DON'T GET BEAT DEEP

“DON’T GET BEAT DEEP!” is a phrase that secondary coaches all over the NFL yell out to their players repeatedly. No one ever wants to get beat deep. Especially in the day and age of YouTube, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN U, ESPN Left, ESPN Right, ESPN UP, ESPN Down, ESPN Red, ESPN Blue, OK you get the idea, where highlights are running or available for viewing or download 24-hours a day. Basically, getting beat deep automatically makes you a finalist to make a cameo appearance as “The Other Guy” in a Sportscenter Top 10 play. Although it is embarrassing, getting beat deep is a part of life for an NFL defensive back. Due to the fact that NFL receivers are so talented, and NFL quarterbacks are so accurate, every DB is bound to get beat. All that they can do is hope that they make more plays than they give up. There are those who can say that they have gone toe to toe with elite NFL receivers and won more than they lost. These players include Champ Bailey, Ed Reed, Al Harris, and Terrence Newman just to name a few. Then on the other hand, you have those that have been embarrassed more times than not by elite receivers. This list includes the likes of Fred Thomas, Brian Scott, and Roy Williams (of the Dallas Cowboys). I believe a caller on a radio show said it best by saying that, “Roy Williams gets burnt more than a pack of Newports.”

The majority of the big plays that take place in the NFL come as a result of the passing game. As a result of this fact, the game of football has changed dramatically in recent years. One main difference is in offensive formations. Instead of the traditional one or two wide receiver sets, a lot of teams now use three receivers regularly. They even go as far as to use four or five on some occasions. The rules have also changed in an attempt to allow offenses to make more big plays. Defensive backs are not allowed to touch receivers more than 5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, which basically allows receivers to run free. Also, don’t forget about the rules protecting quarterbacks who are basically untouchable in today’s NFL. All of these concessions have been made in order to allow teams to score more points. People love high-flying, high-scoring football. As a wise man once said, “Defense may win championships, but offense is what sells tickets.”

Most people agree that there are a lot of great wide receivers and tight ends playing in the NFL today. That fact is not debatable, but what is debatable is just who are the best wide receivers and tight ends currently in the game. Below you will find my attempt at answering this question. I took a slightly different approach to compiling these rankings than I did when ranking the quarterbacks and running backs. Instead of ranking the individual starters for the 32 NFL teams, I decided to rank the team’s wide receivers and tight ends as a group. I feel that this is the only fair way to consider them, because it is the unit as a whole that gives the quarterback a chance to be a successful passer. The entire unit is also considered when designing game plans and also freeing up each other to make plays.

As with the quarterbacks and running backs, I compiled these rankings without the use of any stats. Using stats would indirectly bring into account such factors as the quality of the quarterback that they play with, the quality of their offensive line, the quality of their running game, and the creativity of their offensive coordinators and/or their head coaches. Considering these factors would prevent me from considering the receivers and tight ends based on talent along. These rankings are not based on the 2007 season or any 2008 projections. I simply asked myself, “If I were starting a team today, who would I want on the receiving end of my quarterback’s passes?”

Without further ado, my rankings are as follows….

1. New England Patriots – Looking at Jabar Gaffney, Wes Welker, and Ben Watson, you might think that I am crazy for having them #1 on this list. Don’t get me wrong, these are all good to very good players but they are not the reason that I have them ranked #1. The reason they are #1 is none other than the most talented receiver to ever play in the NFL, RANDY MOSS. Randy Moss is so good that the Patriots would have still been #1 if the players playing alongside him were Freddie Mitchell, Michael Jenkins, and Zach Miller. Moss is the reason that Jerry Rice played so long. Rice knew that he had to pad his records because if Moss decides that he wants to, he can shatter all of them. You may disagree with who I have ranked numbers two through thirty-two, but number one is not up for discussion. Simply because of RANDY MOSS. He capable of doing things on the football field that no one else has the physical ability to do. Most top receivers can occasionally be stopped by double coverage, but not Moss. As a matter of fact I have seen him routinely beat triple coverage and still make the spectacular catch. HE IS THE BEST, HANDS DOWN!!!!

