Contact: [email protected]
  Backyard Banter
  • Home
  • Backyard Banter Podcast
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 54: Kyle Crabbs - Build my own chair at the table
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 53: James Koh - Divorce the information from emotion
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 52: Will Brinson - That's how it'll have to be
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 51: Charles McDonald - Not an escape from reality
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 50: What you've learned - For you, by you
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 49: Jourdan Rodrigue - Let's see what you think then
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 48: Justin Twell - Long process to come back
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 47: Justin Lonero - It's time to relearn life
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 46: Scott Bischoff - Life presented the greatest challenge possible
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 45: Al Zeidenfeld - Little steps along the way
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 44: Jason Romano - Just a different dream
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 43: Matt Harmon - But here we are (Season 1 finale)
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 42: Gregg Rosenthal - I have to make it work or else
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 41: Jon Moore - Determiner of what I want
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 40: Uncle Chaps - Just have fun with it
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 39: Bob Harris - The best addiction I've ever had
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 38: Scott Fish - Everybody working together to make this big
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 37: Jene Bramel - Ask the questions you want answered
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 36: Mike Tagliere - Never going to leave this candy store
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 35: Ben Cummins - Starting at ground zero
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 34: Field Yates - It's the nature of what we do
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 33: Chris Heil - I gave it everything I had
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 32: Sal Stefanile - Just make them notice you
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 31: Adam Levitan - Accept an alternate lifestyle
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 30: Matthew Freedman - It's not built for everyone
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 29: George Kritikos - If your heart's not in it people notice
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 28: Marcas Grant - Certainly never expected this
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 27: Steve Palazzolo - I understand the questions that come
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 26: Matt Miller - To build bridges not burn them
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 25: Graham Barfield - A human game played by humans
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 24: Pat Daugherty - I just said yes to everything
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 23: Eric Galko - There's always work to be done
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 22: TJ Hernandez - In some roundabout way
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 21: Alex Gelhar - Homework for the rest of your life
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 20: The Fantasy Footballers - Because we were fans
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 19: Jessica Kleinschmidt - The scariest person you deal with is yourself
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 18: Evan Silva - A willingness to work hard
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 17: Jeff Risdon - It's hard to be in the middle
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 16: Cecil Lammey - Because I didn't ask for anything
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 15: Patrick Claybon - If you shine people will see you
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 14: Denny Carter - People want to know you
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 13: Adam Rank - Honestly just don't go away
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 12: Adam Pfeifer - Being happy is doing this
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 11: Mark Schofield - You get one drive in this life
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 10: Liz Loza - Ride the horse in the direction it's going
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 9: Matthew Berry - I've done it without being negative to anyone
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 8: Matt Franciscovich - Persistence is a huge deal
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 7: Matt Williamson - I got lucky, but I made my own luck
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 6: Eric Stoner - Passions are best left as hobbies
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 5: Josh Norris - You don't have to have an opinion on everything
