Why doesn't CPatt convert to RB? The Cordarelle Patterson Thread

[Anteaters]

To me, there are a couple of interesting factors here-
1- he's getting consistent high volume
2- he's been effective (or very effective) with them
3- Coach Arthur Smith effectively scheming a good offense with a good (but not elite) WR, an elite rookie TE/WR talent and a Swiss Army knife.

I don't think it's simply a question of "the touches have to go somewhere". The fact Smith has created an effective scheme that's so different from his Henry-focused one, and CPatt is a critical core of that, is very interesting.

The biggest takeaway for me about Atlanta so far is Coach Arthur Smith is pretty good at scheming offenses.

I think CP's value is a steal for anyone who predicts he'll keep this up into 2022 and 2023.

[dynastyninja]

I'd bet against CPatt ever having a year like this for the rest of his career, but who knows. He's always been an amazing raw talent.

[ArrylT]

Absolutely.

I think Patterson is like many before him - be it Vick, Tebow, Tavon Austin or Percy Harvin - there are always going to be players whose athleticism or skills do not put them in a specific offensive skill position.

I mentioned this on another thread (Travis Etienne) - we're seeing more & more of this. As the NFL continues to add more college style plays/schemes/formations we are likely to continue to see an increase in successful "weapons" who are really good at certain aspects, but are going to be resisted being called traditional WR/RB/TEs.

But the right coach with the right support system (ie the other coaches buy in) and you get these success stories.

The innovator is always going to be the outside the box thinker at first. Bill Walsh for example back in the 70s with Cincinnati & Virgil Carter.

Kamara in New Orleans is a nice example. He benefited from Sean Payton. But would he have been as successful had he ended up oh in Seattle (case in point Rashaad Penny).

https://walterfootball.com/scoutingrepo ... kamara.php

"Here is how one top scout expressed the concerns on Kamara, "He just has no track record of being THE guy and handling the load for a stretch. There's a poor history trying to project part time guys as lead backs in the NFL: Reggie Bush, Ronnie Brown, Laurence Maroney, Felix Jones for instance were just as dynamic if not better as college players and had even more tape than Kamara did, and they all struggled making that transition. It's harder projecting to a 16-game schedule (let alone an extensive career) for running backs that haven't done it majority of their collegiate careers. There's always an outlier so it's a "never say never" situation. To me, he's a 2, and I would feel good about getting him in that range as a pick. That's a good second-round pick for any team employing that role. That would be his best best. Get in a situation where he can replicate what he's been doing already, prove/grow into more extensive role being the goal."

Now imagine Kamara having gone in the 1st and to a team that wanted to force him to be a square peg instead of a round peg. Does he become the Kamara we all know now?

Now here are draft take on Patterson

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/160 ... nnessee-wr

https://walterfootball.com/scoutingrepo ... terson.php

"Player Comparison: Demaryius Thomas. Entering the NFL, there are a lot similarities for Patterson with Thomas in the combination of explosivity and rawness. Like Patterson, Thomas needed to develop his route-running and hands. Both receivers have a rare combination of size, speed and explosiveness. Thomas (6-4, 229) is bigger than Patterson, but they have a similar style of play. The Broncos took Thomas with the 24th overall-pick, while Patterson also is likely to be a top-25 pick who could go in the top 10.

Well Thomas got to play with Peyton Manning after 2 very unnoticeable years. And no need to guess what happened.

Meanwhile Patterson - Well we all know where he ended up and with what coaching scheme starting Year 2 - Norv Turner.

Players can be bad fits for years but once they are in the right situation they can blossom. The question - and I think it is too soon to project with any certainty - is how long is this window of opportunity going to last. He's on a 1 year 3m deal.

[SoftwoodGrampian]

He’s in a good fantasy situation right now but the team is about to blow up next offseason.

[Valhalla]

If anyone cares...

