Reevaluating the 2007 WR class (1 Viewer)

[gianmarco]

Wanted to revisit some of these guys. I thought a good way to split them up is those with good/decent QB situations going into 2008 and those with poor QB situations going into 2008. It seems some of the better ones to me have poor QB situations so might be tough to decide which of them will truly breakout.

2007 WRs with good/decent QB situations:

1. CJ2--I put him in this category only because he'll at least have Kitna for at least part of 2008. This could change if Stanton takes over. However, I still think his talent far exceeds anyone else in this class. He's still the clear #1, IMO.

2. A. Gonzalez--Already showed he can produce at this level and obviously in an elite offense. Only Harrison to hold him back at this point.

3. Steve Smith--This guy really came on in the playoffs. This is someone I would look to target as his value is probably the lowest it might be again with big upside, IMO.

4. Robert Meachem--Lots of concerns since he didn't take the field at all in 2007. However, he's in a great situation with little competition to break into the starting lineup. I'm still not convinced on him, but of the guys below him, this is a guy I would definitely take a chance on if the price was right. I would think his owners are going to hold on him as there's no way to get any value in trading him at this point.

5. Jacoby Jones--This guy looked pretty decent in his limited work last year. But, he'll definitely be playing 2nd fiddle to AJ and I didn't see enough to warrant significant upside. I know the buzz was hot for him last year but that seems to have died down significantly. Not someone I'm particularly interested in, but he does bear watching.

6. Mike Walker--Well, we all heard and read the excitement about his athletic ability. Then a sudden move to IR and hope for 2007 was lost. Probably the ultimate sleeper with most upside/low cost, but injuries are a definite concern. I personally have him stashed in one league and will just wait and see with him, but he has a short leash. If he fails to make an impact this year, especially if due to injuries, I wouldn't hold out much hope.

7. Craig Davis--I was never impressed with him at LSU and I don't see him making any impact in his current situation. Maybe some others have some insight on him.

2007 WR's with bad QB situations:

1. Dwayne Bowe--Opposite of Craig Davis, I loved his game at LSU and he lived up to it last year. Unfortunately, KC is a mess without much hope for improving in the short-term. However, I think the talent is clearly there and someone I think could have an impact for a long time. I recently traded him only because the other owner was high enough on him to give up AJ and a 1st round pick. I was shocked, but to be honest, I may have actually gotten the short end of the deal if lives up to his potential.

2. Sidney Rice--The addition of Berrian + another year of experience for T. Jackson MAY improve this situation, but unfortunately I think Rice is going to have to do all the work to produce fantasy-wise. The thing is, he has the skills to do so. I see a somewhat similar year to S. Holmes in store for him with slightly less yardage and a couple less TDs. This guy is a definite hold as his trade value does not equal his potential value. If the Minny offense does improve, this guy could end up the #1 fantasy producer of his class in 2008.

3. Laurent Robinson--The little bit I saw of him on the field in 2007 I really, really liked. Probably ran the crispest routes of all the guys in this class with the exception of Gonzalez with great moves/fakes to beat DB's. Also has great ball tracking skills. Just wish he would have done a little more with his targets. Some of that can be blamed on the QB situation in Atlanta, however, it may be as bad or worse in 2008. He's another hold player, but I see him with similar potential to the guys above him.

4. Ted Ginn---Obviously many think he was a huge reach in the 1st round by Miami. However, out of all the guys listed with the exception of Bowe, he will probably have the best chance to have the spotlight and may go into the year as the #1 WR. I honestly don't know what to expect from him, but I think he may be able to be had cheap. I'm personally not a fan, but could be convinced otherwise.

5. Jason Hill--This is the guy whose preseason rankings could jump significantly depending on what happens in training camp. If he's somehow able to pick up Martz's offense and can leapfrog into the starting lineup, he could make a valuable contribution. I just don't see it happening, though. I think he has much better long-term value and might be a good mid-season pickup if he's still mired low on the depth chart.

6. James Jones--This guy actually had a pretty impressive stint in 2007 and was actually startable for a few weeks. Then Jennings returned and Favre retired. I liked what I saw on the field but I think his upside is limited, at least for the next couple years. Just not someone I would be after as I don't see big-time potential in his future.

7. Johnnie Lee Higgins--There was some buzz about this guy and his speed and then it just disappeared. The Raiders are a mess. I just don't know what to expect from him, but it's not much. He's going to have to overcome a pretty bad situation and really impress to have any type of impact in the next year or two. But, stranger things have happened.

8. Dwayne Jarrett--Not sure how he didn't capitalize on his chance last year to crack the starting lineup, but he just didn't. Now with Hackett in town, it seems this situation can hold him back. Couple that with average talent, IMO, and he's just not someone I'd be interested in at all. Minimal value both now and in next 2-3 yrs to me. Probably the biggest bust and disappointment of all the guys drafted last year in terms of his draft position and short/long term potential.

I actually think last year's WR class may surprise and have some decent long-term prospects in CJ2, Bowe, Rice, Gonzalez, Robinson, S. Smith and Meachem (in particular). Going into last year, I just wasn't too excited about the WR class but that changed pretty quickly. I'm curious to see if some of these guys with talent but bad situations can overcome some of the others in pretty ideal situations.

Would love some opinions on some of these guys because I just didn't get to see them enough either in college or last year.

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

I won't split them up in the QB situations (though they factor in greatly how I rank them). Just easier to rank them 1-10 etc.

1) Calvin Johnson

2) Dwayne Bowe (I project them to take Ryan)

3) Anthony Gonzalez

4) Steve Smith

5) Ted Ginn (QB holds him down a couple more years. Might be in the slow break out in Roddy White mold.

6) Sidney Rice (I just don't like Tavaris Jackson. If Sage/other QB comes along, could easily bump him up to 3)

7) James Jones (Could be a solid #2 WR in a couple years/when Driver exits. I think Driver's #s will head south with the QB switch)

8) Laurent Robinson (Didn't see much of him. Only time I did, he toasted Antrell Rolle for a huge TD score).

9) Jacoby Jones (Bad sign with the recent DWI. Looked the part of future stud early last year, but I thought Walter played quite well in 2007. Hardest player to rank on this list)

10) Robert Meachem (Only reason I ranked him is because he has Drew Brees)

Also have Walker stashed, but upside is limited to WR4/bench WR IMO. I don't see much for Jarrett/Hill/Higgins/Davis.

 

[happy_donut]

I won't split them up in the QB situations (though they factor in greatly how I rank them). Just easier to rank them 1-10 etc.

1) Calvin Johnson

2) Dwayne Bowe (I project them to take Ryan)

3) Anthony Gonzalez

4) Steve Smith

5) Ted Ginn (QB holds him down a couple more years. Might be in the slow break out in Roddy White mold.

6) Sidney Rice (I just don't like Tavaris Jackson. If Sage/other QB comes along, could easily bump him up to 3)

7) James Jones (Could be a solid #2 WR in a couple years/when Driver exits. I think Driver's #s will head south with the QB switch)

8) Laurent Robinson (Didn't see much of him. Only time I did, he toasted Antrell Rolle for a huge TD score).

9) Jacoby Jones (Bad sign with the recent DWI. Looked the part of future stud early last year, but I thought Walter played quite well in 2007. Hardest player to rank on this list)

10) Robert Meachem (Only reason I ranked him is because he has Drew Brees)

Also have Walker stashed, but upside is limited to WR4/bench WR IMO. I don't see much for Jarrett/Hill/Higgins/Davis.

So if Ryan goes to ATL, how do you feel about Robinson?

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

So if Ryan goes to ATL, how do you feel about Robinson?