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast Episode 4: Rumford Johnny - Elevate somebody or get out of their way
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast episode 3: JJ Zachariason - No one cares because you're not established
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast episode 2: Matt Waldman - Popular doesn't necessarily make it good
    • The Backyard Banter Podcast episode 1 - Sigmund Bloom
  • Fantasy Hipsters
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 28: We''l see you in a bit.
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 27: "Ehhh how about you people relax with that one"
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 26: Mail Satchel - Davante Adams debate & "friends of the show"
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 25: NFL Network's Top 100 Players This or That
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 24: Mail Satchel - Surviving without Charlie and Tight Ends to Watch
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 23: Jeremy Maclin reaction, news recap and did Harmon pull off that hat?
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 22: Mail satchel - WE ARE THE PODCAST OF THE PEOPLE
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 21: Reception Perception review of sleepers, breakouts and surprises
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 20: Evan Silva destroys our MFL10 hopes and dreams
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 19: Mail satchel - Will Brandon Marshall thrive with the Giants in 2017?
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 18: We Are Pretty Mad
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 17: Mail satchel - Rompers, clean eating and the 2007 NFL Draft class
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 16: NFL depth chart breakdowns and being sick of bad Eddie Lacy jokes
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 15: Mail satchel - Drafting too many rookies, breakouts and bell-cow RBs
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 14: French press vs. pour over coffee & mock draft review with James Koh
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 13: Mail satchel - Los Angeles Chargers the hipster's team of 2017?
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 12: NFL Draft rookie fits and a cast iron running back with Matt Waldman
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 11: NFL Draft preview and drumset vomit with Josh Norris of Rotoworld
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast Episode 10: Mail satchel - Dynasty debate, bad impressions and hipster bands
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 9: Perfect Prospect Parings — identifying NFL fits for draft prospects
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 8: Corey Davis, DeVante Parker and what to drink at your draft
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 7: Carlos Hyde, Laquon Treadwell and NFL Draft rookie big board part 3
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 6: Valuing Jordan Howard for 2017 and NFL Draft rookie big board part 2
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 5: NFL Draft rookie top-12 big board and in-depth beer interview
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 4: Kaepernick saga, Harmon shaves his beard and Franchise gets roasted
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast Episode 3: Eddie Lacy, Free Agency, music & beer and picking best QB roommate
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 2: Early Free Agency Fallout, Combine Standouts & Mailbag
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast - Episode 1: NFL Scouting Combine preview and washed vets
    • Fantasy Hipsters Podcast: Teaser episode introduction
  • Reception Perception: 2017
    • Reception Perception: Investigating any correlation between the results and draft prospect age
  • The 2016 Reception Perception Project
    • Reception Perception: 11 flags planted for the 2016 season
    • Reception Perception: Nelson Agholor can bounce-back in Doug Pederson's offense
    • Reception Perception: Improved technician Donte Moncrief is set to explode in 2016
    • Reception Perception: Only one concern can hold Sammy Watkins back from his ceiling
    • Reception Perception: Bruce Ellington has a chance to flash this season with the 49ers
    • Reception Perception: Albert Wilson and the Diary of a Truther
    • Reception Perception: Willie Snead built an impressive resume we must not ignore
    • Reception Perception: Welcome the ascending Tyler Lockett to rarified status
    • Reception Perception: Kamar Aiken is the answer to the Ravens receiver riddle
    • Reception Perception: DeSean Jackson and Josh Doctson make the Washington wide receivers a strength
    • Reception Perception: Browns make a refreshing first pick in Corey Coleman
    • Reception Perception: The fruitless search for fatal flaws with Laquon Treadwell
    • Reception Perception: Why there will never be a cumulative or overall grade
    • Reception Perception: The changing variables for Torrey Smith point to a rebound
    • Reception Perception: 2016 media appearances
    • Reception Perception: Rashard Higgins - never tell me the odds
    • Reception Perception: Keyarris Garrett is a unicorn in this draft class
