Good David Boston article (1 Viewer)

[Loco Barlow]

LINK

Posted on Sun, Jun. 06, 2004

DOLPHINS

Boston gaining while he loses

By ARMANDO SALGUERO

asalguero@herald.com

David Boston peels off his practice jersey and teammates gawk.

''Damn,'' fellow Dolphins receiver J.R. Tolver said when asked what went through his mind the first time he saw Boston's body. ``A receiver isn't supposed to be built like that.''

Boston's abs are a rock-hard column of stacked muscles. He has cartoon superhero arms that seem chiseled of granite when he flexes. And his 5 percent body fat index is evidence he is lean.

And yet the Dolphins have asked this living statue of David to lose weight.

''My weight has been an issue for three years now,'' Boston said. ``Some people see it as a positive. Some people think of it as a negative. I guess people have to find something to talk about so they pick that. I don't think it's that big a deal.''

It's an issue for the Dolphins because, although Boston looked trim when he arrived in South Florida after being traded from the San Diego Chargers, coaches were dissatisfied with his quickness and endurance during Miami's first offseason camp.

Boston reportedly weighed 243 pounds at the time.

So the team put him into the same program that running back Ricky Williams went in when he first arrived from the New Orleans Saints in 2001. The program is called Dietary Engineering Thru Dietary Progressions and it employs blood work to determine which foods, chemicals and additives affect a player.

Boston's blood work revealed carbonated drinks have an adverse effect on his body. He also has been advised not to use any condiments, such as ketchup or mayonnaise.

''I was drinking a lot of diet sodas and stuff like that before but I've stopped doing that,'' Boston said. ``I really haven't changed what I eat, but I'm more careful about what I'm drinking.''

Why?

Because the Dolphins want Boston looking and playing more like the thinner, lankier receiver who caught 98 passes for 1,598 yards for Arizona in 2001. They don't want him looking or playing like the 248-pounder who caught 70 passes for 880 yards for San Diego last season.

''We're just trying to make him as quick as before,'' coach Dave Wannstedt said. ``[Receivers coach] Jerry Sullivan and I went inside and looked at some of his old [video clips] when he was in Arizona three years ago.

``And David sat down with Jerry and we watched the tape, seeing him do some things athletically that he was doing at 225 to 230 pounds that he can't do at 235 or 240.''

TARGET WEIGHT

Boston now weighs 235 pounds on his way to the 228 pounds the team will set as his playing weight. And once he reaches his goal, the Dolphins believe they'll have an accomplished receiver rather than a toned body builder.

''When you have an older player, and David is that even though he's only 25, you need to start cutting back on the weight to be more effective,'' Dolphins strength and conditioning coach John Gamble said. ``You perform better, and I think you're already seeing part of that with David.''

Gamble and Boston have forged a quick and fruitful bond, unlike the problems Boston had with his previous strength coach in San Diego. The two men often have long philosophical discussions about nutrition.

Gamble admits that when a player with minimal body fat begins to lose weight, he can become susceptible to hydration problems, cramps or muscle injuries. And Boston -- such an avid weight-lifter he devoted several hours on his wrists alone last week -- must be careful to balance just enough of the activity.

So far that balancing act has sent the scales sliding in the right direction.

''The one thing about David Boston is when he buys into something, he buys in all the way,'' Wannstedt said. ``. . . I do know that he's down at least 10 pounds.''

And he's expecting to do better.

''I want to do anything I can to help the team so I've made some minor changes to try to lose a few pounds,'' Boston said. ``Hopefully, that will pay off for everybody.''

 

[Joe Bryant]

Thanks Loco.Good article.J

 

[Sinrman]

Here's to hoping this TE...err WR can bounce back!

 

[ko-jack]

yea but he plays in a run offense with AJ feely at qb. is he even the #1 option with c.chambers there? the fin defense surely will limit the amount of catch-up opportunites.what made boston so attractive from a FF standpoint was no running game, no defense, no other options at wr, and ARZ was always losing. all the talent in world means nothing without opportunity

 

[LHUCKS]

I think we're finally seeing a bit of maturity out of Mr. Boston. He's still one of the three most gifted WRs on the planet and that alone merits some attention. A lot of kids make mistakes with drugs/attitude/professionalism in their early 20's and I would be surprised if he doesn't turn it around. He's actually a very intelligent kid.

 

[Sinrman]

yea but he plays in a run offense with AJ feely at qb. is he even the #1 option with c.chambers there? the fin defense surely will limit the amount of catch-up opportunites.what made boston so attractive from a FF standpoint was no running game, no defense, no other options at wr, and ARZ was always losing. all the talent in world means nothing without opportunity

No, Chambers will be the #1 guy in Miami. Boston #2. No question.

