Patience with WRs

[perrykemp]

Saw an interesting article related to Donald Driver's retirement where they posted Bob McGinn's (writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) season by season grades for Donald Driver and I was a bit shocked on how Driver was viewed earlier his his career -- basically a a bottom of the roster special teams guy:

1999: Staged a training-camp clinic on how to make a team as a seventh-round draft choice. Deserves another look but odds and his own limited ability conspire against him. Grade: D.

2000: No more than a No. 4 wide receiver on a good team. Shows toughness catching in crowds and was most explosive and fearless receiver on club after the catch. Too small for steady workload. Left horrible last impression by dropping the ball three times in first career start. Grade: D-plus.

2001: His leaping third-and-8 catch against the 49ers when the game was slipping away might have been the club's most memorable of the season. A competent No. 4 receiver and terrific special teams player. Just not very big. Grade: C.

Seeing those grades my think twice about critical I was of Dwayne Harris last season and possible even Cole Beasley this season. There a bunch of WRs in the league who weren't 1st round picks who don't fit the prototype that end up being Pro-Bowl type players.

Here on CZ I've been critical of folks who've said "you need to give rookies 3 years to evaluate them". I've argued otherwise. Looking at hour Driver's career panned out (10,000 yards, Packer's all time leading WR statistically) after 4 nondescript seasons really is an argument that patience is a virtue.

I have a feeling that Dwayne Harris just might end up being more than serviceable.... I'm thinking he could be way better than that.

[CowboysPhan]

It definitely emphasizes the fact that you just never know who is going to break out. It seems to be especially true of wide receivers. I don't know why it seems to take most of them longer to "get it" than players at other positions, but I've seen it time and time again. I remember being disappointed in the much-heralded Michael Irvin his first couple of years, but we all know how that worked out. Miles Austin seemed like nothing special until he broke out. Dez showed all-world physical traits, but never could seem to put it all together until he suddenly put it all together. I agree that with Harris and Beasley we definitely need to show patience. The only wr on the roster that I don't think needs any more time is Otree. To me, if he was going to develop he would have at least started showing something by now.

[JIMMYBUFFETT]

Originally Posted by perrykemp

Saw an interesting article related to Donald Driver's retirement where they posted Bob McGinn's (writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) season by season grades for Donald Driver and I was a bit shocked on how Driver was viewed earlier his his career -- basically a a bottom of the roster special teams guy:

1999: Staged a training-camp clinic on how to make a team as a seventh-round draft choice. Deserves another look but odds and his own limited ability conspire against him. Grade: D.

2000: No more than a No. 4 wide receiver on a good team. Shows toughness catching in crowds and was most explosive and fearless receiver on club after the catch. Too small for steady workload. Left horrible last impression by dropping the ball three times in first career start. Grade: D-plus.

[View Full Quote]2001: His leaping third-and-8 catch against the 49ers when the game was slipping away might have been the club's most memorable of the season. A competent No. 4 receiver and terrific special teams player. Just not very big. Grade: C.

Seeing those grades my think twice about critical I was of Dwayne Harris last season and possible even Cole Beasley this season. There a bunch of WRs in the league who weren't 1st round picks who don't fit the prototype that end up being Pro-Bowl type players.

Here on CZ I've been critical of folks who've said "you need to give rookies 3 years to evaluate them". I've argued otherwise. Looking at hour Driver's career panned out (10,000 yards, Packer's all time leading WR statistically) after 4 nondescript seasons really is an argument that patience is a virtue.

I have a feeling that Dwayne Harris just might end up being more than serviceable.... I'm thinking he could be way better than that.

It's almost as if the professional coaching staff knows more about players like Harris and Ogletree than what the fans do. Frankly I'm shocked!

[InmanRoshi]

I just know that by year 6, Ogletree will finally "get it" and grow into the immense talent that made him an undrafted free agent. Just two more years. Patience.

I understand what the original point the OP was trying to make. WRs can be undervalued often because it takes them longer develop, and WR production is so linked to the offense and QB they play for that they can often fall under the radar. I love taking fliers on talented WRs who previously played for crap offenses and QBs. That's precisely what we did with Laurant Robinson. I'd like to take a cheap flier on a guy like Mohamed Massaquoi

[conner01]

some players have great talent and work hard and become super stars. some players have great talent, don't work hard and become average or below average players. some plays have marginal talent but work hard and become good players, some even great.
seem to me the biggest difference in players really come down to their desire to put in the work. some very average guys have become very good players because they put in the work to get better.
figuring out who wants it the worst is very hard but may be the most important thing to judge on players

[Illini88228]

Part of what makes evaluating wide receivers early difficult is that there's such a jump from a college offense to a pro offense. In college, especially if they come from a program that doesn't run a pro-lite offense, a lot of these guys are practically playing sandlot ball. Then they come to the pros and have to read the coverage pre-snap much like a qb does. It's a big adjustment. Some guys have the skill set to be good at both, but being good at one doesn't guarantee being good at the other.

[DFWJC]

Originally Posted by perrykemp

Saw an interesting article related to Donald Driver's retirement where they posted Bob McGinn's (writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) season by season grades for Donald Driver and I was a bit shocked on how Driver was viewed earlier his his career -- basically a a bottom of the roster special teams guy:
[View Full Quote]

1999: Staged a training-camp clinic on how to make a team as a seventh-round draft choice. Deserves another look but odds and his own limited ability conspire against him. Grade: D.

2000: No more than a No. 4 wide receiver on a good team. Shows toughness catching in crowds and was most explosive and fearless receiver on club after the catch. Too small for steady workload. Left horrible last impression by dropping the ball three times in first career start. Grade: D-plus.

2001: His leaping third-and-8 catch against the 49ers when the game was slipping away might have been the club's most memorable of the season. A competent No. 4 receiver and terrific special teams player. Just not very big. Grade: C.

Seeing those grades my think twice about critical I was of Dwayne Harris last season and possible even Cole Beasley this season. There a bunch of WRs in the league who weren't 1st round picks who don't fit the prototype that end up being Pro-Bowl type players.

Here on CZ I've been critical of folks who've said "you need to give rookies 3 years to evaluate them". I've argued otherwise. Looking at hour Driver's career panned out (10,000 yards, Packer's all time leading WR statistically) after 4 nondescript seasons really is an argument that patience is a virtue.

I have a feeling that Dwayne Harris just might end up being more than serviceable.... I'm thinking he could be way better than that.

I've said it before; I think Harris has a little bit of Driver in him. And I never get an "amen" on this one, but I keep saying Harris really reminds me of Hines Ward in many ways.