    • Reception Perception: Malcolm Mitchell is a top-10 receiver in the 2016 NFL Draft
    • Reception Perception: 2016 NFL draft prospects results
    • Reception Perception: Golden Tate won't be able to replace Calvin Johnson
    • Reception Perception: Jeff Janis, trump cards and sorting through the noise
    • Reception Perception: Top-four college receiver primer
  • The 2015 Reception Perception Project
    • Reception Perception Based Media Appearances
    • Reception Perception: Steve Johnson is the Surest Sleeper Around
    • Reception Perception: Target and Contested Catch Data for Sophomore WRs
    • Reception Perception: Success Rate vs. Coverage Scores for the Sophomore Wide Receivers
    • Reception Perception: Why we Must Consider the Entire Range of Outcomes for Sammy Watkins
    • Reception Perception: Data Results from Year 1
    • Reception Perception: Scanning Through the Dolphins Receiving Corps for Fantasy Answers
    • Reception Perception: Allen Robinson is Quietly on the Precipice of a Massive Breakout
    • Reception Perception: Michael Crabtree is Exactly What the Raiders’ Passing Game Needs
    • Reception Perception: Justin Hunter and Wisely Shopping the Clearance Bins
    • Reception Perception: How Kevin White Began His Ascension to the Top
    • Reception Perception: Sammie Coates Falls Along a Dangerous Archetype
    • Reception Perception: A Video Rundown of the Data
    • Reception Perception: New Browns Receiver Dwayne Bowe Bring Value to a Depleted Pass Game
    • Reception Perception: Expectations and an Odd Coupling Doomed Mike Wallace in Miami
    • Reception Perception: Andre Johnson Still has Plenty Left to Offer the Colts
    • Reception Perception: Randall Cobb Made the Right Call Sticking With the Packers
    • Reception Perception: Where Do We Go From Here, Percy Harvin?
    • Reception Perception: Devin Smith and The Value of a Trump Card (FBG)
    • Reception Perception: The Siren Song of Dorial Green-Beckham (FBG)
    • Reception Perception: Impending Free Agent Michael Crabtree
    • Reception Perception: Amari Cooper Under the Microscope (FBG)
    • Reception Perception: Sammy Watkins and Cordarrelle Patterson
  • Matt Harmon's in-season film review blog
  • Bio Page
  • Harmon's Fantasy Football Tiered Rankings
  • The Backyard Banter Quarterback Typology
  • Analyzing the Landing Spots for the First Round Wide Recievers
  • Reception Perception
    • Reception Perception: Cordarrelle Patterson and a Developing Story
    • Reception Perception: Jordy Nelson and Mastering the Little Things
  • Ramblings
    • Rebuilding a broken house: losing weight, changing my lifestyle and never looking back
    • Fighting through negativity bias and a wide receiver's drops
    • Saying Goodbye to Dixie
    • The #FreeAustinTice Campaign
    • My Reaction to Adrian Peterson and The Cycle of Abuse
    • Steve Smith: A Lesson in the Dangers of Emotional Football
    • The Arizona Cardinals Will Make the Playoffs
    • The Redskins Better Not Blow This Thing Up
    • The Commodification of NFL Players
    • Digging Deeper: Why Josh Freeman Failed with the Buccaneers
    • The Fall of Aaron Hernandez and the Patriot Way
    • Washington Redskins Injury Concerns
    • Carolina Panther's Draft Bungles
    • Stubbornness the Silent Coaching Killer
  • The Fantasy Gameplan Podcast
  • Draft Class Jersey Number Grades
  • The Eye in the Sky
    • The Eye in the Sky: The St. Louis Rams Should Commit to Sam Bradford for 2014
    • The Eye in the Sky: Why the Cardinals Struggle Against Tight Ends
    • The Eye in the Sky: Uncovering a Diamond in the Rough, Mike Brown
    • The Eye in the Sky: Uncovering a Diamond in the Rough, Brandon Bostick
    • The Eye in the Sky: E.J. Manuel's Improvement All-22 Breakdown
    • The Eye in the Sky: Why Defending the Colts Offense is too Easy All-22 Breakdown
    • The Eye in the Sky: Picking Apart the Jets Defense All-22 Breakdown
    • Eye in the Sky: Texans vs. Chiefs (Week Seven) All-22 Breakdown
    • The Eye in the Sky: Redskins vs. Cowboys (Week Six) All-22 Breakdown
    • The Eye in the Sky: Panthers vs. Cardinals (Week Five) All-22 Breakdown
    • The Eye in the Sky: Colts vs. Seahawks (Week Five)
  • 2014 Free Agent Profiles
    • Josh McCown Free Agent Profile
    • Jason Hatcher Free Agent Profile
    • Jarius Byrd Free Agent Profile
    • T.J. Ward Free Agent Profile
    • Lamarr Houston Free Agent Profile
    • Darrelle Revis Free Agent Profile
    • Eric Decker Free Agent Profile
    • Jared Veldheer Free Agent Profile
    • DeMarcus Ware Free Agent Profile
    • Tyson Jackson Free Agent Profile
    • Jon Asamoah Free Agent Profile
    • Michael Johnson Free Agent Profile
    • Brandon Albert Free Agent Profile
    • Louis Delmas Free Agent Profile
    • Red Bryant Free Agent Profile
    • John Carlson Free Agent Profile
    • D'Qwell Jackson Free Agent Profile
  • BYOB Forums (Bring Your Own Banter)
  • 2014 NFL Free Agency Position Breakdowns
    • 2014 Quarterback Free Agent Breakdown
    • 2014 Running Back Free Agent Breakdown
    • 2014 Fullback Free Agent Breakdown
    • 2014 Wide Receiver Free Agent Breakdown
    • 2014 Tight End Free Agent Rankings
    • 2014 Offensive Tackle Free Agent Breakdown
    • 2014 Offensive Guard Free Agent Breakdown
    • 2014 Offensive Center Free Agent Breakdown