 

[Loco Barlow]

No, Chambers will be the #1 guy in Miami. Boston #2. No question.

Thanks for dropping in on our messageboard Coach Wannstedt.

 

[LHUCKS]

all the talent in world means nothing without opportunity

Many times talent creates opportunity. If you're ripping off 50 yard TDs...you better believe the O-Coordinator is going to find ways to get you the ball. Not taking anything away from Chambers, because he's one of my favorites, but Boston is one of those talents that doesn't come around very often. -4.2 speed coming out of the draft-built like a machine-decent hands-intelligent

 

[joffer]

all the talent in world means nothing without opportunity

Many times talent creates opportunity. If you're ripping off 50 yard TDs...you better believe the O-Coordinator is going to find ways to get you the ball. Not taking anything away from Chambers, because he's one of my favorites, but Boston is one of those talents that doesn't come around very often. -4.2 speed coming out of the draft-built like a machine-decent hands-intelligent

I wouldn't describe David Boston's hands as "decent". I'd describe them as below average, hovering on poor.And as far as intelligence, you could be right. But I have seen no evidence of intelligence being one of his strengths.

 

[ko-jack]

all the talent in world means nothing without opportunity

Many times talent creates opportunity. If you're ripping off 50 yard TDs...you better believe the O-Coordinator is going to find ways to get you the ball. Not taking anything away from Chambers, because he's one of my favorites, but Boston is one of those talents that doesn't come around very often. -4.2 speed coming out of the draft-built like a machine-decent hands-intelligent

agreed. but with the defense and ricky he runs the risk of becoming a 50 yd td reception or nothing. start em, zero, sit em, td

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I wouldn't describe David Boston's hands as "decent". I'd describe them as below average, hovering on poor.

I agree.Even with Boston's poor hands, however, LHUCKS is right that he's still one of the three most gifted WRs on the planet.If Boston and Chambers both play up to their potential, Chambers will be the #2 guy in the passing offense. But Chambers is a lot more likely to play to his potential than Boston is.

 

[jurb26]

Very good read Loco Barlow. Looks like he might be worth keeping an eye on now. At the very least, it is nice to see a muture tude coming from him. Maybe this is the season of change for him. I'm still not sold on his opp to be a stud WR in Mia. though.

 

[Marc Levin]

No, Chambers will be the #1 guy in Miami. Boston #2. No question.

Thanks for dropping in on our messageboard Coach Wannstedt.

He has a point - the team is moving Chambers to different places along the line for different plays, which indicates they want to get him the ball more in different places on the field and they want to try and free him from potential double coverage.I think Boston could be a decent receiver in Miami, but I'm confident Chambers will significantly outproduce him this year - at least in catches and yardage, if not TDs.

 

[LHUCKS]

If Boston and Chambers both play up to their potential, Chambers will be the #2 guy in the passing offense. But Chambers is a lot more likely to play to his potential than Boston is.

That's a great way of summarizing this situation IMO.

 

[Unlucky]

I like the Miami QB, whoever it is. Weapons of Boston, Chambers, and McMichael are solid. Ricky Williams can't carry the ball 380 times again, but he is a solid option out of the backfield. I think part of the reason Miami has run the ball so much has been their lack of talent in the passing game. I compare them a bit to Pittsburgh - a running team that found itself with two excellent WRs and a lack of talent at RB, that ended up throwing the ball quite a bit.

 

[TheFanatic]

I saw this article on the Blogger and a couple articles down was an article about how Miami is interested in McCardell. If they were so happy with Boston, why are they looking into McCardell? Interest in McCardell doesn't endure a great amount of confidense in my mind. Maybe it's just a ploy to get Boston to remove his head from his butt....Then again, maybe they know something we don't...

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

I saw this article on the Blogger and a couple articles down was an article about how Miami is interested in McCardell. If they were so happy with Boston, why are they looking into McCardell? Interest in McCardell doesn't endure a great amount of confidense in my mind. Maybe it's just a ploy to get Boston to remove his head from his butt....Then again, maybe they know something we don't...

Why do you make the assumption it's not Chambers and Boston Miami could be concerned about? Is it not of the teams best interest to put as many good players on the field as they can? McCardell would push Boston for the NO.2 spot and would definately give Miami 3 good wide receivers.I don't believe we'll see McCardell in Miami though.

 

[Vicktimized]

Boston with his head on straight can easily be the team's best FF WR...Chambers is very talented, but a healthy Boston is a matchup nightmare for the defense.

 

[Atomic Punk]

I wouldn't describe David Boston's hands as "decent". I'd describe them as below average, hovering on poor.

