CHARLES ROGERS DID NOT FACTOR INTO THESE RANKINGS

We’ve all heard the clichés, “Defense Wins Championships” and “To win you have to be able to run the ball.” While both of those clichés still hold true, in today’s NFL you have got to be able to move the ball through the air if you want to be successful. Other than the 2000 Baltimore Ravens (which is an exception because they had the greatest defense in NFL history), no team has been able to get to the Super Bowl without having at least an average passing attack. Take last season for example. The Pittsburgh Steelers offense relied on their quarterback, wide receivers, and tight end to get to and eventually win the Super Bowl (they finished 23rd in rushing). The Cardinals on the other hand, finished the regular season 9-7, but got hot in the playoffs thanks to the performances turned in by Kurt Warner and their all-world receivers (ranked 32nd in rushing).

Throughout history, there have been many wide receivers that have made their quarterbacks seem to be much better than they were. What would we think of Daunte Culpepper if he never played with Randy Moss or Cris Carter? Imagine Joe Montana and Steve Young without Jerry Rice. Also, would Troy Aikman be in the Hall of Fame without Michael Irvin? Just food for thought. A lot of people view receivers as attention seeking, self-centered Diva’s (much like another player I won’t mention). Which is true in a lot of cases, but you just can’t win without them.

Which NFL team has the best set of receiver and tight ends? To find out, scroll down and check out STRAIGHT CASH HOMEY’S!!!! 2009 RECEIVER RANKINGS.

#1 Arizona Cardinals – Larry Fitzgerald is the second best receiver in the NFL, so needless to say, he IS A LEGIT #1 RECEIVER. Opposite him is Anquan Bolden, who would be the #1 receiver on any team in the league other than the Patriots, Texans, Lions, and Colts. Their third receiver is Steve Breaston, who is good enough to be the #1 target on a bad football team. If you don’t believe me, just imagine him on the Rams or 49ers. He would definitely be the go to guy. Ben Patrick is also a very good tight end. Long story short, this set of receivers is a quarterback’s dream. I can’t name one NFL team that has three shut down corners. Because of that, this group is unstoppable. By the way, all three receivers topped 1,000 receiving yards last season. You can’t defend all of them straight up, and if you decide to focus on one person, the other three will kill you. GOOD LUCK TO THE DEFENSES THAT HAVE TO FACE THEM THIS SEASON!!!!

#2 New England Patriots – RANDY MOSS IS THE BEST RECEIVER IN NFL HISTORY!!!! That is a fact, and it is not debatable. He can do things on a football field that have never been done before, and will never be done again. Alongside him is Wes Welker, the luckiest receiver in NFL history. Because Moss faces two and sometimes three defenders on every play, Welker gets to run around in the slot against linebackers and backup defensive backs. Without Moss, Welker would be nothing but a glorified punt returner that can occasionally get open in the slot (think Tim Dwight). That being said, Welker is great at what he does and takes full advantage of his opportunities. He has great hands and is very dependable. His only flaw is that he cannot consistently get open against front line defensive backs, but thanks to Moss he doesn’t have to. The only reason that this group is ranked #2 instead of #1 is that Joey Galloway is no more than a name at this point in his career. Age and injuries has caught up with him. He is no Steve Breaston. However, the tight end duo of Ben Watson and Chris Baker will also be highly effective.

#3 Indianapolis Colts – No Marvin Harrison, no problem. They have been training Anthony Gonzalez to replace Harrison when the time came, and now is that time. Don’t get me wrong, Harrison is a Hall of Famer, and Gonzalez will not come close to his career accomplishments. However, I do think that Gonzo will be able to replace Harrison’s recent production. Truthfully, there won’t be any pressure on Gonzalez because he will be the team’s third option on pass routes. Reggie Wayne is a beast to cover and Dallas Clark is a top five tight end. This group has been consistently doing it for so long. They don’t really do anything fancy. They line up in virtually the same place every play and they rarely, if ever, send a man in motion. They simply out execute their opponents every week. No gimmicks, just execution.

#4 Green Bay Packers – I bet the Diva would love to play with this group. Although there isn’t a superstar among the bunch, they are all excellent players. Greg Jennings and Donald Driver are great, and James Jones is an excellent third option. They are also two deep at tight end with absolute studs. Donald Lee has already shown the world what he can do. But keep an eye out for second year pro Jermichael Finley. He will be a beast this year. Aaron Rodgers is one lucky man. He may have had to put up with the Favre headache for several years, but it looks like good things do indeed come to those who wait.