To be honest, I have seen much of Robinson. I only saw the ARI/ATL game. Though it was an awful job of coverage by Antrell Rolle (who absolutely just guessed Robinson was going to run a streak, but Robinson ran a post. About as bad of effort as you'll see in the NFL), Robinson made a play. I couldn't see myself ranking Bowe any lower than 2. He's a physical All Pro talent that's going perform no matter who is at QB. (Those type WR's are few and far between IMO). And I think he and Johnson are in that category from this class. If someone has Smith/Gonzalez ahead of Bowe (due to uncertain QB issues of the latter -- which I think will cure sooner or later), I'd have no issue with that. By and large, I put a higher standard on QB throwing the ball than I do alone on the WR's physical skills. Obviously I make exceptions like everyone else.The top 9 on my list above flashed at times in 2007, so there's reason for optimism. Perhaps not fair to write off Jarrett/Hill/Higgins/etc.... but I believe they had nice opportunities to step up and show something/anything and failed to do so. Just hard to see Jarrett (buried on Depth Chart now), Hill (3rd? WR on a poor passing team where I foresee Gore/VD as the top 2 targets; even if he does get an opportunity, will Alex Smith show anything?), Higgins (behind Walker/Curry and I think Miller's a far better option catching the football).

 

[happy_donut]

Thanks for the reply. I did get a chance to see Robinson play last year and thought he had some good tools. The reason I asked about Ryan is that I've seen some mocks with Ryan going to ATL. I definitely think that Robinson's stock rises with that, but of course that is an unknown.

I'd like to add that I think Higgins is also behind Drew Carter now. Carter's forte has always been his speed. Do you think that the signing of Carter is a bad sign for Higgins, or might that just be a problem with the OAK team in general, i.e., they've signed a talent that covers a need they don't have.

Cheers.

 

[gianmarco]

Hopefully, if the Falcons don't draft Ryan, that Long falls to them and they address their O-line. If that is the case, I still like Robinson's prospects. He also shouldn't have much competition for the #2 at all.

 

[twitch]

Imagine how good Dwayne Bowe is going to be with some solid/stellar QB play. Its really scary if you actually stop to think about it. The kid was a rookie on a team with no LJ, a bad Oline, and weak QBs. that's a big time stat producer for alot of years right there. Steve Smith may develop into something nice with Eli if he can stay healthy and keep building confidence on last year's run. Rice is already a #1, imo. Not quite the same type of dominating stud as Bowe. A little more Isaac Bruce-ish. But if Jackson can step his game up, Rice will emerge with all the attention AD will demand.

I think the young Caldwell kid out of Florida is going to be the man Im keeping an eye on this year, depending on his situation. I personally hope for VY's sake he ends up in TN.

 

[FUBAR]

My top 6 (I was going 5, but like 6):

1 2 Calvin Johnson Georgia Tech Detroit Lions

1 23 Dwayne Bowe Louisiana State Kansas City Chiefs

2 44 Sidney Rice South Carolina Minnesota Vikings

2 51 Steve Smith USC New York Giants

1 9 Ted Ginn Jr. Ohio State Miami Dolphins

3 76 Jason Hill Washington State San Francisco 49ers

My top 5 I'm staying away from (assuming they'd cost what I think they will):

1 27 Robert Meachem Tennessee New Orleans Saints

1 30 Craig Davis Louisiana State San Diego Chargers

3 73 Jacoby Jones Lane Houston Texans

3 79 Mike Walker Central Florida Jacksonville Jaguars

3 80 Paul Williams Fresno State Tennessee Titans

My top 5 sleepers:

5 142 Steve Breaston Michigan Arizona Cardinals

4 103 Isaiah Stanback Washington Dallas Cowboys

5 172 Legedu Naanee Boise State San Diego Chargers

5 169 Roy Hall Ohio State Indianapolis Colts

6 188 Joel Filani Texas Tech Tennessee Titans

If the rumors about AZ losing either Boldin or Fitz come true, Breaston will soar in value.

 

[Maroney=Speed]

Wanted to revisit some of these guys. I thought a good way to split them up is those with good/decent QB situations going into 2008 and those with poor QB situations going into 2008. It seems some of the better ones to me have poor QB situations so might be tough to decide which of them will truly breakout.2007 WRs with good/decent QB situations:1. CJ2--I put him in this category only because he'll at least have Kitna for at least part of 2008. This could change if Stanton takes over. However, I still think his talent far exceeds anyone else in this class. He's still the clear #1, IMO.2. A. Gonzalez--Already showed he can produce at this level and obviously in an elite offense. Only Harrison to hold him back at this point.3. Steve Smith--This guy really came on in the playoffs. This is someone I would look to target as his value is probably the lowest it might be again with big upside, IMO.4. Robert Meachem--Lots of concerns since he didn't take the field at all in 2007. However, he's in a great situation with little competition to break into the starting lineup. I'm still not convinced on him, but of the guys below him, this is a guy I would definitely take a chance on if the price was right. I would think his owners are going to hold on him as there's no way to get any value in trading him at this point.5. Jacoby Jones--This guy looked pretty decent in his limited work last year. But, he'll definitely be playing 2nd fiddle to AJ and I didn't see enough to warrant significant upside. I know the buzz was hot for him last year but that seems to have died down significantly. Not someone I'm particularly interested in, but he does bear watching.6. Mike Walker--Well, we all heard and read the excitement about his athletic ability. Then a sudden move to IR and hope for 2007 was lost. Probably the ultimate sleeper with most upside/low cost, but injuries are a definite concern. I personally have him stashed in one league and will just wait and see with him, but he has a short leash. If he fails to make an impact this year, especially if due to injuries, I wouldn't hold out much hope.7. Craig Davis--I was never impressed with him at LSU and I don't see him making any impact in his current situation. Maybe some others have some insight on him.2007 WR's with bad QB situations:1. Dwayne Bowe--Opposite of Craig Davis, I loved his game at LSU and he lived up to it last year. Unfortunately, KC is a mess without much hope for improving in the short-term. However, I think the talent is clearly there and someone I think could have an impact for a long time. I recently traded him only because the other owner was high enough on him to give up AJ and a 1st round pick. I was shocked, but to be honest, I may have actually gotten the short end of the deal if lives up to his potential. 2. Sidney Rice--The addition of Berrian + another year of experience for T. Jackson MAY improve this situation, but unfortunately I think Rice is going to have to do all the work to produce fantasy-wise. The thing is, he has the skills to do so. I see a somewhat similar year to S. Holmes in store for him with slightly less yardage and a couple less TDs. This guy is a definite hold as his trade value does not equal his potential value. If the Minny offense does improve, this guy could end up the #1 fantasy producer of his class in 2008.3. Laurent Robinson--The little bit I saw of him on the field in 2007 I really, really liked. Probably ran the crispest routes of all the guys in this class with the exception of Gonzalez with great moves/fakes to beat DB's. Also has great ball tracking skills. Just wish he would have done a little more with his targets. Some of that can be blamed on the QB situation in Atlanta, however, it may be as bad or worse in 2008. He's another hold player, but I see him with similar potential to the guys above him. 4. Ted Ginn---Obviously many think he was a huge reach in the 1st round by Miami. However, out of all the guys listed with the exception of Bowe, he will probably have the best chance to have the spotlight and may go into the year as the #1 WR. I honestly don't know what to expect from him, but I think he may be able to be had cheap. I'm personally not a fan, but could be convinced otherwise.5. Jason Hill--This is the guy whose preseason rankings could jump significantly depending on what happens in training camp. If he's somehow able to pick up Martz's offense and can leapfrog into the starting lineup, he could make a valuable contribution. I just don't see it happening, though. I think he has much better long-term value and might be a good mid-season pickup if he's still mired low on the depth chart.6. James Jones--This guy actually had a pretty impressive stint in 2007 and was actually startable for a few weeks. Then Jennings returned and Favre retired. I liked what I saw on the field but I think his upside is limited, at least for the next couple years. Just not someone I would be after as I don't see big-time potential in his future.7. Johnnie Lee Higgins--There was some buzz about this guy and his speed and then it just disappeared. The Raiders are a mess. I just don't know what to expect from him, but it's not much. He's going to have to overcome a pretty bad situation and really impress to have any type of impact in the next year or two. But, stranger things have happened.8. Dwayne Jarrett--Not sure how he didn't capitalize on his chance last year to crack the starting lineup, but he just didn't. Now with Hackett in town, it seems this situation can hold him back. Couple that with average talent, IMO, and he's just not someone I'd be interested in at all. Minimal value both now and in next 2-3 yrs to me. Probably the biggest bust and disappointment of all the guys drafted last year in terms of his draft position and short/long term potential.I actually think last year's WR class may surprise and have some decent long-term prospects in CJ2, Bowe, Rice, Gonzalez, Robinson, S. Smith and Meachem (in particular). Going into last year, I just wasn't too excited about the WR class but that changed pretty quickly. I'm curious to see if some of these guys with talent but bad situations can overcome some of the others in pretty ideal situations.Would love some opinions on some of these guys because I just didn't get to see them enough either in college or last year.