I agree.Even with Boston's poor hands, however, LHUCKS is right that he's still one of the three most gifted WRs on the planet.If Boston and Chambers both play up to their potential, Chambers will be the #2 guy in the passing offense. But Chambers is a lot more likely to play to his potential than Boston is.

Just curious Maurile, how can you list a guy who in your own words has "poor hands" as one of the "three most gifted WRs on the planet"?Now if you had said athletes instead of WRs, you may have a point. From my understanding, good hands are generally conisdered THE most important attribute of a WR, followed by speed, pattern, release, RAC and blocking (intelligence is embedded within many of these).My assessment of Boston would be excellent speed/RAC/blocking, good-very good blocking and poor hands. In my estimation, that would be difficult to rank him in the top 10-15.Does your assessment differ greatly, and if so who are the other two WRs you would rank in front of him?Thanks, Punk

 

[LHUCKS]

I think Boston's hands are really a non-issue here. He was huge in terms of fantasy production in the anemic AZ offense as a very young WR and now he should be entering his prime. I wouldn't be surprised if he is a top 5 WR for years to come.

 

[Phlash]

This isn't sounding good. I'm a Patriots fan... and lemme tell you, Ricky Williams and Chris Chambers are enough. I hope Bill Bellichick finds a way to deal with this problem, because if Boston and Chambers are playing at their max skill level, then this could get ugly.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Just curious Maurile, how can you list a guy who in your own words has "poor hands" as one of the "three most gifted WRs on the planet"?

Because he's one of the three guys, along with Moss and Owens, who nobody in the league can match up with. Those three guys can single-handedly change a game very quickly because they must be double-teamed or they are a very real threat to score from anywhere on the field no matter who's covering them. Holt and Harrison are excellent WRs -- much better than Boston, for sure -- but that's because they make the most of their ability while Boston has not. In terms of raw ability, Boston takes a back seat to nobody except Moss.

From my understanding, good hands are generally conisdered THE most important attribute of a WR, followed by speed, pattern, release, RAC and blocking (intelligence is embedded within many of these).

I would compare hands for a WR to a good jump shot for an NBA guard. A good jump shot would help any player, but very often the best shooters in the league are at the end of their team's bench, while the most dangerous scorers in the league are only average or sometimes even below average mid-to-long-range shooters. It's the same with hands in the NFL.It's not like Boston can't catch the ball. It's just that some balls Wayne Chrebet will catch 95% of the time, Boston will only catch 90% of the time -- or some balls Chrebet will catch 65% of the time, Boston will only catch 50% of the time. It makes a difference, but it's not the most important factor.

 

[Tyrion]

Seems to me that a WR that can get 98 catches in a season must have found some way to compensate for having "horrible hands".

 

[LHUCKS]

Seems to me that a WR that can get 98 catches in a season must have found some way to compensate for having "horrible hands".

 

[Footballhead]

Just don't forget that he's a WR on a new team. I doubt he'll match his 2001 performance; playing for Arizona and being the only primary offensive weapon essentially means you gonna get lotsa opportunity; however I will not rule out a 1000+ yds and 8-10 TD's season.

 

[Loco Barlow]

Boston with his head on straight can easily be the team's best FF WR...Chambers is very talented, but a healthy Boston is a matchup nightmare for the defense.

Agree with your sentiments.

 

[Peens]

What else do we have about Boston to talk about? His 800 yards last season? If he wasnt sucking it up on the field no one would talk about his weight.

Especially since he had an awsome QB throwing to him.

 

[Phlash]

Ya, I'm pretty sure people aren't giving him enough credit. They love LT down there and really didn't throw to Boston all that often. It's not like he was dropping ball left and right like TO or some other guy. He has the talent to succeed in the NFL level, and he's gonna find a way. He's got something to prove now.

 

[wickster33]

Are we missing one of the very obvious factors here? Miami's offensive line is significantly worse this year. Defenses won't have to go 8 in the box to defend Williams with this lot, and the raw QB could spend a lot of time throwing passes while taking massive hits.THere are fewer guys in the NFL who will be bigger great pick/ great bust draft picks than Williams, Boston, and Chambers.As we know all too well, everything starts with the o-line

 

[Colin Dowling]

