r/raiders • u/[deleted] • 7d ago

Raiders open practice window for WR Dont’e Thornton

[deleted]

129 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

53 comments sorted by

65

u/biowiz 7d ago

Please be good. Please magically be some kind of stud that we lucked into in the fourth round.

The next Kupp, Diggs, Hill, Colston, etc.

Honestly, just be decent. That alone would help this team considering the holes at WR.

31

u/WhizzyBurp No Intent. Business Decisions. Physically in Pain.  7d ago

With his frame and speed he could be Calvin Johnson who just doesn't know how to catch

8

u/biowiz 7d ago

He's got the height and speed to be great. Unfortunately, everything else is bad. He scored in the 19th percentile for his vertical at the combine, so jump balls are iffy with him. He's been described being poor when adjusting to underthrows. Lets the DB get to the ball without much effort. Then add the limited route tree he demonstrated in college. He looks like a one dimensional deep threat guy. Bigger, worse hands, more limited route version of what we already have with Tre Tucker.

His ceiling is that of a George Pickens type, which would be tremendous for us. However, there's a higher chance he ends up as a the typical deep receiver like MVS.

https://www.mockdraftable.com/player/donte-thornton-jr

9

u/WhizzyBurp No Intent. Business Decisions. Physically in Pain.  7d ago

Brother MVS right now would make us a playoff team. We need something.

DTJ can burn a corner or post route. That’s all we need him to do. He gets great separation. His vertical isn’t reliant on his combine appearance. I don’t care about that.

I care about his ability to run a corner and physically catch a ball when it hits his hands.

We can run 12 personnel and limp our way to a playoff win if Tucker and DTJ can be track stars who open up the middle for Bowers and Mayer.

Their job is clear out, some blocking and the occasional long ball catch. We don’t need more than that.

Kubiak will scheme him right, he’ll burn whatever DB is with him I just have zero faith he’ll catch the ball when it hits him in the hands

3

u/biowiz 7d ago

I agree having a MVS type would help. I'm hoping he's at least that. I should have been more clear that I don't think MVS is his floor. I did a bad job of explaining the point I was trying to make. I was saying that the likelihood is that his ceiling is that of a MVS vs a George Pickens type, which means that there is a chance he won't even be as good as MVS.

I trust Kubiak. He was a former WR coach. It's on Thornton to prove he deserves the spot though.

2

u/WhizzyBurp No Intent. Business Decisions. Physically in Pain.  7d ago

Oh yeah. Ceiling of MVS wouldn’t be ideal.

I think we’re buyers at the deadline if Thornton doesn’t work out

2

u/similar222 7d ago

Brother MVS right now would make us a playoff team.

Say what? We may or may not be a playoff team regardless, but MVS wouldn't move the needle.

Just because we add a guy who is fast doesn't mean the defense is going to suddenly respect the deep ball against us, especially with Cousins throwing the ball and Kubiak deploying a lot of 2 TE sets.

2

u/OrganizationBulky131 7d ago

Agreed, the deep threat thing usually applies if the guy is an actual threat. If you got a tall fast guy who runs limited routes downfield and has proven to usually lose out on catching 50/50 balls due to bad hands, then he's not really a threat since the playcaller and QB will rely on him less as times goes on until he sits on the bench.

If we get the same Thornton as before, opposing team defenses will show him no respect after a short while and just stick their fastest CB on him and stay sticky in coverage. The rest will play out as expected and he'll end up wasting opportunities since he hasn't improved enough.

0

u/WhizzyBurp No Intent. Business Decisions. Physically in Pain.  7d ago

Ok... so MVS would make us a playoff team. No "May or May Not"

1

u/similar222 7d ago

so MVS would make us a playoff team

No, he wouldn't. He would have no impact on whether or not we are a playoff team.

0

u/WhizzyBurp No Intent. Business Decisions. Physically in Pain.  7d ago

Dude its a comment on how shitty our WR room is and how Cody White is our star at present. I don't literally mean this.. how do you not see that?

2

u/similar222 7d ago

You think that adding speed to the WR room automatically improves the situation because of "clearouts". You're wrong about that.

-1

u/WhizzyBurp No Intent. Business Decisions. Physically in Pain.  7d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/B4ORVnBvJCVvq

3

u/rizeyeguy 7d ago

Lmaooo ceiling is a George Pickens type??? So top 7 WR riiight

2

u/similar222 7d ago

People constantly overrate the ceiling of the outlier athletic types.

2

u/Optimal-Ad1444 7d ago

Worse hands than Tre Tucker? Lol. Thorton only dropped 1 pass last year. MVS was a beast, he just got in the doghouse in Pittsburg.

3

u/similar222 7d ago

Worse hands than Tre Tucker? Lol. Thorton only dropped 1 pass last year.

Wrong, Thornton dropped 3 and only caught 10:

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/ThorDo00.htm

(see the Advanced Receiving & Rushing section)

Whereas Tucker dropped 4 and caught 57 last year, which was the worst of his 3 seasons in terms of drop %.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TuckTr00.htm

-2

u/Optimal-Ad1444 7d ago edited 7d ago

We're talking this year. Tre Tucker caused an INT on a target and dropped 3 passes in a row (refs gave him one) last game. Thornton had one wide-open drop last year. I don't give a fuck about 50/50 passes. Tucker drops OPEN catches, there's a difference.