WOW, I almost fell out of my seat. Rankings from gianmarco. Just Wow.Unlike you I won't try to kill your posts.Good job.

 

[Kitrick Taylor]

I do think it will end up being one of the better classes to come out in some time. Good depth and some very high ceilings.

My thoughts.

1. Calvin Johnson. Showed questionable hands, plays for a horrible franchise yet you can't ignore the talent. Still #1 by a long shot.

2. Dwayne Bowe. Has a chance to become Boldin #2. Already a legit fantasy starter.

3. Anthony Gonzalez. Showed he can play, and is in a great situation. Doesn't have nearly the upside of either guy ahead of him, but could be a solid #2 fantasy starter for years once Marvin retires.

4. Sidney Rice. I am not as big a fan as many, but he does have athleticism and showed some skills as a rookie. Could be a while until he's a regular starter with the QB situation there.

5. Steve Smith. Should take over for Toomer this season as the #2. Seems to already have Eli's trust. May not be quite fantasy ready in 2008, but should be a long term #2 WR in fantasy.

6. James Jones. Absolutely showed he can play. Driver will hold him off for 2008, but he should be a 2009 starter. I think his upside is somewhat limited, but he seems destined for a nice career.

7. Jacoby Jones. Found out there's a big difference between pre season and regular season last year. Looks like a Javon Walker type to me. We'll see if he can turn his potential into production.

8. Laurent Robinson. Higher ceiling than Roddy White IMO. Like Jacoby, he's has to make the jump from a small school to the NFL. Those guys usually take a little longer.

9. Ted Ginn. Not sure he's going to be more than a one trick pony on offense.

10. Craig Davis. Looking like a reach as a 1st rounder. The trade for Chambers doesn't bode well.

11. Dwayne Jarrett. Looking like Mike Williams part deux.

12. Jason Hill. Couldn't pick up the offense in year one. Now has the ultra complex Martz offense to learn in year two. Not looking good right now.

13. Johnnie Lee Higgins. Showed skills as a returner, but as OP stated Raiders are a mess. Deep sleeper at this point.

14. Mike Walker. Jacksonville seems to be the place where WRs go to die. Walker is just the latest.

15. Robert Meachem. Long ways to go. Early signs of bust already there.

 

[Chase Stuart]

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=495

Thoughts for those that are fans of Bowe: the top rookie fantasy WR has regressed in the next season in 14 of the last 16 years; but, the last two years, the top rookie fantasy WR has improved as a sophomore.

 

[EBF]

This group was tough to gauge coming into the NFL and I don't think a year has changed that much.

I agree with the rough consensus of Calvin, Bowe, Gonzo, and Rice as the top four for now.

After those guys, there are a lot of intriguing players who may or may not amount to anything. Some of the players who have shown early flashes seemingly lack top upside (Steve Smith, James Jones) and some of the players who have a high upside haven't show many flashes (Jason Hill, Robert Meachem). I say don't anoint any of these guys superstars yet, but don't count any of them out.

Every year I remind people that many of the best receivers in the NFL had VERY quiet rookie years (Chad Johnson, Plaxico Burress, Santana Moss, Steve Smith, etc). On the flipside, plenty of guys who looked pretty good out of the gates ultimately fizzled (Rod Gardner, Ashley Lelie, Michael Clayton, Peter Warrick).

 

[gianmarco]

I do think overall, though, that this was originally viewed as a "weak" class with the exception of CJ2. There's always that "potential" that was talk about with these rookies coming in, but I think a larger % of guys than expected actually lived up to that potential, at least one year in.

I completely agree that some of the better producers lack top upside (James Jones particularly) and those with the most upside haven't done much (Hill, Meachem, Ginn).

However, what is surprising to me is how a decent # of these guys actually showed true potential in very, very bad situations (Bowe, Rice, Robinson).

 

[JPeso]

I completely agree that some of the better producers lack top upside (James Jones particularly) and those with the most upside haven't done much (Hill, Meachem, Ginn).

This is one of the reasons I might actually rather Meachem deep on my bench as say, a WR6, than James Jones. Obviously if I was weak at WR and needed a WR3 for next season, I would move Meachem for James Jones straight up.

 

[Chaos Commish]

I think James Jones is being underrated here. I think a short list of these guys have legit WR1 talent/upside and he is among them.

1. Bowe

2. Calvin

3. Rice

4. Jones

5. Walker

Those are the only WRs from this class I could see dominating games.

Those aren't rankings, just a list of the guys I think have WR1 talent.

Gonzo and Smith are more limited but in situations where #2 production may be much better than others. It's crowded in GB, but Jones is very talented. I would swap Meachem for him in a heartbeat.

Allison showed flashes late in the season and has been unmentioned so far here.

 

[Weiner Dog]

4. Robert Meachem--Lots of concerns since he didn't take the field at all in 2007. However, he's in a great situation with little competition to break into the starting lineup. I'm still not convinced on him, but of the guys below him, this is a guy I would definitely take a chance on if the price was right. I would think his owners are going to hold on him as there's no way to get any value in trading him at this point.

I honestly hate when people cherry-pick my posts, but I just wanted to say I was a Meachem optimist until the Saints re-signed every free-agent WR from last year. Patten...Henderson...Copper. Obviously, these three aren't exactly top-tier WR's, but this cannot be a good sign for Meachem's ability to take a sophomore jump from a 0-pt stationary position. It should also be noted that Patten and Copper signed 2-year deals.

 

[gianmarco]

4. Robert Meachem--Lots of concerns since he didn't take the field at all in 2007. However, he's in a great situation with little competition to break into the starting lineup. I'm still not convinced on him, but of the guys below him, this is a guy I would definitely take a chance on if the price was right. I would think his owners are going to hold on him as there's no way to get any value in trading him at this point.

I honestly hate when people cherry-pick my posts, but I just wanted to say I was a Meachem optimist until the Saints re-signed every free-agent WR from last year. Patten...Henderson...Copper. Obviously, these three aren't exactly top-tier WR's, but this cannot be a good sign for Meachem's ability to take a sophomore jump from a 0-pt stationary position. It should also be noted that Patten and Copper signed 2-year deals.

I'm sorry, but I see this exactly the opposite as you. To me, those guys were signed as nothing more than depth because they know the system and can be inserted if needed. But, those guys were very unremarkable and I'm sure the Saint's staff know it. My thoughts are if they DID NOT believe in Meachem, they would have gone out and signed a bigger name FA to go alongside Colston. You simply can't have a team with only 2 or 3 WR's on the roster, so the Saints needed some for depth and went a relatively cheap way and resigned guys already familiar with the offense. I see that as a ringing endorsement that Meachem should be able to win the job instead of having to compete with a newly signed FA. When you consider the fact he was their first round pick, I highly doubt they will give up that easily on him, giving him no snaps his rookie year and then having him behind these relative scrubs on the depth chart during his 2nd year. He's going to have to try very hard to not be the starter alongside Colston, IMO.