I have David Boston rated higher than any one else in the FBGuy rankings, 10th, and here is why.David Boston's problems are not physical. He was injured 2 years ago, and people make a big deal out of a tweaked ankle or a stubbed toe, but David Boston has played in 70 of 80 games since he came into the league. 8 missed games were from a knee injury that is now in the past. David Boston's problems ARE mental. In that sense, he can be a cry-baby or shrug off coaching of generally piss people off. Now, that being said, lets look at the laundry list of Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks Boston has played with: Jake Plummer and Drew Brees. Wow. Fantastic. Now, lets look as the All-Pros that have lined up opposite Boston: Reche Caldwell and Frank Sanders. Awesome, really.Moving on, in Miami lets examine the supporting cast: Ricky Williams - Functional at Running Back. Chris Chambers - Functional at Wide Receiver. Feeley/Fiedler - Bordering on functional at QB. Offensive system - Run to win, throw to score. How can you NOT like David Boston's value this year? He's going in the late WR2s in most mock's I've seen (just ahead of Charles Rogers), despite finishing in the top-10 twice and top-17 three times in his last 3 non-injury shortened seasons. He's not getting old and gray. He's not battling hamstring problems. He's simply "wierd" and slightly off in the head. I fully expect Boston and Chambers to have similar reception numbers. But I expect David Boston, and his thick/strong frame to be a preferred redzone target for Miami this season. With Boston dropping some pounds and apparently getting along well so far with everyone in Miami, he should have a fine year, and I'll be targeting him in most every draft this year unless the reports out of South Floride dramatically change in tone.COlin

 

[LHUCKS]

I'll be targeting him in most every draft this year unless the reports out of South Floride dramatically change in tone.

The great thing about Boston is that although you may rank him #10, you can get him as your WR#3 in many leagues.Easily one of the best (if not the best) value picks at WR this year(according to ADP)

 

[Colin Dowling]

I'll be targeting him in most every draft this year unless the reports out of South Floride dramatically change in tone.

The great thing about Boston is that although you may rank him #10, you can get him as your WR#3 in many leagues.Easily one of the best, if not the best, value picks at WR this year(according to ADP)

Agreed 100%.Colin

 

[Fallerjw]

I'll be targeting him in most every draft this year unless the reports out of South Floride dramatically change in tone.

The great thing about Boston is that although you may rank him #10, you can get him as your WR#3 in many leagues.Easily one of the best, if not the best, value picks at WR this year(according to ADP)

Shhhh!!

 

[jurb26]

OK, I can admit that this article most certainly shines a good light on Boston. However, are you guys forgeting that he will be playing on Mia! This team has been a black hole for anything that is a NFL passing attack since Marino has left. Here are the critical stats that Mia has put up over the last 2 years:2002:2890 passing yds (26th), 18 tds (25th), 28.4 att/game (31st)2003:2792 passing yds (26th), 17 tds (25th), 28.1 att/game (30th)These numbers are flat awfull!Now to put that into perspective, 19 individual QBs beat that yardage output last year, including the likes of guys such as: Harrington, Lefty, Maddox, Bledsoe, and Carter. These are guys that Either get trashed here on the board or didn't even play a whole season. Yet they alone had more passing yardage than Mia as a TEAM last year!16 induviduals either beat or matched that TEAM td passing number as well. Again some of the guys on the list are: Harrington, Carter, and Maddox.Not only does this raise a huge red flag for any guys not named Williams on Mia to me, but it also would appear that they are getting worse as every stat was worse off in 2003.I hope Boston can keep things heading in the right direction as he is a tallent and can offer lots of fun to the NFL. However, the pimping of this guy is getting out of hand IMO. Mia still has no QB and a very sub par Oline. Chambers is going to be the #1 and IMO is every bit as tallented as Boston with out the history of being a head case (plus he knows the O). They also have one of the better TEs in the NFL to boot. So where may I ask are the touches going to come from? Too many weapons for an O that didn't even know how to use the fewer ones that had last year if you ask me.I would also like to say that to those who think he can be had as a late WR2 or even a WR3, you are likely to be wrong about that. Boston will most likely not offer great value. Every year someone will reach to get a guy like Boston or Vick in nearly every draft around. The hype is just too high.

 

[Peens]

I would also like to say that to those who think he can be had as a late WR2 or even a WR3, you are likely to be wrong about that. Boston will most likely not offer great value. Every year someone will reach to get a guy like Boston or Vick in nearly every draft around. The hype is just too high.

In a 12 team league getting Boston in rd5 is not "reaching" IMO. I find it pretty good value.

 

[Colin Dowling]

I hope Boston can keep things heading in the right direction as he is a tallent and can offer lots of fun to the NFL. However, the pimping of this guy is getting out of hand IMO. Mia still has no QB and a very sub par Oline. Chambers is going to be the #1 and IMO is every bit as tallented as Boston with out the history of being a head case (plus he knows the O). They also have one of the better TEs in the NFL to boot. So where may I ask are the touches going to come from? Too many weapons for an O that didn't even know how to use the fewer ones that had last year if you ask me.

