What to do about our WRs in 09

by kterr on Jan 15, 2009 12:19 PM EST

In the post Jimmy Smith era, Jacksonville's wide receivers have never been ranked as high in the league and have always been considered a weak spot. Since 2003 we have tried the Free Agency option (i.e. Jerry Porter, Northcutt), the draft option (i.e. Williams, Jones) and the trade option (i.e. Williamson). All of these attempts to bolster our receiving core have backfired. This offseason looks to take another toll on our receiving core because there is a good chance Porter and Williams will not be around for the 2009 season. If they leave we have Northcutt, Jones, Walker, and Williamson as our remaining receivers from the 2008 active roster. Jones has become a solid possesion reciever but with off-field problems and only one good season in his career, you never know. Northcutt is also a decent receiver and picked up his game near the end of the season with two 100 yard receiving games but he is suited best as a #2 or #3 option. Walker is filled with potential but he never seems to use any of it and the same can be said about Williamson who redefines the phrase "first round bust". This leaves our receivers in pretty bad shape for the 2009. Due to recent comments by Gene Smith and Wayne Weaver it looks like we are not going to pick any quality reciever up in free-agency, so the draft seems to be the only good option. Ever since we got burned by selecting Williams and Jones in the first round and them not panning out as we expected, the Jaguars have consistently drafted other positons on the first day of the draft and then picked up a few receivers on day two hoping that one of them will work out....none have. We have a lot of glaring needs to deal with in this years draft but in my personal opinion we need to draft a wide reciever by the end of the second round. I like priority #1 is a LT but after that we need a wide receiver or we risk having another season of dropped passes and Garrard having no one to throw too. Opinions?

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You find WRs where you find WRs

I’ll address this more in my response article to Collin, but I think our priority if none of the 3 LTs are available is to go after Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin

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by Jonathan Loesche on Jan 15, 2009 12:59 PM EST reply actions

Even if a WR will be the BAP in the 1st round

I guess, Gene Smith will not draft a another receiver in the 1st round. I guess they will try to adress this position with a new WR pick in a lter round, but I really don’t belive they will do it in the 1st round after the not so much success in the recent years!

by Zoltan from Budapest on Jan 15, 2009 1:22 PM EST up reply actions

It's so hard to find speed AND hands anywhere but the first or second round.

By the third round there is usually some vital part of their game missing. Either route running, speed, hands, or blocking. All in the later rounds require some work and many have a low ceiling (they will never be speedsters). That’s the issue with trying to find WR’s in the later rounds.

I agree we can’t use a 1st or second round pick on a WR this season either though. We may be able to find a quality guy at the beginning of round 3, but I have my concerns.

We really don’t have a year or two to try and develop a WR, that’s why I say I doubt we find our guy in the later rounds (4,5,or 6) to solve the WR issue this year. We need our current group to step it up and play, that’s it.
-Collin

by silencecs on Jan 15, 2009 2:22 PM EST reply actions

Got the Right

By the third round it really is hard to find solid receivers. I know this may sound crazy, but I think Matt Jones and Mike Walker outside, and Dennis Northcutt in the slot may not be too bad. If Mike Walker could develop a little more, and get fully healthy, Vic and I both see potential for him to do great.

by Bestjagfan on Jan 15, 2009 10:29 PM EST up reply actions

As silly as it sounds

you are right. It isn’t that bad. Dennis is coming to the end of his career and Mike Walker hasn’t stayed on the field. Matt Jones is only recently emerging, so there is risk to ignoring the position. But if all three are healthy and playing well, it is a decent trio assuming a good running game and strong pass blocking.

Of course no receiver can solve bad pass blocking and no running game problems. Come to think of it, no running back can solve bad blocking problems.

It seems I walked myself back to picking Offensive Linemen again. Good thing there are a lot of good ones in this years draft.

