M. Colston, J. Cotchery, or G. Jennings (1 Viewer)

[Trap Play]

Hi all.

I really don't know how to phrase this topic without it sounding like it belongs in the Assistant Coach forum, but my intent isn't really to have someone tell me which of these players is worth rostering or not, but to try and generate some discussion that may help me make that choice on my own. I think others are probably facing similar descisions, so I thought it would be generic enough and useful enough for the Shark Pool. My apologies if it isn't...

Basically, there were two players that had standout performances in week 1 in Jerricho Cotchery and Marques Colston. Cotchery had a sick number of targets (12), including 4 red-zone targets, but he faced a much-maligned Tennesse defense. Colston's targets (8) were not too shabby. He had 2 red-zone targets, but as with Cotchery faced a suspect Cleveland defense.

In the pre-season Greg Jennings was a monster. But that was pre-season. Against a stout Chicago defense he came crashing back to Earth. Green Bay did not throw much during the game either.

Pros:

Cotchery: 3rd-year WR, targeted often, in on single WR sets at the goal-line.

Colston: Targeted often, red-zone looks, Brees' 'go-to guy'

Jennings: Strong pre-season, big-play ability

-all of these guys will likely not have to face double-coverage

Cons:

Cothchery: Clearly WR2 behind Coles

Colston: Rookie WR, lots of targets in NO

Jennings: Rookie WR, Brett locks onto Driver

Discuss...

 

[Tau837]

I prefer Cotchery from this group, for these reasons:

1. He is a third year receiver. The other two are rookies.

2. He should get more targets than the other two. Colston is #3 on his team behind Horn & Bush. Jennings may or may not be the #2 target for the season, but even if he is, there will be a larger gap between him and Driver than between Coles and Cotchery. Cotchery appears to be the clear #2 target on his team.

3. The Jets have the weakest running game. In addition to more passing in general, this may lead to more all important red zone targets. Last week, Cotchery had 3 red zone targets, Colston had 2, and Jennings had 0.

 

[Aaronstory]

With only a week to sample from, it's a tough call. But my money is on Colston. The kid is big (6' 4" 230) and as you stated, was targeted frequently in the redzone. I like Cotchery, but I'm unsure how much of the Jets offense was real and how much was TEN's defense. With the Saints, Peyton has called plays and run an offense before, so I know a bit what to expect. In NY, its a first time coordinator. Will he be throwing that much every week? I know the running game is lacking, but most NFL OCs want to establish the run first.

As for Jennings, I think he is the most talented, but in the worst scenario. McCarthy hasn't coordinated a decent offense since his first few years with the Saints. Last Sunday he took the best player on the team (Favre) out of the game himself. That does not bode well for the passing attack.

Again, this is all after Week One, which means everything will be different by Week 4 and all the above will mean zilch.

Cheers.

Edit for grammer.

 

[Da Guru]

I like Crotchery from here on in.

 

[Franknbeans]

Colston is 6'4". I prefer him.

 

[comfortably numb]

As a JETS fan, I would place Cotchery 3rd.

I just have never seen anything to make me think this guy will ever be more than a 3rd down WR.

I hope I am wrong, and I hope it was just Herms bad play calling.

Of the other 2, I am am torn.

I think I would go with Colston though.

Favre will go to Driver as they good chemistry, not to mention he is the clear #1.

Brees, has never played with Horn, and could build chemistry with whoever catches the ball for him.

Horn is a bit of a question mark.

Lots of injury concerns and age are a factor to me.

I could see Colston posting up some good #'s

 

[zamboni]

As a JETS fan, I would place Cotchery 3rd.I just have never seen anything to make me think this guy will ever be more than a 3rd down WR.I hope I am wrong, and I hope it was just Herms bad play calling.

He never got much PT under Herm, so it's hard to say. Mangini loves the guy though, and that shouldn't be overlooked.

 

[HoTnickZ]

1. Colston (besides skills/physical attributes, being the Gates to Brees is too much to ignore... TE eligibility is a big boost)

2. Jennings (kid will be good, just a question of when.. if GB was better he might be 1)

3. Cotchery (solid, but one of those week 1 performances which I more or less ignored)

edit: I should clarify however, Cotchery would never see the light of day off my bench in a redraft, and I didn't think his contributions or upside this season (to increase his trade value) would be worth a roster spot over others.