2. Indianapolis Colts – Taking nothing away from the skills or talent of Peyton Manning, we must all admit that he has been blessed with a dream team of players to catch his passes. He has two legit number one receivers on the outside in Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. In addition to that he has Anthony Gonzalez manning the slot and the match-up nightmare, Dallas Clark at tight end. Honestly, with that group of players Jim Sorgi could play quarterback and win 8 games.

3. Arizona Cardinals – Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are both two-time Pro Bowl selections and have both had 100 catch seasons. As a matter of fact they have both caught over 100 passes during the same season. They are two stud receivers, which is why they are ranked this high. There is not a team in the NFL that has two cornerbacks that can cover these two receivers man-to-man. I know defensive coordinators lose sleep the week leading up to facing these two on the field.

4. Detroit Lions – Anyone who follows the NFL know that Matt Millen is their version of Isaiah Thomas. He was a great player, but leaves a lot to be desired as a CEO and General Manager. He has made some incredibly bad draft picks during his tenure, with many of them being wide receivers (i.e. Charles Rogers & Mike Williams). I don’t know if it was due to the law of averages or if Millen finally got a clue, but he finally drafted two stud wide receivers in Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson. I just hope Millen surrounds them with enough talent to not let their careers rot away in Detroit. Chances of them winning in Detroit are slim to none because we must remember that this is a franchise that has not won a division title since 1993.

5. Cleveland Browns – If you thought the Cleveland Browns would ever return to being a relevant NFL franchise in your lifetime, I am sure that you are in the minority. Although we never thought that it would happen, The Cleveland Browns are going into the season as a favorite to make the playoffs and possibly win their division. If this is to happen, they are going to need large contributions from three of their best players. These players are Braylon Edwards, Donte Stallworth, and Kellen Winslow. That’s a lot of fire power for Derrick Anderson to have at his disposal, and I trust that he knows what to do with it.

6. Cincinnati Bengals – Not only is Carson Palmer the prototype, but he is also joined by prototypical number one and number two receivers on the Bengals offense. Chad Johnson DEMANDS a double team on every play (and usually beats it). He is definitely one of the best receivers in the league. If you don’t believe me just ask him, I’m sure that he will tell you himself. If you leave him single covered at any time, the result will probably be a touchdown for the Bengals. Due to all of the attention that Chad draws, TJ Houshmandzadeh faces single coverage all game long. He definitely takes advantage of it. If their defense is simply competent this season, look for the Bengals to make some serious noise.

7. Dallas Cowboys – He routinely throws his quarterbacks under the bus. He is totally self-absorbed. He is immature. He feels as though the world revolves around him. He always feels as though the media is out to get him and make him look bad. He is as emotional as a 12 year old girl. He has the emotional maturity of a three year old. These are all phrases that I routinely use to describe Terrell Owens. He is by far one of my least favorite NFL players. As a matter of fact, I hate him almost as much as I hate Kobe Bryant (see earlier blog entitled “I HATE KOBE BRYANT”). Sorry, I forgot one more phrase that I use when describing Terrell Owens. HE IS ONE OF THE BEST RECIEVERS IN THE NFL. As much as I hate him (as does so many other people), I must call a spade a spade, and call him great. He along with tight end, Jason Whitten, gives the Cowboys a top flight passing game. Although Whitten plays tight end, he is definitely their number two receiver. That isn’t a bad thing in this case because Whitten is one of the best tight ends in the game.

8. Green Bay Packers – THE DIVA HAS FINALLY BEEN KICKED OUT OF TOWN, and it won’t affect their passing game or their offense one bit. Don’t get me wrong, I know Aaron Rodgers is no Brett Favre. Favre is definitely a legend, but one look at the Packers roster will tell you that this is a good football team with or without Brett Favre. The defense is very good, the offensive line is very good, they have a good running game, and their weapons in the passing game are definitely a top ten unit in the NFL. Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, and Donald Lee are good enough to make Packer fans forget that #4 is not the ones throwing them the passes. The management of the Green Bay Packers are no idiots. They knew that when they got rid of Favre that they would have to have a team that can compete this year or the fans would have their heads. They have definitely built a team that can succeed without Favre. While watching this season, the fans will realize that it was indeed time to take the “F” off of the Packer helmet and replace it with the “G” that should have been there all along, as stated by a host on Sirius NFL Radio (the best radio on radio).

