In 2011, just nine receivers less than 6-foot tall were in the top 50 in receiving yards. However, in 2015, 16 players made the cut. INSTINCTS: Cobb can run inside routes from the slot, bump. If you are a shorter receiver understand quickness?leverage and technique and you can beat any DBSign up for unlimited receiver training videos and live coac. Jerry Rice is the only receiver who's records may not ever be broken. A player would have to have an all NFL pro bowl year every year for 16 years, then break them in his 17th season. He had blazing speed, could out maneuver any defense, and was t. You need a certain level of “twitchiness” and speed in a good slot WR, because as that sort of guy, you’re going to be running a lot of slant, switch, and cross routes, just to name a few.

• Short Slot Receivers Receiver
• Short Slot Receivers Fantasy Football
• Short Nfl Slot Receivers

Slotback, sometimes referred to as an A-back or, is a position in gridiron football. The 'slot' is the area between the last offensive lineman on either side of the center and the wide receiver on that side. A player who lines up between those two players and behind the line of scrimmage is a slotback. The position is a fixture of Canadian football and indoor football, but is also used in American football. The slotback requires a versatile player, who must combine the receiving skills of a wide receiver, the ball-carrying skills of a running back, and the blocking skills of a tight end.^[1] A similarly named position is the slot receiver, who is the third wide receiver in a 3-receiver set, the one who lines up between the outermost receiver and the end of the offensive line.

Slotbacks are often as many as five yards behind the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped and, in the Canadian and indoor game, may also make a running start toward the line of scrimmage prior to the snap. In most forms of American football, this would be an illegal motion, although a few professional leagues such as the World Football League and XFL allowed forward motion.

Duties of the slotback[edit]

There are a number of different jobs a slotback may take up on the field. Primarily, they are used as hybrid running backs/receivers. However, they are often used to block any player on the defensive team who breaks through the line of scrimmage as a precaution to prevent the sacking of the quarterback. They are preferred over the wide receiver or tight end for receiving short passes or hand-offs due to their positioning being closer to the quarterback. When formations containing slotbacks are used in American football the team often has to go without a tight end, a fullback or a running back due to there being only 11 men on the offense and 7 being on the line of scrimmage, one reason they are rarer in the American game. However, as NFL teams have increasingly 'defaulted to three- and four-receiver sets' in recent years, the slot receiver has become a fixture of American football formations [1]. In terms of a depth chart, a slotback is typically considered the third wide receiver and may be expected to be a 'possession receiver' that can reliably catch a pass when covered by a safety, since they are most commonly used when converting medium-distance third-down conversions.

Slotbacks are used effectively in flexbone formations, in which they are used as extra receivers.Slotbacks are usually smaller and faster than the other positions used. they are also used for short passes and short runs to get extra yards or a first down or a third down drive.

It is important to note that players are not drafted to become slotbacks in the NFL. This position is filled as needed by a wide receiver or running back with the necessary skill-set to effectively play the position. Slotbacks must be able to block, catch, and evade tacklers at a high level to be productive. In 2019, the Navy Midshipmen football team had a highly productive season where their slotbacks gained over 1,500 all-purpose yards.^[2]

Examples of Slotbacks in the NFL and CFL[edit]

As the NFL has shifted to a pass heavy league over the last few years there has been an explosion of slot backs. Some prime examples are the recently retired Darren Sproles, and the still active players Christian McCaffrey, and Larry Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald extended his football career by moving from an outside receiving position to going into the slot where he is able to use his veteran savvy and quick change of direction in tandem with his willingness to block to still be considered among the best in the league at what he does.^[3]

McCaffrey entered the NFL in 2017 and has never failed to put up over 1,000 yards from scrimmage (as of 2020) in fact, in 2019 he totaled a thousand yards running and a thousand yards receiving, with a lot of those receiving yards coming from the slot back position^[4] McCaffrey is a peculiar example, because most slot backs are not expected to get the most touches in an offense, but he was the Carolina Panthers' leading rusher over the last two seasons while also putting up great stats as a receiver as well.

Darren Sproles was never a prolific running back, but he was a great slotback. His 2011 season is the epitome of what a slotback should be. He ran the ball 87 times and he added 86 receptions for over 1,300 Yards from scrimmage and 9 touchdowns^[5]

Slotbacks have been very important in the CFL, as marked by the TSN Top 50 CFL Players 4 of the top players in league history were specifically Slotbacks. These players are Allen Pitts, Milt Stegall, Ray Elgaard, and Terry Vaughn. These players were reliable producers every season with a knack for rushing, receiving, and blocking to lead their respective teams to many wins over the years.