 

[Gridiron King]

JenningsColstonCotchery

Colston is 6'4". I prefer him.

 

[Tau837]

On targets:

Jennings had 6 of GB's 29 targets in week 1 -- 21%

Colston had 8 of NO's 31 targets in week 1 -- 26%

Cotchery had 10 of NY's 33 targets in week 1 -- 30%

For those choosing Jennings, do you think he'll be targeted more? Or that he will do more with a similar number of targets?

Colston was targeted more often than Horn... For those choosing Colston, do you think that will continue?

For those down on Cotchery, is it because you think his targets were a fluke, meaning they will go down? Or do you expect him to do less with his targets? Or both?

 

[wannabee]

I expect a lot of this to change by this time next week.

Jennings, in first game as rookie, plays against the Bears and the Pack pass offense gets dominated.

Cotchery is gaining targets, but let's remember that last week was against the Titans and Penny had a big game.

Colston played much better than I expected. But, I expect Horn to rebound some this week.

So, going forward in dynasty, I would rank them:

Jennings

Colston

Cotchery

 

[Rumblebelly]

I expect a lot of this to change by this time next week. Jennings, in first game as rookie, plays against the Bears and the Pack pass offense gets dominated.Cotchery is gaining targets, but let's remember that last week was against the Titans and Penny had a big game.Colston played much better than I expected. But, I expect Horn to rebound some this week. So, going forward in dynasty, I would rank them:JenningsColstonCotchery

 

[Donny Loved Bowling]

I'm using this thread to unveil the nickname I have given to Jerricho Cotchery...

The Cotch Rocket!

 

[Ever Present Lurker]

I've wondered since Sunday about similarities between Antonio Gates and Marques Colston.

Gates is 6'4", 260

Colston is 6'4", 231

While Gates is certainly heavier, both are big bodied players.

Also, both are/were playing a new position - Gates was new to the game when he broke in, and Colston is making the switch from WR/TE.

Brees looked for Gates quite often in SD, now in New Orleans, he targetted Colston 8 times in week 1. (Team high)

Is it possible that Colston will emerge as Brees' new version of Gates? It's awfully early to put a crown on top of anyone's head, but there are some similarities in the situation...

 

[Franknbeans]

I've wondered since Sunday about similarities between Antonio Gates and Marques Colston.Gates is 6'4", 260Colston is 6'4", 231While Gates is certainly heavier, both are big bodied players. Also, both are/were playing a new position - Gates was new to the game when he broke in, and Colston is making the switch from WR/TE.Brees looked for Gates quite often in SD, now in New Orleans, he targetted Colston 8 times in week 1. (Team high)Is it possible that Colston will emerge as Brees' new version of Gates? It's awfully early to put a crown on top of anyone's head, but there are some similarities in the situation...

He targeted Bush 10 times

 

[comfortably numb]

As a JETS fan, I would place Cotchery 3rd.I just have never seen anything to make me think this guy will ever be more than a 3rd down WR.I hope I am wrong, and I hope it was just Herms bad play calling.

He never got much PT under Herm, so it's hard to say. Mangini loves the guy though, and that shouldn't be overlooked.

You are right. He is worth a spot to "wait and see"I may try to snag him in this weeks WW, and hope I am VERY wrong on him

 

[Aaronstory]

Colston was targeted more often than Horn... For those choosing Colston, do you think that will continue?For those down on Cotchery, is it because you think his targets were a fluke, meaning they will go down? Or do you expect him to do less with his targets? Or both?

I think Colston is young, big and only going to get better. Who knows where his ceiling is? He scored one RZ TD and was targeted on a specific call for him for another RZ TD. We know where Horn's ceiling is and I don't think he'll get close to it again. My hunch is that Horn will have the same type of season Jimmy Smith had last year. Of course, it's only a hunch...As for Cotchery, I don't think it was a fluke, but again, they won't be playing the TEN defense every week and we have no track record of the OCs gameplaning/gamecalling since this is his first year calling plays.