    • 2014 Interior Defensive Lineman Free Agent Breakdown
    • 2014 Edge Player Free Agent Breakdown
    • 2014 Linebacker Free Agent Breakdown
    • 2014 Cornerback Free Agent Breakdown
    • 2014 Safety Free Agent Breakdown
    • 2014 Specialist Free Agent Breakdown
  • 2014 NFL Draft Content
    • 2014 NFL Draft Tiered Prospect Big Board (Top 75)
    • 2014 Tiered Colored Position Board
    • 2014 NFL Draft Tiered Prospect Big Board (Top 32)
    • 2014 NFL Draft Top 10 Quarterback Ranking
    • 2014 NFL Draft Running Back Top 10 Ranking
    • 2014 NFL Mock Draft--Post Free Agency
    • 2014 NFL Mock Draft--Pre Free Agency
    • 2014 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Top 10 Ranking
  • Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
    • April 27th Sunday Morning Coming Down
    • April 13th Sunday Morning Coming Down
    • April 6th Sunday Morning Coming Down
    • March 30th Sunday Morning Coming Down
  • 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Seventeen 2013 Power Rankings
    • Week Sixteen 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Fifteen 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Fourteen 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Thirteen 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Twelve 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Eleven 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Ten 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Nine 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Eight 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Seven 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Six 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Five 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Four 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Three 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • Week Two 2013 NFL Power Rankings
    • 2013 Season Preview Edition/Week One
  • 2013 Weekly NFL Previews
    • Super Bowl Preview
    • Playoffs- Conference Championship Round NFL Preview
    • Playoffs- Divisional Round NFL Preview
    • Playoffs- Wildcard Round NFL Preview
    • Week Sixteen NFL Preview
    • Week Fifteen NFL Preview
    • Week Fourteen NFL Preview
    • Week Thirteen NFL Preview
    • Week Twelve Picks
    • Week Eleven Picks
    • Week Ten Picks
    • Week Nine Picks
    • Week Eight Picks
    • Week Seven Picks
    • Week Six Picks
    • Week Five Picks
    • Week Four Picks
    • Week Three Picks
    • Week Two Picks
    • Week One Picks
  • Week in Review 2013
    • Playoffs- Wildcard Round in Review
    • Week Seventeen in Review
    • Week Sixteen in Review
    • Week Fifteen in Review
    • Week Fourteen in Review
    • Week Thirteen in Review
    • Week Twelve in Review
    • Week Eleven in Review
    • Week Ten in Review
    • Week Nine in Review
    • Week Eight in Review
    • Week Seven in Review
    • Week Six in Review
    • Week Five in Review
    • Week Four in Review
    • Week Three in Review
    • Week Two in Review
    • Week One in Review
  • 2013 Team Record Predictions
    • AFC Record Predictions
    • NFC Record Predictions
  • Rapid Reactions
    • Rapid Reactions Heading into Week Eleven
    • Rapid Reactions Heading into Week Ten
    • Rapid Reactions Heading into Week Nine
    • Rapid Reactions Heading into Week Eight
    • Rapid Reactions Heading into Week Seven
    • Rapid Reactions Heading into Week Six
    • Rapid Reactions Heading into Week Five
    • Rapid Reactions Heading into Week Four
    • Rapid Reactions Heading into Week Three
  • The 2013 All-Surprise Teams
    • AFC 2013 All-Surprise Team
    • NFC 2013 All-Surprise Team
  • NFL Player Rankings (2013)
    • Top 10 NFL Quarterback Rankings
    • Top 10 NFL Running Back Rankings
    • Top 10 NFL Wide Receiver Rankings
    • Top 10 NFL Tight End Rankings
    • Top 10 Offensive Linemen Rankings
    • Top 10 NFL Defensive Lineman Rankings
  • 2013 Season Archives
    • How to Fix 'em (2013 Offseason) >
      • Kansas City Chiefs
      • Jacksonville Jaguars
      • Oakland Raiders
      • Philadelphia Eagles
      • Detroit Lions
      • Cleveland Browns
      • Arizona Cardinals
      • Buffalo Bills
      • New York Jets
      • Tennessee Titans
      • San Diego Chargers
      • Miami Dolphins
      • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • 2012 Season Archives
    • The Backyard Banter 2012 Season Awards
    • Fantasy Football Corner >
      • Week Twelve Fantasy Football Tips
      • Week Eleven Fantasy Football Tips
      • Week Ten Fantasy Football Tips
      • Week Nine Fantasy Football Rankings and Tips
      • Week Eight Fantasy Football Rankings and Tips
    • NFL Power Rankings (2012) >
      • Championship Round
      • Divisional Round
      • Wild Card Round
      • Week 17
      • Week 16
      • Week 7
      • Week 6
      • Week 5
      • Week 4
      • Week 3
      • Week 2
      • Week 1
      • Season Preview Edition 8/18
    • My Weekly NFL Picks (2012) >
      • Super Bowl Pick
      • Championship Round
      • Divisional Round
      • Wild Card Round
      • Week 17 Picks
      • Week 16 Picks
    • Week in Review (2012) >
      • The Super Bowl
      • Divisional Round
      • Wild Card Round
      • Week 17
      • Week 16
      • Week 5
      • Week 4
      • Week 3
      • Week 2
      • Week 1

