Sweetness_34 said:
Why is Chad Johnson so over-rated again? Why not get a legit stud like Harrison/TO/Holt/Steve Smith instead and then get Whoyomama at least 3 rounds after Chad?
CJ had 7 TDs last year and 5 of those came in 2 games. He had 0 TDs in 12 of his 16 games.....is this the consistency you expect from your #1 WR especially if you draft him before any of the above mentioned WRs?
Yes, he will get his ~80 or more catches and 1200+ yards, but so will Harrison, Holt, TO and Steve Smith (barring unforeseen injuries which you cannot predict for anyone) ..... so why bother with the TD downside with this guy?
Just for comparison sake, Whosyomama had 90 catches and 1081 yards to go with 9 TDs.....and this was despite only playing in 14 games....
Would you really want to get Chad at least 3 rounds before Whosyomama instead?
And I have not even mentioned WRs like Donald Driver, Lee Evans, Javon Walker, Laverneous Coles, Andre Johnson who could all be had a lot lower than CJ and would give you greater value.
This love affair with CJ just because he causes so much attention to himself is ridiculous.
2007 does not equal 2006. Chad has outproduced Houshmandzadeh every season they've been in the league. He's one of the steadiest WRs in the game. He has four straight years of at least 1,250 receiving yards and 7 TDs.
In three years as a starter, Housh has averaged: 80 catches, 1005 yards, and 7 TDs
During that same time period, Chad has averaged: 93 catches, 1358 yards, and 8 TDs
Even if you account for missing games, there's still a significant difference between these two. Chad has had more yards in each of his past five seasons than Housh has
ever had in a season.
Housh had a career year last year. Is it a sign of things to come? I don't know, but it's pretty common for players to regress after their career years. Remember, it wasn't long ago that Muhsin Muhammad, Chris Chambers, and Santana Moss were top 10 WRs. Yet no one ranks these guys above Chad Johnson and Torry Holt. Why? Because Chad and Holt have shown that they can do it every season.
As for Steve Smith, he's only eclipsed 1,200 yards once in his career. Injuries have certainly played a role in his lack of success, but his reputation exceeds his production. He's overrated and overvalued, IMO.
You also asked about TO, Harrison, and Holt. IMO, Owens is on the decline. I don't think he's the dominant player he once was. And with his injury and character issues, you'd have to be crazy to take him over Chad Johnson.
Harrison? I could justify taking him over Chad. His yardage totals have leveled off somewhat in the past few years, but the Colts offense gives him so many TD opportunities that he's still a stud.
I rank Holt close to Chad for redraft purposes. They're essentially the same player.
You mention a lot of guys who
could have a better year than Chad Johnson. I won't argue that Andre Johnson and Lee Evans
could have a better year. But I'd much rather put my money on the guy who
should have a 1,300+ yard season as opposed to the guy who
could.
Chad Johnson is my WR1 this season. Why? Because he always finishes in the top 10. Even if he doesn't end up as the WR1, he's going to anchor one of your starting WR slots. Also, the absence of red zone terror Chris Henry for a significant portion of the season should afford CJ increased touchdown opportunities. He's in his prime and entering an age range where WRs of his breed tend to have some of their finest years (check the careers of Rice, Harrison, and J. Smith).
We could very well see the best season of Johnson's career in 2007.
