Kevin Smith's 3-cone: 6.96
B.J. Daniels' 3-cone: 7.02
Paul Richardson's 3-cone: 7.09

The average time for a receiver is around seven seconds, so Richardson's time was below average. Even TEs Jimmy Graham and Luke Willson were quicker than Richardson. Like Ricardo Lockette, Richardson is another fast straight-line guy who looks really stiff moving laterally or changing directions.

 

[Cyrus12]

Looking like P Rich is a bust pick...Are we drafting a wr again this draft??

 

[seahawkfreak]

At this point Richardson is an injury bust.

The Hawks cannot go into 2016 with Richardson slotted to take a spot. He can only be considered "another guy" and he will need to be pushed fullspeed. No reason to treat him with kids-gloves to keep him healthy in the pre-season just to see him get injured against real opponents.

Next year he actually needs to prove he can stay healthy more than anything

What does this mean exactly? What is your template for when someone is an injury bust? What if he comes back next year for a full season and then gets hurt the season after? Are you saying after this season he is no longer aloud to get hurt or he's cut?

Maxwell and Lane have had numerous injuries and the FO stuck with them. Glad they did. How bout Jordan Hill another injury prone frustration. We are pretty thin at DTs though and the talent is there. Thurmond Simon? Petty thin at CBs too. Marshawn Lynch ( before this year, you know before the Rawls bandwagon)? Glad we stuck with him too. I understand he didn't miss many games but injury prone none the less and still vital to the team. There is a lot of time and investment put into some of these players.

Point is you cannot just get rid of people on a whim. Chances are most are not injury prone. There are so many injuries in the league and it's hard to judge how injury prone someone is. Some get through it. Top tier players are hard to find and hard to get in the NFL. PR is worth being patient for.

 

[kearly]

Beyond the injuries, Richardson's biggest issues are his slow change of direction and poor route running. He just doesn't get any natural separation on most routes and isn't a physical receiver. Straight-line speed is great though, which makes him a dynamic threat when healthy.

Prich had plenty of change of direction speed and was an excellent route runner for a rookie. I'm really not seeing what you're seeing there. He was Russel's go-to receiver before he hurt his knee and it wasn't because of his straight-line speed cause he wasn't even being utilized as a deep threat. It was his short and intermediate routes which were most effective and getting him his catches. The coaching staff has said as much, too. With Prich they were able to run some double move stuff that the other receivers couldn't run and it was obvious Prich was becoming the 3rd down receiver for Russ and not just a deep threat.

That's pretty much how I see it too. Richardson isn't agile in a combine test kind of way, but he cuts on his routes very well and teams have to give him big cushions because of the threat he poses on double moves.

 

[akscoundrel]

Cool thing is, now we will have a compeltely healthy, strong and hungry richardson for next season.

Baldwin, graham, lockett, Richardson, beast/Rawls, Wilson....

We could accomplish anything offensively with that group

Draft o line, corners, d line, etc, and this train keeps a rollin

 

[hawk45]

Hugh Millen's deon butler comparison seems pretty apt so far.

 

[Bigpumpkin]

Cool thing is, now we will have a compeltely healthy, strong and hungry richardson for next season.

Baldwin, graham, lockett, Richardson, beast/Rawls, Wilson....

We could accomplish anything offensively with that group

Draft o line, corners, d line, etc, and this train keeps a rollin

He might not even make it through Pre-season next year.

 

[BigMeach]

This has nothing to do with frame. When you are coming back from a serious injury like ACL you are going to favor it naturally. When you favor an injury you run/walk a little differently and this can cause you to pull or strain a different muscle. It happens all the time in life and sports.

I'm not ready to call him a bust over this, he has too much potential to throw him away over it. The fact that he came back from ACL and had a long reception right off the bat says it all too me.

Take the time you need to get healthy Prich and we'll see you next year.

 

[thegreeninyoureye]

As of now he is a bust. Unless you can stay healthy to show your talents, you are a bust. I hope he proves me wrong.

Still mad we didn't take Allen Robinson who right now is a top 10 WR in the NFL.