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by Tkopa on Jan 17, 2009 9:22 AM EST up reply actions

Well actually I think

speed is overrated at the receiver position. Seems kind of back wards or odd that that would be true especially for a deep threat.
But lets looks at recent receivers with just average speed or less: TO, Boldin, Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson, Dwayne Bowe, Hines Ward, Jerry Rice. I’m just going off of memory and correct me if I’m wrong, but I think all of those guys run 4.51 forties or worse, most being worse and closer to a 4.6 forty.

by Ewdtrey on Jan 16, 2009 12:49 AM EST up reply actions

TO is definitely a burner

4.36 for TO, 4.40 for Andre Johnson. Fitzgerald has decent speed and freakish jumping. All of these guys, even the ones without the blazing 40 times, have an excellent burst and first step. This allows them to get necessary separation of the line and out of their cuts. More than anything, that’s the difference between them and the Jaguar receivers. The Jaguar receivers can’t get separation running in a straight line or running routes across the middle either.

by MoveThoseChains on Jan 16, 2009 2:35 AM EST up reply actions

This is interesting so I looked it up

Like I usually do I went searching for some stats to test your theory. The first thing I did was compile the top 10 receivers in the NFL this year in receptions: (I threw out Tony Gonzalez because he isn’t a WR).
2008 Leaders
Andre Johnson: 4.32
Wes Welker: 4.60
Brandon Marshall: 4.52
Larry Fitzgerald: 4.63
TJ Houshmandzadeh: 4.61
Eddie Royal: 4.39
Anquan Boldin: 4.71
Roddy White: 4.45
Dwayne Bowe: 4.40
I’ll also throw in a few other notables
Randy Moss: 4.25
Hines Ward: 4.55
Marvin Harrison: 4.38
Steve Smith: 4.45

Now I’ll compare it with the Jaguar receivers:
Matt Jones: 4.37
Reggie Williams: 4.52
Dennis Northcutt: 4.40
Mike Walker: 4.35
Troy Williamson: 4.34
Jerry Porter: 4.40

So, I think you’re definitely on to something here. You underestimated a few of those guys’ speeds; however, speed clearly isn’t everything because if it was then the Jaguars would have one of the best receiving corps in the league. I think the value that everyone puts on speed is a little misplaced when what the ultimate goal is separation. It’s easy to see why speed could instantly lead to the belief that that receiver will be able to get separation, but good route running is the actual key and you can’t really test that in a combine.

by Adam Stites on Jan 16, 2009 2:36 AM EST up reply actions

Speed

As an ex D2 college WR who led his team in receiving while only running a 4.7 and with teamates who ran much, much quicker times I can attest that speed is way overrated! Most the DBs in the NFL are 4.4 or under guys and can run with any receiver on a straight route. The key is burst, and quality route running, which will lead to separation. Matt Jones is the perfect example of this, the guy can burn, but he’s a slow starter and his long stride makes it tough to be quick and make sharp cuts required for crisp routes.

by JirafaBo on Jan 16, 2009 4:09 PM EST up reply actions

nice insight J-Bo

You are correct in your assessment of Matt Jones’ skills, he has speed, but not the quickness necessary to take advantage of it.

As a former WR, what are the more important attributes?
1 route running
2 run after catch
3 Leaping ability
4 Hands
5 Quickness and speed
6 Blocking and awareness of defense (run a hot route)

Those are in no specific order, but I was curious as to how you would rate those attributes from 1 to 6?

Thanks
-Collin

by silencecs on Jan 17, 2009 3:22 PM EST up reply actions

WRs

Get your WRs in the later rounds. As my question posted on Ask Vic today (man it feels like christmas when he selects your question, doesn’t it?) stated, there will be lots of extra talent in this draft because of all the redshirt sophomores and juniors coming out early this year. Go for the big guys, get the athletes in the later rounds!

by JirafaBo on Jan 15, 2009 3:20 PM EST reply actions

we got what we need

we got a great possesion receiver in matt jones even though he has only one good year on his resume, but it was a great year, and he has flashed those great abilities when he wants to, mike walker has the potential to be amazing, but he is to injury prone. dennis northcut, is a perfect second or third receiver receiver. now for our #1 receiver, Jerry Porter. thats right Jerry “the man” Porter i know most people here in j-ville dont like them, but u have to take into concideration, hes coming into a whole new system with a whole new QB. he didnt have a training camp or a pre-season to get on track with the plays or the QB. my opinion we need a new offensive coordanator. oh theres an idea hes been here for 2 full seasons now, and same story with the receivers, im sorry if you dont have big plays in your playbook then its kind of hard to make big plays…………………just sayin, stop blaming it on the receivers because we have alot of talent in our receiving corp. i think we need to blame the coaches, the WR coach, also different year, same results.

