Football Articles

With the NFL entering into the third week of the preseason, every team is sending out their first team offense for them to get the most complete look on how they look as a fully functioning unit.  When it comes to high powered offenses like the Colts and the Saints, these are two of the most efficient units in the NFL in getting set and snapping the ball with minimal scrambling required.

Now that the league has changed the placement of the Umpire on the field, it has put a huge damper on the game as we know it currently.

Teams with fast moving, organized offenses such as Peyton Manning and the Colts and Drew Brees and the Saints are known for being so dangerous because they are able to set up and get the ball snapped before most defenses can get a proper read on what they are going to do.  This is what gives them the offensive edge and has made them the dominant teams they've been over the past few years or in the case of Peyton Manning, the past decade.

While the placement of the Umpire in the offensive backfield is more of a precaution to prevent the officials from getting injured, it has put a very big hold on the game.  The Umpire used to set up in the middle of the defensive unit, just behind the linebackers.  Due to the fact that players were using the officials as "picks" or decoys to cause a distraction for defensive players to run into, the rules were adjusted to help keep the officials out of harm's way and still keep the game fair.

I believe a majority of coaches, NFL analysts, and hardcore fans expected this to have an impact on the amount of offensive holding calls that are flagged.  Let's face it, there is holding on every play, you just have to be around to notice it.  What alot of people never expected was that this was going to take away from the quality of the game as we know it. 

Now I can understand if the play might be called as a do-over, or even as a dead play and reset.  However, if the QB and offense are set and ready to go, but the Umpire is not in his set spot to view the play, the QB is flagged for an Illegal Snap call and it's a 5 yard penalty against the offense.  Now think about how this looks.  You have an official that is not athletic enough or just can't seem to gather his placement on the field to get out of the play on time, hindering the speed of the game that is dictated by the situation, and the offense is supposed to suffer because of the referee's mistake?  I don't know about you, but I can't see that being fair at all. I know the NFL is sometimes joked as being called the "No Fun League", but this takes it to a new level. 

There needs to be an amendment to this rule.  The officials need to gather a way to get the ball set and get out of the way in a timely order.  With most teams running into a "Hurry-Up Offense" in the final two minutes of the half or final two minutes of the game, these penalties can effective disrupt the outcome of a game.  I'm sure the Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, will not like hearing that due to the lack of athleticism of the officials, it changed the outcome of a game because of an unnecessary penalty. 

This needs to be fixed now.  If this carries over into the 2010 regular season, something as small but as disrupting as this can change the outlook on how alot of teams now approach each game.  No one ever likes to hear that their team lost a game because the official wasn't able to get out of the way in time and it cost their team's offense 5 yards.  Former NFL VP of Officiating Mike Pereira used to say that he wanted the players and the game to determine the outcome, not the officials.  Let's get back to that before it ruins some crucial moments in football.

This Q&A happened on Adam Scheffter's blog on ESPN:

Q: Have you caught how everyone is sleeping on Devin Hester? The way I see it, no one in the Chicago Bears' young talented crop of WRs has passed him as the No. 1, and that usually means a big year in a Mike Martz offense. What are your thoughts? -- Double J (Chicago)

A: Double J, I like Hester this season. I'm hoping he's around later in my fantasy drafts next week. He still is a dynamic playmaker and has made more plays in his career than the other Bears wideouts. But right now, people are talking more about Johnny Knox and Devin Aromashodu than Hester. The truth is I think the Bears' wide receivers are underrated. People are wondering if they have enough firepower there -- that's not the question. The question is whether Chicago's offensive line will hold up and give Jay Cutler the time he needs to find those wide receivers.

Interesting. I think that is the first time I have ever heard this group described as underrated, but I suppose it could be true, despite the relativity of the statement.

If you watched any of the Bears last season you probably remember Jay delivering the ball to spots where receivers were supposed to be only to find out they had either gone to the wrong spot, failed to break away from a defender, or worse yet, fallen down.

With the Mike Martz offense based on timing, and with the complexity of the whole thing, Bears fans have to hope that their group of receivers have not only improved, but grasped the scheme wel enough to utilize their natural atheltic ability.

And with the line play suspect, Hester, Aromashodu and Co. will need not only athleticism, they will need to rely a lot on football instinct. Let's hope it's not all too much to handle in one short off-season.

The inevitable has arrived. The Commissioner of the NFL announced an 18 game schedule beginning in 2011 or 2012. This is about money pure and simple. It is going to make a farce out of the game even more than the insane salaries the teams are paying now at the expense of the fans and the game. 