 

[Franknbeans]

More on Colston

 

[SackDiesel808]

1. Colston (besides skills/physical attributes, being the Gates to Brees is too much to ignore... TE eligibility is a big boost)2. Jennings (kid will be good, just a question of when.. if GB was better he might be 1)3. Cotchery (solid, but one of those week 1 performances which I more or less ignored)edit: I should clarify however, Cotchery would never see the light of day off my bench in a redraft, and I didn't think his contributions or upside this season (to increase his trade value) would be worth a roster spot over others.

First things first, in a redraft league where Colston has TE eligibility he is far and away the top pick. As a WR2 on NO he's a mortal lock to be a top 10 TE at worst. There are other threads that discus Colston's value as a cheating TE.Without TE eligibility things are a lot closer.I'm throwing out Cotchery until he shows me another good game. He was completely off my radar heading into the season and one good game against a bottom 5 pass defense of the Titans has only now put him on the radar. Still lots of concerns over the Jets offense in general, which I tabbed as bottom 5 for this season.I got Colston below Jennings for the following reasons: 7th round talent, switching positions from TE to WR, pretty quiet preseason, Drew Brees shoulder, 3rd in pecking order behind Bush and Horn although this is debatable. Positives: big target, brees throws to him in redzone, can possibly become favorite over Horn. It's a show me game here. One more big game out of him and a stinker by Jennings and they easily flip-flop.G.Jennings is a rookie, however the word during preseason was he was the most NFL ready receiver to come out of the draft and I read that he was favorably compared to Marvin Harrison (yes, that caught my attention too). Then he went out and put up a solid preseason, was named the starting WR2, followed by the Packers stinking it up against a top 3 defense in the league. Pop quiz: Does Favre historically have a productive WR2? Koren Robinson's signing is a bit of a concern, but Jennings should be the pick here IF the O-line cooperates.

 

[BuckeyeArt]

I got Colston below Jennings for the following reasons: 7th round talent, switching positions from TE to WR,

Colston was a WR at Hofstra.About Jennings, both of Favre's 4th qtr interceptions were targetd for Jennings. Could anyone who saw the game tell if those were abd passes, bad routes, or did Jennings get knocked off the ball? Basically, whose fault was it?

 

[Hipple Long Ware & Peete]

I know own Cotchery in three leagues. I love how everyone here is acting like this si a combine and focusing on size alone. This guy has a few years under his belt, and there were nothingbut rave reviews coming out of camp with this guy. Targets are the most telling thing, and this guy got more than almost every other receiver save (5-6 players). The jets will be down and throwing in games, Peningtons 'zip' and arm looked back. This leads to a lot of throwing from behind, and if you have a chnace to get the guy who Pennington seems to rely on (both in and out of he red zone) that seems pretty good.

Frankly I am trying to talk myself out of starting him this week. Might just based on the pats match up, but I think this guy is gonna be a solid 3 and maybe even 2 by the years end. It would not suprise me if he finished top 20, andthat's saying a lot for a guy you might be able to get in FA right now...

 

[Hipple Long Ware & Peete]

Ok didn't see NO game, but this guy seems pretty amazing. The more I read the more I wish I might have grabbed him in a one of those leagues.OK I like him too. Still think j cotch is a good play going fwd too.

I'm not sold on jennings. But that is cause I think the packers will be a straight debacle this year.

 

[walkwithme]

Three way struggle to rank them Colston and Cotchery off to a good start. Brett Farve was over -throwng to Driver and Jennings across the field late etc. and was the reason for the picks. I am sticking to my guns and will say it is:

Jennings Brett Farve is the Xfactor

Colston Will he be the 3rd Receiver behind Horn and Bush

Cotchery Pennington doesn't play the Titans every week

 

[sheerterror]

1. Colston (besides skills/physical attributes, being the Gates to Brees is too much to ignore... TE eligibility is a big boost)2. Jennings (kid will be good, just a question of when.. if GB was better he might be 1)3. Cotchery (solid, but one of those week 1 performances which I more or less ignored)edit: I should clarify however, Cotchery would never see the light of day off my bench in a redraft, and I didn't think his contributions or upside this season (to increase his trade value) would be worth a roster spot over others.