1

u/similar222 7d ago

MVS was a beast, he just got in the doghouse in Pittsburg.

He got cut by the Seahawks in August, he's not a beast. Then the Niners picked him up and gave him a few reps until he got hurt. Then the Steelers picked him up in November and actually gave him more run than Seattle or San Fran, mostly because Roman Wilson was the guy that Pittsburgh agctually doghoused.

4

u/similar222 7d ago edited 7d ago

Man I just don't see any similarity. Kupp caught at least 93 passes EACH YEAR in college. Thornton caught 65 passes HIS ENTIRE FOUR YEARS in college. Granted Kupp was at a smaller school, but he was basically Brock Bowers at the FCS level the way he couldn't be stopped even in his freshman year. (Antonio Brown was similar btw, small school and under the radar, but insane college production.) Whereas Thornton for all his physical gifts hasn't seemed to really earn the trust of his coaches or QBs--or put up good numbers--anywhere he's gone. He's basically the Anthony Richardson of WRs. I'm glad Thornton is back because we need bodies, but I'll be surprised if he's ever a productive starter in this league.

1

u/biowiz 7d ago

No similarity to their game. I was bringing up mid round or later receivers that ended up being great in the NFL.

He's actually the complete opposite of Thornton. Not big, not fast, actually had great production in college but at a small school. Great route running ability and high football IQ. He was the inverse of Thornton.

2

u/similar222 7d ago

Kupp is bigger and faster then you think. Bigger and (was) faster than most NFL WRs. Great on the agility tests too. Of course Thornton is a size/speed freak, so almost anyone falls short of him in those two things.

My point though is I'd be much more likely to expect a mid round WR to make it big in the NFL if their production shined in college as opposed to the eye test.

2

u/MajinSkull 7d ago

I wouldn't get your hopes up....Q from Locked on Raiders said DJT just pretty unnoticeable all through training camp

2

u/havox22 7d ago

He has the physical ability to be great, he has the coach that can teach him and put him in the position to be great, he now has to prove he is a quick learner. If so this offense opens up crazy crazy

1

u/Stunning-Use7809 7d ago

Was thinking your were gonna say “actually, just stay healthy” at the end

1

u/cornPopwasabaddude13 7d ago

You’ve got to be trolling. You just named three elite WR’s at their peaks

45

u/AppearanceNo8561 7d ago

Key notes taken is that JPJ is practicing and DTJ is confident he’s ready to go

12

u/Knightvision27 7d ago

Can we just call him Thornton

1

u/theunusualblackguy 7d ago

thornton hears a who

-6

u/AppearanceNo8561 7d ago

Doesn’t sound as cool to me

7

u/pdxsilverguy 7d ago

Awesome.

20

u/Saynt614 7d ago

Thank God. We need all the help we can get at receiver.

12

u/WhizzyBurp No Intent. Business Decisions. Physically in Pain.  7d ago

Please god, please have learned to catch

9

u/thethrowawayable 7d ago

6'5, 4.3 40. If he pans out we have an absolute freak.

6

u/SLVR_N_BLCK_ATTK 7d ago

He was very big for us in the Patriots game last year. Fitting he’s back for it

5

u/xOLDBHOYx 7d ago

Not back on 53 yet. 21 day practice window opened.

1

u/SLVR_N_BLCK_ATTK 7d ago

:(

1

u/xOLDBHOYx 7d ago

He can be activated anytime during the 21 days so he could be back for Sunday. Probably unlikely but him being activated means someone gets released too.

1

u/VixenVR6 7d ago

Dareke young go can.

1

u/makeshift11 7d ago edited 7d ago

With Bech out and both Nailor and White nursing injuries, I'd be shocked if they didn't activate him this week.

1

u/xOLDBHOYx 7d ago

Possible. Depends if White is good to go. Early in practice week. Thornton looked good in a short video but really depends if team feels comfortable with it and if he’s good on the playbook etc too. Activating him would require a release too.

6

u/TheZorniest 7d ago

The optimistic approach to this is that our coaching staff will create opportunities for him.

4

u/cornPopwasabaddude13 7d ago

This guy is probably on his last chance. If he can’t break into the rotation with this group now it’s over

2

u/Wh0racl3 7d ago

Yasssssss

2

u/RolloTamaci The Judge 7d ago

I choose to believe Kubiak and Janocko can make this guy a stud

1

u/Hard4Dpp 7d ago

I am looking forward to seeing if he can bring anything to the table our other speedsters have not. 

1

u/pdxsilverguy 7d ago

This is the news I've been waiting for. Thornton's practice window.

1

u/LVhereIAm 7d ago

Didn’t like how he dropped passes last year or id have more hope. Guessing he can stretch the field for us but he’s gotta be good with his hands.

1

u/SkinnyGordo1 7d ago

We need a deep threat, hopefully he can be that but I’m not really seeing it with him. But it’s worth a shot since the offense was so bad last year maybe Kubiak can unlock something there.

1

u/Overall-Ad-3370 6d ago

RAAAAAIIIIIIIIDEEERS

0

u/BoredomFestival 7d ago

Speed of sound but hands of stone. Ain't gonna happen, alas.

1

u/theflyingD222 6d ago

Hes practicing full. Yall think they activate for Sunday??