Miami's mishmash of WR2s had 53 receptions last year. Furthermore, you failed to point out the significance of the fact that they threw the ball very little compared to the rest of the NFL. A lot of that has to do with the fact that they gave Ricky the ball so much. A lot of it has to do with the fact that they didn't have a decent 2nd WR. Going into 2004, Ricky can't possibly carry it that much again and Boston offers a solid second target.

I would also like to say that to those who think he can be had as a late WR2 or even a WR3, you are likely to be wrong about that. Boston will most likely not offer great value. Every year someone will reach to get a guy like Boston or Vick in nearly every draft around. The hype is just too high.

He's going 22nd among WRs at XpertLeagues in the last 15 weeks, between Burress and Charles Rogers. If I can snag him that late as my second WR, I'll gladly take it. He went later than that in one particular "draft of interest" this past weekend.

 

[Marc Levin]

Are we missing one of the very obvious factors here? Miami's offensive line is significantly worse this year.

This is flat out wrong.Miami's O-Line SUCKED last year, the fact that there are new faces isn't an automatic assumption that the OL will be worse. I actually have a lot of confidence that the moves the team has made on the line have worked to this result: the teams stayed the same at LT, improved at LG, C, and RG, and created a big ?-mark at RT for who will replace Todd Wade. OR, Carey will play RT and the ?-mark is RG. That is not necessarily a line that "sucks" - it is a line with one hole - a hole that will probably be resolved very quickly. The line will have at least 2 months to work together, and if they stay healthy (not a given with Miami's OL history), they could be a good line this year -and a distinct improvement over last year's craptacular offensive line play.

 

[Marc Levin]

I would also like to say that to those who think he can be had as a late WR2 or even a WR3, you are likely to be wrong about that. Boston will most likely not offer great value. Every year someone will reach to get a guy like Boston or Vick in nearly every draft around. The hype is just too high.

In a 12 team league getting Boston in rd5 is not "reaching" IMO. I find it pretty good value.

Depends - if you are getting your WR2 in rd. 5, that is not, IMO, good value as i believe Boston, at around WR25-30, is not a solid choice for your WR2. If you are adding him as your WR3, he is starting to accumulate value in rd. 6, and is a good value anytime AFTER rd. 6.I would personally not even start to consider Boston until I had 3 RBs and 2 WRs on my squad, and even though I am a big fan of the QB-delay, I'd probably want my first QB on the squad, too - I usually like to have my starting skill (QB/WR/RB) players on board before adding my first backup WR.

 

[jurb26]

OK Colin, I'll give you the mishmash of Thompson and McKnight. These 2 guys who are the only real guys to have claim to Mia's #2 last year acounted for 49/644/2. That is in no way impressive! McMike had 49/598/2 and RW had 50/351/1. Now granted Boston is a significant improvment over Thompson and McKnight. However, there is still no QB that is worth squat really and what make you believe that Mia is going to stop getting the ball to RW? This team is based around sound D and ball control with RW. I see lots of tallent, but low opps. Not what I happen to like in a FF player.

 

[Tau837]

I have David Boston rated higher than any one else in the FBGuy rankings, 10th, and here is why.David Boston's problems are not physical. He was injured 2 years ago, and people make a big deal out of a tweaked ankle or a stubbed toe, but David Boston has played in 70 of 80 games since he came into the league. 8 missed games were from a knee injury that is now in the past. David Boston's problems ARE mental. In that sense, he can be a cry-baby or shrug off coaching of generally piss people off. Now, that being said, lets look at the laundry list of Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks Boston has played with: Jake Plummer and Drew Brees. Wow. Fantastic. Now, lets look as the All-Pros that have lined up opposite Boston: Reche Caldwell and Frank Sanders. Awesome, really.Moving on, in Miami lets examine the supporting cast: Ricky Williams - Functional at Running Back. Chris Chambers - Functional at Wide Receiver. Feeley/Fiedler - Bordering on functional at QB. Offensive system - Run to win, throw to score. How can you NOT like David Boston's value this year? He's going in the late WR2s in most mock's I've seen (just ahead of Charles Rogers), despite finishing in the top-10 twice and top-17 three times in his last 3 non-injury shortened seasons. He's not getting old and gray. He's not battling hamstring problems. He's simply "wierd" and slightly off in the head. I fully expect Boston and Chambers to have similar reception numbers. But I expect David Boston, and his thick/strong frame to be a preferred redzone target for Miami this season. With Boston dropping some pounds and apparently getting along well so far with everyone in Miami, he should have a fine year, and I'll be targeting him in most every draft this year unless the reports out of South Floride dramatically change in tone.COlin

David Boston has played in 70 of 80 games since he came into the league.