For example, if the Saints had signed Hackett or Walker or Berrian, I would have been MUCH more concerned about Meachem's chances of seeing the field. Ask yourself, if the Saint's didn't resign those guys, do you think it was an option to not bring in any WR's? Do you realize without resigning those guys, they would have only had Colston, Meachem, and Moore on the roster as WR's? That's simply not enough.

 

[cstu]

4. Robert Meachem--Lots of concerns since he didn't take the field at all in 2007. However, he's in a great situation with little competition to break into the starting lineup. I'm still not convinced on him, but of the guys below him, this is a guy I would definitely take a chance on if the price was right. I would think his owners are going to hold on him as there's no way to get any value in trading him at this point.

I honestly hate when people cherry-pick my posts, but I just wanted to say I was a Meachem optimist until the Saints re-signed every free-agent WR from last year. Patten...Henderson...Copper. Obviously, these three aren't exactly top-tier WR's, but this cannot be a good sign for Meachem's ability to take a sophomore jump from a 0-pt stationary position. It should also be noted that Patten and Copper signed 2-year deals.

I think they have a combined $4M in those 3 guys this year so I actually think it is a good sign. They didn't sign a high-priced FA WR and now if they don't draft one high in the draft it will signal to me that they think he'll be the starter opposite Colston, at least by 2009 if not sometime this year.

 

[Weiner Dog]

4. Robert Meachem--Lots of concerns since he didn't take the field at all in 2007. However, he's in a great situation with little competition to break into the starting lineup. I'm still not convinced on him, but of the guys below him, this is a guy I would definitely take a chance on if the price was right. I would think his owners are going to hold on him as there's no way to get any value in trading him at this point.

I honestly hate when people cherry-pick my posts, but I just wanted to say I was a Meachem optimist until the Saints re-signed every free-agent WR from last year. Patten...Henderson...Copper. Obviously, these three aren't exactly top-tier WR's, but this cannot be a good sign for Meachem's ability to take a sophomore jump from a 0-pt stationary position. It should also be noted that Patten and Copper signed 2-year deals.

I'm sorry, but I see this exactly the opposite as you. To me, those guys were signed as nothing more than depth because they know the system and can be inserted if needed. But, those guys were very unremarkable and I'm sure the Saint's staff know it. My thoughts are if they DID NOT believe in Meachem, they would have gone out and signed a bigger name FA to go alongside Colston. You simply can't have a team with only 2 or 3 WR's on the roster, so the Saints needed some for depth and went a relatively cheap way and resigned guys already familiar with the offense. I see that as a ringing endorsement that Meachem should be able to win the job instead of having to compete with a newly signed FA. When you consider the fact he was their first round pick, I highly doubt they will give up that easily on him, giving him no snaps his rookie year and then having him behind these relative scrubs on the depth chart during his 2nd year. He's going to have to try very hard to not be the starter alongside Colston, IMO.

For example, if the Saints had signed Hackett or Walker or Berrian, I would have been MUCH more concerned about Meachem's chances of seeing the field. Ask yourself, if the Saint's didn't resign those guys, do you think it was an option to not bring in any WR's? Do you realize without resigning those guys, they would have only had Colston, Meachem, and Moore on the roster as WR's? That's simply not enough.

I can see your point. However, these three "scrubs" kept Meachem on the bench for an entire season. If Meachem improves dramatically over his rookie year, I can absolutely see him starting opposite Colston. However, he will need to leap-frog three players to do so. Granted...

* I'm surprised Patten is still in the NFL.

* Copper seems like a hustler and plays the cards which were dealt to him.

* Henderson is not void as talent as a former 2nd-rounder, but he's seems to be nothing more than a deep threat.

 

[gianmarco]

4. Robert Meachem--Lots of concerns since he didn't take the field at all in 2007. However, he's in a great situation with little competition to break into the starting lineup. I'm still not convinced on him, but of the guys below him, this is a guy I would definitely take a chance on if the price was right. I would think his owners are going to hold on him as there's no way to get any value in trading him at this point.

I honestly hate when people cherry-pick my posts, but I just wanted to say I was a Meachem optimist until the Saints re-signed every free-agent WR from last year. Patten...Henderson...Copper. Obviously, these three aren't exactly top-tier WR's, but this cannot be a good sign for Meachem's ability to take a sophomore jump from a 0-pt stationary position. It should also be noted that Patten and Copper signed 2-year deals.

I'm sorry, but I see this exactly the opposite as you. To me, those guys were signed as nothing more than depth because they know the system and can be inserted if needed. But, those guys were very unremarkable and I'm sure the Saint's staff know it. My thoughts are if they DID NOT believe in Meachem, they would have gone out and signed a bigger name FA to go alongside Colston. You simply can't have a team with only 2 or 3 WR's on the roster, so the Saints needed some for depth and went a relatively cheap way and resigned guys already familiar with the offense. I see that as a ringing endorsement that Meachem should be able to win the job instead of having to compete with a newly signed FA. When you consider the fact he was their first round pick, I highly doubt they will give up that easily on him, giving him no snaps his rookie year and then having him behind these relative scrubs on the depth chart during his 2nd year. He's going to have to try very hard to not be the starter alongside Colston, IMO.

For example, if the Saints had signed Hackett or Walker or Berrian, I would have been MUCH more concerned about Meachem's chances of seeing the field. Ask yourself, if the Saint's didn't resign those guys, do you think it was an option to not bring in any WR's? Do you realize without resigning those guys, they would have only had Colston, Meachem, and Moore on the roster as WR's? That's simply not enough.

I can see your point. However, these three "scrubs" kept Meachem on the bench for an entire season. If Meachem improves dramatically over his rookie year, I can absolutely see him starting opposite Colston. However, he will need to leap-frog three players to do so. Granted...

* I'm surprised Patten is still in the NFL.

* Copper seems like a hustler and plays the cards which were dealt to him.

* Henderson is not void as talent as a former 2nd-rounder, but he's seems to be nothing more than a deep threat.

I don't think those 3 kept him on the bench. I think his injury kept him on the bench, to be honest. I'm surprised he didn't get even a little playing time at the end of the year, but I don't think it was because he was beat out by those guys for the majority of the year.

 

[Bri]

Lance Moore impressed me more than Meachem, so I'm down on Meachem

I think Bowe has the clearest sailing to a starting spot and keeping it, probably is considerred to already be there. For now, then, he'd have to be the top one IMO.

Calvin Johnson close 2nd, the starting is good but Furrey gets Kitna's attention when he's on the field. Almost like Johnson is the 3rd WR. It's somewhat hard to word. I'd put him above Bowe if Roy W is traded.

Sidney Rice 3rd for me. I expect him starting and "coming on" fairly quickly.

Laurent I like alot but he can't get the clear edge as a starter. His GS stat is skewed by them starting some multiple WR sets. He's gotta beat out Jenkins in camp.

Steve Smith and James Jones looks very very good. I don't see them bouncing the starter so they'll have to get there's some weeks and will be real hard to predict in FF.

Jacoby is a little more raw than I expected. Hopefully he can take that #2 role in camp and stay healthy. I think the world of Andre and think anyone playing opposite him will have it easy with all the attention he gets. Dark horse on this list, could be #1 probably not.

I don't like any of the sleepers mentioned for FF. Nanee is intriguing but Gates and LT2 own the short routes in SD and you just can't draft a backup TE.

While Ginn was a rookie, I can't help but feel like the Fins are impatient about he and Hagan improving.

Anthony Gonzalez is nice on the bench in dynasty but when will you start him? He's not so different from Jones and Smith at the moment.

