[UPDATE] HTTR24-7; Film Sessions: Leonard Hankerson and Josh Morgan's 2012 Season Targets and Catches (VIDEO)

[SWFLSkins]

It's funny people question Hanks physicality when he obviously blocked well for the run game down the field, one of the precursors for playing time in the Shanahan offense. Maybe this is where Briscoe and Robinson are losing out to Hank. ??

[TSO]

It's funny people question Hanks physicality when he obviously blocked well for the run game down the field, one of the precursors for playing time in the Shanahan offense. Maybe this is where Briscoe and Robinson are losing out to Hank. ??

 

 

Great point. That, and probably his ability to run very nice routes are why they can't beat him.

 

I'd say his blocking is indicative that he IS and CAN BE quite the physical receiver. He just has to apply that same physicality to the act of catching the ball as well as what he does with the ball in his hands.  

[RG3Hunna]

It's funny people question Hanks physicality when he obviously blocked well for the run game down the field, one of the precursors for playing time in the Shanahan offense. Maybe this is where Briscoe and Robinson are losing out to Hank. ??

People question it because it's a valid weakness of his game. Like someone said prior I think that shows that hank can be physical if he wants, but you would have to be naive to think "Physical" when you watch hankerson game tape. Everybody is in agreement the kid is very talented we just wish he were more physical after the catch with the ball in his hands. Hankerson is 6'2 210 and Morgan is 6'1 220 yet Morgan is very physical with the ball in his hands and Hankerson is not so far, but that can change I mean he did bulk up tremendously i'm hearing, so maybe he's ready to get dirty this year.

[bedlamVR]

 

 

 

"I mean look at 4:21 seconds, there's no excuse for that lack of effort after the catch, in order for him to be successful at this level he needs to change that mentality immediately because he does have all the tools to be a #2 for a long time. "

 

This is the kind of thing I am talking about - what some people see on film and it is kind of tainted by pre-conceptions -  In this case 'the preconception is Hankerson is weak, does not fight for  and avoids contact - so when you see 85 Redskins playing you look for examples to re-enforce this preconception ...

 

Looking at the play at 4:21 Hankerson makes a catch going over the middle, the ball is a little high so Hankeson stretches to make the catch and when he comes down the defender is draped over his back with a second player zeroing in, when Hankerson does go to the ground he falls forward .. The play on the tape just before it you see him catching the ball on the sideline breaking two tackles but there is a point when you have to stop and bank the yard you can get - fighting for inches is when you get stood up and the ball puched out ...

 

then the play at 6:50 - to me it looks like Hankerson simply does not anticipate the contact correctly, dips to try and explode though the first tackle but Brown hesitates so the contact doesn't come and Hankerson stumbles ...

[KCClybun]

People question it because it's a valid weakness of his game. Like someone said prior I think that shows that hank can be physical if he wants, but you would have to be naive to think "Physical" when you watch hankerson game tape. Everybody is in agreement the kid is very talented we just wish he were more physical after the catch with the ball in his hands. Hankerson is 6'2 210 and Morgan is 6'1 220 yet Morgan is very physical with the ball in his hands and Hankerson is not so far, but that can change I mean he did bulk up tremendously i'm hearing, so maybe he's ready to get dirty this year.

 

But sometimes I think Josh's physicality comes at a price.

 

When I watch Hank, I see him catch the ball and get up field. I don't think Hank ever loses yards, even though people say he should be more physical.

 

When I watch Morgan, there are times where he'll catch the ball, then instead of turning to get up field, he'll spin in the opposite direction and try and out physical people. But what ends up happening is he loses ground when he spins out and gets pushed towards the sideline.

 

That's what happened on that catch where he got into it with Courtland Finnegan. Josh catches the ball, but rather than get straight up field, he spun to his left and got pushed towards the sideline.

 

So it's a case where, I think Josh figures he can out physical anyone, which he sort of can, but he also gets himself in trouble by not turning and get up field quicker. So not only does he leave yards on the field, but he also loses yards.

