Why no love for Javon Walker? (1 Viewer)

[fanaticskinsfan]

I was looking at the cheat sheets in $ site by Drinen and I put in my scoring. There was Javon Walker at #28 for WR. Why no love? Are the Footballguys saying Rod Smith is still the main man? With Javon's ability won't Denver try to utilize his speed, hands & athleticsm to the utmost?

What's up?

 

[monkeysee]

Ever heard of Rod Smith?

 

[BassNBrew]

Ever heard of Rod Smith?

Or Bell.

 

[fanaticskinsfan]

Ever heard of Rod Smith?

So Rod Smith is going to be the main man? The are giving much love to TB & MB either. Someone else has to shine. Are they only going to score 1 td? I see Denver being strong this year and Jake putting up some good numbers. The only reason Rod had such a good year last year, not that he was exceptional, was because Lelie sucks. Javon is a much better WR and my supplant Rod as the number one.

 

[Blackjacks]

I was looking at the cheat sheets in $ site by Drinen and I put in my scoring. There was Javon Walker at #28 for WR. Why no love? Are the Footballguys saying Rod Smith is still the main man? With Javon's ability won't Denver try to utilize his speed, hands & athleticsm to the utmost?What's up?

Could have something to do with these facts:1) 1st year in a new system2) A run first team3) Plummer and Smith have a great rapport4) Coming off of a very serious injury

 

[Biabreakable]

It is possible that Javon Walker could outscore Rod Smith in FF points but I do not think Walker will have more receptions than Smith.

The Broncos have been are and will be run 1st team. That is not going to change.

So you have limited opportunity for Walker because of this.

He will have to make the most of the targets he recieves to have a chance to keep pace with Rod Smith in FF points much less surpass them. Walkers targets will likely be on deeper patterns which have a lower chance of being converted than the targets that Smith will get. The better Walker does the more defensive attention he will get as teams make stoping explosive plays (long passes)a priority. Rod Smith will only benifit from more single coverage if Walker proves to be a dangerous deep threat.

Yes Rod Smith is going to be the main man Plummer targets.

 

[Brewdude]

He definitely has potential to be the #1 WR for the Broncos, but I'm holding off on predicting that until I see him play in a real game.

 

[gman8343]

I love Javan Walker later in the year, but think it will take a few weeks for him to get comfortable with the system and his knee.

 

[Michael Brown]

I love Javan Walker later in the year, but think it will take a few weeks for him to get comfortable with the system and his knee.

I agree. I think as the year goes on, Walker gradually sees his workload and statline go up.For what it's worth, I have Smith catching 67-913-6 and Walker getting 59-883-6. I have Plummer at 3400-22.

 

[SSOG]

Ever heard of Rod Smith?

So Rod Smith is going to be the main man? The are giving much love to TB & MB either. Someone else has to shine. Are they only going to score 1 td? I see Denver being strong this year and Jake putting up some good numbers. The only reason Rod had such a good year last year, not that he was exceptional, was because Lelie sucks. Javon is a much better WR and my supplant Rod as the number one.

All the Detroit WRs sucked, too, but I didn't see Roy Williams in the pro bowl. Kansas City's WRs are absolute dreck, but Kennison didn't make it, either. Cleveland's WRs were pretty shabby, too, but Antonio Bryant didn't get an invite.

It is possible that Javon Walker could outscore Rod Smith in FF points but I do not think Walker will have more receptions than Smith.

The Broncos have been are and will be run 1st team. That is not going to change.

So you have limited opportunity for Walker because of this.

He will have to make the most of the targets he recieves to have a chance to keep pace with Rod Smith in FF points much less surpass them. Walkers targets will likely be on deeper patterns which have a lower chance of being converted than the targets that Smith will get. The better Walker does the more defensive attention he will get as teams make stoping explosive plays (long passes)a priority. Rod Smith will only benifit from more single coverage if Walker proves to be a dangerous deep threat.

Yes Rod Smith is going to be the main man Plummer targets.