Saying 70 of 80 is misleading to say the least. He has missed 10 games in the past 2 seasons.

Now, that being said, lets look at the laundry list of Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks Boston has played with: Jake Plummer and Drew Brees. Wow. Fantastic.

And now he will play with either Jay Fiedler or A.J. Feeley. Wow. Fantastic.

Now, lets look as the All-Pros that have lined up opposite Boston: Reche Caldwell and Frank Sanders. Awesome, really.

This would be a good point, except for two things. First, a study has shown that the presence (or lack thereof) of a quality second WR does not have appreciable (fantasy) impact on a WR. This study has been cited on these boards many times. I think Drinen may have been the one who did it, not sure.Second, IMO it is more likely that Boston will face most double teams with Chambers being the beneficiary than vice versa. For the reason mentioned earlier in this thread about how he has more physical ability than almost any WR in the league.

Offensive system - Run to win, throw to score.

One thing you haven't mentioned is McMichael. Seems to me that he will be a big red zone target in the Miami passing offense, probably more so than David Boston, anyway. Boston only has 25 TDs in 70 career games... that's less than 6 per 16 games. The way I look at it, his TD opportunities will be fewer in Miami than in Arizona or SD, because there are more viable TD threats in the Miami passing offense than in the passing offenses of his previous teams.All that said, I don't necessarily disagree regarding his value, given that he will likely be drafted in the WR25 range, give or take. To project him at 10th seems pretty farfetched IMO.I would not consider him earlier than the 5th round, and more likely not until the 6th or later. (Which means I won't get him, I'm sure.)

 

[jurb26]

Now, that being said, lets look at the laundry list of Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks Boston has played with: Jake Plummer and Drew Brees.  Wow.  Fantastic.

And now he will play with either Jay Fiedler or A.J. Feeley. Wow. Fantastic.

What is ironic about this is that Plummer is far and away the best QB of this group.Good post JWB.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

First, a study has shown that the presence (or lack thereof) of a quality second WR does not have appreciable (fantasy) impact on a WR. This study has been cited on these boards many times. I think Drinen may have been the one who did it, not sure.

I think Unlucky did a study along those lines.

 

[blkgolf23]

yea but he plays in a run offense with AJ feely at qb. is he even the #1 option with c.chambers there? the fin defense surely will limit the amount of catch-up opportunites.what made boston so attractive from a FF standpoint was no running game, no defense, no other options at wr, and ARZ was always losing. all the talent in world means nothing without opportunity

No, Chambers will be the #1 guy in Miami. Boston #2. No question.

What makes Chamber the #1 over Boston? Boston is faster and is out to prove people were wrong about him.

 

[Devo]

A few more recent tidbits on Miami's potential passing game...

Chambers taking slot

Receiver Chris Chambers has been given a chance to work the slot on third down, and he's excited about the opportunity.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sport...all/8823771.htm

The Dolphins are looking at a novel approach to finding a third-down receiver to play in the slot.

They're giving Chris Chambers a chance...

While Chambers plays bigger than his 5-11 size because of his long arms and leaping ability, the hope is that his more muscular build and speed after the catch will make him dangerous in the slot.

''I can maybe catch some short stuff and be able to run,'' Chambers said...

He might also get matched up against more No. 3 cornerbacks, smaller players who normally rely on quickness and don't play press coverage.

''They're going to be playing off and getting help from somewhere, be it a linebacker or a safety,'' he said. ``As long as your reading where everybody is, there's going to be room in there to get some yards [after the catch].''

It's all part of a good offseason for Chambers, according to coach Dave Wannstedt.

''We've been talking about all of the newcomers and rookies,'' Wannstedt said. ``But Chris Chambers has probably had as good a veteran offseason as anyone we've had around here for a while.

``He's making plays and has been working extremely hard. He's setting himself up to have a fantastic year.''

Feeley finishes camp on a rollhttp://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sport...all/8834136.htm

Although quarterback A.J. Feeley struggled at times during practice Thursday, he finished with a strong showing in the final part of the Dolphins' third quarterback school and fourth offseason camp.

Coach Dave Wannstedt said he was particularly pleased with Feeley when compared to the quarterback's play from a month ago when the team held its first offseason camps.

''There's no comparison,'' Wannstedt said. ``You've seen practice. These three days, he's looked like a completely different guy compared to a month ago. And that's expected. I think the learning curve is all of a sudden beginning to show up from the standpoint of his knowledge of what we're trying to do.''

Dolphins' Feeley getting in the groovehttp://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/footbal...-dolphins-front

Feeley has shown so much improvement through the team's first four minicamps that coach Dave Wannstedt said he looked "like a completely different guy compared to a month ago" after last Thursday's practice. A few minutes earlier, Feeley had just completed seven of eight passes in a two-minute drill to lead the starting offense to a touchdown against the first-team defense.