Reception Perception: Willie Snead built an impressive resume we must not ignore

By: Matt Harmon
June 27th,2016
Picture
Willie Snead is not getting enough credit despite a tremendous debut (Image: Michael DeMocker, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
It's quiet, too quiet. Almost any time a second-year wide receiver in his age 22 to 23-year old season nearly cracks 1,000 yards a good amount of hype follows. This is especially the case when the wideout is attached to one of the NFL’s best passers. 

Yet, for whatever reason, Willie Snead seems immune to receiving such due credit. Snead’s early days in the NFL weren’t glamorous coming from the ranks of the undrafted in 2014. After curiously not getting a spot with the Cleveland Browns, despite some buzz out of training camp, he spent some time on the Carolina Panthers practice squad. He didn’t last there and eventually finished the year on the New Orleans Saints own practice unit. The young receiver quickly climbed the depth chart in his first full offseason with the Saints and became a starter in his second season. He finished his first year on an active roster with 69 receptions for 984 yards and 3 touchdowns in just 15 games.

On the surface that should be the resume of a player the football cognoscente (h/t Chris Wessling) has high hopes for. When you consider that Snead followed up his 2012 season (89-1,148-9) at Ball State by breaking school records in his final year (106-1,516-15), it becomes even more clear this player has a fighting chance to stick in the NFL. 

Perhaps it’s Snead’s severe lack of athleticism and draft pedigree that still clouds the public’s mind to this day. Despite his heroic rise to prominence with the Saints Snead checks in as the 115th overall player taken in dynasty startups as the WR55, per RotoViz ADP. 

The public must view Willie Snead’s 2015 season as a mere flash in the pan, something not to be taken seriously. They can point to the additions of Coby Fleener at tight end and Ohio State wideout Michael Thomas in the second-round as evidence the team agrees. As is always the case with these set of circumstances, we must remove noise from the equation and revisit the reality of what took place on the field. After doing so, we can properly assign credit for the surprising season of Willie Snead. 

When Snead began his emergence early in the year it was apparent his reliability and versatility were like catnip for Drew Brees. Another undrafted utility-man, Lance Moore finished with at least eight touchdowns or 1,000 yards in four of five seasons in New Orleans from 2008 to 2012. Sigmund Bloom asserted that Willie Snead struck him as a “souped-up version of Moore”.

In the eight games sampled for Reception Perception Snead lined up in the slot on 24.8 percent of his snaps. He split time between the left (32 percent) and right (43 percent) wide receiver positions. In a brief early-season, look Reception Perception noted that Snead recorded a catch on every route on the tree, excluding the screen, against the Cowboys and Eagles. At that point in the season, Snead was outplaying Brandin Cooks who struggled to win against press coverage as the clear No. 1 receiver. 

When a team’s hopeful star falters it often paves the way for a more nuanced and consistent, albeit less flashy, option to emerge. Willie Snead certainly fits that mold as a detailed technician at the craft of route-running.
Picture
With Cooks owning the role of the vertical threat and Ben Watson shocking the world at tight end, Snead slid into the chain-moving possession receiver spot. As such, it’s no surprise we see the curl and slant route take up the majority of his route portfolio and the nine route check in at a below average 19.1 percent. On any given play, if the first read is unable to work open, Brees can count on Snead as a reliable dump-off option. However, there’s more to his game than that.

Snead’s out and flat route percentage are also represented at an above average rate in relation to other sampled NFL receivers. This shows that Snead can function as an outside boundary threat, not just an interior or ancillary player. 