[AlvinWaltonIsMyBoy]

I'm glad someone mentioned Hank's blocking on here.  I think he's underrated in this area, and that gets him on the field in Shanny's system.  I remember several instances last year that Morris had big runs, and Hank was locked up on the outside.   I think he takes too much heat for drops, much in the way the Carlos got villified for being stone hands.  Once it becomes perception...

 

Of course, like many said before, he has room to improve.  I have no doubt that he will. 

 

I also think, having watched a lot of his game at Miami, that Hank is one of those guys that is "sneaky" productive.  He looks a little stilted (moreso after his injury), and his long strides make it look like he's not very fast, etc.  But the guy kept getting open, and he kept making plays, and he kept breaking records...some of which were around for a long time.  I have no doubt that we'll see him flash a good deal this year. 

 

I think Hank is a player and a valuable piece.  We are setting up for a nice run in DC, and I wouldn't be shocked if Hank Time was around for the whole show.

[RG3Hunna]

 

 

 

"I mean look at 4:21 seconds, there's no excuse for that lack of effort after the catch, in order for him to be successful at this level he needs to change that mentality immediately because he does have all the tools to be a #2 for a long time. "

 

This is the kind of thing I am talking about - what some people see on film and it is kind of tainted by pre-conceptions -  In this case 'the preconception is Hankerson is weak, does not fight for  and avoids contact - so when you see 85 Redskins playing you look for examples to re-enforce this preconception ...

 

Looking at the play at 4:21 Hankerson makes a catch going over the middle, the ball is a little high so Hankeson stretches to make the catch and when he comes down the defender is draped over his back with a second player zeroing in, when Hankerson does go to the ground he falls forward .. The play on the tape just before it you see him catching the ball on the sideline breaking two tackles but there is a point when you have to stop and bank the yard you can get - fighting for inches is when you get stood up and the ball puched out ...

 

then the play at 6:50 - to me it looks like Hankerson simply does not anticipate the contact correctly, dips to try and explode though the first tackle but Brown hesitates so the contact doesn't come and Hankerson stumbles ...

I think you're talking about the play prior, i'm talking about the play where it was 4th and 3 he catches it with absolutely zero defenders around him and just falls down, happy with the catch but makes no effort for anymore yards. 

[RG3Hunna]

But sometimes I think Josh's physicality comes at a price.

 

When I watch Hank, I see him catch the ball and get up field. I don't think Hank ever loses yards, even though people say he should be more physical.

 

When I watch Morgan, there are times where he'll catch the ball, then instead of turning to get up field, he'll spin in the opposite direction and try and out physical people. But what ends up happening is he loses ground when he spins out and gets pushed towards the sideline.

 

That's what happened on that catch where he got into it with Courtland Finnegan. Josh catches the ball, but rather than get straight up field, he spun to his left and got pushed towards the sideline.

 

So it's a case where, I think Josh figures he can out physical anyone, which he sort of can, but he also gets himself in trouble by not turning and get up field quicker. So not only does he leave yards on the field, but he also loses yards.

I understand where you're coming and I agree that's a huge gripe I have with josh as well. 

[SWFLSkins]

People question it because it's a valid weakness of his game. Like someone said prior I think that shows that hank can be physical if he wants, but you would have to be naive to think "Physical" when you watch hankerson game tape. Everybody is in agreement the kid is very talented we just wish he were more physical after the catch with the ball in his hands. Hankerson is 6'2 210 and Morgan is 6'1 220 yet Morgan is very physical with the ball in his hands and Hankerson is not so far, but that can change I mean he did bulk up tremendously i'm hearing, so maybe he's ready to get dirty this year.

But you are only gauging that based on the passing game, not keying in on the blocking on running plays. Hank would not have beaten anyone out if his run blocking was weak. 

[Bishop Hammer]

Hankerson looked ok at times last year. This season will be very telling about his future with the team.

[Wyvern]

NLC - I liked the discussion on Post #48 -- when you and Submitted One talked through the same points that I meant to raise.

