Tim Couch Pulls Out Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2015/06/browns_wr_vince_mayle_studied.html CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's no surprise to Browns rookie receiver Vince Mayle that he draws comparisons to Browns Pro Bowl wideout Josh Gordon. "That was the goal,'' Mayle said this week after the Browns Youth Football camp at FirstEnergy Stadium. Every Monday at Washington State, his off day from practice, Mayle would get Gordon's film from Browns games and study it in detail. The open stride, the effortless way Gordon glides open, the maneuvering for yards after the catch. "He was the first guy I picked out,'' the fourth-round pick said. "Then I started watching Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, just picking up different pieces from everybody's game.'' Isn't it ironic that he landed in Cleveland, where he'll be called upon to help replace his idol this season? "Yeah, it really is,'' said Mayle, who also revealed to Northeast Ohio Media Group this week that he often gets mistaken for LeBron James. A converted basketball player, Mayle started with Gordon because he felt the All-Pro mostly closely matched him in size and skillset. Mayle is 6-2, 225 and Gordon, who's serving a minimum one-year ban for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, is 6-3, 225. "He's a bigger body, he catches the ball and is explosive after he catches it,'' said Mayle, who's recovering from right thumb surgery. "That was one of our big aspects at Washington State. We had to get a lot of YAC yards and he was really good at it, so that's something that I wanted to implement in my game, which I was able to be successful at.'' A student of the game, Mayle noticed on film that Gordon's running style is a key to his success. "He's a great runner,'' said Mayle. "He runs with his stride wide open and that's something that I wanted to pick up my senior year -- get to your full stride and trust your speed, because he trusts his speed a lot.'' The first receiver drafted by Browns general manager Ray Farmer in his two seasons at the helm, Mayle knows he'll have plenty of help this season in trying to fill Gordon's elite shoes. The Browns also signed Brian Hartline and Dwayne Bowe as free agents. "It's just going to be a team effort,'' said Mayle. "We're not really worried about replacing Josh Gordon. We're focusing on the guys in the room. We'd love to have him, but right now we're working with what we've got. They're a great group of guys. They all have really good strengths and they're all really good to learn from.'' Despite the fact Gordon is still living in the Cleveland area and playing pickup basketball with a lot of the Browns, Mayle has yet to meet him. "I'll be excited like I was to meet all of these guys in the locker room,'' he said. "You see these guys on T.V. and it's kind of an awe factor when you first see them.'' Mayle, who's been wearing a cast in practice to protect the surgically-repaired thumb, is being coached up here by another big-body Pro Bowl wideout in Bowe (6-2, 222), signed as an unrestricted free agent after spending his first eight years in Kansas City. "I'm learning a lot from Dwayne Bowe,'' said Mayle. "He's taken me under his wing. His route-running, we came in similar sizes, similar athleticism, so he's teaching me what he learned when he was young. He's also teaching me what he knows now, so I don't have to go through that learning curve that he had to go through. He said he was the top dog coming in and he didn't have anybody to learn from. He's teaching me everything.'' Bowe has shown Mayle how to use his body to gain leverage on defensive backs, how to come back for the ball and how to take care of his body with ice baths, stretching and rest. "It's been real big,'' said Mayle, the 17th receiver off the board in this draft. "I'm really blessed to be in that situation and learn from somebody like him who's been doing this for years at a high, successful rate. At first I was a little shy coming into an NFL locker room. You don't know what to expect but what he's done is helped a lot. '' Mayle, who caught 106 passes last year for 1,483 yards and nine touchdowns, has also learned a lot from Browns receiver Marlon Moore, who's from the same area near Sacramento, California. "I actually grew up watching him play high school football when I was middle school,'' said Mayle. "He's taken me under his wing with the special teams part of it. Right now I'm on all of them. Whatever I've got to do to get on the field.'' The film study that Mayle began in college has carried over to the pros, where he's scouring the games of his fellow Browns receivers. "They all have really unique games and you can take pieces from all of them,'' he said. "(Andrew Hawkins and Taylor Gabriel), when you watch those guys, they're quicker. When they stick their routes, they can really separate. It's something you can really learn from. Being a bigger guy using their techniques, you can separate a lot quicker too. It's hard to explain. It's something you just see on film.'' From Hartline, he's learned how to be more precise in his route-running. "He's real technical,'' said Mayle. "He knows exactly where to be. If I ever have a question about positioning or placement on the field and the quarterback knowing where you're going to be, I can go to him.'' Mayle, who began his college career as a basketball player Shasta Community College in California, already had a big fan in new receivers coach Joker Phillip, who recruited him to Kentucky out of junior college when he was the Wildcats' head coach. "One of the things I like about working with a rookie is that you get to start from the ground up with him,'' said Phillips. "We're establishing a relationship and that's been really good.'' Phillips has tried not to let the clunky cast on Mayle's right hand get in the way of his progress. "We got him here and he has not been