It's worth noting that this "run-first" team just so happened to produce the second 100-reception duo in NFL history. Shanahan has proven time and again that he'll use the weapons that he has, regardless of offensive philosophy. If Javon Walker demonstrates that he's ready to be a difference-maker on offense, Javon Walker will get his. If Rod Smith proves he's still a difference-maker, too, Rod Smith will get his as well. I don't think it's inconceivable to suggest that Denver has a duo capable of going for 100/100 again (with Rod playing the role of McCaffrey and Walker playing the role of Smith). I seriously doubt they WILL, but if Walker looks as good during the regular season as he did during the preseason, and if Scheffler/Kircus/Marshall don't step up, it's a very real possibility.

 

[MU Seminole]

You just beat me to it. People discounting Walker's ability to be a top 20 WR b/c of DEN's "run first" system are forgetting that McCaffrey and Smith had some years where they both put up very nice numbers, and now Smith is 35 years old.

 

[cr8f]

Give him a little time. People are just being conservative. Judging by what I have seen in PS games he looks good. Could be a real steal. I am starting him as a #3 in one league, #2 in another.

When Denver has better receivers they do throw more. In 2004 they had 4000 receiving yards. If you have a guy that catches over the middle and can go the ditance wouldn't you use him?

 

[Texican]

fantasticskinsfan -

Curious, where was Rod Smith ranked in your scoring?

I did my VBD a few weeks back and with our scoring Walker was #20 and Smith was #22. (Smith needs to have a huge year seeing as the way my draft went he is my #1 WR .)

 

[Raiders Fan]

We have been on the Walker Wagon since back on August 4th...Javon Walker - Expect more of the same from the talented Walker in Denver. He shouldpickup where he left off when last seen healthy. Will immediately take over the #1 WRrole in the mile high city, and that is always a productive position in FF circles. He isreturning from acl surgery last September, and from a WR perspective, twelve monthsreturning from the injury is right about where you want to be for the dedicated pro.Plummer's scrambling abilities will only further open up the bombs away to Walker, whojust might be the best jump ball WR in the NFL. Plummer has had great success in thepast with another dominant (at the time) WR in Boston back when both were playing forthe Cardinals. So you can expect this pair to click right away. To the tune of 1,300receiving yards (94 rec) and 10 touchdowns for the new Denver WR.

Thats a stretch.. He is coming back from injury on a new team that loves to RUN.. Not sure people come up with this stuff.. Maybe next year but I avoided him..

 

[matuski]

We have been on the Walker Wagon since back on August 4th...Javon Walker - Expect more of the same from the talented Walker in Denver. He shouldpickup where he left off when last seen healthy. Will immediately take over the #1 WRrole in the mile high city, and that is always a productive position in FF circles. He isreturning from acl surgery last September, and from a WR perspective, twelve monthsreturning from the injury is right about where you want to be for the dedicated pro.Plummer's scrambling abilities will only further open up the bombs away to Walker, whojust might be the best jump ball WR in the NFL. Plummer has had great success in thepast with another dominant (at the time) WR in Boston back when both were playing forthe Cardinals. So you can expect this pair to click right away. To the tune of 1,300receiving yards (94 rec) and 10 touchdowns for the new Denver WR.

Thats a stretch.. He is coming back from injury on a new team that loves to RUN.. Not sure people come up with this stuff.. Maybe next year but I avoided him..

Why is it a stretch? Denver lost arguably it's top RB from last year in Mike Anderson. They are now evidently starting a rookie RB in 6th round pick Mike Bell. Bell does not appear to have the same power and inside running abilities that Anderson did for them last year, neither does any other RB on their roster from what I can see. This will likely mean more passing in short yardage and around the goal line. WR Ashley Lelie is now gone, making Walker clearly the main deep threat for the Broncos in 2006. Was Favre in 2004 that much better than Plummer in 2006? Do you see a big difference between Donald Driver circa 2004 and Rod Smith in 2006? And finally did Green Bay have that much better a passing offense in 2004, than Mike Shannahan's passing offense is this year (and has been in the past with 2 quality WRs)? Here are Javon Walker's stats from his last two healthy years in Green Bay. Keep in mind that in 2003, Walker did not see as much action in just his 2nd year in the NFL...yet in both years combined he managed to average 10.5 touchdowns and 1,000 yards receiving. Pretty impressive numbers considering his lack of action early on in 2003. Can see no reason he won't duplicate and-or upgrade those stats this year in Denver.2003 gnb | 16 | 2 1 0.5 0 | 41 716 17.5 9 2004 gnb | 16 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 89 1382 15.5 12

