ESPN: Teams need to let first-round WRs develop

[Manasseh]

I did a search and couldn't find this article anywhere. Even though it doesn't directly concern the Redskins, I put it in the stadium because I believe it makes our front office look really smart (not that we had any doubt). Why draft a WR and pay him first round money, when we can get a proven receiver for a 3rd and 4th round pick, or as a free agent? Let's let the other teams keep digging in the draft. One thing you have to say about our front office: they sure do seem to learn from their mistakes (ie, Gardner and/or Jacobs).

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?columnist=clayton_john&id=2448029&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab5pos2

Teams need to let first-round WRs develop

Clayton

By John Clayton

ESPN.com

From article...

Finding a No. 1 receiver has been a No. 1 headache for many teams.

Since Mike Shanahan took over the Broncos in 1995, he has invested 16 draft choices in receivers and hasn't found one yet. Included in those choices are two first-round picks (Marcus Nash and Ashley Lelie), one second-round pick (Darius Watts) and two third-rounders (Travis McGriff and Chris Cole). The most catches a receiver drafted by Shanahan has had in a season is 54, by Lelie in 2004.

The list of first-round failures is endless. Sylvester Morris (Kansas City, 2000 draft), Freddie Mitchell (Philadelphia, 2001), David Terrell (Chicago, 2001), Soward (Jacksonville, 2000) and Rod Gardner (Washington, 2001) headline the list of recent failures. Eleven of the 16 first-round receivers taken between 2000 and 2003 haven't or won't get second contracts from the teams that drafted them. Of the other five, Reggie Wayne is the only one to have actually secured a new deal. The Lions have used three top-10 picks on wide receivers in the past four drafts and are still buried in the bottom of the passing stats.

Click link for full article

[Kosher Ham]

Yet the Redskins "overpaid" for guys that have proven they can play on the NFL level.

My take on it : Pay the proven guys, not the unproven.

3 WRs somewhat proven and on the upside, as opposed to 3 WRs unproven with upside.

The only WRs that I can think of off the top of my head in recent years, that has really shown that he is worth MORE than his draft position are Boldin and Steve Smith.

[Oldskool]

Should be in the "around the league" section, as it doesnt have any Redskins related news.

[redskns21]

Should be in the "around the league" section, as it doesnt have any Redskins related news.

Sure it does, it talks about Santana Moss right in the middle of it. Also a mention of the bust that was Rod Gardner.

At least it's not another LaVar thread .

[indaslums]

I did a search and couldn't find this article anywhere. Even though it doesn't directly concern the Redskins, I put it in the stadium because I believe it makes our front office look really smart (not that we had any doubt). Why draft a WR and pay him first round money, when we can get a proven receiver for a 3rd and 4th round pick, or as a free agent? Let's let the other teams keep digging in the draft. One thing you have to say about our front office: they sure do seem to learn from their mistakes (ie, Gardner and/or Jacobs).

I have been saying the same thing in posts for a while you are 100 percent right. I think you should use first round picks on defensive players or offensive non-specialty guys to build a team and when those players mesh and you need a kickstart on offense THEN use your first round pick to take an elite ,young, fresh runningback.

[RIDETHEWALRUS]

As much as I like people knocking 50/50, I think his tenure with the skins would have been very different had Gibbs been coaching when he was drafted. The guy put up very good numbers early in his career, nothing spectacular but very solid. His problem was with concentration and I believe quality coaching could have cured that.

[jrockster21]

The only WRs that I can think of off the top of my head in recent years, that has really shown that he is worth MORE than his draft position are Boldin and Steve Smith.

Don't forget about Brandon Lloyd...

[kingdaddy]

This is a good post. It definitely concerns the Redskins as it reinforces what Gibbs has been saying all along about going with proven NFL guys. I was not happy we spent such big money on Randle El and Lloyd on top of Patten and Moss. But now, after reading this article, it shows how difficult it is to find top NFL WR's. If Brunell stays healthy, we are going to the show.

[Dirk Diggler]

WR is second only to QB as the hardest position to project coming out of college. The Skins could be on to something by filling out their corps with free agents. It's also a position that seems to be relatively "cheap" compared to others. I'd hate to have to fill out an offensive line through free agency these days.

Moss has proven to be able to produce as a 1. Llyod as a 2. And ARE and Patten have proven they can be 3s.

[wsniper1]

Chad Johnson seems to be a steal as he was drafted in the second round the same year as Steve Smith.

[Zen-like Todd]

I stand by my statement two years ago that Rod Gardner would have been T.O. if they had given him massive doses of Ritalin.

[blk_rshn]

Yet the Redskins "overpaid" for guys that have proven they can play on the NFL level.

My take on it : Pay the proven guys, not the unproven.

3 WRs somewhat proven and on the upside, as opposed to 3 WRs unproven with upside.

The only WRs that I can think of off the top of my head in recent years, that has really shown that he is worth MORE than his draft position are Boldin and Steve Smith.