Andy artfully and truthfully spoke about the monolith which is now home to the Giants and the Jets. The PSLs have all but closed the door on most fans from ever seeing a game. I think about how much going to see a live game meant to me and how much fun it was. I remember when going to see your home team, your heroes, was affordable and fun.  Now it is as expensive as a one week vacation to see one game and more than the entire amount a person on Social Security receives in a YEAR for your own seat.  There is an invisible line drawn somewhere out there where the true fans, the average guy and his family, the starry eyed kid will NEVER see a game live. That line has been crossed and TV has become a fan’s only option.

Of course with the blackouts and the costs involved in cable or satellite subscriptions even television is pricing out many fans. There is something wrong, very wrong with a marginal player getting $30 million guaranteed at the top and millions at the bottom. Nick Mangold is a very good center but he is getting $23 million guaranteed on a 5 year $58 million dollar contract. Mangold is a center. The top 15 draftees get many millions and the guys in the middle get more millions. The fans get NOTHING as exemplified by Andy’s piece on the “new” stadium.

Now for a look at what it means to the game itself.

Those of you who come here know we are just over it about injuries. We are two weeks into pre-season and most every team is reeling from injuries.  The Giants have more than their fair share of trouble again.  I was done writing this post and then we find out O'Hara is gone for another two weeks with Achilles' tendinitis. The Jets seem to be in better shape (lol!) but the game has come down as much or more to injury than the players, the coaches, the game.

Glenn wrote a terrific piece on injury stats which prove that injuries have become the biggest factor in a team's success.  Of course it depends on WHO gets hurt.  The Giants, the recent trouble in Minnesota, the injury (hamstring?) to DeSean Jackson in Philly, Denver’s injury-depleted roster and the fallen from many other teams are now the determining factor in who wins and who loses.

The loss of Hixon, our return game, most of our offensive line, DB’s Ross and Johnson, JPP, Boss, Barden, Jacobs, Manning and those to come have already made this season a challenge before it has even started. The fans can’t afford to go to a game and now the quality of the game itself is compromised again... An eighteen game schedule will probably be the death knell for the brand of football that those of us young and old have enjoyed.  Whether or not they end up cutting back pre-season games, the games that count require your best players for 60 minutes. The pre-season is infinitely less demanding.  

It is conceivable that there will be a 22 game schedule without including the playoffs. There is NO way that these men, their bodies and their minds can tolerate the abuse. For the sake of money, the NFL will put out third stringers masquerading as professional football players because the league will run out of healthy men who can last 18 games.  "Managing" player time will mean more substitution of weaker players.  This is going to be the National Attrition League.  Whoever is left standing wins the title. 

I am deeply troubled that NOTHING is pure anymore, that owners and players can ruin one of the few pleasures we have.  Fans owe it to themselves to examine their unquestioned support of the NFL. PSLs, the 18 game season and a possibly strike are symptoms.  The loyalty of the fan is being put to a test.  Each one of us, collectively through our actions, will determine the future path of this sport.

The build-up around the 2010 New York J-E-T-S-JETS JETS JETS reminds me of the hype around the 2006 Redskins and the Cowboys of 2007 ('08, '09 and '10). It's "their year." They can't miss the Super Bowl. Bet the rent money.

Super Bowl fever is a curse that jinxes any chance the Jets have for the Super Bowl. But it's human nature, not any voodoo that will do the Jets in.

When everyone tells you how good you are based on what you did last year, you tend to relax. You don't know you are doing it because you're still hustling. You're making every effort. Your owner goes out and buys that one last piece needed to win it all. In the Jets case, that would be LaDainian Tomlinson and Jason Taylor, as they shoo RB Thomas Jones, S Kerry Rhodes and G Alan Faneca out the door. How did that exchange for Brett Favre for Chad Pennington work out? 

Hype about their prospects leads CB Darrelle Revis to think he can leverage a new deal when he has three years left on his contract (They-can't-win-the-super-Bowl-without-me syndrome.)

Hype about their prospects brings HBO coverage and its distractions. Head coach Rex Ryan is the only NFL coach who swears apparently--as if any son of Buddy Ryan could do otherwise.

People tell you how good you are and pretty soon you think you're better than you really are. There's a fine line between confidence and complacency. Only in hindsight does one know when that line was crossed. Hype about the Jets impedes their path to the Super Bowl, along with the Patriots, the Dolphins, The Colts, the Chargers....

Familiar Faces

The NFL is a small world and a round one. Laveranues Coles is back with the Jets after a one year hiatus with the Bengals. Coles was a high performing receiver with the Redskins in the Spurrier system in 2003, but was frustrated by the Joe Gibbs offense when he snagged more catches (90) for fewer yards (950) and touchdowns (1) in 2004.