I got Colston below Jennings for the following reasons: 7th round talent, switching positions from TE to WR, pretty quiet preseason, Drew Brees shoulder, 3rd in pecking order behind Bush and Horn although this is debatable. Positives: big target, brees throws to him in redzone, can possibly become favorite over Horn. It's a show me game here. One more big game out of him and a stinker by Jennings and they easily flip-flop.

Colston was only drafted so low because he came from a 1AA school. He's obviously got talent enough for the Saints to be confident in trading away Stallworth in favor of him. And I wouldn't say the offseason was exactly quiet, as it was his surprising play in camp that ultimately led to his quick rise on the depth chart.

 

[cstu]

I know own Cotchery in three leagues. I love how everyone here is acting like this si a combine and focusing on size alone. This guy has a few years under his belt, and there were nothingbut rave reviews coming out of camp with this guy. Targets are the most telling thing, and this guy got more than almost every other receiver save (5-6 players). The jets will be down and throwing in games, Peningtons 'zip' and arm looked back. This leads to a lot of throwing from behind, and if you have a chnace to get the guy who Pennington seems to rely on (both in and out of he red zone) that seems pretty good. Frankly I am trying to talk myself out of starting him this week. Might just based on the pats match up, but I think this guy is gonna be a solid 3 and maybe even 2 by the years end. It would not suprise me if he finished top 20, andthat's saying a lot for a guy you might be able to get in FA right now...

I told you guys about Cotchery over a month ago. As the #2 on a team that will have to pass a lot I think he's in great position to do well this year - especially if Pennington can say healthy. Someone will have to catch passes besides Coles and the Jets don't have RB's for Pennington to check down to like he used to.

 

[cstu]

1. Colston (besides skills/physical attributes, being the Gates to Brees is too much to ignore... TE eligibility is a big boost)2. Jennings (kid will be good, just a question of when.. if GB was better he might be 1)3. Cotchery (solid, but one of those week 1 performances which I more or less ignored)edit: I should clarify however, Cotchery would never see the light of day off my bench in a redraft, and I didn't think his contributions or upside this season (to increase his trade value) would be worth a roster spot over others.

I got Colston below Jennings for the following reasons: 7th round talent, switching positions from TE to WR, pretty quiet preseason, Drew Brees shoulder, 3rd in pecking order behind Bush and Horn although this is debatable. Positives: big target, brees throws to him in redzone, can possibly become favorite over Horn. It's a show me game here. One more big game out of him and a stinker by Jennings and they easily flip-flop.

Colston was only drafted so low because he came from a 1AA school. He's obviously got talent enough for the Saints to be confident in trading away Stallworth in favor of him. And I wouldn't say the offseason was exactly quiet, as it was his surprising play in camp that ultimately led to his quick rise on the depth chart.

I like Colston as well but the Saints offense will hold back opportunites for the WR's because of Bush, who plays like a WR himself. Generally when a team throws a lot to its RB's there isn't a lot left for the WR's.

 

[bjabrad]

I watched all three this past week and I'll go with

1. Cotchery (hands, targets, redzone targets, lack of legit RB, WR strength of schedule, WR playoff schedule)

2. Colston (targets, 6-4, TE eligible in Yahoo, Horn injury beneficiary)

3. Carter CAR (Smith injury beneficiary, hammy's linger, speed, 6-3)

4. Moulds (I think he's in for a great season paired with AJ, HOU playing from behind, Carr sack prone, hands, experience)

5.?

25th maybe Jennings (RB's and TE's see the ball more than rookie WR2,,,IMO)

 

[SackDiesel808]

1. Colston (besides skills/physical attributes, being the Gates to Brees is too much to ignore... TE eligibility is a big boost)2. Jennings (kid will be good, just a question of when.. if GB was better he might be 1)3. Cotchery (solid, but one of those week 1 performances which I more or less ignored)edit: I should clarify however, Cotchery would never see the light of day off my bench in a redraft, and I didn't think his contributions or upside this season (to increase his trade value) would be worth a roster spot over others.