:broken record:injury, new offense, run oriented offense, rod smith:dead horse:

 

[Raiders Fan]

We have been on the Walker Wagon since back on August 4th...Javon Walker - Expect more of the same from the talented Walker in Denver. He shouldpickup where he left off when last seen healthy. Will immediately take over the #1 WRrole in the mile high city, and that is always a productive position in FF circles. He isreturning from acl surgery last September, and from a WR perspective, twelve monthsreturning from the injury is right about where you want to be for the dedicated pro.Plummer's scrambling abilities will only further open up the bombs away to Walker, whojust might be the best jump ball WR in the NFL. Plummer has had great success in thepast with another dominant (at the time) WR in Boston back when both were playing forthe Cardinals. So you can expect this pair to click right away. To the tune of 1,300receiving yards (94 rec) and 10 touchdowns for the new Denver WR.

Thats a stretch.. He is coming back from injury on a new team that loves to RUN.. Not sure people come up with this stuff.. Maybe next year but I avoided him..

Why is it a stretch? Denver lost arguably it's top RB from last year in Mike Anderson. They are now evidently starting a rookie RB in 6th round pick Mike Bell. Bell does not appear to have the same power and inside running abilities that Anderson did for them last year, neither does any other RB on their roster from what I can see. This will likely mean more passing in short yardage and around the goal line. WR Ashley Lelie is now gone, making Walker clearly the main deep threat for the Broncos in 2006. Was Favre in 2004 that much better than Plummer in 2006? Do you see a big difference between Donald Driver circa 2004 and Rod Smith in 2006? And finally did Green Bay have that much better a passing offense in 2004, than Mike Shannahan's passing offense is this year (and has been in the past with 2 quality WRs)? Here are Javon Walker's stats from his last two healthy years in Green Bay. Keep in mind that in 2003, Walker did not see as much action in just his 2nd year in the NFL...yet in both years combined he managed to average 10.5 touchdowns and 1,000 yards receiving. Pretty impressive numbers considering his lack of action early on in 2003. Can see no reason he won't duplicate and-or upgrade those stats this year in Denver.2003 gnb | 16 | 2 1 0.5 0 | 41 716 17.5 9 2004 gnb | 16 | 0 0 0.0 0 | 89 1382 15.5 12

Lets see... Denver had the #1 rushing game in the preseason.. It really won't matter WHO runs the ball they all will see time and LOTS of it.. Plummer isn't as good as Farve so I can't even see how you can compare future stats with past.. How many deep passes Lelie get last year?? That was with the chemistry of having him for a few years.. All I am saying is what you expect I se as the ceiling for him.. I think if the ball drops just right he might do that. I would still cut it down a lot..Edit.. BTW obviously most feel this way too.. I am guessing for the same reasons..

 

[Tau837]

I was looking at the cheat sheets in $ site by Drinen and I put in my scoring. There was Javon Walker at #28 for WR. Why no love? Are the Footballguys saying Rod Smith is still the main man? With Javon's ability won't Denver try to utilize his speed, hands & athleticsm to the utmost?What's up?

Could have something to do with these facts:1) 1st year in a new system2) A run first team3) Plummer and Smith have a great rapport4) Coming off of a very serious injury

And these facts too:1. Denver was 25th in the NFL in passing attempts last year.2. Denver passed for only 18 TDs last year, and only 8 of those went to WRs.3. Denver was 13-3 and played in the AFC Championship game, so this approach was successful.

 

[SSOG]

We have been on the Walker Wagon since back on August 4th...Javon Walker - Expect more of the same from the talented Walker in Denver. He shouldpickup where he left off when last seen healthy. Will immediately take over the #1 WRrole in the mile high city, and that is always a productive position in FF circles. He isreturning from acl surgery last September, and from a WR perspective, twelve monthsreturning from the injury is right about where you want to be for the dedicated pro.Plummer's scrambling abilities will only further open up the bombs away to Walker, whojust might be the best jump ball WR in the NFL. Plummer has had great success in thepast with another dominant (at the time) WR in Boston back when both were playing forthe Cardinals. So you can expect this pair to click right away. To the tune of 1,300receiving yards (94 rec) and 10 touchdowns for the new Denver WR.