Coles was vocal about that with Gibbs who traded him to the Jets for Santana Moss. In five years with Washington, Moss exceeded Coles' '03 performance only once, in 2005 when he set the Redskins single season receiving record for 1483 yards and nine touchdowns.

Redskins owner Danny Snyder professed man-love last year for rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, the one-year wonder out of Southern Cal. The Redskins couldn't move up in the draft order to get Sanchez and stuck by Jason Campbell. Check that. They were stuck with Jason in Snayderrato's view.

If Sanchez were on the roster, Donovan McNabb would not be here now. I have a hunch McNabb's numbers will be better than Sanchez's, regardless of the won-loss records for these teams. That's not to knock Sanchez. The guy is only in his second season, so his performance could go either way.

The take-away for Snyder is that players are like busses. If you miss one, another will come along. There is no such thing as a must-have free-agent player.

Point After: The New York Jets have been a favorite trading partner for the Redskins over the years. Randy Thomas, John Hall and Pete Kendall came from the Jets as have Moss and Coles.

The Redskins traded QB Patrick Ramsey to the Jets when a few of us thought Ramsey got a raw deal from Steve Spurrier's ill-fitting offense and Joe Gibbs' quick hook. We thought Ramsey was a first round talent who needed a fresh start anywhere else but here. It's a recurring theme around Washington.

How did the Skins miss out on G Alan Faneca when the Jets released him after the draft? Maybe the Jets aren't on Bruce Allen's speed dial yet.  [redskinshogheaven2]

A few days ago, members of the Troy Polamalu Foundation delivered a donation of brand new football uniforms to the high school teams of American Samoa. There are 7 high schools on the island with football teams, and Troy's $100,000 gift covers 'em all. From left to right in the above picture, the schools are Nu'uuli Vocational-Technical, Samoana, Fa'asao Marist, Kanana Fou, Tafuna, Leone, and Faga'itua High Schools.

Good for Troy. The guy always seems to be doing the right thing. Plus I've been on a kick, calling out people that are positively impacting others.

And I see that Troy didn't pick camouflage for any of the teams. BECAUSE CAMO DOESN'T BELONG ON FOOTBALL UNIFORMS.

PSL Stadium, aka the New Meadowlands, is a waste of $1.7 Billion dollars.

Giants Stadium worked well enough.  And I truly believe it was karma with the son going against his deceased father's wishes when the Giants took a $301MM bath on an interest rate counterparty default (Lehman bankruptcy Sept 2008).

First, the parking.  Here is an excerpt from my friend, who treated me to the game:

"The ticket prices are higher.  And the egalitarian (or shall we say meritocracy) of parking has been replaced by a system of class distinction.  It used to be that the bigger a fan you were, the earlier you got to the stadium, the better your parking spot.  Now it is the more money you have, the better your parking spot."

When the Giants were building the new facility, word was out that they were going to widen the concourse so that fans would no longer be stuck in ridiculous pedestrian congestion.  If there was anything that could be improved, this was it!  And yet the new stadium somehow manages to screw this up!  How?  Well, to be fair, the walkways were widened.  But in SOME areas they are not appreciably changed.  Since traffic is a function of its weakest link, the passageways at some points manages to get clogged again.  No, it is not as bad as the old stadium, but it could be a lot better.  The concession stands push out into the corridors and what could be a good aisle is no longer.

For whatever reason, the designers had the concourse essentially dead-end for each quadrant.  On the first tier you cannot walk 'around' the stadium without being forced to go back down the escalators and then back up to the next quadrant.

Back in the spring when the Stadium opened up to a minicamp practice, everyone complained about the gray seats.  I must have spent a bunch of time staring at the color gray, completely bewildered at how they could choose such a color.  Were green/white and blue/red ruled out, so that they mixed the four together and got gray?  The place looks like a garage.

A while back when we picked apart the PSLs for what they were, a Wellington transgression, we noted that the pricing was incorrect and that inefficiencies existed.  Old time season's tickets holders who were in the 'best' seats in the old stadium were trading 'down' in droves to get out of the 'club.'  This past weekend, we noticed how there were literally entire sections in the second level of the new stadium that were almost completely empty.  This was reminiscent of the Yankees seats in their new palace that were empty behind home plate.  Some of the 'best' seats in the second tier of PSL were over-priced relative to their peers, and they have been avoided.

Since the Giants soaked the fans for plenty of PSL green, at least they could give them a place to take a leak.  The new facility has more restrooms and more urinals.

Speaking of seats,  one thing you knew the Giants were going to do was add a another level of luxury boxes.  Nothing in life is free- the third tier is so high up that they were selling oxygen masks and flights to Pittsburgh.

