He also didn't run at the combine so what he came in at there makes no difference, he ran at 157 and I thought he didn't look as fast as he was sold to be, that I chalked up to his foot which he says slowed him and I would agree thats a good reasona and not argue that, has anyone put on 15 pounds of muscle and kept their speed?mild wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 6:11 pmRead the article and he would tell you it's a "resounding yes". He came in at 165 at the combine, and apparently played at 157 (!) all of last season. He even outright admits how difficult running was for him last year:AussieMate wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 5:12 pm 15 pounds heavier is a lot, will he still have his trademark speed packing on that much?
Physically, there's nothing imposing about him. At first glance, Brown looks more like an IT manager than a TD machine, but he's changing that here on back day. Brown rows weights for an hour straight, from bands to barbells to machines, with a trainer howling hoarse rep counts in his ear. Last season, Brown played at 157 (!) pounds. (In other words, 60 pounds less than many of his contemporaries.) This season, he plans to play between 170 and 175. So no muscle goes untrained. In between reps, Brown takes a seat on a bench and rapidly grips a football with his fingertips.To most everyone else, Brown still seemed fast. But he knew the truth: He was missing his top gear.
"It was frustrating because I know what I can do and I'm making plays, but even when I'm making plays, it doesn't feel right," he says. "Everything. I had to try harder than I usually do. To run, for me, is easy. Last year, it wasn't easy. Every step was like, 'Ahhh...' I'm a rookie, so you don't want to think too much. And going out there, I was like, 'How am I going to react if I land on my foot? How am I going to get around him?' So there was a lot to think about."Those are probably the relevant bits. Oh, and this:Brown didn't lift weights after practice, returning home to "rehibernate." Could he have still thrown some dumbbells around? Sure. But the pain in his foot was too demoralizing. He was, admittedly, too "Oh my God, I'm hurting!" What ticked Brown off most was that at Oklahoma, he always played with the same "Attack! Attack! Attack!" mentality his older cousin (Antonio Brown) possessed. But in Baltimore, he couldn't attack. At all. At Oklahoma, Brown hit 23 mph regularly. As an NFL rookie, as the foot worsened, he says he couldn't crack 20. "A big difference," he admits.
Those who knew the old Brown could see it. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, Brown's QB at Oklahoma, saw the limp in his stride on TV and often reached out to lift his spirits. Ravens teammates tried, too. Hill faced Brown two years in college, so he knew. And during the week, the running back says Brown could "barely walk."
"He was like a grandpa, like an old man with it," Hill says. "As soon as he got into a receiver stance, he could still fly. It's going to be crazy, because I know what he can do."
Brown tried to remain positive throughout—reminding himself that this forced him to out-think DBs—but was mostly laboring to 2020.
"You watch my college film: Any time I caught any pass, I wanted to score," Brown says, "In the NFL, I catch a pass, and I went down on purpose. People always: 'Why you going down? He's so scared.' I'm like, 'We'll see next year.' I just wanted to get to next year."
That night, Brown and Jackson flushed that game, and they've been training together ever since.
Unlike virtually every other QB-WR duo in lockdown, these two live a short drive apart from one another. They've been able to safely work together and set that foundation they never could last summer.
So, Super Bowl? Book it. Brown has some advice for everyone, too.
"Fantasy owners, oh my God. Right after Lamar, you all better get me. Because I'm going to get me."
This isn't to huge knock him, 15 pounds heavy would make him more durable I'd assume and I believe he'll still be fast but I'd imagine he will lose the elite speed he did have unless he's a freak of nature.
Just curious if he can still win the way he use to without that elite speed.
