New CHFF Man-Law, how it impacts AJ Green

[Cyberjag]

Here's the first point made:

Wide receivers, for all their eye-catching flash and dash, are little more than shiny ornaments on the hood of an NFL offense. Oh, sure, they’re nice to have. But they don’t necessarily make your offense any better – and they rarely if ever make your team any better.

http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Articles/11_3677_A_CHFF_theory_elevated_to_Man_Law.html

And the article goes on from there, making a decent argument that great WRs aren't necessary to be a great team.

If what the article puts forth is true, then we've got everything we need at that position in Gettis and LaFell. If Edwards comes through that will just be a bonus.

I was on the AJ Green bandwagon early, but dropped off in favor of Newton or Defense. If you're still on it after reading that article, how about sharing why?

[teeray]

One of the better reads in a while. He brings up some really good points, although I think he underestimates the wr's value some, he is also dead on with a lot of his points.

really good read

[MHS831]

Here's the first point made:

http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/Articles/11_3677_A_CHFF_theory_elevated_to_Man_Law.html

And the article goes on from there, making a decent argument that great WRs aren't necessary to be a great team.

If what the article puts forth is true, then we've got everything we need at that position in Gettis and LaFell. If Edwards comes through that will just be a bonus.

I was on the AJ Green bandwagon early, but dropped off in favor of Newton or Defense. If you're still on it after reading that article, how about sharing why?

I am off the bandwagon too. Wanted AJ Green because he has tremendous hands and is tall. Makes any QB look good. But then you have to ask, "How many plays a game? 5-8 at best?"

I recently heard the braintrust at NFL network discuss why CBs should not go too high. Because you can throw away from them. I think that is dumb because a Peterson can shrink the field in half and take away your #1 WR. Even if you don't throw towards him, forcing the defense to throw to the other side (Gamble, the CB they avoided last year in favor of Marshall) still limits the O.

[pantherj]

If you look at the impact Steve Smith has had on our franchise, then you can see what one WR can do to dominate games.

[JawnyBlaze]

Meh, there's some decent points and some bad ones. Here's one:

3. New England dumps Randy Moss, Tom Brady and the offense explode

Are you kidding me? Did this guy start following the NFL around draft time last year? The New England offense was mediocre before it got Moss. The video tape and Defense won them 3 Super Bowl rings. Moss almost got them a 4th WITHOUT the benefit of video tape (a monumental task, for sure) if not for a miracle catch by David Tyree (karma).

His last two examples are more like fancy, but old and rusted hood ornaments.

Don't forget Fitzgerald, arguably a top 5 or so WR in the league, carried the lowly Cardinals to a Super Bowl.

If you look at most of the Super Bowl winners, they have at least 1 top tier (if not 1st round) WR. Counting backwards:

Jennings+Driver,

[late round hidden gem] Colston (plus a 1st rounder in Henderson),

Santonio Holmes,

Plax,

Harrison+Wayne+Clark,

05 Steelers didn't, but had an AMAZING defense to make up for lack of a high quality WR or QB,

01,03,04 Patriots had video tape and a very good defense to make up for high quality WR (and, at the time, upper-mid tier QB),

1st overall pick Keyshawn Johnson,

Ravens fit the same mold as 05 Steelers,

Tory Hold+Isaac Bruce,

Shannon Sharpe+Rod Smith,

Driver,

Michael Irvin,

Jerry Rice,

do I need to keep going? I'm not saying no team will ever win a Super Bowl without a top tier WR, but stats just as meaningless as these are used to prove all sorts of other things and these fit my argument just as well. Without a top WR, you better have a BADASS defense and/or good camera crew.

[thefuzz]

I was supporting Green until I switched to PP.

PP doesn't need a QB to make him look good, and I am not sure that we have a QB on the roster that is good enough to use Green's talents.

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

I still am not 100% sure what all of the hub-bub about A.J. Green is. There are guys with just as good as numbers, the same skill set, and the same body that are not getting recgonized.