The food?  Well we are not fans of the 'club' seats, where you get fed for the price of Il Mulino.  Besides, as we asked aloud last year, isn't tailgating and eating at your own bbq as big a part of the game as .. the game?!  Nevertheless, we had to try the new concession stands just to see what the food was like, and we were summarily unimpressed.  The quantity of concession stands increased, meaning lines were considerably less, but unfortunately what they delivered in quantity was not matched in quality.  My friend's cheesesteak was "inedible" and I stopped eating my hotdog after three bites because it was undercooked.  Good thing the food was also overpriced!  But alas- there was GOOD NEWS about PSL Stadium- they have cup holders attached to the back of all seats, so there was a place to put your beer!  $1.7B for cup holders and a urinal to piss in. 

The Seattle Seahawks have no stars.

The closest thing we've got right now is Matt Hasselbeck, but that's based on past reputation, not recent performance. He's got the charisma of a star, but lacks the luster and sheen generally required. Hasselbeck may be in the early stages of going supernova and his time with the team is almost certainly limited. The last legitimate "star" the Seahawks had was Shaun Alexander.

Now, don't hear me wrong. Walter Jones was a star. Steve Hutchinson was and is a star. They play in the trenches though, they won't ever be household names to the Sunday-only football fans. The Seahawks, and Seattle sports for the most part, lack a player whose skills and personality transcend sport and endear him to the nation. They also lack the opposite: a Bosworth, Haynesworth, or even a Brandon Marshall. Someone whose skills are undeniable, but who is divisive and controversial. The closest thing we've got now is Pete Carroll.

No. The Seahawks have no stars. Why not? There are plenty of reasons, but I'll offer a few that have been kicking around in my head for the last week or so.

SKILL

Not to sound like a jerk, but the bottom line is this: the Seahawks don't have many players with the skills and talent required of a "Star." There has been no Largent since Largent, no Easley since Easley, no Tez since Tez. Matt Hasslebeck had his moment in the sun, Shaun Alexander became the face of our franchise, and Mike Holmgren carried us into the national spotlight with his reputation preceding him and us. But on the current 80-man roster, the Seahawks have a convoluted mix of hope and disappointment, with a lot of players muddled in between the two.

The Tim Ruskell era is elucidated. We can look at Ruskell and his drafts now with a different eye, no longer betrayed by our own hopes and dreams that the captain of this sinking ship has a plan. The Ruskell era was a failure, one in which "playing" the draft became as important as "winning" a draft. One in which a misguided belief that the talent we have is better than the talent we will draft. One in which the team is always on the precipice of greatness, despite being wallowed in the depressing boonies of the NFC West. There were enough hits to give us some hope today, but the majority of Ruskell's picks were misses. He won with Tatupu and Hill early on, but from that point on it was a very mixed bag.

The draft is where you get stars. The draft is where we replaced middling players with middling players, took shots at special teams people, drafted people who "won't ever be a star" in the first round (Kelly Jennings, and yes, Ruskell said that). The draft is where you take the best talent available and have to hit with impact players at least some times. We almost always got them in the second, not the first round, under Ruskell. Our first round picks over the last five years reads like a gag reel: Chris Spencer (who may finally be coming into his own), Deion Branch trade, Kelly Jennings, Lawrence Jackson, and Aaron Curry (not yet an oops, but there is some concern). None of the first four have been impact players, and that's a big part of our problem.

MEDIA

There is very little dispute that the Seahawks don't get much play in the national media. Multiple times last year the Seahawks game was skipped over altogether on ESPN. We are increasingly viewed as washed up and overplayed, with no one paying attention to the fact that we were for five years among the three best teams in the NFL. We aren't any more. The illusion that Seattle is in South Alaska is very real -- many national media types will never make the foray out to the Pacific Northwest, they'll never sit on the banks of the lake and watch practice at the VMAC. They'll never see the passion the 12th Man has for this team and for ruining the other. Until you sit at Qwest for three hours on a Sunday, you can't understand the fanbase.

And really, what reason are we giving the media to come? The Seahawks have been atrocious on the field and off in recent years. The high character guys drafted and signed by Ruskell have faltered repeatedly. The team is viewed by some (thanks in no small part to Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk) as a Cincinnati-of-the-West. When you lose and lose and lose, the only media attention you will get is for the negatives -- Leroy Hill arrested, Tatupu DUI, Rocky Bernard domestic abuse, Houshmandzadeh shooting his mouth off, Carroll cutting his USC homeboys.