 

I think that Thomas -- even on a poorly designed safety valve pass -- could get more YAC than Hankerson did, simply by struggling through tackles.  Overall, Hankerson was showing a lot more 'fit' in the controlled passing game Shanahan was trying.  Candidly, Hankerson 2012's  precision performance over the middle, made him a good possession receiver, and Thomas never showed that level of disciplined route-running..  That said, Thomas set a very low bar,I'd expect more from Hankerson, than simply reliably running 15-yard precision routes over the middle.  I didn't see that much consistency in anything else Hankerson did.. 

 

Not excusing Thomas, but when comparing young receivers, keep in mind the quality of their receivers coaching.  Stan Hixon was a very poor WRs coach, and Thomas never really got coached up.

 

Bottom Line:  I think Hankerson 2012 was playing through his injuries, and we haven't seen what he can really do.  That said, what he showed in 2012 won't nail down a #2 WR slot.  2013 is his third year in the league and a year when WRs traditionally step up their game or fade into a backup/journeyman role.  Time will tell what Hankerson can bring to the team. 

[DogofWar1]

I've mentioned this in a few other threads when talking about our receiving corp, but Hankerson is just getting his first full offseason now. In 2011 we had the lockout, and in 2012 he was healing from injury.

 

Getting over the mental barrier to trusting your body to take that hit can be the toughest thing for some athletes, and that might be why he doesn't fight for YAC as much.

 

The thing is, he's got the route running thing down pretty well.  His hands are decent, though they could be better.  If he starts getting willing to fight through contact more, he could be a very dangerous young receiver.

 

If I had to pick between him improving or him staying flat, I'd go with him improving.  In the words of Sinatra, the best is yet to come.

[Wyvern]

I agree with Dogof War1 -- but the bar for #2 WR is getting higher.  Hankerson is going to have to show a lot more than he did in 2o12, or he"ll lose out to Morgan.

[End2round2sanders]

I like the Morgan footage. He doesn't shy away from contact, and besides the Carolina game, I liked the way he played. He is an emotional player, we saw how it cost us in the Rams game, but he can also make plays that can ignite an offense..He can't get great separation though without the PA pass, but is a decent runner in the open field especially when he catches those passes behind the line of scrimmage and has to follow blockers.

 

I wish Hankerson had his kind of drive when he caught the ball

 

 

Also great job with the editing, I'm sure it took a while, but well done. Keep it up.

[theshow84]

Hankerson as a #4 still put up good numbers, give him time and he will show why he broke all those records from The U

[bedlamVR]

I kind of do agree that Hankerson has to improve his body control - there are incidents where he seems to fall overhimself when turning upfield after the catch - like the 4th and 3 catch in which he is critized for not trying to get the extra yardage, as he turns up the field he seems to stumble and collapse, although there are improvements on this as he goes through the season ...

 

Morgan is not without his flaws, and although i do like his physicality he has too many mental breakdowns where he will draw a penalty that kills a drive, or brings back a score .. he seems more tentative going over the middle, doesn't stretch out to make the catches properly and there are an awful lot of tipped balls coming off his hands . What he does remind me of is a younger Santana Moss who is deadly on the bubble screens and the dump off passes where he can attack the secondary in front of him but struggles to be consistent .

 

The other thing that bothers me is the fact he gets stood up too easily on the first contact and while he is fighting for inches he is getting pushed back and giving the 2 and 3rd defender a shot on the ball - and if that is identified as a tendancy then it is going to be something that results in turnovers ...

 

Morgans PT seemed to diminish later in the second half of the season and that might be down to the injuries Morgan sustained or Garcon coming back but at the same time Moss and Hankerson stepped up .

 

There is this idea that Morgan is clearly the better player but is being held off the field because of some ego aspect of the  Shanahans who favor Hankerson because he was a Shanahan drafted player, but Morgan is counting for nearly 10X as much as Hankerson in terms of salary and is in a make or break crunch season where he has to make more of an impact or be gone because there is no way he is seeing that 10million next year ...

 

I really like the WR core we have at the moment and I hope Hankerson, Morgan and others are hear for years to come - we have come a long way from the likes of David Patten and his 236 yards contribution as the second WR as this offense develops I will be interested to see who steps up ... I may be over defensive of Hankerson partly because he was labelled in the first preseason game as Stankerson and some people never gave him a chance .. I would have liked us to get a WR in the draft but it would have been hard to justify taking one early with the other needs especially in the secondary and a WR was going struggle to get playing time ...