I got Colston below Jennings for the following reasons: 7th round talent, switching positions from TE to WR, pretty quiet preseason, Drew Brees shoulder, 3rd in pecking order behind Bush and Horn although this is debatable. Positives: big target, brees throws to him in redzone, can possibly become favorite over Horn. It's a show me game here. One more big game out of him and a stinker by Jennings and they easily flip-flop.

Colston was only drafted so low because he came from a 1AA school. He's obviously got talent enough for the Saints to be confident in trading away Stallworth in favor of him. And I wouldn't say the offseason was exactly quiet, as it was his surprising play in camp that ultimately led to his quick rise on the depth chart.

So are you saying that 1AA players can't go in the 2nd round - D.Manning? It does look like he was overlooked on draft day though you'd think if he were a bluechip prospect he would have gone first day. Quiet in the sense that I couldn't get it out of a preseason box score compared to Jennings.

 

[T Man]

Colston in some leagues is considered a TE/WR. In a ppr league like this, I would rank them:

1. Colston (as a TE/WR the flexibility on bye weeks makes him a very good #2TE and #4 WR)

2. Cotchery

3. Jennings

Otherwise, for redraft I would ranke them:

1. Cotchery

2. Colston

3. Jennings (especially given the uncertainty due to the K-Rob pickup)

In dynasty, I would rank them:

1. Jennings

2. Colston

3. Cotchery

 

[Two Deep]

I've wondered since Sunday about similarities between Antonio Gates and Marques Colston.Gates is 6'4", 260Colston is 6'4", 231While Gates is certainly heavier, both are big bodied players. Also, both are/were playing a new position - Gates was new to the game when he broke in, and Colston is making the switch from WR/TE.Brees looked for Gates quite often in SD, now in New Orleans, he targetted Colston 8 times in week 1. (Team high)Is it possible that Colston will emerge as Brees' new version of Gates? It's awfully early to put a crown on top of anyone's head, but there are some similarities in the situation...

He targeted Bush 10 times

I'm targeting Bush all of the time.

 

[sheerterror]

1. Colston (besides skills/physical attributes, being the Gates to Brees is too much to ignore... TE eligibility is a big boost)2. Jennings (kid will be good, just a question of when.. if GB was better he might be 1)3. Cotchery (solid, but one of those week 1 performances which I more or less ignored)edit: I should clarify however, Cotchery would never see the light of day off my bench in a redraft, and I didn't think his contributions or upside this season (to increase his trade value) would be worth a roster spot over others.

I got Colston below Jennings for the following reasons: 7th round talent, switching positions from TE to WR, pretty quiet preseason, Drew Brees shoulder, 3rd in pecking order behind Bush and Horn although this is debatable. Positives: big target, brees throws to him in redzone, can possibly become favorite over Horn. It's a show me game here. One more big game out of him and a stinker by Jennings and they easily flip-flop.

Colston was only drafted so low because he came from a 1AA school. He's obviously got talent enough for the Saints to be confident in trading away Stallworth in favor of him. And I wouldn't say the offseason was exactly quiet, as it was his surprising play in camp that ultimately led to his quick rise on the depth chart.

I like Colston as well but the Saints offense will hold back opportunites for the WR's because of Bush, who plays like a WR himself. Generally when a team throws a lot to its RB's there isn't a lot left for the WR's.

While I agree with what you are saying, if you look at the Chargers offense last year, there was plenty to go around between McCardell, Tomlinson and Gates. Now I'm not saying Colston is Gates, but if Brees is going to be targeting him in a similar fashion, as he apparently likes big targets - whether they are WRs or TEs, then I think there will be enough to go around. I suppose you can draw some parallels between NO and SD in that both had a solid veteran receiver, a great pass catching back, and a real big target with good hands...of course, I'm probably being partial to the fact that I picked him up in a Yahoo league where I will be starting him as a TE.

 

[sheerterror]

1. Colston (besides skills/physical attributes, being the Gates to Brees is too much to ignore... TE eligibility is a big boost)2. Jennings (kid will be good, just a question of when.. if GB was better he might be 1)3. Cotchery (solid, but one of those week 1 performances which I more or less ignored)edit: I should clarify however, Cotchery would never see the light of day off my bench in a redraft, and I didn't think his contributions or upside this season (to increase his trade value) would be worth a roster spot over others.