My assessment of Patterson from years of watching him: He fights for the ball, aggressively, and his hands aren't all that bad. He's the best WR I've ever seen at running the football and making guys miss, and can leave nearly anyone in his dust. There isn't a WR in the league I'd rather see in the open field once the ball is in his hands. The issue with him...is that he looks like someone that would run around in center field and not know where the baseball is going to land, only to have it land nearly where he was originally standing. He's SO natural and absurdly athletic in his motions when he just needs to focus on the field in front of him. He's SO unnatural in his motions when he is looking back for or tracking the football (focusing on the field behind him). Ask him to rotate his torso back to the ball and he doesn't look like he has the flexibility. I know that sounds absurd to some that are educated some on this stuff, because agility relies on flexibility...right? Agility and lateral burst comes from flexibility in the hips, though. Flexibility in the torso isn't required to be absurdly explosive. There's no denying he's incredibly explosive with his lateral agility and his burst to get going is awesome. He seems to lack ability to simply rotate his torso all that well, which makes turning to catch the ball an unnatural motion for him. It's why somewhat often he turns his whole body to catch the ball and catches it falling/jumping backwards. Unless no one is around him, he can't really transition right into his gifted athleticism because he's facing backwards. Limited rotation in the torso causes him to face backwards to catch the ball, and that same limited rotation limits his ability to turn back around and get going.
I know that all sounds like a stretch, but I've watched him play a lot, and am trained to watch body mechanics, especially in athletic motions (also trained to fix those issues). This guy is an absurd athlete to try to tackle when he has the sole objective in front of him. Ask him to streak down the field, rotate his torso and catch a ball while continuing to run in stride...and those results are not as consistent as your average deep ball WR. What if an offense started feeding him on slant routes and screens more, allowing him to catch facing upfield? Was he doing this as a Raider? I didn't watch. He wasn't utilized that way much as a Viking. What if a team has him evaluated and finds these limitations do exist, and has them addressed?
I think it's an extreme long shot that he'll ever be more than average as a WR, because 1) I could be wrong in what I'm seeing (but I don't think so); 2) I doubt many NFL front offices have guys like me that would ever actually be given a chance to have a contributing voice so it wouldn't matter; 3) A front office that MIGHT listen to an expert may not have their eyes on Patterson; 4) Even if he's able to improve his rotation significantly, he still looks like a lost center fielder, which may or may not improve; 5) Therefore, he's not reliably adaptable as a WR and a team would need him running a lot of slants, which may not be what they want in their offense.

Maybe someone advising the Patriots FO noticed the same stuff. If anyone has someone assessing biomechanics on-hand (dream opportunity), it's the Patriots, possibly part of their Kraft Analytics team. Or maybe he's just being brought in to be a return specialist. Either way, he'll be useful to the Patriots.

Self prop

[ArrylT]

This article talks about the rise of the hybrid player.

https://www.fantasypros.com/2021/10/the ... -football/

[Pullo Vision]

Overall, Patterson has at least six carries in every game this season and at least 58 receiving yards in four, with a team-high six total touchdowns, including three against the Washington Football Team. He is Atlanta’s leading rusher and its second-leading receiver.

All this while continuing to return kickoffs and play the crucial role of gunner on Atlanta’s punts.

“He’s like a throwback kind of player from another generation, where he does everything,” Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan told CBS Sports of Patterson this month. “He plays special teams for us, covers kicks, is a running back, runs the ball between the tackles, catches the ball out of the backfield. We’ll line him up out outside, and he can run routes. He’s incredibly competitive and physical, and he’s been awesome to play with.”

Patterson’s versatility has put him in rare territory. With a rushing touchdown against the Dolphins, he became the only NFL player with at least 10 career rushing touchdowns, at least 10 receiving and at least five on kickoff returns since the 1970 merger.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2 ... mal-agnew/

[FantasyFreak]

If you're a contender and haven't looked into acquiring him, you should.

[Cameron Giles]

Just imagining if we would've saw this from him in his second or third season

[FantasyFreak]

Just imagining if we would've saw this from him in his second or third season

I believe the Raiders lined him up as a RB first. Patterson got into the league 5-10 years too early. The way players are used now, it's way more creative.

[nathanq42]

Just imagining if we would've saw this from him in his second or third season

I believe the Raiders lined him up as a RB first. Patterson got into the league 5-10 years too early. The way players are used now, it's way more creative.

I think him, Harvin, and Tayvon were casualties of the times. So much athleticism without the requisite skills or frame of mind to be forced into preconceived "positions". I really do think if Tayvon didnt go to the Jeff Fischer slaughterhouse for talent he could have been something special. But alas we will never know.

[Cameron Giles]

Just imagining if we would've saw this from him in his second or third season

I believe the Raiders lined him up as a RB first. Patterson got into the league 5-10 years too early. The way players are used now, it's way more creative.

I think him, Harvin, and Tayvon were casualties of the times. So much athleticism without the requisite skills or frame of mind to be forced into preconceived "positions". I really do think if Tayvon didnt go to the Jeff Fischer slaughterhouse for talent he could have been something special. But alas we will never know.

Austin got sent straight to a stone aged offense after West Virginia put something on the field that foreshadowed the future of the NFL

[Hankybro21]

If you're a contender and haven't looked into acquiring him, you should.

Where would you put his value at for a contending team? A rebuilding owner has him in a league that I'm sitting at the top

[mild]

If you're a contender and haven't looked into acquiring him, you should.

Where would you put his value at for a contending team? A rebuilding owner has him in a league that I'm sitting at the top

As a contender with plenty of other options sitting on C-Pat, I'm looking for at least a 2nd to move off him. (I'd be doing it post-haste if I wasn't in it, though)

And I'm looking at that completed trade in our "Completed Trades thread" where one guy got Allen Robinson with a raised eyebrow...

If you can buy for a 3rd as a serious contender then do it yesterday.

[FantasyFreak]

If you're a contender and haven't looked into acquiring him, you should.

Where would you put his value at for a contending team? A rebuilding owner has him in a league that I'm sitting at the top

I think a 2nd is fair. Good chance he has another good year left in him. He's super consistent, getting carries and targets.