#5 Buffalo Bills – This will be a terrible football team this season, but their receivers are awesome. As much as I hate T.O. off the field, on the field he is going to give opposing defensive coaches headaches this year. That’s because you just can’t focus on him. Lee Evans is as much a threat to beat you deep as he is. They also have Josh Reed and Roscoe Parrish who are also very capable receivers. It’s too bad that the defense won’t be able to stop anyone, the quarterback is average at best, and they play in a division with the Patriots and Dolphins. If those things weren’t the case, we would expect big things out of the Bills this year. Honestly I don’t think that Trent Edwards will be able to consistently get the ball to these playmakers, so their stats won’t reflect their talent. But they are indeed among the most talented group in the league.

#6 Cincinnatti Bengals – When Chad OchoCinco is focused, he is among the best wide receivers in the league. And guess what, HE IS FOCUSED!!!! Opposite Chad will be Laveraneus Coles, who is the definition of dependable professional. I know plenty of you reading this will doubt Chad, but be careful what you say because he will have you eating those words at the end of the season (if Carson Palmer stays healthy). When he’s focused he sleeps at the facility and works out and practices like a maniac. So beware, BECAUSE HE IS FOCUSED!!!! Also, keep an eye on rookie tight end Chase Coffman. He is legit.

#7 Pittsburgh Steelers – Truthfully, this team does not have a legit #1 receiver. However they do have two playmakers who always make the play when it is absolutely needed. When they need to get open, they find a way. Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes are both clutch and are also good enough to keep defenses honest. While they control the outside, Heath Miller roams the middle of the field and is also always open when needed. This may not be the most talented group in the NFL, but they are arguably the most dependable.

#8 Houston Texans – You are familiar with Andre Johnson, right? He is the third best receiver in the league (some people may even say second). Frankly, this would be a top ten group if Freddie Mitchell and Mike Williams were playing with him. Instead he has the solid Andre Davis opposite him, and a very good tight end in Owen Daniels.

#9 Philadelphia Eagles – I never thought I would ever say this, but Donavan McNabb actually has some legit receivers in Philadelphia. Truthfully adding a player the caliber of Anquan Boldin would have made this offense unstoppable, but they still have enough weapons to be very good this year. Although Desean Jackson has a mental lapse every now and then, he is a legit threat. Kevin Curtis and Hank Baskett may not be anything special, but they are dependable targets. What will make this group go will be the speed of rookie Jeremy Macklin. If you thought Jackson was good, wait until you see this guy in action. Jason Avante will also be a big contributor this season. They still have the ever-disappointing and underachieving Reggie Brown on the roster, but they have enough talent to overcome his lack of production. This team will make a run for the Super Bowl this season, and the receivers will help lead the way.

#10 Dallas Cowboys – No T.O., no problem. Will they miss T.O.’s production? Probably. Do they have enough on the roster to make that up? Yes they do. If Dallas is smart, they will be primarily a running team that makes a lot of passes to the tight end off of play action. I mention the tight ends because Jason Whitten is among the best in the league, and Martellus Bennett is very good and would be the unquestioned starter on more than half of the teams in the league. Although Roy Williams is not T.O., he is still better than most #1 options in the league today. Patrick Crayton and Miles Austin will also be good enough. The receivers are very good and the tight ends are great. That makes them #10.

#11 Carolina Panthers – Steve Smith has been one of the best receivers in league since 2003, and I don’t expect that to change this season. You really can’t double him because the Panther running game is so darn good. Needless to say, he eats single coverage alive. I am yet to see the corner that can shut him down one on one. Muhsin Muhammad is amazingly still reliable opposite him, and if they get anything out of Dwyane Jarrett, the league had better watch out. All this group needs is a quarterback, but we will talk about that next week.

#12 Atlanta Falcons – I can honestly say that I saw this beginning to happen two years ago. RODDY WHITE IS A LEGIT #1 NFL RECEIVER. Even more amazing, Michael Jenkins has developed into a slightly below average #2 receiver. Which one is the biggest surprise? All jokes aside, White will demand special attention from defenses all season. However, they can’t focus too much on him, because the best pass catching tight end in NFL history has just joined the Falcons. Tony Gonzalez was the missing piece to making this offense a force to be reckoned with. The fact that defenses first priority when facing the Falcons will and should be stopping the run, this group will run wild and make a lot of big plays. Just think, if Michael Jenkins steps his game up and becomes an average #2 receiver, they could be in the top ten next year.