You're a little bit off the deep end here. First off, Walker isn't going to "take over the #1 WR role immediately". He had three years worth of chemistry between Smith and Plummer to chip into. I guarantee you that, when the pressure is on, when he needs a huge clutch 3rd down, Plummer will be looking Rod's way. That's just trust. Back in 1999/2000, while Rod put up better numbers, McCaffrey was the #1 because he was that guy- the guy that the QB locked into on clutch situations. Walker might put up better numbers, but Smith is still the #1 and will still be stealing a ton of looks.Second, usually the timetable for an ACL return is 2 years. See James, Edgerrin and Lewis, Jamal. There are tons of other examples. With recent medical advances, I wouldn't put it past him to be fine after just one year, but the historical "right about where you want to be" point is 2 years, give or take.Third, Javon Walker is not the best jump ball WR in the NFL. No one will EVER have claim to the title "best jump ball WR in the NFL" other than Randy Moss until the day Randy Moss retires.The whole idea that Denver is a "run-first" team is a little misleading. Denver is actually an EXTREMELY balanced team. When the game is close, you see a 50/50 run/pass split. When Denver's trailing big, you see a 40/60 run/pass split. When Denver is winning big, you see a 60/40 run/pass split. Historically, those numbers hold up very well season-by-season. How much Denver passes is going to depend on how much Denver leads by. I don't see them being the front-runners that they were last year, so I do expect them to pass more this year. Still, I think you're being a little bit too optimistic for Walker given Denver's historical tendencies when it comes to spreading the ball around.

Why is it a stretch? Denver lost arguably it's top RB from last year in Mike Anderson. They are now evidently starting a rookie RB in 6th round pick Mike Bell. Bell does not appear to have the same power and inside running abilities that Anderson did for them last year, neither does any other RB on their roster from what I can see. This will likely mean more passing in short yardage and around the goal line. WR Ashley Lelie is now gone, making Walker clearly the main deep threat for the Broncos in 2006.

First off, Mike Bell was undrafted.Second off, why are you saying he doesn't have the same power and inside running abilities? In the camp reports, that's all Cecil could ever talk about- MBell's inside running abilities and power. What are you basing your speculation on, the fact that he was undrafted?

 

[SSOG]

I was looking at the cheat sheets in $ site by Drinen and I put in my scoring. There was Javon Walker at #28 for WR. Why no love? Are the Footballguys saying Rod Smith is still the main man? With Javon's ability won't Denver try to utilize his speed, hands & athleticsm to the utmost?What's up?

Could have something to do with these facts:1) 1st year in a new system2) A run first team3) Plummer and Smith have a great rapport4) Coming off of a very serious injury

And these facts too:1. Denver was 25th in the NFL in passing attempts last year.2. Denver passed for only 18 TDs last year, and only 8 of those went to WRs.3. Denver was 13-3 and played in the AFC Championship game, so this approach was successful.

Like I said, if you break the games down into 3 categories (games with a 10+ point lead at halftime, games that are within a score until the 4th quarter, and games where Denver's down by 10+ points at any time), you'll see a very strong pattern. Denver has a 60/40 run/pass ratio when they're blowing the other team out, a 50/50 run/pass ratio in close games, and a 40/60 run/pass ratio when they're being blown out. It's not a one-year fluke, since they have had a similar pattern for years, and even again during the preseason this year.Denver was 25th in passing attempts last year because Denver barely ever trailed. It was truly remarkable the kinds of leads that Denver routinely staked last year. Personally, I believe it's overly optimistic to expect Denver to do that again against their brutal schedule (toughest in the league, imo). If Denver doesn't lead 10+ games by 10+ points at halftime like they did last year, expect those numbers to change. It doesn't represent the slightest shift in offensive philosophy, it simply represents a shift in the average score.

 

[Gopher State]

I was looking at the cheat sheets in $ site by Drinen and I put in my scoring. There was Javon Walker at #28 for WR. Why no love? Are the Footballguys saying Rod Smith is still the main man? With Javon's ability won't Denver try to utilize his speed, hands & athleticsm to the utmost?What's up?

Could have something to do with these facts:1) 1st year in a new system2) A run first team3) Plummer and Smith have a great rapport4) Coming off of a very serious injury

VERY

 

[H.K.]