9. New Orleans Saints – The skill players on this team could potentially be considered flat out frightening. Marcus Colston came out of nowhere to quickly establish himself as a legitimate #1 receiver. Also, look for either Lance Moore, Robert Meachem, or Terrance Copper to emerge as a go to #2 receiver. To complement the receiving core, they also added Jeremy Shockley to play tight end. Hopefully the humbling experience of watching his team win the Super Bowl without him will make him more of a team player. If he is not disruptive to the team-chemistry, watch out for the Saints. They should be dangerous.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers – This is a team that in my eyes does not have a true #1 receiver. Hines Ward is great, but I don’t consider him a true #1. It doesn’t matter, because Santonio Holmes is also very good, and I expect Limas Sweed to be just as good also. Throw Heath Miller into the mix and you get a solid group across the board with very little drop off. Although none of their skill players are great they are all very, very good. That is what makes them a top ten group.

11. Washington Redskins – This is an undersized but talented group. Santana Moss is a speedster with heart to spare. He is not afraid of going across the middle, taking big hits, or making a big play when the game is on the line. Chris Cooley is one of the most underrated tight ends in the NFL. Pay close attention to this guy and you will appreciate just how good he is. Although Antwaan Randle El is very versatile and a great guy to have on your team when running trick plays, he is simply an average receiver in my eyes. Another wild card in the group is rookie Malcolm Kelley. If he transitions well to the NFL game, this group will be even more dangerous. All in all this is a very good group that almost any team would be glad to have (especially those ranked behind them).

12. San Diego Chargers – If this team had a legitimate #1 receiver, they would be ranked in the top ten. They are this high basically on the strength of Antonio Gates alone. Don’t get me wrong, Chris Chambers is a good receiver and Vincent Jackson will turn out to be a very good receiver. All that being said, Mr. Gates is definitely their #1 receiver. Even though he is the best tight end in the game, no team whose tight end is their best receiver can be ranked in my top ten.

13. Carolina Panthers – Although I feel as though Jake Delhomme is done as a quarterback, I would love to have these two receivers on my team (provided we can prevent Smith from beating up his teammates). Steve Smith is a great receiver and Muhsin Muhammad is very dependable. The two of them alone make this a good group. Any contributions that they get from a third receiver or the tight end position will simply be icing on the cake.

14. Houston Texans – ANDRE JOHNSON IS A TOP FIVE NFL WIDE RECIEVER. He is awesome. This group would definitely be ranked higher if they simply had one other player that could consistently complement him, but they don’t. Which is why they are ranked #14.

15. New York Giants – This is a solid group. Plaxico has really emerged as a go-to guy, and Armani Toomer is still dependable even though he is now collecting social security. If the 2008 playoffs are any indication of how good Steve Smith will be, Giants fans should be rejoicing. Although Kevin Boss is better for the chemistry of this team than Jeremy Shockey, he doesn’t scare defenses the way that Shockey does. Although loosing Shockey is probably addition by subtraction for this team, the loss of his talent definitely dropped them quite a few spots on my list. Although, they are not as scary offensively without Shockey, if I was a Giants fan I would be glad that he is gone.

16. St. Louis Rams – This offense used to be “The Greatest Show on Turf,” but it isn’t anymore. As for the receivers and tight ends, Torry Holt is a legit #1 and is a perennial Pro Bowler. Randy McMicheal is also very underrated. Rams fans should expect big things out of him this year.

17. Buffalo Bills – I used to call their wide receiving core “The Smurfs” because they were so small (by NFL standards). That all changed on draft day 2008. The Bills selected the 6’7” James Hardy out of the University of Indiana. If he turns out to be a good receiver, he would be the perfect complement to Lee Evans. Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish are also good and dependable receivers to have on your team.

