Guru 2006 NFL Preview Part 3 — Top and Bottom 5 Wide Receivers
If one thing has changed in the NFL it is the role of the Diva. It the past it was the Quarterback position that had guys wearing fur coats on the sidelines and doing panty-hose ads on TV. If that were to happen today my guess it would be a Wide Receiver that would be cast in Joe Naimeth’s role. Here are the best and worst at WR.
Top 5 Wide Receivers
1. Marvin Harrison, IND – This is the hardest of the positions so far, but I give the nod to Harrison because he goes to work and does his job in a quiet, classy manner. That is the difference maker for me. All of the talking Harrison does is on the field, and there he speaks loud and clear. His stats speak for themselves and he has more catches and yards at the same point in his career than Jerry Rice. Harrison and QB mate Peyton Manning have already become the leading QB/WR duo in league history and with both being relatively young can go on to post ridiculous numbers the next 5 years or so. Not as gifted as the others on the list, Harrison just gets it done week in and week out without finding his way into the papers. That is enough for me to call Harrison the best Receiver in the League.
2. Steve Smith, CAR – What Marvin Harrison is for the quiet majority, Steve Smith is to the little guy. Pound for pound and inch for inch Smith is the best there is in the NFL. What blows my mind is how many times last season teams chose to defend smith 1 on 1 with no safety help and how many times Smith burned the opposition. I think Chicago Bears fans are still wondering how Smith was left so open in the playoffs last season. Not only is Smith talented, but he is tough as nails as well coming back last season after missing all but 2 quarters of 2004 with a broken leg. If I had 1 game to play and had to pick one receiver for my time Smith would probably be the guy I would take. Speed, toughness, and that confidence that a great receiver need, Smith proves good things can come in small packages.
3. Terrell Owens, DAL – His act is worn out, he book stinks and he is a locker room cancer, but there is no confusing the impact Owens has on the field. It is that reason that teams are willing to ignore the negative impact he has off of it. Two stops for Owens so far and two nasty divorces. Next stop for T.O is Dallas where Bill Parcells will try to keep the Mouth that Roared in check long enough to lead the Cowboys back to greatness. According to his book it was after Donavan McNabb told him to “Shut the F*** Up” in the huddle in Cleveland that their relationship soured. I hope T.O. realizes that Drew Bledsoe isn’t one to be ordered around in the huddle either. How far T.O and the Cowboys go will be determined by how long the honeymoon between the Parcells-Bledsoe-Owens threesome can last. His talent and affect on the game is not in doubt and T.O. should have a great season in ’06.
4. Santana Moss, WAS – Another receiver in the Steve Smith mold(small and super fast), Moss came into his own in Washington after 4 years in New York. Posting career highs in receptions and yards, Moss gave the Redskins the deep threat they had been desperately needing to spread defenses and create running lanes for Clinton Portis. His two catches in the last 3 minutes to beat the Cowboys on Monday night in Week 2 became instant classics and had proved Moss was on the map. His great season culminated with a rip to the Pro Bowl and has led to higher expectations for Moss and the Redskins this season. The acquisition of Antoine Randel El should only help Moss obtain more single coverage and I believe his first 100 catch season is in sight. If last season in any indication Moss is going to make a February trip to Hawaii a yearly occurrence.
5. Chad Johnson, CIN – If Johnson is only number 5 on this list you know the future of the receiver position in the NFL is in great shape. Easily the deepest position in football, there are easily 15 great receivers in the game today. Johnson may be only #5 on my list but is easily the number one talker of them all. Always one to bring the attention his way with his end-zone antics, Johnson backs up his talk with his actions on the field keeping the mouths of DB’s who cover him quiet. A threat to both go deep and catch the tough pass over the middle, Johnson has proven that he is a definite #1 receiver and with QB Carson Palmer should continue to put up huge numbers for years to come.