[Gurgeh]

Hankerson got better as the season progressed, which is exactly what you'd want to see at this point in his development. We haven't reached the point yet where he isn't improving; as others have said, this year is going to be crucial for him.

 

I like Morgan's toughness, but I wonder if he's as already good as he's going to get. It's hard to say how much the various injuries hampered him, and it's a concern going forward if he continues to collect them.

[Pedro]

Some guys are all twitch muscles firing all over the body (including the face), growling and snorting, pawing the ground like a Ray Lewis.  That's not Hankerson.  He runs smoothly, just the muscles needed firing.  Precise and under control physically and mentally.

 

When he run blocks he knows and follows through on his assignment with physicality enough to pass for a WR.  He goes over the middle and goes up with both hands to get the ball.  He knows the play and what he might be getting so we know he's not afraid.  Where he's still learning is when to go straight down, not lose the first down or get stripped etc and when to keep going.

 

This season we should have Garcon and Morgan at 100% for the first time since they got here, we will have a strong running game again and also likely a potent TE threat too.  Griffin has a year in the system and on the field, everything is set for Hankerson to show well.

 

Hopefully he has some of the same mojo he had, when playing back in Miami, on a weekly basis as his confidence grows.  If he does he will be around for a long time because he's a finesse player with size and strength.  

[SWFLSkins]

Hankerson as a #4 still put up good numbers, give him time and he will show why he broke all those records from The U

 

 

HE was the number three WR on the team and the numbers were close from top to bottom. I like what Wyvern posted and I think that he is healthier and I like him being challenge this year to get better. 

[SWFLSkins]

The other thing I keep mentioning is this fact, there are only so many balls to go around. When you put Davis, Reed, Moss and a healthy Morgan with Garcon how many catches and yards are really available for Hank to blow up? Or is it reasonable to trust in Shanny for who he needs when he needs them? 

[DC9]

Well done, NLC.  This is great.

 

One thing is for sure, in watching these clips... we have two very good quarterback, lol.

 

I'm a big fan of both Morgan and Hankerson.  It's clear that Morgan is targeted and expected to be used for his YAC.  Hankerson is more of a possession guy who can wiggle and use his body.

 

I'm a huge fan of both of these guys, and I suspect we'll see more from both of them this year with a healthy Fred Davis and the new rookie... not to mention the evolution of the offense.

 

Thanks again for the videos, I know that **** takes forever.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

Cali do you have PFF? I used to have their WR rankings saved but lost it in the coversion.

 

Not anymore. Love their premium stats, though...

[Momma There Goes That Man]

The other thing I keep mentioning is this fact, there are only so many balls to go around. When you put Davis, Reed, Moss and a healthy Morgan with Garcon how many catches and yards are really available for Hank to blow up? Or is it reasonable to trust in Shanny for who he needs when he needs them? 

 

That's why I don't care about stats I just look for solid improvement and more consistency out of Hankerson to determine how he is coming along rather than hoping for a big stat or "breakout" year. I don't think any of our guys will really have that outside of maybe Garcon, but that doesn't mean they all can't be awesome and very effective for us. 

[RG3Hunna]

But you are only gauging that based on the passing game, not keying in on the blocking on running plays. Hank would not have beaten anyone out if his run blocking was weak. 

I've stated I like hankerson, I also like his blocking however if he wants to take his game to the next level he's going to need to become more physical going for the catch and with the ball in his hands. You can not survive in the NFL these days without being physical unless you possess groundbreaking speed or quickness. My only concern was how soft he is after the catch and fighting for the catch. Think about it, if Hankerson became half as physical as Morgan he would have the #2 spot in a choke hold because he's got great size, solid route runner, pretty good hands and he can block. His problem is how soft he is going for the ball and after the catch, but the muscle gain over the off-season should help resolve that problem I think. 

[emor09]

I forgot about Hankerson's 4th and 3 catch at 4:25. I LOVE the fake QB draw play call.