But more encouraging than success in a non-contact practice is how Feeley is progressively exhibiting better poise in the pocket. Each session, Feeley is reducing the number of times he will tuck the football and run because he can't recognize an open receiver.

"The progress I guess I've made is just the offense itself," said Feeley, who played in a different system his first three seasons with Philadelphia. "Understanding what they want us to do and where they want us to look. Letting the terminology come to me without really thinking about it. That's what it is. It's not improvements on my game from one year to the next year."

 

[LHUCKS]

yea but he plays in a run offense with AJ feely at qb. is he even the #1 option with c.chambers there? the fin defense surely will limit the amount of catch-up opportunites.what made boston so attractive from a FF standpoint was no running game, no defense,  no other options at wr, and ARZ was always losing. all the talent in world means nothing without opportunity

No, Chambers will be the #1 guy in Miami. Boston #2. No question.

What makes Chamber the #1 over Boston? Boston is faster and is out to prove people were wrong about him.

NFL coaches have a tendency to give their incumbent playes the benefit of the doubt, I don't see why this case would be any different.That being said, once/if Boston starts making superhuman plays(which he is capable of) the coordinator will surely start giving him increasing looks.Nothing can be said definitively, but it is also noteworthy that Chambers is entering the prime of his career as well. Good situation to be in if you're Feeley/Fiedler. With McMichael, they have the most explosive talent in the NFL as far as receiving options are concerned. With that kind of talent one would think the O-Coordinator will be putting the ball up a bit more...simply too many weapons.

 

[Bailiver]

Now, that being said, lets look at the laundry list of Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks Boston has played with: Jake Plummer and Drew Brees.  Wow.  Fantastic.

And now he will play with either Jay Fiedler or A.J. Feeley. Wow. Fantastic.

What is ironic about this is that Plummer is far and away the best QB of this group.Good post JWB.

Agreed. I prefer Plummer over either of the two QBs in Miami. By the way, Antsports currently has Boston as the 23rd ranked WR (12 teams, normal lineup, TE required), going anywhere from 4.04 to 8.03. Boston is one of those guys with all the talent in the world that never seems to reach his potential. Last year, the guys that had Boston were kicking themselves for most of the year and I am guessing that the same thing will happen this year as well. If he is available in the 8th round then Ill take him, but it looks like the Boston hype is back and guaranteed that someone will reach for him as their #2. As far as I am concerned, you can have him.

 

[tommyGunZ]

Now, that being said, lets look at the laundry list of Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks Boston has played with: Jake Plummer and Drew Brees.  Wow.  Fantastic.

And now he will play with either Jay Fiedler or A.J. Feeley. Wow. Fantastic.

What is ironic about this is that Plummer is far and away the best QB of this group.Good post JWB.

Agreed. I prefer Plummer over either of the two QBs in Miami. By the way, Antsports currently has Boston as the 23rd ranked WR (12 teams, normal lineup, TE required), going anywhere from 4.04 to 8.03. Boston is one of those guys with all the talent in the world that never seems to reach his potential. Last year, the guys that had Boston were kicking themselves for most of the year and I am guessing that the same thing will happen this year as well. If he is available in the 8th round then Ill take him, but it looks like the Boston hype is back and guaranteed that someone will reach for him as their #2. As far as I am concerned, you can have him.

Boston only killed owners who reached for him last year. Wasn't he still a top 20-24 WR last year even though it was a "down" year by almost everyone's account? In a 14 game down year he outproduced Korn and Andre Johnson, both of whom are going much higher than Boston this year.I have no clue why Boston is projected to finish as the #31WR per FBG's projections. If healthy for 16 games, he'll finish no lower than 15.

 

[Colin Dowling]

QUOTE ( @ --)

I have David Boston rated higher than any one else in the FBGuy rankings, 10th, and here is why.David Boston's problems are not physical. He was injured 2 years ago, and people make a big deal out of a tweaked ankle or a stubbed toe, but David Boston has played in 70 of 80 games since he came into the league. 8 missed games were from a knee injury that is now in the past.

David Boston's problems ARE mental. In that sense, he can be a cry-baby or shrug off coaching of generally piss people off.

Now, that being said, lets look at the laundry list of Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks Boston has played with: Jake Plummer and Drew Brees. Wow. Fantastic.

Now, lets look as the All-Pros that have lined up opposite Boston: Reche Caldwell and Frank Sanders. Awesome, really.