Slotback can also mean a running back, just a similar name for it.Slotback are there to serve the quarterback and wide receivers for passes and yards, some plays are meant for the slotbacks and no other positions on the field.If a team wanted to use a slotback, they have to have a tight end on the edge by the tackle and has to be on the line. on the depth charts, slotbacks are labeled as wide receivers.^[6]

See also[edit]

• H-back, a similar position

References[edit]

1. ^Association, American Football Coaches (2000). Offensive football strategies. Human Kinetics. ISBN9780736001397.
2. ^Wagner, Bill. 'Navy slotback corps has been quite productive'. capitalgazette.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
3. ^'Larry Fitzgerald And The Increased Importance Of The Slot Receiver'. www.azcardinals.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
4. ^'Christian McCaffrey Stats'. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
5. ^'Darren Sproles Stats'. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
6. ^Alder, James. 'What's the Slot in Football? Here's an Easy Explanation'. LiveAbout.

This story appears in ESPN The Magazine's Sept. 19 NFL Preview II Issue. Subscribe today!

Fast, quick and electric after the catch, a new brand of wide receiver is striking fear into the NFL. With smaller frames and the change-of-direction ability to win in the open field, these cats mesh perfectly in today's offenses. They have the formation flexibility and versatility at the position to win on all three levels of the route tree. They are wild-cards in the offensive game plan and pro defenses are struggling to match up.

In 2011, just nine receivers less than 6-foot tall were in the top 50 in receiving yards. However, in 2015, 16 players made the cut. With NFL defenses trending toward longer, taller cornerbacks to counter the Calvin Johnson-type wide receivers, these shorter wideouts are exposing coverages in wide-open offenses.

We've already examined how to build a perfect monsterback, the new hybrid defenders. Here's how to dream up a nightmare wide receiver:

Randall Cobb

5-10, 192 pounds Green Bay Packers

INSTINCTS: Cobb can run inside routes from the slot, bump outside and even align at running back, so the Packers can take advantage of his evasive instincts. Last season he averaged 5.5 yards after the catch, and he has rushed for more than 300 in his career, at 7.6 yards per attempt.

Odell Beckham Jr.

5-11, 198 pounds New York Giants

BALL SKILLS: Beckham ranked third in the NFL last season with 96.7 YPG receiving and had 13 TDs. But it's his ball skills that stand out. This guy can -- and does -- catch anything. He's an electric talent with the ability to change games.

Julian Edelman

5-10, 200 pounds New England Patriots

TOUGHNESS: Edelman owns the underneath passing tree, using option routes, inside breaking cuts and quick outs to move the sticks. A smooth route runner with toughness in traffic, Edelman caught 61 passes last season in just nine games, with 37 receptions going for first downs.

Brandin Cooks

5-10, 189 pounds New Orleans Saints

SPEED: Cooks is lightning in a bottle. He has top-end speed to test any secondary and an incredible burst once he catches the ball. With 13.5 yards per reception in 2015, he is a vertical threat for the Saints and causes matchup problems all over the field.

Doug Baldwin

Short Slot Receivers Receiver

5-10, 192 pounds Seattle Seahawks

HEART: Baldwin is a physical, ultra­competitive player with the route-running skills to create space. The former undrafted free agent tore up the league during the second half of the 2015 season, finishing with an NFL-best 14 TDs along with 1,069 yards receiving.

Golden Tate

Short Slot Receivers Fantasy Football

5-10, 198 pounds Detroit Lions

CHANGE OF DIRECTION: Tate turns into a running back after the catch with his smooth cutbacks, dekes and double dekes; it's fun to watch defenders miss. But Tate is physical on contact, too. In 2015, he averaged 5.8 yards after the catch. You don't want to see this guy in the open field. He's flat-out nasty.

Antonio Brown

5-10, 181 pounds Pittsburgh Steelers

ROUTE-RUNNING: The top route runner in the NFL, Brown puts on a clinic at the break point. It's all there: footwork, acceleration out of cuts and consistent separation back to the football. Over the past two seasons, he has produced 265 receptions -- the most in a two-year span.

ROOKIE SPEEDSTERS: THE REINFORCEMENTS

Sterling Shepard

5-10, 194 pounds New York Giants

Scouts love Shepard's polished routes at Oklahoma. Last season he averaged 99.1 YPG and had 11 TDs. He has the speed (4.48 seconds in the 40) and footwork to produce immediately working opposite Beckham.

Braxton Miller

6-1, 204 pounds Houston Texans

With one year of WR experience, Miller is still raw but stands out with his athleticism, lateral speed and versatility to align at multiple positions. The former Ohio State QB averaged 6.6 yards after the catch last season.

Corey Coleman

5-11, 185 pounds Cleveland Browns

At Baylor in '15, Coleman led the nation with 20 TDs and averaged 18.4 yards per catch. He'll have to develop his route-running, but he has deep speed and the acceleration to run through a secondary after the catch.

Will Fuller

6-1, 172 pounds Houston Texans

Short Nfl Slot Receivers

With 4.32 speed and slick route-running, Fuller can straight fly. Last year at Notre Dame, he produced 20.3 yards per catch with 14 TDs. Fuller and DeAndre Hopkins make for a nice combo on the outside for the Texans.