Garrett took a major hit with Carolina's signings. However, Mushin is a very well respected vet. I wonder if Mushin can't get Garrett to improve and produce. I wouldn't be surprised if Mushin is the Panther's WR coach in a year or two.

Jason Hill seems to have a nice path to starting and working with a vet as well, however I haven't seen much. I have him in dynasty and no one wants him in trade. I think that's pretty telling as to how far he and Alex Smith have fallen in just one year.

 

[gianmarco]

Just curious how Moore could have impressed you more than Meachem when Meachem didn't record a single catch or snap in 2007. I agree that I like Moore a lot, actually, but I don't see how you can compare them unless you're talking about Meachem's college career. Just not a good comparison, if that's the case. Let's at least wait and see what he does at the next level before writing him off.

 

[cstu]

Just curious how Moore could have impressed you more than Meachem when Meachem didn't record a single catch or snap in 2007. I agree that I like Moore a lot, actually, but I don't see how you can compare them unless you're talking about Meachem's college career. Just not a good comparison, if that's the case. Let's at least wait and see what he does at the next level before writing him off.

Moore seems to be decent possession WR, but his 9.4 YPC doesn't signal to me he's much more than that.

 

[gianmarco]

Just curious how Moore could have impressed you more than Meachem when Meachem didn't record a single catch or snap in 2007. I agree that I like Moore a lot, actually, but I don't see how you can compare them unless you're talking about Meachem's college career. Just not a good comparison, if that's the case. Let's at least wait and see what he does at the next level before writing him off.

Moore seems to be decent possession WR, but his 9.4 YPC doesn't signal to me he's much more than that.

Yep. As a #3 WR, he's a perfect fit. He has great hands and has a knack for getting open and getting 1st downs. But, that's about it. He's better than the other options they had last year. I don't know if Meachem is better or not as we just haven't seen him in the NO offense, but they are 2 different types of WR's and I don't think Moore will be significant competition as the starting #2.

 

[Bri]

Just curious how Moore could have impressed you more than Meachem when Meachem didn't record a single catch or snap in 2007. I agree that I like Moore a lot, actually, but I don't see how you can compare them unless you're talking about Meachem's college career. Just not a good comparison, if that's the case. Let's at least wait and see what he does at the next level before writing him off.

Fair pointI guess I kept wonderring about the "thoroughbred" and then there's Moore, over and over

 

[Biabreakable]

I do think overall, though, that this was originally viewed as a "weak" class with the exception of CJ2. There's always that "potential" that was talk about with these rookies coming in, but I think a larger % of guys than expected actually lived up to that potential, at least one year in.I completely agree that some of the better producers lack top upside (James Jones particularly) and those with the most upside haven't done much (Hill, Meachem, Ginn).However, what is surprising to me is how a decent # of these guys actually showed true potential in very, very bad situations (Bowe, Rice, Robinson).

Im not sure who viewed the 2007 WR calss as a weak one. It wasn't me or any of the people I read that thought so. Actually quite the opposite. Probobly the best WR class since 2004. Of course we have to wait another 3 years before being able to judge this. But that was my observation about the WR group from 2007. I was happy to land several of these players to stash away for upcoming years.I do not think the 2008 WR class is even close to as talented as the 2007 class was. But I do admit I have not had the time to investigate the 2008 class much.

 

[gianmarco]

I do think overall, though, that this was originally viewed as a "weak" class with the exception of CJ2. There's always that "potential" that was talk about with these rookies coming in, but I think a larger % of guys than expected actually lived up to that potential, at least one year in.

I completely agree that some of the better producers lack top upside (James Jones particularly) and those with the most upside haven't done much (Hill, Meachem, Ginn).

However, what is surprising to me is how a decent # of these guys actually showed true potential in very, very bad situations (Bowe, Rice, Robinson).

Im not sure who viewed the 2007 WR calss as a weak one. It wasn't me or any of the people I read that thought so. Actually quite the opposite. Probobly the best WR class since 2004. Of course we have to wait another 3 years before being able to judge this. But that was my observation about the WR group from 2007. I was happy to land several of these players to stash away for upcoming years.I do not think the 2008 WR class is even close to as talented as the 2007 class was. But I do admit I have not had the time to investigate the 2008 class much.

Maybe "weak" was the wrong choice of words. I agree that it was viewed as deep, but aside from CJ2, there wasn't much belief there was another difference maker with top 10-15 potential. At least that's what I remember. I did a quick search and found this ranking by Bloom:http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...okie++prospects

Of note, he had this to say:

"4. JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU - He's ahead of the WRs because I'm not sure there's a future top 15 WR in the bunch"

I remember this being the way I thought about it too (as well as others) and didn't see much argument about it in that thread. Of course, it's sometimes hard to go back and remember our perceptions since they change so much, so I might very well be off on this. i just think that now, looking at this group, there is some real potential for 3-4 of these guys becoming true #1's and breaking the top 10-15 very soon.

 

[Ksquared]

I do think overall, though, that this was originally viewed as a "weak" class with the exception of CJ2. There's always that "potential" that was talk about with these rookies coming in, but I think a larger % of guys than expected actually lived up to that potential, at least one year in.I completely agree that some of the better producers lack top upside (James Jones particularly) and those with the most upside haven't done much (Hill, Meachem, Ginn).However, what is surprising to me is how a decent # of these guys actually showed true potential in very, very bad situations (Bowe, Rice, Robinson).

Im not sure who viewed the 2007 WR calss as a weak one. It wasn't me or any of the people I read that thought so. Actually quite the opposite. Probobly the best WR class since 2004. Of course we have to wait another 3 years before being able to judge this. But that was my observation about the WR group from 2007. I was happy to land several of these players to stash away for upcoming years.I do not think the 2008 WR class is even close to as talented as the 2007 class was. But I do admit I have not had the time to investigate the 2008 class much.

I agree that revisionist history seems to be creeping in. Other than the top two RBs (and both Lynch and AD had their detractors), most people stated the WRs last year were deep and the better talent of the skilled positions. But with the RB craze, people kept sliding less talented RBs in front of the WRs early in the draft. I had a later pick and went with trading down and grabbed the following: Gonzalez, S Smith, J Jones, J Hill, and picked up Robinson as a FA during the season. Unfortunately I have a late pick again, at least the second tier of RBs are better this year and I can only have so many WRs on my roster I am trying to develop. I am not sure what direction I will go this year, but I feel that a couple of the WRs picked in the late 2nd/3rd round will end up being top 20 for a while in their careers.Edit - You posted as I was writing. I think the difference was the second tier of RBs were considered to be weak, but there were still people that moved them in front of most of the WR that appear to become possible difference makers. I felt the consensus of Bloom, Cecil, EBF, and CC was there was a major lack of talented depth at RB and the WRs would be better.

 

[gianmarco]

I do think overall, though, that this was originally viewed as a "weak" class with the exception of CJ2. There's always that "potential" that was talk about with these rookies coming in, but I think a larger % of guys than expected actually lived up to that potential, at least one year in.

I completely agree that some of the better producers lack top upside (James Jones particularly) and those with the most upside haven't done much (Hill, Meachem, Ginn).

However, what is surprising to me is how a decent # of these guys actually showed true potential in very, very bad situations (Bowe, Rice, Robinson).

Im not sure who viewed the 2007 WR calss as a weak one. It wasn't me or any of the people I read that thought so. Actually quite the opposite. Probobly the best WR class since 2004. Of course we have to wait another 3 years before being able to judge this. But that was my observation about the WR group from 2007. I was happy to land several of these players to stash away for upcoming years.I do not think the 2008 WR class is even close to as talented as the 2007 class was. But I do admit I have not had the time to investigate the 2008 class much.