Brown Kid

by esierra44 on Jan 15, 2009 4:09 PM EST reply actions

Woah woah

It’s one thing to say these receivers have potential. But it’s something else to say they weren’t a burden last year. We led the league in dropped passes. That has nothing to with play calling. Porter and Walker weren’t hardly on the field last year. Garrard can’t throw to air and hope to get a TD, not to mention the timing gets all messed up.
I’ll have you know Dirk Koetter is a big play guy. I think that actually hurt us early in the year. We kept making Garrard drop back to throw deep and he kept getting hit. It was like we were beating our heads against a wall. We just didn’t have the OL or run game to keep the pass rush off Garrard long enough to allow the deep routes to develop. This is evident in the fact that he was the QB most knocked down this season.
Also explain why some of our receivers have never had marquee seasons before coming to this team. They have upside, but they are a far cry from being great receivers right now.

by Ewdtrey on Jan 15, 2009 8:16 PM EST up reply actions

so there ya go

someone finaly agrees, its not the receivers, yes we let the league in drops but it wasnt porter that led the team so dont blame him, between walker, the tight ends, willimson and williams, thats where all the drops were, not porter, and if you dont give the guy any playing time of course hes gonna get rusty and not be able to make any plays, i say give him one more year, just to see, his injury is behind him, give him a training camp, and a pre season do develop some chemestry with our QB

Brown Kid

by esierra44 on Jan 16, 2009 10:00 AM EST reply actions

Im with you sierra

by harveyismyboy on Jan 16, 2009 3:42 PM EST reply actions

The greater need is O line, and right behind that is D line.

Don’t go nuts for Matt Jones either. He had a very nice season, I’d like to see more consistency before I annoint him as the second comming.

As our WR corp has brtually proven, high draft postions of WR doesn’t equal success. Speed is important, but not as critical as route runnig.

by OGN on Jan 19, 2009 1:11 PM EST reply actions

You're right about Jones...

Luckily, he has one more year on his rookie contract, so we’ll have one more season to evaluate the guy to see if he can consistently be a credible receiving threat. I’d like to see better blocking out of him in the run game, and more YAC. He was drafted to be a slash type WR with dynamic speed and the ability to make people miss. He’s developed into a possession receiver who has solid, but not spectacular hands. I’d like to see him make some catches next season like the one in cleveland that he dropped in the End Zone. 1st round picks make those catches.
A high Draft Pick as a WR should look like Desean Jackson of the Eagles. He was a second rounder is has proven to be a game-breaker already. His big TD catch against the Cards was a thing of beauty. OGN is right, our track record with WR’s should mean that we stay away in rounds 1 or 2. We need a line before we need anything else.
-Collin

-Collin

by silencecs on Jan 19, 2009 1:54 PM EST up reply actions

Funny how a good line makes everyone else look good

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by Tkopa on Jan 20, 2009 6:09 AM EST up reply actions

Amen!

by OGN on Jan 20, 2009 10:26 AM EST up reply actions

its not all for waste

Matt Jones and Northcutt have real potential that has shined this past season. Jones has taken a while to come into his own but remember he was drafted as a QB if I’m not mistaken. Northcutt really turned it up in the twilight of the season and could very well be the real thing. As for Walker he could be great but his problem is he is near health long enough to improve. Williamson should just be released, he has been a waste of money just like Porter who was the biggest bust in Free agency last year. For using our first round draft pick on a WR I say lets get the LT sorted out first, and if the 3 LT are taken in the first round then maybe go after WR

by Messina on Jan 22, 2009 6:54 PM EST reply actions