*****The Willie Gay Jr. Thread*****

[Dante84]

More to come!

Spoiler!

Welcome to the Kingdom, @WillieG___ �� pic.twitter.com/J4zbV4cDEw

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) April 25, 2020

Willie Gay Jr: 93.9 PFF coverage grade since 2017

1st among NFL Draft LBs pic.twitter.com/WJe6xZrI6t

— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) April 25, 2020

RD 2 | PICK 63 - @Chiefs: Willie Gay LB, Miss State

Gay (4.46 40 @ 243 lbs) made our NGS day 2 standouts list with elite athleticism (99 athleticism score) for a linebacker. Suspensions (8 total games) derailed his 2019 season and his production score took a hit (53).#NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/rCpEi7X6qT

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 25, 2020

Left: Willie Gay Jr. compared to linebackers.
Right: Willie Gay Jr. compared to safeties.

This dude ran a 4.46 40 at 243 pounds. His 136” broad jump is the best by a LB at the NFL Combine since at least 2000. pic.twitter.com/oyCEwT14pW

— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) April 25, 2020

Here’s the moment Willie Gay heard himself announced as the 63rd pick in the NFL Draft by Kansas City Chiefs #WCBI pic.twitter.com/XoCKUMJSwv

— Chris Bolton (@Chris_Bolton_12) April 25, 2020

Always invest a draft guide �� You guys @kent_swanson @ChiefinCarolina @barleyhop @JacobMorley are awesome pic.twitter.com/FUHHDTywQb

— Phillip V. McGruder (@McGruderPmac) April 25, 2020

.@WillieG___'s life could be changing in a big way in just a week.

With the #NFLDraft fast approaching, I was able to catch up with the Starkville-native.

When it comes to the top LBs in the draft, here's what Willie says separates himself from the rest #WCBI pic.twitter.com/yPzbgxDPRC

— Tom Eble (@Tom_Eble) April 17, 2020

[Womble]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Hey, you try dancing with a giant cock plopping out of your pants. Believe me, it's not easy.

What are doing trying to dance with some other dudes massive penis in your pants? Pretty gay that.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by Womble

What are doing trying to dance with some other dudes massive penis in your pants? Pretty gay that.

Shut up, you know you want it.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

You're the first person to ever even mention that Willie Gay was a transcendent player. Most people identified him as a super athletic guy who could make a really nifty play or two here or there. Our LBs lost their fastest guy when he left. And the team lost its best protection against vacuum cleaners.

Right.

At $8 million I don't think anyone's eager to grab him.

But at less than we tendered Jack ****ing Cochran for? Why the hell isn't he already here?

He's an NFL player and a top 5% athlete for his position. He's nothing resembling a perfect player, but he has a role.

[Chris Meck]

Willie Gay on the cheap is a totally great pickup.

[kccrow]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Wilson's been a better player than Gay, for sure.

Interestingly, I think the concern for most about Wilson was his ceiling - it just didn't seem terribly high. And ultimately hasn't it played out that way?

He improved through his first 3 years to become a really really good player in his 3rd year. But fell back quite a bit in 2023 and seemed to really struggle in coverage last year as well before he got hurt.

Gay was a ceiling over floor pick that didn't work out, but when you see how quickly Wilson plateaued in Cincy, you can at least see the rationale.

Maybe a new DC will get him back on the trend he was showing before he signed his deal.

Wilson's plateau is among the best coverage LBs in the NFL and a 120-to-130-tackle player, not a scrub backup that can't see the field after 5 years. Injuries derailed him last year but you're grossly understating how monumental that gap is between the two, and always has been the case.

Gay was a shit pick then, and I took my downvote lumps to make the point, and he remains a shit pick now.

[Chris Meck]

Originally Posted by kccrow

Wilson's plateau is among the best coverage LBs in the NFL and a 120-to-130-tackle player, not a scrub backup that can't see the field after 5 years. Injuries derailed him last year but you're grossly understating how monumental that gap is between the two, and always has been the case.

Gay was a shit pick then, and I took my downvote lumps to make the point, and he remains a shit pick now.

He's a knucklehead. But he's a FAST knucklehead that hits like a freight train, and on the cheap would be a great pickup. Where he was drafted and who else was available at the time is not relevant.

