Player Spotlight: Derrick Mason (1 Viewer)

[Jason Wood]

2008 Player Spotlight Series

One of Footballguys best assets is our message board community. The Shark Pool is, in our view, the best place on the internet to discuss, debate and analyze all things fantasy football. In what's become an annual tradition, the Player Spotlight series is a key part of the preseason efforts. As many of you know, we consider the Player Spotlight threads the permanent record for analyzing the fantasy prospects of the player in question. Last year, we published more than 140 offensive spotlights covering the vast majority of expected skill position starters. This year will be no different.

Each week we will post a list of players to be discussed. Those threads will remain open for the entire preseason, and should be a central point to discussion expectations for the player in question. Importantly, analysis done in the first week of posting will be part of the permanent record in two ways. 1) At the end of the week, we will tally the projections into a consensus. 2) We will select a number of pull quotes from forum contributors who make a compelling statement or observation. Both the projections and pull quotes will be part of a published article on the main website.

Thread Topic: Derrick Mason, WR, Baltimore Ravens

Player Page Link: Derrick Mason Player Page

Each article will include:

Detailed viewpoint from a Footballguys staff member
Highlighted member commentary from the message board threads
FBG Projections
Consensus Member ProjectionsThe Rules

In order for this thread to provide maximum value, we ask that you follow a few simple guidelines:

Focus commentary on the player in question, and your expectations for said player
Back up your expectations in whatever manner you deem appropriate; avoid posts that simply say "I hate him" or "He's the best"
To be included in the final synopsis and consensus outlook, you MUST provide projections for the playerProjections should include (at a minimum):

For QBs: Passing Yards, Passing TDs, Ints, Rush Yards, Rush TDs
For RBs: Rushes, Rushing Yards, Rush TDs, Receptions, Receiving Yards, Receiving TDs
For WRs & TEs: Receptions, Receiving Yards, Receiving TDsNow let's get on with the conversation! We look forward to your contributions and let me offer a personal thanks in anticipation of the great debate and analysis.

 

[Phlash]

Derrick Mason has been a very good player for a very long time. He put up over 1000 yards with an old and brittle Steve McNair throwing him the ball least year, who admittedly has built quite the rapport with him. However, with a new QB at the helm, and considering his age, he should regress a little from last year. I think that this is the year that Mark Clayton begins to take over as the #1 receiver, and Todd Heap should steal targets as well.

Derrick Mason 2008-2009:

60/750/4

Good for a bye week fill in, or a #2 in a large league

 

[a_troll00]

It looked like Mark Clayton was stealing the show in 2006. In 2007, both Clayton and Heap saw injuries allowing Derrick Mason to be the man. In 2008, Clayton will be back to steal Mason's thunder once again.

68 750 3-4tds

 

[Jon_Moore]

If you take the games Mason played with McNair and extrapolate to 16, he would have finished with:

123 Recptions

1019 Yards

3 TDs

If you do the same for the games played with Boller:

92

1070

6

In the 2 games where Smith did most of the throwing...

88

1360

8

It's worth noting his Avg. has gone down for the last 3 or 4 years now, and at 34, he's probably lost a step. But, with McNair he was pacing to finish with a Yards per Reception of 8.3

With Boller: 11.6

With Smith: 15.4

It's hard to say he's worse off without McNair.

Mason is one of the best route runners in the league, with some of the best hands in the league. Defenses will probably worry more about McGahee and Mark Clayton's big play ability. Cam Cameron being brought in and the firing of Billick, should mean a step into the 21st century for this offense.

90 Receptions

1035 Yards

6 TDs

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

Derrick Mason is an outstanding route runner and has great hands. He has all the tools but I don't expect Baltimore to push the ball deep down the field with their young QB's. I expect the Ravens to rush the ball and rush some more, sprinkled in with some play action stuff. Mason looks to be in a situation where he is limited due to the lack of experience in the passing game in Baltimore.

75 receptions for 800 yards and 4 td's

 

[Chairshot]

While it's true that Mason is 34 years old, he's basically the same age as Terrell Owens. That's not to say that he is going to put up T.O. numbers, it's just to point out that WRs can have plenty of success in their mid-30's.

Mason has been so consistent his entire career, with plenty of questionable QBs throwing to him along the way, that it's hard for me to bet against him. Practically no injury history. He does what he does. I don't see why he can't keep it up again this year. If anything that team should be a little better offensively.

He won't set the world on fire and he isn't the most exciting player for your squad, but a bottom of the top 20 finish again wouldn't surprise me at all. And since you can probably get him in the 9th round or so when a bottom of the top 20 finish should cost you more like the 5th or 6th round, I think he will be a great value again this year.