I was looking at the cheat sheets in $ site by Drinen and I put in my scoring. There was Javon Walker at #28 for WR. Why no love? Are the Footballguys saying Rod Smith is still the main man? With Javon's ability won't Denver try to utilize his speed, hands & athleticsm to the utmost?

What's up?

Could have something to do with these facts:1) 1st year in a new system

2) A run first team

3) Plummer and Smith have a great rapport

4) Coming off of a very serious injury

And these facts too:1. Denver was 25th in the NFL in passing attempts last year.

2. Denver passed for only 18 TDs last year, and only 8 of those went to WRs.

3. Denver was 13-3 and played in the AFC Championship game, so this approach was successful.

Single greatest post in the history of the board. Changing from being the #1 WR for Favre and becoming the #2 for Plummer destroys Walker's value. He could catch 50 or so for 600 yards and a handful of scores, but that's about it.

 

[Homer]

A question: Is Javon Walker a considerably better player than Crowell or Marcus Robinson or David Boston were before their injuries? One can never say that all injuries are the same, but jeez, there's a lot of evidence that a WR is gonna at least be limited when he comes back from such a severe injury, if not a guy that just fades away into an afterthought.

 

[SSOG]

I was looking at the cheat sheets in $ site by Drinen and I put in my scoring. There was Javon Walker at #28 for WR. Why no love? Are the Footballguys saying Rod Smith is still the main man? With Javon's ability won't Denver try to utilize his speed, hands & athleticsm to the utmost?

What's up?

Could have something to do with these facts:1) 1st year in a new system

2) A run first team

3) Plummer and Smith have a great rapport

4) Coming off of a very serious injury

And these facts too:1. Denver was 25th in the NFL in passing attempts last year.

2. Denver passed for only 18 TDs last year, and only 8 of those went to WRs.

3. Denver was 13-3 and played in the AFC Championship game, so this approach was successful.

Single greatest post in the history of the board. Changing from being the #1 WR for Favre and becoming the #2 for Plummer destroys Walker's value. He could catch 50 or so for 600 yards and a handful of scores, but that's about it.

Come on now, that "single greatest post" thing is a bit much. In 2004, Plummer threw 27 TDs, 15 of which went to WRs. Denver's 25 rushing TDs last year were the highest in Mile High since Terrell Davis went for 2,000 yards, so I expect a decline in rushing scores and an increase in passing scores this year.

 

[moleculo]

Denver was 25th in passing attempts last year because Denver barely ever trailed. It was truly remarkable the kinds of leads that Denver routinely staked last year. Personally, I believe it's overly optimistic to expect Denver to do that again against their brutal schedule (toughest in the league, imo). If Denver doesn't lead 10+ games by 10+ points at halftime like they did last year, expect those numbers to change. It doesn't represent the slightest shift in offensive philosophy, it simply represents a shift in the average score.

SSOG - you almost had me agreeing 100%. Looks like we agree that the same thing will happen - namely, a 50/50 run pass split, but we disagree on the cause. You think it will happen because of a revert to the mean and a tougher schedule, while I believe it will be a deliberate attempt to be more balanced.Do you really believe the Broncos schedule is tougher this year than it was last year? Only "easy" non-divisional games last year were vs the NYJ and BUF. This year, theres AZ, SF, STL, and CLE on the schedule. Granted, there are more offensive powerhouses this year, but last year's schedule had better defenses.

Regardless - Walker should be a decent play all season, and I fully expect him to pass RSmith in terms of FF points.

 

[SSOG]

Denver was 25th in passing attempts last year because Denver barely ever trailed. It was truly remarkable the kinds of leads that Denver routinely staked last year. Personally, I believe it's overly optimistic to expect Denver to do that again against their brutal schedule (toughest in the league, imo). If Denver doesn't lead 10+ games by 10+ points at halftime like they did last year, expect those numbers to change. It doesn't represent the slightest shift in offensive philosophy, it simply represents a shift in the average score.

SSOG - you almost had me agreeing 100%. Looks like we agree that the same thing will happen - namely, a 50/50 run pass split, but we disagree on the cause. You think it will happen because of a revert to the mean and a tougher schedule, while I believe it will be a deliberate attempt to be more balanced.Do you really believe the Broncos schedule is tougher this year than it was last year? Only "easy" non-divisional games last year were vs the NYJ and BUF. This year, theres AZ, SF, STL, and CLE on the schedule. Granted, there are more offensive powerhouses this year, but last year's schedule had better defenses.