disappointing,'' said Phillips. "The disappointing thing is he can't catch right now, but I don't use that as a negative. We're using that as a positive because we can do a lot more footwork with him. The game starts from the ground up. If you've caught 106 balls, we know he can catch. He's gotten a lot better, and we'll reap the benefits of this when he gets healthy." Mayle first broke the thumb during Senior Bowl practices in February, but thought it was just a sprain. It wasn't until the NFL combine in February that he learned of the fracture. "I was at the table and the doctor comes up to me and says, 'you know your thumb is broken?''' Mayle said. "I was like 'no.' That's when I found out.'' The injury may gave caused him to slip some in the draft, but Mayle doesn't mind. "I ended up in a good position, a great place to play,'' he said. "I'm happy where I am.'' During rookie camp last month, Mayle tried to fight through the pain, but finally succumbed. He had two pins permanently inserted in the thumb last month. "It was something we knew before I was drafted I was going to need,'' he said. "But I tried to fight through it and it didn't work out.'' Ever since then, Mayle has been wearing a red caution jersey in practice and running routes, but not catching the ball. When practice is over, he wears just a splint on the thumb. "I'm picking up the offense pretty well,'' he said. "When I'm not in, before I hear the playcall and then before the snap I run through what I have to do at three different spots, so I'm taking three mental reps on each play.'' Mayle will be limited during the mandatory minicamp next week, but hopes to be full-go by training camp at the end of July? In the meantime, that big-bodied guy out there in the red jersey might just remind some of his teammates of Gordon when he streaks downfield for a pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalterWhite Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 Let's hope he's got Gordon's talent and doesn't piss it away off the field Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Bone Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 When I saw the thread title, I thought for sure Mayle was popped for pot.......... Whew! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wargograw Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 That's a pretty big coincidence if true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LogicIsForSquares Posted June 15, 2015 Report Share Posted June 15, 2015 When I saw the thread title, I thought for sure Mayle was popped for pot.......... Whew! This was my exact expectation. I was worried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Nah, he doesn't have the history, he has a lot of character, and he's a very smart kid. No worries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comeonman Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Geez guys, title change. Had a mini heart attack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudfly Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Just like everyone else....got my fingers crossed on Mayle.....hoping for big things from him..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gipper Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Maybe similar size and build as Gordon....but I didn't think Mayle was supposed to have anywhere the speed that Gordon has? Anyone got stats on that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudfly Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Maybe similar size and build as Gordon....but I didn't think Mayle was supposed to have anywhere the speed that Gordon has? Anyone got stats on that? they are both 4.5ish 40 runners.....same speed basically..... Game speed?.....who knows.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gipper Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 they are both 4.5ish 40 runners.....same speed basically..... Game speed?.....who knows.... Hmmmm? I understood that Mayle was not drafted earlier because he was thought to be somewhat "slow". Is 4.5 slow for a WR? Or middle range? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wargograw Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Neither, it's fast. Just not freakish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudfly Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Hmmmm? I understood that Mayle was not drafted earlier because he was thought to be somewhat "slow". Is 4.5 slow for a WR? Or middle range? I wouldnt say it's slow....especially for a bigger WR......burners are 4.2ish, but he's not supposed to be that..... Dez Bryant and AJ greene are a couple of 4.5 guys, so Id say it's at least average for a larger receiver..... . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gipper Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 I wouldnt say it's slow....especially for a bigger WR......burners are 4.2ish, but he's not supposed to be that..... Dez Bryant and AJ greene are a couple of 4.5 guys, so Id say it's at least average for a larger receiver..... . Well, let's see, on here he has been compared to Josh Gordon, Dez Bryant and AJ Greene. Are we perhaps going overboard a bit on him? I certainly hope that it would turn out to be that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudfly Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Ha!....Im not even close to comparing him to those guys......dont know how you got that....you asked how fast and I compared his speed to theirs....which isnt going overboard, it's just a factual stat offered to answer your question... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumby73 Posted June 16, 2015 Report Share Posted June 16, 2015 Well, let's see, on here he has been compared to Josh Gordon, Dez Bryant and AJ Greene. Are we perhaps going overboard a bit on him? I certainly hope that it would turn out to be that way. Watching Mayle tape, What I like, he works to get open than when the ball is up Mayle has the fight of Dez and AJ to go get the damn ball. Compared to Josh long jogging strides, a pleasant site could be on the way with playing time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLD Woody Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 Remember when Steptoe was Braylon 2.0? (talent-wise) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaconHound Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 Mayle ran a 4.67 at the combine to Gordon's 4.53 at his 2012 Pro Day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miktoxic Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 Mayle ran a 4.67 at the combine to Gordon's 4.53 at his 2012 Pro Day. gordon's pro day coming off his 2nd failed drug test? i'll take the .14 difference all day long from a guy that isn't going to fuck his team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiamat63 Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 The comparison is in both Josh and Vince's first few steps and the smooth stride. You don't see much wasted motion with either of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudfly Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 Mayle ran a 4.67 at the combine to Gordon's 4.53 at his 2012 Pro Day. Yeah he did... and it was his first ever 40 and was disappointing..... so he ran again and had a 4.56 and a 4.52...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLD Woody Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 Yeah he did... and it was his first ever 40 and was disappointing..... so he ran again and had a 4.56 and a 4.52...... Pro Day numbers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudfly Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 yes...pro day times.....but, no matter where....if you run 4.5, then you have 4.5 speed.... At the combine, he was limited due to his broken thumb and no training or practice with running the 40.....and, at the last minute, he also had to reverse his natural starting stance from left to right, which cost him.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 Not surprising... Pro day = hand timed Combine = electronically timed hand timed = electronic + ~0.1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Bone Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 Forget his 40 times, the big question is how many of those plastic thingies did he swipe during the 'jump real high' test? As we all know, that test along with the 'how fast can you boogie around the cones' test are the real indicators of just how good a football player will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Couch Pulls Out Posted June 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 Forget his 40 times, the big question is how many of those plastic thingies did he swipe during the 'jump real high' test? As we all know, that test along with the 'how fast can you boogie around the cones' test are the real indicators of just how good a football player will be. I actually think the boogie around cones test holds some weight. Not that it indicates future NFL success, but that it is a better representation of the ahtleticism and abilities of players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLD Woody Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 yes...pro day times.....but, no matter where....if you run 4.5, then you have 4.5 speed.... At the combine, he was limited due to his broken thumb and no training or practice with running the 40.....and, at the last minute, he also had to reverse his natural starting stance from left to right, which cost him.... Oh, so pro day numbers outweigh combine numbers if you like the prospect enough? Got it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudfly Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 whatever woody.....go ahead and put words in my mouth.... someone simply asked how fast is he compared to Gordon and I gave him an answer......and NOW we have to haggle some bull shit about where it was timed?....or how some other time somehow supersedes it?...... Gordon ran 4.53 at his pro day.....Mayle ran 4.52 at his pro day....meaning they are comparable....which was the WHOLE point... So why you and Baconhound find issue with that and need to turn it into something else is beyond me.... fwiw...dude ran a 4.52 and a 4.56....as well as a 4.67.....the 4.67 does NOT mean he cant run 4.52(he did, didnt he)???....and if he CAN run 4.52, does that not mean he has 4.52 speed....? So....what exactly is your point?.....that he cant or hasnt run 4.5?...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted June 17, 2015 Report Share Posted June 17, 2015 Woody, go back and take your time and read his post..... then be very quiet. The combine was in February, their pro day was in April. Most people with any common sense would think the faster time at the pro day would be a bit more valid since his thumb wouldn't be affecting him as much, and he could adjust his stance, etc, in the 40.. He had a broken thumb bothering him in Feb. April comes well after February. Take your time, and try to think about it. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/apr/02/ex-cougs-wing-it/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tour2ma Posted June 18, 2015 Report Share Posted June 18, 2015 Forget his 40 times, the big question is how many of those plastic thingies did he swipe during the 'jump real high' test? As we all know, that test along with the 'how fast can you boogie around the cones' test are the real indicators of just how good a football player will be. Agree... You have to be "fast enough" straight line, but agility (as measured by the "boogie", AKA 3-cone, drill and to a lesser extent the 20-yd shuttle) and vertical go a long way in separating WR wheat from chaff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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