Alabama: Julio Jones- 78 receptions, 1133 yards, 7 touchdowns

Maryland: Torrey Smith- 67 receptions, 1055 yards, 12 touchdowns

Miami: Leonard Hankerson- 72 receptions, 1156 yards, 13 touchdowns

Kentucky: Randall Cobb- 84 receptions, 1017 yards, 8 touchdowns

Boise State: Titus Young- 71 receptions, 1215 yards, 9 touchdowns

San Diego State: Vincent Brown- 69 receptions, 1352 yards, 10 touchdowns

East Carolina: Dwayne Harris- 101 receptions, 1123 yards, 10 touchdowns

Hawaii: Greg Salas- 119 receptions, 1889 yards, 14 touchdowns

Oregon: Jeff Maehl- 77 receptions, 1076 yards, 12 touchdowns

Southern Methodist: Aldrick Robinson- 65 receptions, 1301 yards, 14 touchdowns

Western Michigan: Jordan White- 94 receptions, 1378 yards, 10 touchdowns

Cincinnati: Armon Binns- 75 receptions, 1101 yards, 10 touchdowns

The point is not to provide you with stats, but it is to present to you that there is more than one wide out in the draft capable of making an impact and any of these guys would solidify our young and up and coming receiving corp.

[Cyberjag]

I think the big question is about how much more a Green gives you than a Gettis. And how much will that difference make an impact on your average game?

Face it, Keary Colbert could have caught all those passes across the middle in our 2008 playoff loss to Arizona. Fitzgerald didn't kill us because he was making amazing plays, he was killing us because we chose to give him those routes. Most receivers would have been able to do the same.

[Millions]

Without a beast behind center no matter the wideouts impact on the game he is being wasted ala Smitty here with post Jake, Clausen, and Moore.

Franchise QB WITH a game changing wideout >>

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

^ I wouldn't say a beast at QB ala Jake Delhomme in his golden days but you need a guy that actually has the ability to hit his receivers in stride, stand in the pocket and make a play, use his fee when neccessary etc...

[TheRealDeal]

I think the big question is about how much more a Green gives you than a Gettis. And how much will that difference make an impact on your average game?

Face it, Keary Colbert could have caught all those passes across the middle in our 2008 playoff loss to Arizona. Fitzgerald didn't kill us because he was making amazing plays, he was killing us because we chose to give him those routes. Most receivers would have been able to do the same.

I think it's the thought of Gettis and Green on the outside with Smith and Shockey in the middle.

Pretty scary to me

[Stumpy]

It doesn't matter how good a QB is if his WRs can't catch the ball. It doesn't matter how good the run game is either because then the defense can focus on stuffing it every play. Therefore, that article is BS.

While I agree that the article diminishes the value of having a top-flight receiver, you could make your exact same argument for any position on the field. IE: It doesn't matter how good a receiver is; if you have no running game, they can double and triple cover him every play; or a QB can't get the ball to your wideouts if he's on his back all day. That is why they call it a team sport. It takes a well balanced team to win at a high level.

[JawnyBlaze]

In this draft there is Green and Julio Jones, and then everyone else. The other WRs don't come close to their potential. You just have to watch them to see it. Admittedly I haven't watched a ton of games, most of what I've seen has been youtube, but watching Green and Jones's highlights compared with ALL the others (which I have watched) it's just not even close.

What sets Green apart is how he pretty much doesn't drop balls (Jones does) and Green's routes. He's the closest thing to a finished product in the draft. The idea that he might NOT be close to finished with him improvement makes him exceptionally intriguing. The other receivers might have similar stats, or even superior ones, to Green but he missed a third of the season..that's a pretty big chunk. And stats don't tell everything. Some of these guys were small burners who just ran around everyone, whose game will not translate to the NFL (unless they have Smitty like passion and determination). Green was always the focus of a secondary and he just showed more of everything it takes to excel in the NFL than any other WR prospect, in my opinion.

I still am not 100% sure what all of the hub-bub about A.J. Green is. There are guys with just as good as numbers, the same skill set, and the same body that are not getting recgonized.

The point is not to provide you with stats, but it is to present to you that there is more than one wide out in the draft capable of making an impact and any of these guys would solidify our young and up and coming receiving corp.