#13 Minnesota Vikings – While it may be true that this group is nowhere near as good as the Packers receivers (9 spots worst to be exact), it is also true that the Packers don’t have a guy as fast as Percy Harvin. Bernard Berrian and Sidney Rice don’t scare anyone. There isn’t a defensive coordinator in the league that has ever lost sleep trying to figure out how to defend those two. Harvin on the other hand will cause headaches. I bet we find out what the official headache medicine of the NFL is this season. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe is also a very good player. He is in a great situation to explode this year because he has Harvin to his outside and Adrian Peterson behind him (it should be illegal to have that much speed on the field at one time). Look for him to make the Pro Bowl this year.

#14 San Diego Chargers – Antonio Gates is the unquestioned #1 receiver on this team. This used to be a really good thing because the actual receivers were terrible. Now, Gates is the #1 receiver because he is THAT GOOD and not because the receivers are horrible. Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson, and Eric Parker have all proven to be reliable targets for the newly rich Phillip Rivers. Rivers will throw for over 4,000 yards this season, and fortunately Gates won’t have to have 3,549 receiving yards.

#15 Seattle Seahawks – Talent wise, this group should be ranked higher. But based on actual production, this is about right. Nate Burleson and Deion Branch have both failed to duplicate the success they had with their former teams. TJ Houshmandzadeh will be a welcome addition and John Carlson is a solid tight end, but this group as a whole doesn’t get me too excited.

#16 Detroit Lions – Calvin Johnson is the only reason they are in the top twenty. Bryant Johnson is nothing more than a journeyman and Brandon Pettigrew is an unproven rookie tight end (albeit with a lot of potential).

#17 Washington Redskins – Yes, Santana Moss is very good. But he is no Calvin Johnson, which is why they ranked below the Lions. Chris Cooley is also a heck of a player at tight end. As for the rest of the receivers, Antwaan Randle El is what he is, and the two second year players had very forgettable rookie seasons. I hope Clinton Portis has his big boy shoulder pads on, because it will all be all on him this season.

#18 New Orleans Saints – It’s amazing that Drew Brees threw for so many yards last season, because his receivers are nothing special. They don’t have a legit number one, and don’t really scare anyone. I guess this means that Drew Brees is so accurate that you can’t drop the ball.

#19 New York Giants – Now this team is hard to place. There are those who say that they have a lot of depth at receiver. That is not how I view the situation. To me, it looks as though they have a lot of bodies but no one has proven anything. Steve Smith played very well last year opposite the idiot that shot himself, but can he do that when the coverage is actually rolled to him? I don’t know. They also have Mario Manningham, Domenik Hixon, Sinorice Moss, and rookie Hakeem Nicks. That is a lot of names, but can any of them step up and be the go to guy without Burress on the field. We will see, but until then, they will remain at #19.

#20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Antonio Bryant is finally playing up to all of the promise that he showed in college at Pitt. Kellen Winslow is also a heck of a football player, a head-case for sure, but also a great football player. Everyone else is pretty bad. It won’t matter much because this is going to be a REALLY BAD FOOTBALL TEAM THIS SEASON.

#21 Chicago Bears – Greg Olsen is legit a tight end, but can any of the receivers actually play receiver? Devin Hester may be the world’s richest freeze tag player, but can he really run a shallow cross and actually catch the ball? Can he drive the cornerback off of him and then run a comeback route? I don’t know, you don’t know, and Jay Cutler doesn’t know. We will all find out together. What we do know is that Hester is fast, but we don’t know if he will have the ball in hand while running.

#22 Denver Broncos – This group would undoubtedly be ranked higher if Brandon Marshall (more on him later in the blog) actually wanted to play for the team this season. He doesn’t, so they are ranked 22nd. Eddie Royal and Tony Scheffler are nice players but Marshall is the engine that makes this offense go. Jay Cutler really wanted out of Denver and he got his way. But he will really miss playing with Brandon Marshall. Or will he? Might they be reunited?

#23 Baltimore Ravens – I am beginning to think that this team is allergic to wide receivers. Derrick Mason is old, Mark Clayton is decent at best, and Todd Heap and LJ Smith are injured more than Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill. Although the defense is great and the running game very good, the Ravens are going to have to make some plays through the air at some point if they plan on being contenders. Truthfully, I’m not sure if these guys can do it.

#24 Tennessee Titans – This is another team that is allergic to wide receivers. Their tight ends are really the stars of their passing game. Bo Scaife is a nice player and Fat Albert (Has anyone see Alge Crumpler lately? He looks like Grady Jackson’s mini-me.) They did add Nate Washington from Pittsburgh and drafted Kenny Britt from Rutgers. That being said, I still think that Chris Johnson will face 8 and 9 man fronts all season long.

