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Expectations For Joe Adams

KendrickPanther

By KendrickPanther,
in Carolina Panthers

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KendrickPanther

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I'm really excited about our drafting of Joe Adams. I think he's an instant upgrade at the Punt Return position but we need to establish realistic expectations for this guy.

Everyone is comparing him to Steve Smith. The way I see it there is very little similar about them. Joe is 2 inches taller and 6 lbs lighter. Steve came into this league .16 seconds faster in the 40. Most importantly of all the scouting report on Joe Adams is he needs to be more physical. Steve is one of the most physically dominating receivers in the league. To me, Steve Smith is a Hall of Fame talent that played under some unfortunate circumstances. To expect that from Joe isn't fair.

I think Joe's greatest asset is his ability to return punts. Find the channels, set up blocks, change directions, and make people miss. My concern is that 4.55 speed. Will he be able to break away from NFL special teams units? At the least I expect an 8 yard per return average. Can he get up to 12 ypr with 4.55 speed?

I think his career will be similar to Steve's in terms of starting on special teams and getting chances on offense later. The question is can he take that next step. We had Ryne Robinson a few years ago who could never live up to expectations.

The other thing Steve had that's impossible to replicate is a nasty chip on his shoulder. Steve is one of the most motivated players I've ever seen.

So I hope for the best but I'm going into this open minded.

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caatfan Newbie

caatfan

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4.55 isn't his best time. He also had a 4.42. And who cares if he can't outrun every special teamer, as long as he knows how to return punts. He obviously does since he had 4 TD's last year. I think he's a winner on ST. We'll see how he does catching the ball against NFL defenses.

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rainwater Newbie

rainwater

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Everyone is comparing him to Steve Smith. The way I see it there is very little similar about them. Joe is 2 inches taller and 6 lbs lighter. Steve came into this league .16 seconds faster in the 40. Most importantly of all the scouting report on Joe Adams is he needs to be more physical. Steve is one of the most physically dominating receivers in the league.

So what you are saying is they are almost the same size and according to most reports, they both have fast game speed (not 40 times). Steve Smith wasn't known as a physically dominating receiver when he came into the league either. In fact, he wasn't even known as being much of a receiver at all. No one is saying he will be Steve Smith. But they are extremely similar in where their game was when they entered the league.

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