18. Kansas City Chiefs – I bet everyone is surprised that I have players from this terrible team ranked this high. Remember, I am not ranking the teams or the offense. I am simply ranking the players. I think that Dwayne Bowe will be one of the best in the game very soon. For those who actually watched a Chiefs game last season (I know there weren’t many, so I won’t hold it against anyone if you never saw Bowe play), you saw what is to come from Mr. Bowe. Just imagine how good this guy would be if he had a slightly below average quarterback instead of the worst quarterback in the NFL. Along with Dwayne Bowe, they also have Tony Gonzalez, who needs no explanation.

19. Seattle Seahawks – I am having a hard time deciding if Deon Branch is actually as good as he looked in New England or if Tom Brady made him look that good. If he is able to return to his Patriots form, he will be a legit #1 receiver. Opposite him, they have Nate Burleson. While in Minnesota, he also looked as if he had the potential to be a great player. Basically, this will be a good tandem if either or both of these players return to the form that got them huge contracts from the Seahawks. Whether or not that can happen, remains to be seen.

20. New York Jets – Well Brett Favre, you have gone from throwing to the 8th best wide receiver/tight end core to the 20th best group. I bet you’re glad that you came out of retirement. On a serious note, the Jets receivers aren’t bad at all. They are only ranked this low because they don’t have anyone who could dress up as a #1 receiver for Halloween anywhere on the roster. They have two average #2’s in Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery and an average #3 in Brad Smith. The main problem is that there is no one to demand a double team to help Coles and Cotchery get free. Bubba Franks is a good tight end and a familiar face to Favre, unfortunately he is currently at the tail end of his career. His best days are long gone.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars – This group is hard to rank because there is so much potential for greatness, but the potential is unfulfilled. There is Jerry Porter, who is a very good receiver and a legitimate #1 target. After that, the picture gets very cloudy. Troy Williamson is slated to be the teams #2 receiver. He is very fast, but he often forgets to catch the ball before showing off his blazing speed. This guy simply has hands of steel, he just can’t catch. He reminds me of Roddy White before the 2007 season. He would have fit in great on the Michael Vick led Falcons team. Then there is Dennis Northcutt as the slot receiver. He is a good player, but will never be considered great. They also have the FIRST ROUND BUST, MATT JONES. It’s funny to me that people say that he has not lived up to expectations, when he was a mediocre college quarterback before being drafted 21st overall in the 2005 NFL draft to play wide receiver simply because he had a good NFL combine. What did they think they were getting, and better yet, who is his agent? His agent has to be brilliant, because he convinced some team to take a converted quarterback that high in the draft just based on one workout without pads on. The fact that Matt Jones has not lived up to expectations may be a moot point, because there is a chance that he may not be on the field for a very long time. It all depends on the legal system. You see, Mr. Jones was caught with an illegal powdery substance this off-season. I guess he was trying to snort all of his problems away. At tight end they have Marcedes Lewis, who is still young but shows flashes of being very good. I will be taking a wait and see approach with this group. The talent is there, but no one knows if they can come through when it counts.

22. Denver Broncos – They have one talented head case (Brandon Marshall), one under-achiever (Keary Colbert), and one dependable guy with very average talent (Brandon Stokely) at wide receiver. That does not make for a scary group to defend. They do however have a talented and dependable tight end in Daniel Graham. All of those factors add up to being the 22nd ranked group.

23. Minnesota Vikings – For Tavaris Jackson’s sake, it is a good thing that they have Adrian Peterson. This group of receivers led by Bernard Berrian will not strike fear into the heart of any secondary that they face. Fortunately they will face single coverage all season because teams will be putting 8 or 9 in the box on virtually every play in an attempt to stop Adrian Peterson. The running game will definitely be their best friend.