Moving on, in Miami lets examine the supporting cast: Ricky Williams - Functional at Running Back. Chris Chambers - Functional at Wide Receiver. Feeley/Fiedler - Bordering on functional at QB. Offensive system - Run to win, throw to score.

How can you NOT like David Boston's value this year? He's going in the late WR2s in most mock's I've seen (just ahead of Charles Rogers), despite finishing in the top-10 twice and top-17 three times in his last 3 non-injury shortened seasons. He's not getting old and gray. He's not battling hamstring problems. He's simply "wierd" and slightly off in the head.

I fully expect Boston and Chambers to have similar reception numbers. But I expect David Boston, and his thick/strong frame to be a preferred redzone target for Miami this season. With Boston dropping some pounds and apparently getting along well so far with everyone in Miami, he should have a fine year, and I'll be targeting him in most every draft this year unless the reports out of South Floride dramatically change in tone.

COlin

David Boston has played in 70 of 80 games since he came into the league.

Saying 70 of 80 is misleading to say the least. He has missed 10 games in the past 2 seasons.

Now, that being said, lets look at the laundry list of Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks Boston has played with: Jake Plummer and Drew Brees.  Wow.  Fantastic.

And now he will play with either Jay Fiedler or A.J. Feeley. Wow. Fantastic.

Now, lets look as the All-Pros that have lined up opposite Boston: Reche Caldwell and Frank Sanders.  Awesome, really.

This would be a good point, except for two things. First, a study has shown that the presence (or lack thereof) of a quality second WR does not have appreciable (fantasy) impact on a WR. This study has been cited

This is all very misleading...

1. Of the 10 he missed, 8 were for a knee injury he has since recovered from, 1 is from a foot injury, and one was a suspension IIRC.

2. Fielder's career completion percentage is better than Plummer and equal to Brees.

3. The study Drinen did actually talked about how when there is a "stud" WR lined up on one side of the field, the #2 has a better-than-average chance of putting up solid numbers. The lone exception was the Minnesota #2 when Carter retired. If thats the case, and some of you think Chambers will still be the #1, than that works out well for Boston.

4. Are you referring to Randy "2 TDs last year" McMichael as a "big redzone target?" Wasn't one of those a fumble recovery?

Colin

 

[jurb26]

If Boston is to finish in the top 15, then he will need to approach stats of 1000+ and 9 TDs. What then is to happen to Chambers if he gets this? IMO there is in no way enough room on this team for both to approach this high of a status.It seems to me that if you figure Boston to be a top 15 WR then Cambers will have to fall out of the top 25, or vise versa. The Mia O simply does not and will not IMO create enough OPPORTUNITY for both of them to be at that high a level. Opportunity being the key word, not ability. In comparison to Mia's passing O in the past few years, numbers of 1000/9 would = 35% of the yds and 51% of the TDs. This on an O in which Chambers already posted 35% of Mia's yds last year and 65% of their TDs. Again, the equation does not = out for both to play this well. Plus, Boston has never exactly been a TD scoring machine. His career high is only 8. So why then would he so easily supplant a very sold go to guy such as Chambers? Basically, I find it much more likely that Chamber not Boston stays as the main target in the Mia O. He has been in the system with the players and coaches for a few years now and is not a head case. Boston could very well take that from him. However, there is no way at all that I can see both of these guys being worth their draft weight come next season and Chambers has given me far less reasons to doubt him over Boston. I will say it now very loud and clear, at least one of these guys will not perform up to thier draft possition! Boston has not done so for the past 2 years, my money is on him again this year.

 

[pigskinliquors]

I would also like to say that to those who think he can be had as a late WR2 or even a WR3, you are likely to be wrong about that. Boston will most likely not offer great value. Every year someone will reach to get a guy like Boston or Vick in nearly every draft around. The hype is just too high.

In a 12 team league getting Boston in rd5 is not "reaching" IMO. I find it pretty good value.

Depends - if you are getting your WR2 in rd. 5, that is not, IMO, good value as i believe Boston, at around WR25-30, is not a solid choice for your WR2. If you are adding him as your WR3, he is starting to accumulate value in rd. 6, and is a good value anytime AFTER rd. 6.I would personally not even start to consider Boston until I had 3 RBs and 2 WRs on my squad, and even though I am a big fan of the QB-delay, I'd probably want my first QB on the squad, too - I usually like to have my starting skill (QB/WR/RB) players on board before adding my first backup WR.

He was just picked up in one of my Leagues at 6.04 in a 12 team draft (I had 6.06 and truly wanted him). His potential is off the charts, considering he is being had in the 5th to 7th round range. I happily ended up with Porter, as he is in a similar boat (many question marks, but extraordinary possibilities). There are few WR's in this grouping with great breakout potential.