GAMEPLAN

The Seahawks of the last three years have been lost in transition. Ruskell and Holmgren didn't see eye to eye, Ruskell brought in his guy, his guy faltered, Ruskell was forced to resign, Paul Allen has cancer, Mora was fired, Carroll was hired, Schneider brought in, 125 roster moves, Tod Leiweke leaves... It's insane and very little of it appears "functional" on the face of things. How could this team possibly have a game plan? They did and it failed, then they didn't and they failed, now they do and... we'll see.

It appears that John Schneider and Pete Carroll have a game plan. They want to get younger and they want to leave no stone unturned. They want playmakers -- Golden Tate, Earl Thomas, Leon Washington, Walter Thurmond. They want a strong, mobile quarterback in the mold of Jay Cutler, but hopefully with less whinyface. They want a team that will compete on every single down, and they will cut anyone unwilling to live by that mantra. That is all very heartening as a fan.

SO WHAT?

Still, if the team is going to regain national status, if we're going to swap some 10 am starts with some primetime games, the team needs a player who matters. Someone exciting, someone lovable, someone hateable, someone controversial, someone with the smile of your pastor mid-baptism, someone--anyone--who can connect with the fans outside of Seattle and demand attention. It's okay to have multiple stars (Brady-Moss, Manning-Wayne, DeAngelo Williams-Steve Smith), it's okay for them to be jerks (Houshmandzadeh fits the mold IF he can deliver on his talent promises), it's okay for them to be almost anything except mediocre.

And right now, that's what we've seen from this team. Mediocrity. Niceness. Passive aggression. It's the Seattle way, but it doesn't work on a national stage. I'm tired of mediocrity and I know you are too. It's time for this team to get serious. I believe we're on the right path, but it's up to the fans to demand it. Demand the stars. Demand the elite WR we haven't seen since Largent. Demand the elite pass-rusher that we haven't had in a decade-plus. Demand the best quarterback play, the best linebacker, the best playmakers and play breakers. We've given every iota of fandom we possibly can to the Seattle Seahawks, through good times and bad. It's time we receive the best the NFL has to offer in return.

Yeah, there's definitely a big battle at center right now between Maurkice Pouncey and Justin Hartwig, but everybody is talking about a potential Byron Leftwich and Dennis Dixon battle at quarterback. Leftwich was thought by most to be the Steelers week one starter, but he didn't impress Saturday against Detroit ( 6/10, 43 yards, 70.0 rating). Dixon, on the other hand, shined with both his arm ( 6/7, 128 yards, 158.3 rating) and his legs (6 carries, 31 yards).

To be honest, I'm not too interested in this controversy at this point for a lot of reasons. The biggest one is simply that we've only seen one preseason game. It's an extremely small sample size (just four series for Letfwich) and it ispreseason football, not real, true NFL ball. Let's put it this way: If Peyton Manning put up a 70.0 QB rating in his first preseason game while Curtis Painter tossed three touchdowns would there be a QB controversy in Indianapolis? Of course not. That's an extreme example, but when you look through the lens of only one game, it is really easy for things to become distorted. No player should ever be evaluated after one game.

Dixon also had the benefit of playing with the second team offensive line which performed much better than the first team in Saturday's game. Poor Leftwich barely had time to throw and didn't have the support of any running game to speak of. Dixon was playing the bulk of his snaps with Isaac Redman, who averaged 4.0 yards/carry compared to Leftwich's backfield mate Rashard Mendenhall who was held to two yards rushing on five carries. Ugh. Any quarterback would have struggled behind that offensive line.

The two quarterbacks play pretty opposite styles which is naturally going to cause people to stir up a debate between the two. Leftwich has a strong arm and lots of experience, but lacks athleticism big time. Dixon has all of the physical gifts, but struggles in the pocket and doesn't have much experience. As Brian brought up to me, it is a classic conservative/aggressive argument. We all know what we are getting out of Leftwich at this point. He probably won't lose the game for you, but he'll make a few mistakes here and there. Dixon is much more of an unknown. He could be Kordell Stewart in 2001. Or he could be Kordell Stewart in 2002. Most running quarterbacks seem to fall into the boom/bust category. They will blow your mind with an amazing play and then turn around and make the worst decision you've ever seen. Nobody knows how good of a quarterback Dennis Dixon is right now. 

As I've been preaching for a while, I'd like to see both get substantial playing time come the regular season --- regardless of preseason play. Mike Tomlin has the luxury to roll with the hot hand for four weeks. He also has the luxury of being able to sub quarterbacks in and out during the same game without shattering any egos. It doesn't matter who plays how many snaps at quarterback, the Steelers just need to get through the first four games .500 or better and Ben Roethlisberger will be back. 