Me too!!! Huge Penn State fan He had a monster year his Senior year has great hands and makes the difficult catches. He was there for the taking and we passed did not get then still dont understand now. Guess we wanted a Golden Tate clone which we may have found in Lockett. However Lockett,Baldwin and Robinson yeah that would have been something else.

 

[Rob12]

Paul just needs to get healthy. Train his butt off and be a part of this offense next season. The talent is undoubtedly there. I don't think young players should be given up on due to injury. The bust label is wrong on so many levels.

He has a future here, and I think 2016 will be his coming out party of sorts. I like Kearse, and always have, but I think the team moves on and will expect Paul to fill that role.

He's seen what he needs to do. This is a physical league. I fully believe with a full offseason of training and getting stronger, he can make a big impact.

 

[Rob12]

As of now he is a bust. Unless you can stay healthy to show your talents, you are a bust. I hope he proves me wrong.

Still mad we didn't take Allen Robinson who right now is a top 10 WR in the NFL.

Me too!!! Huge Penn State fan He had a monster year his Senior year has great hands and makes the difficult catches. He was there for the taking and we passed did not get then still dont understand now. Guess we wanted a Golden Tate clone which we may have found in Lockett. However Lockett,Baldwin and Robinson yeah that would have been something else.

Lockett reminds me of Antonio Brown. He's got that type of ceiling. I don't think he's all that much like Golden.

 

[razor150]

I really hope the FO doesn't lose hope in him. WT3 suffered a lot of injuries but hes healthy now and playing great. Richardson is too good to give up on. He will be healthy and come back with a vengeance.

Keeping an injury-prone player while they are on their rookie deal is one thing, but giving a huge raise (which happens on 2nd contracts) to an injury-prone player that hasn't proven dependable is another thing.

Richardson is exactly the kind of player you don't extend

Didn't know Richardson was up for extension already. Wait, he isn't. It also isn't like these injury prone players generally get a lot of money with their 2nd contract anyways. Nothing that has happened to Richardson that says he is injury prone. Pulled hammies happen when players aren't in game shape, as do worse injuries. He is on IR because there isn't enough season left to leave his roster spot open. A lot of players tear their ACL/MCL for a lot of different reasons, and it never has anything to do with slight frames that can't take the punishment. That is the one thing that hasn't been proven yet.

The only reason he is getting called injury prone is because of a narrative people have been talking about since the day he was drafted.

 

[SeaChase]

This sucks. I was hoping he would provide a late spark but it seems that happened without him, Jimmy, and lynch.

 

[marko358]

The only reason he is getting called injury prone is because of a narrative people have been talking about since the day he was drafted.

Injured in college. Injured in rookie NFL season. Injured in 2nd NFL season.

Isn't that the exact definition of injury prone?

 

[jammerhawk]

It usually take full year to completely recover from an ACL injury and for Richardson it was his second injury to the same knee. I expect Richardson back next year and he'll finally be healthy then.

 

[Basis4day]

The only reason he is getting called injury prone is because of a narrative people have been talking about since the day he was drafted.

Injured in college. Injured in rookie NFL season. Injured in 2nd NFL season.

Isn't that the exact definition of injury prone?

There is no such thing as a healthy football player.

 

[Kennedyin92]

Is there really any point in keeping him until next year to see if he actually stays healthy? Why waste the roster spot on a guy who's only marginally effective even when he's in the game? I personally don't understand all of the Richardson love. I wish him the best, but clearly doesn't have the durability for the NFL.

 

[Recon_Hawk]

Is there really any point in keeping him until next year to see if he actually stays healthy? Why waste the roster spot on a guy who's only marginally effective even when he's in the game? I personally don't understand all of the Richardson love. I wish him the best, but clearly doesn't have the durability for the NFL.

Absolutely. The upside of him on the roster playing healthy is worth losing a guy who is most likely a bubble roster guy who might not cut it during the regular season anyway. His career stats don't show it but Richardson was progressing into the #2 WR behind Doug last year before he injured his knee and that was as a rookie. He can be a good player if he stays healthy.