I agree that revisionist history seems to be creeping in. Other than the top two RBs (and both Lynch and AD had their detractors), most people stated the WRs last year were deep and the better talent of the skilled positions. But with the RB craze, people kept sliding less talented RBs in front of the WRs early in the draft. I had a later pick and went with trading down and grabbed the following: Gonzalez, S Smith, J Jones, J Hill, and picked up Robinson as a FA during the season. Unfortunately I have a late pick again, at least the second tier of RBs are better this year and I can only have so many WRs on my roster I am trying to develop. I am not sure what direction I will go this year, but I feel that a couple of the WRs picked in the late 2nd/3rd round will end up being top 20 for a while in their careers.Edit - You posted as I was writing. I think the difference was the second tier of RBs were considered to be weak, but there were still people that moved them in front of most of the WR that appear to become possible difference makers. I felt the consensus of Bloom, Cecil, EBF, and CC was there was a major lack of talented depth at RB and the WRs would be better.

I think what you said above is very true. The 2nd tier of RB's was VERY weak and thus a lot of WR's went earlier than they normally would have. I just don't know if that means they were necessarily better compared to other classes. As I said above, I think there was considerable depth, but no standouts aside from CJ2. But, I could definitely be wrong about this as this was my perception and I may just be assuming others felt the same way.

 

[Our Gang]

Imagine how good Dwayne Bowe is going to be with some solid/stellar QB play. Its really scary if you actually stop to think about it. The kid was a rookie on a team with no LJ, a bad Oline, and weak QBs. that's a big time stat producer for alot of years right there. Steve Smith may develop into something nice with Eli if he can stay healthy and keep building confidence on last year's run. Rice is already a #1, imo. Not quite the same type of dominating stud as Bowe. A little more Isaac Bruce-ish. But if Jackson can step his game up, Rice will emerge with all the attention AD will demand. I think the young Caldwell kid out of Florida is going to be the man Im keeping an eye on this year, depending on his situation. I personally hope for VY's sake he ends up in TN.

To me, Dwayne Bowe=Michael Clayton a one hit wonder

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

Quite frankly, I was more impressed with Bowe than I was with Calvin Johnson. He's at the top of this class as far as I'm concerned until I see more.

Bowe came into camp late, didn't have much to work with yet he produced.

I'd put him over Johnson and then a little distance behind either of these two.

 

[Chaos Commish]

Edit - You posted as I was writing. I think the difference was the second tier of RBs were considered to be weak, but there were still people that moved them in front of most of the WR that appear to become possible difference makers. I felt the consensus of Bloom, Cecil, EBF, and CC was there was a major lack of talented depth at RB and the WRs would be better.

In the early stages of analysis the 07 WR class was considered anything but weak. I thought it was very strong, and I thought most agreed. I was even called out for calling it maybe the best ever. We talked about 07 WRs in very positive terms all through the 06 draft season, because that group of wides was perceived as weak. But as the process developed, certain players started losing luster and the 07 class lost some hype. Someone didn't care for Bowe, a bunch didn't like Ginn, Jarrett was slow, Meachem was soft, Calvin was not Jesus, Rice was skinny, Higgins wasn't fast. In restrospect it's interesting to see how the nitpicking process downgraded the whole group slowly.

 

[EBF]

2007 was a good group. Only one sure thing (Calvin), but lots of depth. Almost all of the guys chosen in the first three rounds had the potential to be decent. I would say Figurs is the only one who had no FF future.

2008 is also a good group. There's no Calvin, but I think Kelly/Hardy/Thomas are as good as Bowe/Meachem/Gonzo. Maybe better. And there's a similar situation with depth. There will be quality prospects at WR possibly as deep as the 4th and 5th round this year.

 

[KoolKat]

I think James Jones is being underrated here. I think a short list of these guys have legit WR1 talent/upside and he is among them. 1. Bowe2. Calvin3. Rice4. Jones5. WalkerThose are the only WRs from this class I could see dominating games.Those aren't rankings, just a list of the guys I think have WR1 talent.Gonzo and Smith are more limited but in situations where #2 production may be much better than others. It's crowded in GB, but Jones is very talented. I would swap Meachem for him in a heartbeat. Allison showed flashes late in the season and has been unmentioned so far here.

James Jones should be getting way more love. He had a stellar season for a rookie, that just happened to be overshadowed by Bowe. I just do not see how anyone can rank him behind Jason Hill, Laurent Robinson, and even Steve Smith. He has proven more than just about all WRs from that class, and Driver wont be around too much longer. What I have learned from this thread is...buy James Jones now.

 

[gianmarco]

I think James Jones is being underrated here. I think a short list of these guys have legit WR1 talent/upside and he is among them. 1. Bowe2. Calvin3. Rice4. Jones5. WalkerThose are the only WRs from this class I could see dominating games.Those aren't rankings, just a list of the guys I think have WR1 talent.Gonzo and Smith are more limited but in situations where #2 production may be much better than others. It's crowded in GB, but Jones is very talented. I would swap Meachem for him in a heartbeat. Allison showed flashes late in the season and has been unmentioned so far here.

James Jones should be getting way more love. He had a stellar season for a rookie, that just happened to be overshadowed by Bowe. I just do not see how anyone can rank him behind Jason Hill, Laurent Robinson, and even Steve Smith. He has proven more than just about all WRs from that class, and Driver wont be around too much longer. What I have learned from this thread is...buy James Jones now.

You really think Driver is done this year or next? I have a hard time believing James Jones moves to the #1 or #2 spot in the next 2 yrs without an injury to Driver or Jennings. Couple that with Favre retiring and he has arguably the worst situation of any of the guys to show much until about 2010. I like how he looked this past year, and I'm a big proponent of talent over situation, but this is a guy you'll have to sit on until he becomes a viable fantasy option. If you have him, then great, but if not and wanted to, I would wait to try and acquire him while his price drops even more.

 

[Brewzers]

4. Robert Meachem--Lots of concerns since he didn't take the field at all in 2007. However, he's in a great situation with little competition to break into the starting lineup. I'm still not convinced on him, but of the guys below him, this is a guy I would definitely take a chance on if the price was right. I would think his owners are going to hold on him as there's no way to get any value in trading him at this point.

I honestly hate when people cherry-pick my posts, but I just wanted to say I was a Meachem optimist until the Saints re-signed every free-agent WR from last year. Patten...Henderson...Copper. Obviously, these three aren't exactly top-tier WR's, but this cannot be a good sign for Meachem's ability to take a sophomore jump from a 0-pt stationary position. It should also be noted that Patten and Copper signed 2-year deals.

I'm sorry, but I see this exactly the opposite as you. To me, those guys were signed as nothing more than depth because they know the system and can be inserted if needed. But, those guys were very unremarkable and I'm sure the Saint's staff know it. My thoughts are if they DID NOT believe in Meachem, they would have gone out and signed a bigger name FA to go alongside Colston. You simply can't have a team with only 2 or 3 WR's on the roster, so the Saints needed some for depth and went a relatively cheap way and resigned guys already familiar with the offense. I see that as a ringing endorsement that Meachem should be able to win the job instead of having to compete with a newly signed FA. When you consider the fact he was their first round pick, I highly doubt they will give up that easily on him, giving him no snaps his rookie year and then having him behind these relative scrubs on the depth chart during his 2nd year. He's going to have to try very hard to not be the starter alongside Colston, IMO.

For example, if the Saints had signed Hackett or Walker or Berrian, I would have been MUCH more concerned about Meachem's chances of seeing the field. Ask yourself, if the Saint's didn't resign those guys, do you think it was an option to not bring in any WR's? Do you realize without resigning those guys, they would have only had Colston, Meachem, and Moore on the roster as WR's? That's simply not enough.

I can see your point. However, these three "scrubs" kept Meachem on the bench for an entire season. If Meachem improves dramatically over his rookie year, I can absolutely see him starting opposite Colston. However, he will need to leap-frog three players to do so. Granted...

* I'm surprised Patten is still in the NFL.

* Copper seems like a hustler and plays the cards which were dealt to him.