So while it is easy to get caught up in a quarterback controversy...and thank God we haven't had a real one in a long while... I don't think it serves much purpose. It's doubtful either guy will be terrible enough during the next three preseason games to say that he shouldn't get any snaps come week one. Both should get their chance to perform during the regular season and only after that would talking a lot about any controversy be worthwhile.  Most importantly, this will all be moot once Roethlisberger returns. After the season is over I just don't think the choice of who got under center for the first snap of 2010 will be all that important.

Just like the Quarterback rankings, these rankings take into account factors like, a players new team, age, development, and new additions around them.  There are going to be some key players missing out my top 5.  I'll explain the people falling out of the top 5 and also give you some sleepers that should have big years in 2010.  Starting the list off at #5...

5)"Megatron" Calvin Johnson- 2009 Stats - 67 receptions - 984 yards - 5 TDs - 14.7 avg

Megatron has the rare size (6'5") and speed combination (4.3), that you could only dream of making in a lab.  He also possesses great hands.  Johnson would be more of a household name if he wasn't so humble and quiet like Andre Johnson and instead had a brasher demeanor like Ochocinco and T.O.  Another key factor that has kept him out of the limelight has been the guys that were throwing to him in Detroit.  In his first 2 seasons in the league he was being thrown to by the likes of Jon Kitna, Dante Culpepper, and Dan Orlovsky. Yes, that's the same Dan Orlovsky who ran out of back of the end zone while fading back to pass against the Vikings. The inability to have a quarterback that could consistently deliver the ball slowed his development, but the franchise ultimately did right by him when they selected Matt Stafford with the first pick of the 2009 draft.

Stafford showed that he has what it takes to be a NFL quarterback last season when forced his way back into a game against the Cleveland Browns severely injured. Unable to even hold up his non-throwing arm, and in obvious immense pain, he proceeded to throw the game winning touchdown. From that moment on, he garnered the trust of the team, fans, and management.  Stafford will progress more this season with the front office adding more weapons around him.  The Lions drafted Jahvid Best and also picked up tight end Tony Scheffler to go with 2nd year standout tight end Brandon Pettigrew.

Calvin Johnson also has Nate Burleson, Bryant Johnson, and Derrick Williams to help take some of the double teams off of him.  Calvin has the most weapons accompanying him this year that he's ever had and a quarterback that has all the tools to get him the ball.  Expect Johnson to become more of a red zone threat and have a breakout season that will have pundits mentioning him with the same tone they talked about Fitzgerald after the Super Bowl run a few years ago.

4) Desean Jackson - 2009 Stats - 62 receptions -1,156 yards - 9 TDs - 18.6 avg

I must admit, one of my fellow researchers, Brian Bosley has been trying to get me to come around on this guy since before last season started.  I fought with him about this guy all of last year.  It wasn't until now that I've come to realize that I just don't like Jackson's personality and I was holding this against his on field talent.  Putting personal feelings aside, I can say now that I see Desean as the new Steve Smith (Carolina). A glance at the stats has Jackson's 18.6 yards per catch last season jump off the page.  For a player with 62 receptions to have that high of an average is simply amazing.  He has elite speed, good hands, and his best quality is his elusiveness as he can stop on a dime and change directions. Desean is a serious threat in the open field and his new QB, Kevin Kolb delivers a rocket, accurate pass. The combination of Kolb's ability to deliver the ball and Jackson's elusiveness will cause matchup problems with defenders as Jackson will get the ball in stride and be able to take full advantage of the separation between him and the corner.

The Eagles O-line will give Kolb plenty of time in the pocket to be able to deliver the deep ball to Desean and he should be good for years to come with a young core around him.  Not only does Jackson have a QB in Kolb, but he has Jeremy Maclin on the other side that has to be respected too. Throw in a young dynamic running back in Lesean McCoy as another threat and Jackson could be a fantasy keeper for years to come.

Philly always has a strong defense.  You might be asking what this has to do with Jackson's fantasy value.  This defense will get a lot of 3 and outs and turnovers, which in turn will get more touches for Desean.  All in all, the main weakness I see in Jackson is his "the world owes me everything" personality.  To me, He is as likable as the old ‘say no to drugs ads' from the 80's..."I learned it from watching you dad."  Don't act like you don't remember those commercials.