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Although Joey Galloway came in the league with Lynn Swann, he is still very good and still has world-class speed. Outside of him, their receivers aren’t very good. They have the very average Ike Hilliard, and the immensely disappointing Michael Clayton. At tight end Alex Smith is certainly better than his namesake in San Francisco.

25. Philadelphia Eagles – This group would be rated higher if I considered Brian Westbrook (the team’s best receiver) as a wide receiver, but he is a running back. As far as receivers and tight ends go, they are simply average across the board. I really wish Donovan had more help, but apparently that is not a priority in Philly. They don’t completely suck, but they don’t scare anyone either.

26. Baltimore Ravens – Derrick Mason was once a very good receiver (about 8 years ago). He is still good, but he shouldn’t be any teams #1 receiver. Mark Clayton has potential to be good and hopefully we will get a better idea of his talents this season. The real reason that they are even ranked this high is tight end Todd Heap. Heap is a stud at tight end and is arguably their best offensive player.

27. San Francisco 49er’s – This is another team that could potentially move up. They have Bryant Johnson who was a pretty good backup to Fitzgerald and Boldin in Arizona. They are also hoping that Issac Bruce can find the fountain of youth. This is a guy who is so old that he played for the Los Angeles Rams (no kidding, he actually did). At tight end they have the ultimate combine wonder in Vernon Davis. The lofty expectations that he is measured against are simply not fair. It is not his fault that the organization was stupid enough to draft him with the 6th overall pick of the 2006 draft. Let’s all have a moment of honesty. Does anyone remember him dominating in college? Did anyone see him play in college and say, boy he looks like a top ten NFL draft pick? Did anyone think that he would be a great NFL player? The answer to all of these questions is NO!!!! The fact of the matter is that he was drafted because of how fast he did some drills wearing shorts and a t-shirt. He hasn’t been a disappointment, he has simply been what his college career told us that he would be. Remember this is the same coaching staff and front office group that drafted ALEX SMITH #1. Hopefully Davis will turn out to be a good player, but he hasn’t shown that potential as of yet.

28. Tennessee Titans – Justin Gage and Justin McCareins are both very average players. Thankfully they have Alge Crumpler at tight end. He is one of the top tight ends in the game and will prove to be Vince Young’s most reliable target.

29. Atlanta Falcons - Roddy White has finally emerged as a good starting wide receiver. He has the speed and skills to be very good, but has to prove that he can beat a double team on a consistent basis. He caught everyone off guard last season, but will get plenty of attention this season. The problem that the Falcons will face is the fact that they do not have anyone to complement White. The rest of their group has either proven that they are terrible or have not yet had the chance to prove that they are terrible.

30. Chicago Bears – Things are so bad in Chicago, that Devin Hester is slated to be a starting wide receiver. I wish Hester all of the luck in the world and I will certainly be rooting for him, but I don’t know if he can be a starter at receiver. At least they have a strong tight end tandem in Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen.

31. Miami Dolphins – THEY NEED HELP IN THE WORST WAY. Ted Ginn Jr. and Ernest Wilford can both become good receivers one day. I just don’t think today will be that day. Don’t look for either to be Pro Bowl receivers any time soon.

32. Oakland Raiders – This group should not be ranked #32 but they are simply because no one knows how Javon Walker will play. When healthy and into the game, Walker is a game breaker and a legit #1 receiver. I honestly don’t know if he will return to form because he has been through an awful lot lately dating back to his days as a Packer. Once you consider the knee injury that he had, the fact that his teammate and good friend died in his arms, and also the robbery and beating that he was a victim of earlier this off-season, it is no wonder that he contemplated retirement and had to be talked into continuing his career. I hope that he is OK as a person and that he has a productive year. Hopefully he will go out and prove that they should not be #32. I will be personally rooting for him. It really all hinges on him because Ronald Curry and Zach Miller don’t scare anyone.

As with my previous rankings, these players were ranked without researching any stats. I simply listed them in the order in which I would want them on my team today. If anyone disagrees with where their favorite player or any other player is ranked, please comment and let me know.

****NOTE****
WE ARE NOW 25 DAYS AWAY FROM KICKOFF. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!