* Henderson is not void as talent as a former 2nd-rounder, but he's seems to be nothing more than a deep threat.

I don't think those 3 kept him on the bench. I think his injury kept him on the bench, to be honest. I'm surprised he didn't get even a little playing time at the end of the year, but I don't think it was because he was beat out by those guys for the majority of the year.

I agree those (3) did not keep Meachem keep him on the bench. Meachem did it to himself by showing up for camp over weight, out of shape and injuring himself. He really worked himself into Payton's doghouse. However, by the end of the year, Payton was complimenting him. I bet he shows up in shape this year and will be #2 in NO.

 

[KoolKat]

I think James Jones is being underrated here. I think a short list of these guys have legit WR1 talent/upside and he is among them. 1. Bowe2. Calvin3. Rice4. Jones5. WalkerThose are the only WRs from this class I could see dominating games.Those aren't rankings, just a list of the guys I think have WR1 talent.Gonzo and Smith are more limited but in situations where #2 production may be much better than others. It's crowded in GB, but Jones is very talented. I would swap Meachem for him in a heartbeat. Allison showed flashes late in the season and has been unmentioned so far here.

James Jones should be getting way more love. He had a stellar season for a rookie, that just happened to be overshadowed by Bowe. I just do not see how anyone can rank him behind Jason Hill, Laurent Robinson, and even Steve Smith. He has proven more than just about all WRs from that class, and Driver wont be around too much longer. What I have learned from this thread is...buy James Jones now.

You really think Driver is done this year or next? I have a hard time believing James Jones moves to the #1 or #2 spot in the next 2 yrs without an injury to Driver or Jennings. Couple that with Favre retiring and he has arguably the worst situation of any of the guys to show much until about 2010. I like how he looked this past year, and I'm a big proponent of talent over situation, but this is a guy you'll have to sit on until he becomes a viable fantasy option. If you have him, then great, but if not and wanted to, I would wait to try and acquire him while his price drops even more.

I believe that Driver very well could be done in Green Bay by next year. I am not sure what his contract status is, but I can see the Pack not resigning him within the next two seasons. If he has an injury plagued year, he could even be released next year. NFL, after all, stands for Not For Long. Favre retiring will certainly hurt, but Rodgers is better than Alex Smith (Jason Hill), Tarvaris Jackson (Sydney Rice), Whoever becomes the Falcons QB (Laurent Robinson), etc. Additionally, the majority of these 2nd year guys are 3 WR at best, so Jones should not be judged too harshly due to that. This is especially true when Jones is on an offense that passes more than most. In the case of some that people are ranking ahead of Jones, they are not even the 3 WR, and are yet to prove anything. I do not believe his price will drop, it will only go up in my opinion, as he matures into a better, smarter NFL player. He has arguably the best hands of any of these guys, runs precise routes, and has proven more than all of them but Bowe. What if the aged Driver goes down next year? All of the sudden James Jones is in high demand. On the other hand, if Arnaz Battle goes down, Hill does not gain significant value. A similar case can be made for other of these 2nd year WR that are being rated ahead of Jones.

 

[gianmarco]

I think James Jones is being underrated here. I think a short list of these guys have legit WR1 talent/upside and he is among them. 1. Bowe2. Calvin3. Rice4. Jones5. WalkerThose are the only WRs from this class I could see dominating games.Those aren't rankings, just a list of the guys I think have WR1 talent.Gonzo and Smith are more limited but in situations where #2 production may be much better than others. It's crowded in GB, but Jones is very talented. I would swap Meachem for him in a heartbeat. Allison showed flashes late in the season and has been unmentioned so far here.

James Jones should be getting way more love. He had a stellar season for a rookie, that just happened to be overshadowed by Bowe. I just do not see how anyone can rank him behind Jason Hill, Laurent Robinson, and even Steve Smith. He has proven more than just about all WRs from that class, and Driver wont be around too much longer. What I have learned from this thread is...buy James Jones now.

You really think Driver is done this year or next? I have a hard time believing James Jones moves to the #1 or #2 spot in the next 2 yrs without an injury to Driver or Jennings. Couple that with Favre retiring and he has arguably the worst situation of any of the guys to show much until about 2010. I like how he looked this past year, and I'm a big proponent of talent over situation, but this is a guy you'll have to sit on until he becomes a viable fantasy option. If you have him, then great, but if not and wanted to, I would wait to try and acquire him while his price drops even more.

I believe that Driver very well could be done in Green Bay by next year. I am not sure what his contract status is, but I can see the Pack not resigning him within the next two seasons. If he has an injury plagued year, he could even be released next year. NFL, after all, stands for Not For Long. Favre retiring will certainly hurt, but Rodgers is better than Alex Smith (Jason Hill), Tarvaris Jackson (Sydney Rice), Whoever becomes the Falcons QB (Laurent Robinson), etc. Additionally, the majority of these 2nd year guys are 3 WR at best, so Jones should not be judged too harshly due to that. This is especially true when Jones is on an offense that passes more than most. In the case of some that people are ranking ahead of Jones, they are not even the 3 WR, and are yet to prove anything. I do not believe his price will drop, it will only go up in my opinion, as he matures into a better, smarter NFL player. He has arguably the best hands of any of these guys, runs precise routes, and has proven more than all of them but Bowe. What if the aged Driver goes down next year? All of the sudden James Jones is in high demand. On the other hand, if Arnaz Battle goes down, Hill does not gain significant value. A similar case can be made for other of these 2nd year WR that are being rated ahead of Jones.

1) Driver is signed thru 2009 on a pretty reasonable contract. I have a hard time seeing the Packers cutting him before then and there's no indication for what you are saying. Just because you hope it's so doesn't make it true. If you have some sort of info to support your claim that this is Driver's last year, then fine, but I haven't seen it. Otherwise, it's reasonable to assume that Driver will remain a Packer for at least this year and likely 2009. He's coming off another 80 catch, 1000 yd season, so he's still shown himself to be productive. As far as him missing time due to injury, he's missed 2 games since 2001. Again, there's really no reason to suspect that to happen. Of course it COULD happen, but so could lots of other things. Let's go with the odds, though.2) I'm not saying that Rodgers is any worse than any of those other QB's. I'm simply suggesting that Jones was pretty productive his 1st year with Favre at the helm and it's not a given he can reproduce that productivity with Rodgers. I think it's very possible he could, I just don't know what to expect with the QB change and the passing game.3) I disagree that the majority of these guys are WR 3 at best. CJ2 is obviously a starter. Bowe is the #1. Rice should be the #2 in Minny. Robinson ended the year in the starting lineup and should be the #2 in Atlanta. Ted Ginn may be the #1 by default and at worst the #2. As explained above, I think Meachem has a good shot at the #2 in New Orleans. All the rest of the guys, I agree are #3's, but I have them all lower than Hill and that's because he has a better chance to crack the starting lineup than Jones plus I think he's a better a talent.Bottomline, I think James Jones has a very small chance to crack the starting lineup in the next 2 years without an injury occuring to Jennings or Driver. I do agree, however, that if that DOES happen that he has the chance to be productive as he showed last year. I would temper those expectations with the departure of Favre, but he definitely has that going for him. If he doesn't make it to the starting lineup this year, then I think his value will decrease by the end of the year since he will be a little lost to memory as is prone to happen.

 

[EBF]

James Jones had a good rookie year. Better than most realize. My concern with him is that a lack of great playing speed could cap his upside. I'm not sure he's any more than David Givens. At the same time, he's a solid player worth a look.

 

[gianmarco]

James Jones had a good rookie year. Better than most realize. My concern with him is that a lack of great playing speed could cap his upside. I'm not sure he's any more than David Givens. At the same time, he's a solid player worth a look.