3) Reggie Wayne - 2009 Stats - 100 receptions - 1,264 yards - 10 TDs - 12.6 avg

This is Peyton Manning's #1 receiver.  Enough said.  I don't care if Bushwick Bill was Peyton's #1 receiver; he would still be in my top 5 fantasy receivers.  Wayne is taller than Bushwick and as far as I know probably has better hands.  Reggie has caught everything Manning has thrown his way for years.  They are on the same page like an old married couple.  Peyton can make any receiver good but Wayne is already good.  Manning makes him elite.  You already know going into the year that Peyton will pass for 4,000 plus yards and Wayne will be the main target during the campaign.  There really isn't any reason to explain anything else.  My wife could tell you that Peyton Manning will connect with Reggie Wayne for at least a 100 catches, 1,200 yards, and 10+ touchdowns this year.  Now, if you want to argue with her, then good luck.  You would have a better chance arguing with Peter Griffin about whether the Bird really is the Word.

2) Brandon Marshall - 2009 Stats - 101 receptions - 1,120 yards - 10 TDs - 11.1 avg

I know a lot experts are expecting a falloff this year from Marshall.  They say Henne didn't put up big numbers last season.  Henne also didn't have Brandon Marshall in 2009.  Marshall made Kyle Orton look good catching an NFL record 22 passes in one game. Perhaps you can pick up the discontent I have for Orton.  I know statistically he has a .604 winning percentage, but I really don't see how he's a starter on an NFL team... Okay, maybe I could see him starting in Buffalo. ) I just can't get past what I see as he consistently throws the short dump passes as if it's the primary route.

And when Orton tried throwing the deep ball, many of the throws were poor and just fell incomplete. Henne throws a beautiful deep ball and showed good accuracy in 2009.  Dolphins have a good running game and Brian Hartline, Davone Bess, and Greg Camarillo all seemed to of developed into dependable 2nd and 3rd options. Also, Marshall can take the 3 yard pass and cut it back across the field and break 6 tackles in the process on his way to a 70 yard touchdown run.  Ask Dallas what Marshall can do when you have "perfect" coverage on him on a short route.

There are some players that you can't stop.  Brandon Marshall is one of those players.

1) Andre Johnson - 2009 Stats - 101 receptions - 1,569 yards - 9 TDs - 15.5 avg

One word "BEAST".  Johnson is simply the greatest receiver in the game. Watching Johnson is watching greatness and history unfold in front of your eyes.  Wouldn't you like to go back and watch Jerry Rice in his prime?  Well, you can't do that but the closest thing to it is watching AJ play.  Great size, hands, leaping ability, and he's humble.  You don't see many athletes's this polished with no weakness to their game.

Johnson is also playing with the most underrated quarterback in the NFL, Matt Schaub. Schaub had the 6th best passing season in NFL History and practically no one no one talks about it! Why is it that no one talks about him being in the conversation as one of the top quarterbacks playing today?  Because he doesn't date Giselle and do Stetson advertisements with his shirt open.  Because he doesn't play for the media whore team in Dallas.  Because his last name isn't Manning.  While Schaub had the best passing season last year, he was only the 4th option to make the Pro Bowl for the AFC. Schaub and Johnson were the first quarterback and receiver to combo to lead the league in yards at their position since Favre and Antonio Freeman in 1998.  If this is your first time hearing that stat, then you should realize that Schaub is underrated.

Teams will not be able to double team Johnson on every play with Pro Bowler Owen Daniels coming back to play tight end this season. There are also other weapons to take the pressure off of AJ.  Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones forcing teams to play them legit.  Johnson and Schaub had that tremendous season in 2009 with basically one of the worst running games in the NFL.  This year they seemed to have that problem fixed with Arian Foster, Steve Slaton, Chris Henry, and Jeremiah Johnson all looking the part for the Texans running attack.  Rookie running back Ben Tate could be out for the season after suffering an ankle injury in the team's first preseason game.  Andre Johnson has led the league in yards the last 2 season...I'd put my money on 3 in a row.

Now, this is for all of you that are yelling at your computer screens because you think I left out someone who should have been in the top 5.  I'll try and explain my reason behind this and if you still aren't happy with my reasoning, feel free to let me know why you still think I'm off. 

I imagine that the name that most of you are upset about is Larry Fitzgerald.  Fitzgerald is definitely an elite wide receiver.  My leaving him off the top 5 has more to do with Matt Leinart than Fitz.  I don't see Leinart being a solid quarterback that can get Fitzgerald the ball and throw him as many touchdowns as the other top 5 names will see.  Fitzgerald will see a lot more double teams with Anquan Boldin gone this season.  I realize that Steve Breaston and Early Doucet will step up and play solid roles but neither one is a true #1 like Boldin was for this team.

Randy Moss is another name that people just expect to be in the top 5.  Brandon Tate and Julian Edelman's development will start taking away from Moss' stats starting this year.  The Patriots O-line will take a hit this season and Brady won't be as sharp as years past.  Be mad if you want to but this is what is going to happen.