Regardless - Walker should be a decent play all season, and I fully expect him to pass RSmith in terms of FF points.

I expect Denver to have the EXACT SAME run/pass split as they did last year in various game situations (40/60 when blown out, 50/50 when close, 60/40 when blowing out). That doesn't represent the slightest shift in offensive philosophy. Mike Shanahan doesn't want to be more balanced, he wants to run 60% of the time because his team has a huge lead.Anyway, I don't think this year's schedule is any tougher than last year's, and I don't think this year's team is any worse than last year's, but simple regression to the mean suggests that it's unlikely Denver will have so many big leads at half time.

 

[Homer]

A question: Is Javon Walker a considerably better player than Crowell or Marcus Robinson or David Boston were before their injuries? One can never say that all injuries are the same, but jeez, there's a lot of evidence that a WR is gonna at least be limited when he comes back from such a severe injury, if not a guy that just fades away into an afterthought.

Totally different injuries in all cases. Robinson tore his acl and mcl, Crowell torn patella and other serious injuries to both knees, and Boston (to be kind) appears to have had more than just injuries with a substantial weight increase. While Walker just tore his acl. And yes, Walker is a considerably better player than either German Crowell and Marcus Robinson ever was...although David Boston versus Javon Walker could probably be argued. Would also be curious as to how many of the players you listed went with Dr James Andrews as their surgeon? As Walker did. Not sure but for some reason I am thinking that at least a couple of the players you listed went elswhere...

Interesting info re: the differences between injuries and doctors, thanks. I still think one should be very leery of a WR with such a serious knee injury and would bet Walker disappoiints this year. I still think that the other receivers mentioned were never the same again is relevant, and while I never saw enough of Crowell or Robinson during the limited time while they were putting up big numbers to argue with your assessment of the talent levels involved, I do know that the #'s they put up were similar.

 

[a_f13nd]

I think I know why people think Denver is run-first. They are confusing run-first with run-well. Denver's offensive line has produced so many outstanding RB and RB duos in the past decade that it's easy to see why people think they want to run. But SSOG is right, the team is very balanced. It just happens to be really good at running the ball when it has a lead. It's obviously not too shabby throwing the ball either. Regression to the mean is always a good point.

SSOG,

Do you think any team is truly run-first? I think most team's stated goal is to run more, and many teams run control offenses--I'd argue Cowher and Parcells use a good D and a strong run game to eat clock--but run-first suggests some sort of weird desire to run when the team should ordinarily pass. At least to me it does.

On the other side of the coin, I think most coaches pass often when behind and pass sometimes otherwise, whereas pass-first I think of people like Martz, who would throw even when logic would suggest running the football. I don't think Andy Reid is in this category, though some people accused him of this last year. Reid runs the west coast offense, which substitutes quick passes for runs and that actually suits his team strengths more, since he has a good pass-catching RB, a good TE, and little in the way of WR talent.

 

[Tackling Dummies]

There are several favorable situations for Walker in that he will not be double covered, he has no competiton for his job, he signed a new contract, plays in a offense where the run provides help to the passing game, has a better than average QB and his injury was nearly a full calendar year ago.

If Denver's RB are not as productive or the defense regresses, then his touches spike up. I'd be very surprised to see his top 90 catches, low 80s seem attainable.

 

[H.K.]

Changing from being the #1 WR for Favre and becoming the #2 for Plummer destroys Walker's value. He could catch 50 or so for 600 yards and a handful of scores, but that's about it.

Game1: 3 catches 41 yards 0 TD and left injuredHe's on pace for 48 catches & 656 yards, just like I said in my original post.

 

[MU Seminole]

Donte Stallworth is on pace for 96 catches & 2,256 yards with 16 TDs.

 

[BigRed]

Let's not forget that Walker dropped a touchdown pass yesterday and left the game early with an ankle injury...

Let's. #$@! shoulda started Coles fargin Walker grumble etc

 

[H.K.]

Changing from being the #1 WR for Favre and becoming the #2 for Plummer destroys Walker's value. He could catch 50 or so for 600 yards and a handful of scores, but that's about it.