85 catches, 1000 yards, 6 TDs

 

[brady2moss]

I suspect mcgahee to have another good year, keeping the opposing D honest.

76 catches

990 yards

7 tds

very respectable 2 or 3rd WR on your roster..

 

[obxlegends]

Derrick Mason is an outstanding route runner and has great hands. He has all the tools but I don't expect Baltimore to push the ball deep down the field with their young QB's. I expect the Ravens to rush the ball and rush some more, sprinkled in with some play action stuff. Mason looks to be in a situation where he is limited due to the lack of experience in the passing game in Baltimore.75 receptions for 800 yards and 4 td's

I can't say the Ravens ever really threw the ball deep to Mason. He got a lot of his catches on slants and working the sidelines. Something his 10.6 yards per catch should illustrate. Mason is a class act with all the intangibles and guile a veteran of his caliber should posses. His season last year was amazing considering the poor QB play the Ravens had. Mark Clayton and a healthy Todd Heap along with an emerging Demetrius Williams should bring his numbers down.In the end, for different reasons, I'm more inline with the above poster's projections.70/763/3

 

[Chairshot]

I can't say the Ravens ever really threw the ball deep to Mason. He got a lot of his catches on slants and working the sidelines. Something his 10.6 yards per catch should illustrate. Mason is a class act with all the intangibles and guile a veteran of his caliber should posses. His season last year was amazing considering the poor QB play the Ravens had. Mark Clayton and a healthy Todd Heap along with an emerging Demetrius Williams should bring his numbers down.In the end, for different reasons, I'm more inline with the above poster's projections.70/763/3

The question I would ask is: do we have reason to believe that Mark Clayton will take that many targets away from Mason? Or that Demetrius Williams will actually emerge?A healthy Todd Heap could very well cut into Mason's targets. However, I would think that the bulk of the 80+ increase in targets that Heap would receive this year over last year would come from the 3rd/4th WRs and the backup TEs, as opposed to very many from the 1st or 2nd WRs. Quinn Sypniewski alone got 50 targets last year and you would have to think almost all of them go to a healthy Heap.I don't think Mason will get 160+ targets again, like last year. But at this point, I don't see any real reason why he wouldn't get 110-130 or so.

 

[obxlegends]

I can't say the Ravens ever really threw the ball deep to Mason. He got a lot of his catches on slants and working the sidelines. Something his 10.6 yards per catch should illustrate. Mason is a class act with all the intangibles and guile a veteran of his caliber should posses. His season last year was amazing considering the poor QB play the Ravens had. Mark Clayton and a healthy Todd Heap along with an emerging Demetrius Williams should bring his numbers down.

In the end, for different reasons, I'm more inline with the above poster's projections.

70/763/3

The question I would ask is: do we have reason to believe that Mark Clayton will take that many targets away from Mason? Or that Demetrius Williams will actually emerge?A healthy Todd Heap could very well cut into Mason's targets. However, I would think that the bulk of the 80+ increase in targets that Heap would receive this year over last year would come from the 3rd/4th WRs and the backup TEs, as opposed to very many from the 1st or 2nd WRs. Quinn Sypniewski alone got 50 targets last year and you would have to think almost all of them go to a healthy Heap.

I don't think Mason will get 160+ targets again, like last year. But at this point, I don't see any real reason why he wouldn't get 110-130 or so.

Please don't make me into a Mark Clayton apologist, but...His game is predicated on quickness. It's all about how fast he gets in and out of his cuts inside of his route. He played injured the whole season. Clayton had to deal with an ankle injury which limited him most of the season. Evidenced in his almost 4 yards a catch dropoff from the previous season. I don't see any reason he won't go back to his previous year's production.

As for Williams he's the only true WR on the team with height and speed enough to stretch the field. I only see him being more involved.

With all that said if Clayton and Williams fall off then Mason could push those catches and yards up. I'm just not willing to project that at this time.

 

[Chairshot]

Please don't make me into a Mark Clayton apologist, but...

His game is predicated on quickness. It's all about how fast he gets in and out of his cuts inside of his route. He played injured the whole season. Clayton had to deal with an ankle injury which limited him most of the season. Evidenced in his almost 4 yards a catch dropoff from the previous season. I don't see any reason he won't go back to his previous year's production.

As for Williams he's the only true WR on the team with height and speed enough to stretch the field. I only see him being more involved.

With all that said if Clayton and Williams fall off then Mason could push those catches and yards up. I'm just not willing to project that at this time.

You know what? Those are pretty good arguments. Still not really sold on Williams, but the Clayton argument makes me pause for a second. Perhaps Clayton could end up being a legit deep threat? Mason and Heap seem like the short/medium threats. I still don't see Mason falling past the 2nd WR on the team, regardless. I might think about downgrading my projection of him, though.