Again we seem to arrive at the Bloom-created notion of Willie Snead as a “souped-up” possession receiver. When studying which routes Snead is most successful on, we stroll further down the path to that conclusion. 
Picture
(SRVC denotes success rate versus coverage for each route. PTS indicates how many PPR fantasy points a receiver earned on each particular route)
​We noticed that the flat, slant and curl route were Snead’s most commonly run routes in this Reception Perception sample. It’s tremendous to see they also come with his best Success Rate Vs. Coverage (SRVC) scores. His ability to flash open on flat and slant routes fit in perfectly with the quick-strike nature of the New Orleans passing offense. 

To put into context just how impressive Snead’s 88.1 percent SRVC on curl routes is, the undrafted wideout falls below only 2014 scores Andre Johnson (88.5) and Michael Crabtree (93.9) in this metric during Reception Perception history. Crabtree’s example, in particular, is important for Snead. 

By 2014, injuries had largely sapped Crabtree of most of his athletic gifts. However, his Reception Perception showed that he was still a strong route-runner capable of succeeding without those gifts. He went on to prove that in Oakland after getting a quarterback upgrade. Other players that fit this mold on curls like Steve Johnson (87.1 SRVC), Jarvis Landry (84.6 SRVC and even Antonio Brown (81.3 SRVC) demonstrate the archetype that Snead should hope to walk down. These receivers lacked greatly in measured athleticism prior to entering the league. Yet, all carved out varying levels of success in their careers due to their tremendous proficiency at the craft of route-running.

Elsewhere on the route tree, Snead only scored below the league average on comebacks, curls and nine routes. His out SRVC score is another indication of his strong sense of timing and ability to create separation at the break points in routes.

Willie Snead’s 48-percent SRVC  score on nine routes demonstrates the reality that his lack of tremendous athletic ability will always keep him from being a great deep threat. However, his 22.4 PTS recorded on nines and his quite strong 73.9 percent SRVC on posts show that he can get vertical on occasion. That’s another important factor in the Saints offense. While Brees is primarily a timing and execution-based quarterback, he does not shy away from the deep ball.

When viewing Snead’s SRVC scores in totality, we begin to contextualize just how impressive his debut season was.
Picture
(Red indicates the figure is below the NFL average, Green is above and Yellow is within one percentage point.)
Snead posted well above average SRVC scores when facing man, zone and press defenses. Sean Payton described Snead as a player who “has a real good knack for finding the right holes in zone” and getting open with “leverage in man-to-man.” Reception Perception quantifies the crafty proficiency of Snead that his head coach described. His raw scores against all forms of coverage came off quite similar to Randall Cobb’s tremendous 2014 season.

Payton also believes “we can see a big step” from Snead after one year in the system. All indications are he will continue holding an important role in the New Orleans offense. Drew Brees pushes 650 pass attempts on an annual basis. A rough projection of the Saints most prominent pass-catchers shows there’s more than enough room for everyone to get work.
PictureRudimentary Saints target projections
If anything, Willie Snead has the clearest role out of any non-Cooks player. Michael Thomas and Coby Fleener should both split-out to run routes from the slot and win in the middle of the field. There’s some danger in the two of them canceling each other out at times. Both will play bigger roles in the red zone, where Snead might not excel with a mere 44.4 percent contested catch conversion rate. However, he looks entrenched as the reliable, underneath possession receiver. In this offense with a perfect fit at quarterback, that’s a high-value role. It feels foolish to put artificial limitations on Willie Snead’s outlook given his play and all the variables at hand.

Everyone has long been in search for “the next Antonio Brown” after the Steelers receiver rose up from the sixth-round to All-Pro form. Tyler Lockett is a popular guess, but that feels too easy given his far superior measured athleticism and draft pedigree. Way back in November 2015, I was a guest on RotoViz radio where co-host Matthew Freedman pointed out that Snead’s early NFL resume in conjunction with athletic and college production profile looked strikingly similar to Brown circa 2011. 

It would be bullish and aggressive to assert that Willie Snead will definitely follow Brown down the rest of that path to become one of the NFL’s best receivers. However, Freedman’s observation integrated with Snead’s Reception Perception results indicate that we certainly do have a tremendously real sleeper on out hands. His resume so far suggests we should continue to expect big outputs from Willie Snead. 


Comment Form is loading comments...
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.