Game1: 3 catches 41 yards 0 TD and left injuredHe's on pace for 48 catches & 656 yards, just like I said in my original post.

So one game pro rated is now the criteria for what players will do the entire year? Guess this means Carson Palmer will throw for only 2,100 yards this year and Shaun Alexander will rush for about 900 yards. Let's not forget that Walker dropped a touchdown pass yesterday and left the game early with an ankle injury...

My post before the game projecting his output was 100% on the money for the type of season he will have for reasons previously stated. Not too sure why people can't connect the dots on that one.FYI - From the blogger:

WR J. Walker Has Dislocated Finger

Mike Klis, Denver Post -

WR Javon Walker, in his Denver debut, dropped a laser slant-pattern pass and made a terrific adjustment on another, only to bobble away what would have been a touchdown. He said he suffered a dislocated finger on the slant play.

People have been all over Plummer for his poor play, but Walker is really the one who should be held accountable for Plummer's performance and the team's failure. WR's who can't catch, and even worse, hurt themselves in the process are not worth playing in real life or FF.

 

[SSOG]

I think I know why people think Denver is run-first. They are confusing run-first with run-well. Denver's offensive line has produced so many outstanding RB and RB duos in the past decade that it's easy to see why people think they want to run. But SSOG is right, the team is very balanced. It just happens to be really good at running the ball when it has a lead. It's obviously not too shabby throwing the ball either. Regression to the mean is always a good point.SSOG,Do you think any team is truly run-first? I think most team's stated goal is to run more, and many teams run control offenses--I'd argue Cowher and Parcells use a good D and a strong run game to eat clock--but run-first suggests some sort of weird desire to run when the team should ordinarily pass. At least to me it does. On the other side of the coin, I think most coaches pass often when behind and pass sometimes otherwise, whereas pass-first I think of people like Martz, who would throw even when logic would suggest running the football. I don't think Andy Reid is in this category, though some people accused him of this last year. Reid runs the west coast offense, which substitutes quick passes for runs and that actually suits his team strengths more, since he has a good pass-catching RB, a good TE, and little in the way of WR talent.

Yes, I think the team is a "run-first" team, in that it looks to establish its running game first, and its passing game second. This is because the entire passing game is predicated on play action and bootlegs that require a strong running game to work. While the playcalling may be balanced, Denver's offensive focus is always first and foremost the running game.Also worth noting- since Shanahan came to Denver, no team in the league has run more than the Broncos.

People have been all over Plummer for his poor play, but Walker is really the one who should be held accountable for Plummer's performance and the team's failure. WR's who can't catch, and even worse, hurt themselves in the process are not worth playing in real life or FF.

I agree that Walker should be getting a lot more heat for his role in Denver's loss yesterday, but let's cut the guy a LITTLE slack. You don't think the fact that he hasn't played meaningful football in an entire year had anything to do with the fact that he looked awfully rusty out there today?

 

[Biabreakable]

I agree that Walker should be getting a lot more heat for his role in Denver's loss yesterday, but let's cut the guy a LITTLE slack. You don't think the fact that he hasn't played meaningful football in an entire year had anything to do with the fact that he looked awfully rusty out there today?

The fact that he hasn't played in over a year, is still recovering from injury, is with a new team that has an established offense are all the same reasons why I and many others have Rod Smith ranked higher than Walker. Walker will be a great part of this offense in time. But that time is not right away and probobly not this year although I bet he will have some big games and probobly improve as the season goes on.I am curious about the target distribution yesterday. I was not watching the game the whole time but whenever I did it seemed like Plummer was targeting Walker.The running game by itself puts a lot of pressure on the defense backs to be ready for run support. So it makes it difficult to double Wrs. But I didn't see Smith getting the kind of looks and action I am accoustomed to. And I wonder why?Would like to see the target data before I draw any further conclushions about how and why Denver passing game stuggled yesterday. What I saw though was Walker getting a lot of looks and droping the ball, losing position to make the catch or just plain losing track of it. All those things can be fixed. Or they could just throw it to Smith more.ETA- I went through the game book and counted 8 targets for Walker and 7 for Rod Smith. There were some sacks where I am not sure who Plummer may have been looking for on those plays. Overall a higher percentage of targets going to Walker than I expected compared to Smith. I expect this to change as Skeletor gets back to having Jake play more under control and free lancing less again.