#25 Miami Dolphins – Ted Ginn Jr. may turn out to be a NFL receiver after all. Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo really turned some heads last season. Was it a fluke or are they legit? I will have to see before I rank them any higher.

#26 Jacksonville Jaguars – Torry Holt is pretty much it. I don’t know why he signed there because this is not a good football team. Former first-round bust Troy Williamson is also trying to revive his career.

#27 New York Jets – None of these guys scare me. Jerricho Cotchery is decent and Dustin Keller is an average tight end, but everyone else might as well be blocking dummies. I’m assuming that David Clowney is historically great in the pre-season because I heard an announcer call him “Mr. August” after scoring a pre-season touchdown. That must be true because he has a grand total of one regular season reception during his two year career.

#28 Cleveland Browns – Watching Braylon Edwards play football is like watching Lamar Odom play basketball. You can’t help but wonder how good he could be if he actually tried. He has all of the talent in the world, but just isn’t committed to becoming great. Who knows how he will play this season. Mike Furrey and David Patton don’t scare anyone. Hopefully rookies Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie will be able to contribute early (which is doubtful).

#29 Kansas City Chiefs – New coach Todd Haley was the offensive coordinator for the Cardinals last season. Now he is the head coach of the Chiefs. Do you think he sees a difference in the receivers? Todd, you can click you heels together all you want but Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are not walking through that door.

#30 St. Louis Rams – Donnie Avery, Ronald Curry, Laurent Robinson, and Randy McMichael. Anyone scared? I didn’t think so. All I have to say is that Steven Jackson had better get ready to face 12 men in the box every play. Yes, I said 12. I am also counting the back judge because there will be no deep passes for him to officiate. Therefore he can get in the way, close to the line of scrimmage as well.

#31 San Francisco 49ers – Michael Crabtree has not signed yet, and it really doesn’t matter. Because this team will run the ball 65 times a game this season. If you had a bad quarterback, bad receivers, and a bad tight end, what would you do?

#32 Oakland Raiders – Is anyone really surprised? If Darrius Heyward-Bey is the answer, I would love for someone to tell me what the question was.

AND NOW FOR MY BALLER AND SCRUB OF THE WEEK!

BALLER: Brandon Marshall (Denver Broncos) – Do you think that Josh McDaniels regret ever agreeing to become the Head Coach of the Denver Broncos. It has been a nightmare from day one (most of which was his own doing). First he runs Jay Cutler (check in next week to see where he ranks among NFL quarterbacks) out of town, and now he is in a bitter feud with star receiver Brandon Marshall. Marshall obviously wants out of Denver. If McDaniels didn’t know that before, he found out when Marshall showed up to practice in his pajama pants, shoulder pads, jersey, helmet, and cleats. I know that this should not make him the Baller of the Week and I usually don’t condone this type of behavior, but he wins the award because the entire situation was simply HILARIOUS!!!! He has also been simply knocking the ball down instead of catching it during passing drills. Needless to say, he was later suspended for conduct detrimental to the team.

SCRUB: Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers?) – Michael Crabtree (10th overall pick in the draft) has yet to sign with the San Francisco 49ers. In the NFL, the order in which you were drafted usually determines how the value of your contract will compare with the other draft picks. Basically, the higher you are drafted, the more money you make. It is basically a slotting system, which means that the #6 pick will be paid somewhere between the #5 and #7 picks. Crabtree was drafted 10th and is reportedly looking for a contract that is higher than the #7 pick (Darrius Heyward-Bey) because he feels as though he is a better player. He is in fact a better player than Heyward-Bey, but Heyward-Bey was drafted three spots ahead of him. The 49ers are reportedly offering him a deal that is worth somewhere between what the #9 and #11 picks got.

Don’t get me wrong, I am usually always in support of players getting more money. But in this case, Crabtree is being an idiot. You were drafted where you were drafted. Sign the contract and play football. You haven’t proven one thing in the NFL, and you play a position that has a high bust rate. Although we all think that you will be a good if not great player, no one really knows. Also, unless you grew up ridiculously wealthy making somewhere between $25 million and $28.5 million over the next five years should make you pretty happy. Also, do you really think that people want to see another spoiled athlete hold out because he feels entitled to receive more money, while people are losing their jobs left and right? Sign the contract and play. If you don’t, what are you going to do all year? Be a brain surgeon?

One more thing to think about since you've got a lot of time on your hands. THE NFL SEASON WILL GO ON WITH OR WITHOUT YOU!