I agree. I actually watched him play quite a bit as I picked him up early in the season in a PPR redraft league. I was most impressed with his hands and how he got open when Favre needed him to. But, he didn't take over any games nor did it look like he was the type of WR to do that. At this point, I don't see him as much more than an NFL #2 WR. I think he's a great complimentary WR that will have some value in PPR leagues. I just don't think he has the potential to be a true #1 like about 4-5 of these other guys do. But, I may be wrong

 

[Sweet Love]

Quite frankly, I was more impressed with Bowe than I was with Calvin Johnson. He's at the top of this class as far as I'm concerned until I see more.Bowe came into camp late, didn't have much to work with yet he produced.I'd put him over Johnson and then a little distance behind either of these two.

I'll never forget seeing him on the HBO special "Hard Knocks" arriving so late to camp (arriving at like 1am to boot) and thinking "he'll be lucky to get 600 yards and 4tds with this mess"...I was corrct in that it was a mess, but was just a "little" off on Bowe's numbers...lol.

 

[Sweet Love]

I ask this in all sincerity, because I really know little about him (was not on any of my teams), but do people think Gonzalez will be good because he plays with Manning, or is he really talented in his own right?

 

[trader jake]

As long as Peyton Manning is healthy I'd rather have Gonzalez than Calvin Johnson or Dwayne Bowe in dynasty. Since I believe Peyton will stay productive for the next 5 seasons I'd rank Anthony Gonzalez #1 right now. Detroit's offenses could be taking a serious nose dive while KC's looks to be stuck in neutral for the foreseeable future. Of course CJ and Bowe have more physical skills but Gonzo is a gamer in the Marvin Harrison/Donald Driver mold.

 

[FUBAR]

I ask this in all sincerity, because I really know little about him (was not on any of my teams), but do people think Gonzalez will be good because he plays with Manning, or is he really talented in his own right?

He's talented. Overlooked because Ginn was a highlight reel, but many of us thought Gonzalez was the better WR of the two. He's in a perfect location, but the Colts wouldn't have drafted him in the 1st if he lacked talent.

 

[Faust]

 

[az_prof]

I ask this in all sincerity, because I really know little about him (was not on any of my teams), but do people think Gonzalez will be good because he plays with Manning, or is he really talented in his own right?

He's talented. Overlooked because Ginn was a highlight reel, but many of us thought Gonzalez was the better WR of the two. He's in a perfect location, but the Colts wouldn't have drafted him in the 1st if he lacked talent.

I would not trade Ginn for Gonzalez. He is average player in an exceptional situation; but exceptional situations can deteriorate very quickly.

 

[travdogg]

I ask this in all sincerity, because I really know little about him (was not on any of my teams), but do people think Gonzalez will be good because he plays with Manning, or is he really talented in his own right?

He's talented. Overlooked because Ginn was a highlight reel, but many of us thought Gonzalez was the better WR of the two. He's in a perfect location, but the Colts wouldn't have drafted him in the 1st if he lacked talent.

I would not trade Ginn for Gonzalez. He is average player in an exceptional situation; but exceptional situations can deteriorate very quickly.

I disagree with that statement. Some situations can deteriorate quickly but Indy has been pretty much the same same for a decade and should have at least 3 more elite years(maybe as many as 6 depending on how long Manning goes.)I'm higher on Ginn than most but I can't rank him any higher than 5th among the 2007 class.I'd say:1a. Bowe1b. Calvin3. GonzalezDROPOFF!4. RiceDropoff5. Ginn6. Robinson7. Meachem8. James Jones9. Jacoby Jones10. Davis

 

[gianmarco]

I ask this in all sincerity, because I really know little about him (was not on any of my teams), but do people think Gonzalez will be good because he plays with Manning, or is he really talented in his own right?

He's talented. Overlooked because Ginn was a highlight reel, but many of us thought Gonzalez was the better WR of the two. He's in a perfect location, but the Colts wouldn't have drafted him in the 1st if he lacked talent.

I would not trade Ginn for Gonzalez. He is average player in an exceptional situation; but exceptional situations can deteriorate very quickly.

I disagree with that statement. Some situations can deteriorate quickly but Indy has been pretty much the same same for a decade and should have at least 3 more elite years(maybe as many as 6 depending on how long Manning goes.)I'm higher on Ginn than most but I can't rank him any higher than 5th among the 2007 class.I'd say:1a. Bowe1b. Calvin3. GonzalezDROPOFF!4. RiceDropoff5. Ginn6. Robinson7. Meachem8. James Jones9. Jacoby Jones10. Davis

 

[Kitrick Taylor]

James Jones had a good rookie year. Better than most realize. My concern with him is that a lack of great playing speed could cap his upside. I'm not sure he's any more than David Givens. At the same time, he's a solid player worth a look.

I agree. I actually watched him play quite a bit as I picked him up early in the season in a PPR redraft league. I was most impressed with his hands and how he got open when Favre needed him to. But, he didn't take over any games nor did it look like he was the type of WR to do that. At this point, I don't see him as much more than an NFL #2 WR. I think he's a great complimentary WR that will have some value in PPR leagues. I just don't think he has the potential to be a true #1 like about 4-5 of these other guys do. But, I may be wrong

I am a Packer fan and watched Jones all season. I thought he was good not great. He's got impressive size and good hands, and had a knack for getting open. He's just not cat quick like Jennings. The one comparison Favre made in the preseason was Sterling Sharpe. I know their pedigree is significantly different with Sharpe going 7th overall, and Jones 78th, but take a look at their measureables.This ran in the Milwaukee paper after the draft. (this is his best review)

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=601588



On the opposite end of the spectrum was Jim Gruden, a personnel consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and an NFL scout for 23 years.

"I had him in the fourth but only because of his speed," Gruden said. "He kind of reminded me really of a young Sterling Sharpe. I hate to say that because I thought Sterling was great, but he's built like that. Real strong, physical kid. I think Green Bay got a good player, especially for the bad weather. I will be shocked if he's not."

Sharpe measured 5 feet 11 1/4 inches, weighed 201 at the combine in 1988 and ran 40 yards in 4.54 and 4.49, according to the National and Blesto combines.

Jones, 6-0 3/4 and 210, ran 4.54 at the combine in February.

The players that Jones has been told by Packers' coaches and scouts that he reminds them of are Arizona's Anquan Boldin (6-0 1/2, 215, 4.67) and Pittsburgh's Hines Ward (5-11 1/2, 215, 4.55).

"Jimmy Robinson told me that I reminded him of Anquan Boldin," said Jones, referring to the Packers' wide receivers coach. "But I'm not going to worry about playing like Anquan Boldin or Hines Ward. I'm going to play like James Jones."

I guess the thing to remember here is that he's was just a rookie. 47 catches for almost 700 yards is pretty impressive. (Sharpe started every game and put up 55/790). He's now going to have a full offseason of NFL training rather than at San Jose State.

I would be very interested to hear more about why CC is intrigued by him.

As for Jones replacing Driver, my best guess is that should happen in 2009. Driver is currently 33 years old. Mid 30s do not treat WRs well. If Jones continues to progress, he should pass him by then.

 

[cstu]

Quite frankly, I was more impressed with Bowe than I was with Calvin Johnson. He's at the top of this class as far as I'm concerned until I see more.Bowe came into camp late, didn't have much to work with yet he produced.I'd put him over Johnson and then a little distance behind either of these two.

I'll never forget seeing him on the HBO special "Hard Knocks" arriving so late to camp (arriving at like 1am to boot) and thinking "he'll be lucky to get 600 yards and 4tds with this mess"...I was corrct in that it was a mess, but was just a "little" off on Bowe's numbers...lol.

I had a difficult time choosing between Bowe and Meachem right after the draft since I thought they were very talented and the 2nd and 3rd best WR's in the draft. Ultimately I went with Meachem since I thought he'd have no trouble earning a starting job and while Bowe was the default #1 in KC I felt he disappointed at the combine ( ).