Larry Fitzgerald

[MRMADD]

It's very funny that the media seem to accept a very flawed argument as gospel: wide receivers need time to develop.

The only other position where this argument is almost religious is with quarterbacks. QBs, however, have to run the entire offense. They're the focal point of the offense. Every mistake they make is disastrous. So it makes perfect sense that they need time to develop, to learn the offense, to establish a rapport with every player on the offense. But wide receivers?

WRs play the most independent role on the offense. Run your route properly. That's it. The rest of the stuff -- catching the ball properly, downfield blocking, etc. -- isn't new. They aren't learning it for the first time. And you are largely (not entirely, of course) independent of the rest of the offense. If you've got the raw talent -- speed, hands, and courage -- and you couple that with the discipline to run routes properly, you're a starter.

But we've seen it repeatedly in recent years: first year receivers suck. Why? Why should they suck more than first-year cornerbacks? First year LTs? First year DEs? Most first year players suck, but why should WRs especially suck? It isn't the position. Early first round DEs are expected to get after the passer immediately -- and they do. But early first round WRs seem really befuddled.

Could it be the temperment of WRs? They tend to be me-first prima donnas (I'm generalizing, of course, but if you look at Steve Smith or Chad Johnson, etc etc, you'll see what I mean) and maybe the problem isn't their position, it's their attitude.

Or is it that the NFL is so pass-happy that every team needs WRs so badly that those early first round WRs really aren't all that talented after all?

[FightForOldDC21]

ares are gonna develop very quickly

[Joey T]

It's very funny that the media seem to accept a very flawed argument as gospel: wide receivers need time to develop.

If you've got the raw talent -- speed, hands, and courage -- and you couple that with the discipline to run routes properly, you're a starter.

But we've seen it repeatedly in recent years: first year receivers suck. Why? Why should they suck more than first-year cornerbacks? First year LTs? First year DEs? Most first year players suck, but why should WRs especially suck? It isn't the position. Early first round DEs are expected to get after the passer immediately -- and they do. But early first round WRs seem really befuddled.

Could it be the temperment of WRs? They tend to be me-first prima donnas (I'm generalizing, of course, but if you look at Steve Smith or Chad Johnson, etc etc, you'll see what I mean) and maybe the problem isn't their position, it's their attitude.

Wide receivers need time to catch up with the speed of the game and the size of the players defending them. This is the NFL where everyone is huge and fast.

OL and DL players can see a hit coming and it's not blazing fast. Running backs can see a hit coming and cover. DBs and LBs pick an angle, then attack an unsuspecting player from the blind side more often than not.

Playing defense is fun. You get to attack and lay the wood.

Wide receivers know a hits coming but totally expose their bodies while concentrating on the ball to make a catch. IMHO it takes as much guts to play WR as QB.

It takes a special person to endure pain and enjoy it. This is what a WR must do to be successful.

That is why you see a lot of them ala TO, Smith, Chad Johnson, etc. pound their chests after making a play. They feel invinceable. Just my :2cents:

[CPstretch]

david terrell was so good in college. he sucks now though

[smalex41]

"KUDOS" to you for your excellent post. Regarding the "Skins", the WR's selected in the first round were pre the Joe Gibbs era.

Shottenheimer and Spurrier did'nt do anything exceptional for us.

Remember the 1st round bust at QB, Heath and Patrick? remember our compensation for these failures?, we had to absorb tremendous "set-backs" for those investments.

[pjfootballer]

The whole time during those drafts I kept telling my family we should take Dilfer and not Shuler. Then I said J.J. Stokes instead of Westbrook.

J.J. would've come in here as the #1 option and wouldn't have rotted in the shadows of Rice and TO.

Dilfer is still playing. Those two stupid picks were reminiscent of the "Turner" era.

[Skinja]

My take on it : Pay the proven guys, not the unproven.

QUOTE]

:applause:

[Zazzaro703]

OL and DL players can see a hit coming and it's not blazing fast. Running backs can see a hit coming and cover. DBs and LBs pick an angle, then attack an unsuspecting player from the blind side more often than not.

Playing defense is fun. You get to attack and lay the wood.

Wide receivers know a hits coming but totally expose their bodies while concentrating on the ball to make a catch. IMHO it takes as much guts to play WR as QB.

It takes a special person to endure pain and enjoy it. This is what a WR must do to be successful.

That is why you see a lot of them ala TO, Smith, Chad Johnson, etc. pound their chests after making a play. They feel invinceable. Just my :2cents:

Yeah not to mention that the better you are at WR the harder defensive players want to hit you..... Def a tough position.

[Bryan81]

I try not to take much of what ESPN says to seriously after all Len Pasquerelli & Peter King contribute to that network & they can't recognize the talent of Art Monk.