[kccrow]

Originally Posted by Chris Meck

He's a knucklehead. But he's a FAST knucklehead, and on the cheap would be a great pickup. Where he was drafted and who else was available at the time is not relevant.

The mental aspect is the main reason he didn't get re-signed. What makes you think that Spags would want him back? I mean, I get it if it's a special team signing primarily but that means he'd need to sign a VSB deal and I don't know that he will see himself as that.

I think he's signing with Miami anyhow so it will be moot.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by kccrow

Wilson's plateau is among the best coverage LBs in the NFL and a 120-to-130-tackle player, not a scrub backup that can't see the field after 5 years. Injuries derailed him last year but you're grossly understating how monumental that gap is between the two, and always has been the case.

Gay was a shit pick then, and I took my downvote lumps to make the point, and he remains a shit pick now.

He wasn't great in coverage in 2023 though.

Was it a plateau or just a career year?

I think that remains an open question.

[kccrow]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

He wasn't great in coverage in 2023 though.

Was it a plateau or just a career year?

I think that remains an open question.

He was great in 2023. I went back and looked at stats just to make sure I wasn't thinking unclearly and he gave up 75% completion, had 9 PDs and 4 Ints to go with 135 tackles. That's about as good as it gets for a cover LB. He fell off this year in 2024, largely due to being dinged up.

Hell, Wilson's 2022 and 2023 encompasses all of what Gay has accomplished in 5 years and then some.

Even if you want to argue that that is his plateau, it exceeds Gay's production by two-fold. It's really not an argument.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by kccrow

He was great in 2023. I went back and looked at stats just to make sure I wasn't thinking unclearly and he gave up 75% completion, had 9 PDs and 4 Ints to go with 135 tackles. That's about as good as it gets for a cover LB. He fell off this year in 2024, largely due to being dinged up.

Hell, Wilson's 2022 and 2023 encompasses all of what Gay has accomplished in 5 years and then some.

Wouldn't a 75% completion rate with that many tackles (and PDs/INTs) indicate he was being targeted?

I'm seeing 62 receptions on 77 targets (80%) for 11.2 yards/rec and 4 TDs given up for a passer rating against over 100 in 2023.

Pretty similar numbers in 2022 w/ 66 receptions on 82 targets for 9.5 yards/reception and a 101.7 passer rating against (largely because he had fewer interceptions).

Meanwhile Bolton gave up 52 receptions on 67 targets this year (8.9/reception at 77% completion), 2 TDs and an INT for a passer rating against at 99.2. Really similar figures and we MURDER him for being bad in coverage.

For his career Wilson has given up an 80.9% catch rate (237 receptions on 293 targets) at 10 yards/reception (2,364 on 237 catches) and a total passer rating against at 95.7.

That's...okay. Bolton gets excoriated for years like that, though.

And I suspect different sources all have slightly different data given that it's really hard to know what a LB is ultimately responsible for an if it was 'his' catch surrendered. But when you see a Will 'backer with that many tackles, I don't typically think of that as a great sign and some of the numbers under the hood would support that.

[Wisconsin_Chief]

He’s a Dolphin now.

He can walk off the face of the universe, and most importantly, I never wanted him back at all.

[DJ's left nut]

Warner, by contrast, in his best years has a rec% in the high 60s to mid 70s. Passer ratings in the low to mid 80s.

To my eyes his best year in coverage was 2020 -- 44 receptions on 61 targets, 7.5 yards/reception and a passer rating against of 81.9. Warner's who I think of when I think of a premium coverage 'backer and seasons like that are why. Wilson...man, I just can't get there. He's fine but not at that level.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief

He’s a Dolphin now.

He can walk off the face of the universe, and most importantly, I never wanted him back at all.

He ****ing sucks!

Doesn't Miami use mostly odd fronts? Interesting -- I wonder if that'll help him.

[PHOG]

Originally Posted by Wisconsin_Chief

He’s a Dolphin now.

He can walk off the face of the universe, and most importantly, I never wanted him back at all.

I never liked that vacuum throwing POS!!!

[kccrow]

We both know that comparing Wilson in coverage to Bolton in coverage is foolish DJ. Completely different responsibilities, especially man assignments on TEs and slots, at different positions.