I got Colston below Jennings for the following reasons: 7th round talent, switching positions from TE to WR, pretty quiet preseason, Drew Brees shoulder, 3rd in pecking order behind Bush and Horn although this is debatable. Positives: big target, brees throws to him in redzone, can possibly become favorite over Horn. It's a show me game here. One more big game out of him and a stinker by Jennings and they easily flip-flop.

Colston was only drafted so low because he came from a 1AA school. He's obviously got talent enough for the Saints to be confident in trading away Stallworth in favor of him. And I wouldn't say the offseason was exactly quiet, as it was his surprising play in camp that ultimately led to his quick rise on the depth chart.

So are you saying that 1AA players can't go in the 2nd round - D.Manning? It does look like he was overlooked on draft day though you'd think if he were a bluechip prospect he would have gone first day. Quiet in the sense that I couldn't get it out of a preseason box score compared to Jennings.

No, of course not, but you've got to be something special that no one is overlooking to be a IAA player and get drafted in the early rounds. Chances are that he was just overlooked due to playing at a small school and that his college numbers weren't phenomenal...60/975/8ish if I remember correctly...but I'm not sure that would necessarily make him a lower caliber player like some of the other players drafted in the 7th round, hence why I don't think I'd consider him a 7th round talent.

 

[Trap Play]

A lot of good discussion here, which is exactly what I hoped for when I started this thread...

I think that even if there is the only the most remote chance Colston becomes Brees' new Gates it makes him worth a flyer in any format: re-draft, keeper, or dynasty. I wish ESPN had left him having TE-eligability.

At the moment, I have these guys ranked as follows in re-draft/keeper:

Colston

Cotchery

Jennings

- Cothcher and Jennings could easily flip-flop, but I just have a gut-feeling about Colston. Not very constructive I know, but sometimes intuition plays a large part in uncovering sleepers.

 

[taz]

A lot of good discussion here, which is exactly what I hoped for when I started this thread...I think that even if there is the only the most remote chance Colston becomes Brees' new Gates it makes him worth a flyer in any format: re-draft, keeper, or dynasty. I wish ESPN had left him having TE-eligability. At the moment, I have these guys ranked as follows in re-draft/keeper:ColstonCotcheryJennings- Cothcher and Jennings could easily flip-flop, but I just have a gut-feeling about Colston. Not very constructive I know, but sometimes intuition plays a large part in uncovering sleepers.

I'm debating whether I should drop Burleson for Colston. Just the fact they traded Stallworth shows the faith the Saints have in this guy, and maybe he could get the looks that Brees used to give Gates. Conwell IMO will not be a big red-zone target.

 

[Funky Boss]

I'm considering Colston as he is the only one of the three that are still available. I agree with the positives mentioned so far for Colston but my two main concerns are his changing positions and schedule. After the Packers this week it is pretty rough going...

3 vs Falcons

4 at Panthers

5 vs Buccaneers

6 vs Eagles

7 Bye

8 vs Ravens

9 at Buccaneers

10 at Steelers

11 vs Bengals

12 at Falcons

13 vs 49ers (one bright spot)

14 at Cowboys

15 vs Redskins

16 at Giants

If NO is trailing in these games they will need to throw the ball more, which is a plus, but I'm not convinced that they will be able to score much more than FGs against these defenses.

 

[wannabee]

Colston is NOT changing positions. Many thought Colston, a WR in college, would have to be a TE in NFL, but he is not on obviously.

I have seen this several times in this thread and wanted to clear it up.

 

[Todem]

I expect a lot of this to change by this time next week. Jennings, in first game as rookie, plays against the Bears and the Pack pass offense gets dominated.Cotchery is gaining targets, but let's remember that last week was against the Titans and Penny had a big game.Colston played much better than I expected. But, I expect Horn to rebound some this week. So, going forward in dynasty, I would rank them:JenningsColstonCotchery

My same exact thoughts.