Roddy White was really the hardest one for me to leave off this list.  If you don't understand me leaving him off the top 5, I really can't argue with you.  I even thought about putting him in a tie for 5th but that's a punk move.  Matt Ryan will have his best year this year and White will benefit the most from this.

Sidney Rice was another one that I could see putting in the top 5.  I pretty sure that Brett Favre will come back this year but with him not announcing it yet, I couldn't make Rice a top 5 WR with Tavaris Jackson as his quarterback.

Miles Austin will simply have too many receptions taken away by the rookie Dez Bryant.  Bryant will become the team's #1 wide receiver next season.  Witten will also get more red zone throws this season, which will bring down Austin's touchdown total from 2009.

Anquan Boldin will have a solid year. Flacco is a solid quarterback that finally got a great receiver.  The problem is that this team is old school.  This defense will beat you up and they will continue to run the ball down your throat.  Boldin just want get enough touches to be a top 5 wide receiver.

Now that we got that out the way, let's talk about you waiting to late in your draft to pick up wide receivers.  If you find yourself in the mid to later rounds and you need some receivers that will put you up some solid points week in and week out, then I'm going give you a few names.

First, I'm going give you some rookies that should have an instant impact, and then I'll give you some 2nd year stars.  I'll finish you off with a mix bag of young veteran surprises.

Rookies

Dez Bryant is the closest thing to Andre Johnson that a rookie could be.  He's still raw in some attributes but he runs great routes, has great hands, speed, and gets the ball at its highest point.  Jordan Shipley will get a lot of receptions this year in the slot.  He won't get the touchdowns that you want; these will go to T.O., Ochocinco, and Jermaine Gresham.  He will still have solid yards with a good amount of catches.  Demaryius Thomas is a big physical receiver.  He will be the #1 from day 1 if he can stay healthy.  That's a big if, because he keeps getting nicked up.  Mike Williams was a 4th round pick for Tampa Bay.  He would have gone a lot earlier in the draft if it wasn't for character issue.  Make no mistake about it; he didn't fall in the draft due to talent.  He has already taken over as the teams #1 receiver and seems to be on the same page with QB Josh Freeman.

2nd Year Stars

Hakeem Nicks will be the premier receiver for the Giants early on in the season.  His hands are ridiculous.  Mike Wallace is a big play machine.  My biggest question with him is who is going to be throwing him the ball early on in the season while Big Ben is out.  Michael Crabtree was dynamic last season even though he missed all of camp and the first part of the season.  Not doubt that he'll be even better with a season under his belt and a whole offseason workout complete with training camp and preseason. Johnny Knox is going to fit in well in Mike Martz new system in Chicago.  He'll be what Eddie Royal was for Cutler in Denver, when Royal had 91 catches as a rookie.  

Mix Bag-O-Surprise

Malcolm Floyd will benefit the most from Vincent Jackson not resigning in San Diego.  He's 6'5 just like Jackson and runs routes and catches the same as V-Jack.  Floyd will have a breakout year in 2010 like Jackson had in 2009.  Donnie Avery will actually have a QB to get him the ball if rookie Sam Bradford can develop.  Avery is a star just waiting to happen.  Devin Aromashodu has been Jay Cutler's favorite target since last season.  Cutler prefers bigger targets, like Marshall that he had in Denver.  Devin is the biggest target he's got at 6'2.  Jacoby Jones will benefit again from being on the same team as the greatest receiver in the NFL.  His route running and hands have improved every year.  If rookie return man Trindon Holliday can solidify himself as the Texans' return than Jacoby will be able to fully concentrate on the receiver position for the first time in his short career. - Jayson Braddock

Jayson appears on Sports Radio 790 AM in Houston, TX once a week as the football insider on the Dylan Gwinn show. He's a graduate of the Sports Management World Wide Football GM & Scouting Course and has been mentored by former NFL player / executive John Wooten and Sporting News.com NFL Draft Expert Russ Lande. His work is mostly appreciated by die-hard fans interested in every little detail about their team and not just watered down mainstream talk.

Some unsettling news broke yesterday that Patriots' defensive end, Ty Warren, is out for the season with a hip injury.  Warren was placed on injured reserve after it was discovered that his torn labrum would require surgery.  Just two years ago, the Patriots had arguable the best D-line in the NFL with Richard Seymour and Warren sandwiching Big Vince Wilfork.  With Seymour gone to Oakland last season and Ty out for 2010, Wilfork is certainly going to have to step up and earn the big pay day he received his off-season.