The Bottom 5 Wide Receivers–
32. Andre Johnson, HOU – For a guy that has as much talent and size as Johnson to come up so small and weak is definitely disappointing. The best of the best in the list above all have one thing in common and that’s toughness. Johnson seemingly has proven just how “un-tough” he is and the clock is ticking on whether or not Johnson can get it going. I know injuries and playing for a bad team have had their effect, but other receivers have played on bad teams and still put up the numbers, and the list of injuries continues to get longer and longer for Johnson. He still has all the talent in the world, but the constant losing might be starting to take its toll. With Eric Moulds in the fold in Houston this season to mentor him Johnson might be primed to have a breakout season and catapult himself back to the part of this list he belongs in, instead of being dead last.
31. Antonio Bryant, SF – Sure he had a 1000-yard season last year for the Browns, but Bryant is a true underachiever in every sense of the word. Only four TD’s and countless drops in key situations, Bryant eclipsed the 100-yard mark in only one game, week 17 against Baltimore. He has since moved on to San Francisco where his career is sure to continue to spiral downward. Playing on the worst team in the league, with a QB that threw only 1 TD pass last season, Bryant has neither the work ethic or mental toughness to rise above it and help the 49’ers and Alex Smith improve. When Bill Parcells says you are worthless I tend to believe him and as the old saying goes, “A sucker is born every minute”, Bryant found another sucker in the 49’ers.
30. Jerry Porter, OAK – Another receiver with incredible talent but just can’t seem to break through is Porter. He has played with some of the greats of the game in Jerry Rice and Tim Brown but has failed to learn from them what it takes to become a great wide-out in the NFL. There are already tremors coming out of Oakland that Porter has fallen out of favor with new Head Coach Art Shell and might find his way out of Oakland. Similar to Bryant, if the Raiders don’ want ya you know there is something wrong. Porter wants to be treated like a #1 receiver, but doesn’t want to work like one. Those two ingredients lead to bad things happening and the Oakland passing attack has been simply bad. With Randy Moss in Oakland, Porter is never going to see the ball come his way as much as he would like and the best thing for all involved might be a ticket out of town.
29. Ashley Lelie, DEN – There seems to be a common denominator with everyone here at the bottom. All think they are better than they actually are. Lelie has a lot of talent. He can make the spectacular look easy. But he has no desire to make the routine play. He avoids going across the middle like Bird-Flu. And now, he too is holding out for a trade so he can be a #1 guy. Unfortunately for him, he’s not a number 1 receiver. To find out what it takes to be a #1 he need look no further than in the Bronco Locker Room at teammate Rod Smith. Smith makes the tough catch, makes the easy catch, blocks for the best running game in football, and never opens is mouth in a negative way towards his teammates. Mike Shanahan has a track record of not giving in to players demands like these and with the acquisition of Jevon Walker has forced Lelie into a tough situation. My guess he will come back at some point during Training Camp with his tail between his legs. If that happens and Lelie plays with a chip on his shoulder he could be in line to see a lot of action come his way in 3-wide sets. If he continues to pout Lelie may find himself out of football entirely.
28. Peerless Price, BUF – Proving that you can go home again, Peerless Price heads back to this site of his best success, Buffalo. Too bad for Price that the man that helped him get the fat contract he got in Atlanta, Eric Moulds, has moved on to Houston. That leaves Price right back where he was before, as the main guy when he doesn’t have the skill set nor desire to do what it takes to be #1. It became painfully obvious that, while a definite threat with the deep ball, Price is not a good enough route runner to consistently get open for his QB. That doesn’t bode well for J.P. Losman who will try to re-win the starting job he lost last year to Kelly Holcomb. With a new Coach and GM in town the pressure will be on Losman to prove he was worth the 1st Round pick of the last Administration. Having guys like Price to rely on doesn’t bode well for the Bills, but maybe the cold shores of Lake Erie were just what Perrless need to get his career back on track….On Second thought, not a chance.
