Wide Receiver Corps = A Whole Lot of Nothing

[Jumbo075]

https://mockdraftable.com/player/allen-robinson

https://mockdraftable.com/player/michael-gallup

Gallup's just not that kind of dude.

Mock Draftable lays it out well - he's an average to above average athlete who's on the small side for an outside WR. Allen Robinson is a huge dude with springs for days, and in games, he won on that physical ability.

That's exactly what I'm afraid of. That's why I think we'll be back here next year wanting the Cowboys to draft a #1 receiver.

 

[Arkyvarminter]

Dez isn't gone because he lacked chemistry with Dak. He's gone because he's lost two steps and acts like T.O............

 

[Techsass]

Multiple good receivers can be used to win, but they aren't the same as having a great receiver. Even in his heyday Des spent most of the game as a decoy. It's the same on other teams with top notch receivers.

 

[beware_d-ware]

That's exactly what I'm afraid of. That's why I think we'll be back here next year wanting the Cowboys to draft a #1 receiver.

Oh, I'm sure. I don't think there's a 1000 yard receiver on the roster. But I didn't really like any of the guys this year except for Sammy Watkins (who the Chiefs gave $30 mil guaranteed to - too much IMO for a guy who's only finished 1 healthy season), and the draft was pretty iffy too.

WR is going to be a problem this year, but overspending on more #2 receivers isn't the answer either. I think the FO realized that and handled it pretty well.

 

[Hardline]

There will be some excellent WRs coming out of the 2019 draft.

 

[Kevinicus]

He's a troll that thinks he's funny...everything he posts is wrong and without any thought...

You just brought up QBR like it's relevant...ironic.

 

[Arkyvarminter]

You just brought up QBR like it's relevant...ironic.

More relevant than a caveman saying he sucks.......

 

[sideon]

The reason why the Dez/Dak connection didn’t work was because Dez isn’t a good receiver. Obviously if he was he would have been signed by now.

Romo was insanely accurate with the football- Dak isn’t there yet but honestly, he should be expected to be as accurate as Romo when Dak is in his third year.

Dak will be better simply because Dez wasn’t any good. I’m confident that the players we have now will perform better and are better than Dez. He just doesn’t have it anymore.

And that line is where you *** up. The rest of your post reads like someone who doesn't understand how football works. You think Dak will be just as accurate as Romo just because it's his third year? Romo was a better passer than Dak because he threw the ball better genius, Dak has always had accuracy issues going back to college.

 

[Diehardblues]

The Cowboys FO is certainly taking a risk this year at the receiver position. Probably by mid season, we will know whether this “Committee” approach is a workable formula. It can be if Gallup or another youngster develops.

But as has been said many times on these boards of late, this team’s running game will be hamstrung without a decent passing game threat. Doesn’t have to be a great passing game, but it cannot be another 2017 version.

I suspect our recievers by “ committee “ will be as effective as our running back by “ committee” and we’ll react similarly in 2019 draft as Jumbo outlined.

There really is no replacement for talent loss at reciever unless Dak becomes a prolific passer elevating these recievers like Romo did all around him. I’m certainly not counting on our scheme to make the difference with lesser talent.

Nice job Jumbo!

 

[T-RO]

In 2018 we won’t have an elite receiver.
In ‘16 and ‘17 we didn’t have an elite receiver

Sure would be nice to have one, but there wasn’t a single guy in the draft who will be elite and they are getting harder to find.

We can win...even win it all...without one

The question is...from a pool of rookies and FA adds...have we found 2 or 3 good ones?

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

We have no WR's until further notice. Nobody knows how any of these guys are going to play.

 

[Jumbo075]

I suspect our recievers by “ committee “ will be as effective as our running back by “ committee” and we’ll react similarly in 2019 draft as Jumbo outlined.

There really is no replacement for talent loss at reciever unless Dak becomes a prolific passer elevating these recievers like Romo did all around him. I’m certainly not counting on our scheme to make the difference with lesser talent.

Nice job Jumbo!

The difference between 2015 and 2018 is that in 2015 the Cowboys were actually targeting a RB in the 3rd round with their 91st pick, but the Cardinals swooped in at #86 to take David Johnson before the Cowboys picked. That's how we ended up with Chaz Green. This year, the Cowboys were actually able to get the WR they targeted in the 3rd round with the 81st pick - Michael Gallup. If Gallup can turn out as good as David Johnson has turned out, then the Cowboys won't need to go to the well again. Here's hoping...

 

[plasticman]

Cowboy receivers:

1978
Tony Hill 46-823 yards
Drew Pearson 44-712 yards

1979
Tony Hill 60-1062 yards
Drew Pearson 55-1026 yards

Roger Staubach was the #1 ranked QB both years.
Prior to 1978 Tony Hill caught 2 passes.

So,which guy was his "#1" receiver?

There are several great examples of highly successful teams in NFL history without a so called #1 receiver. I often wonder if such a designation is more complimentary to that receiver or actually a disguised insult to the receiver on the other side of the center. How do you become a #1 receiver? More receptions? More yards? More TD's? Higher draft pick?

 

[Diehardblues]

Cowboy receivers:

1978
Tony Hill 46-823 yards
Drew Pearson 44-712 yards

1979
Tony Hill 60-1062 yards
Drew Pearson 55-1026 yards

Roger Staubach was the #1 ranked QB both years.
Prior to 1978 Tony Hill caught 2 passes.

So,which guy was his "#1" receiver?

There are several great examples of highly successful teams in NFL history without a so called #1 receiver. I often wonder if such a designation is more complimentary to that receiver or actually a disguised insult to the receiver on the other side of the center. How do you become a #1 receiver? More receptions? More yards? More TD's? Higher draft pick?

I’ve always considered Drew his #1 reciever and why we called him Mr Clutch. When you need that 1st down that’s who you go to.

That doesn’t water down Thrills contribution. As he was a big play 2nd option much like Big Alvin was with Irvin.

And where those stats don’t always tell the whole story.

 

[Jumbo075]

Cowboy receivers:

1978
Tony Hill 46-823 yards
Drew Pearson 44-712 yards

1979
Tony Hill 60-1062 yards
Drew Pearson 55-1026 yards

Roger Staubach was the #1 ranked QB both years.
Prior to 1978 Tony Hill caught 2 passes.

So,which guy was his "#1" receiver?

There are several great examples of highly successful teams in NFL history without a so called #1 receiver. I often wonder if such a designation is more complimentary to that receiver or actually a disguised insult to the receiver on the other side of the center. How do you become a #1 receiver? More receptions? More yards? More TD's? Higher draft pick?

The #1 receiver is the one the opposing defenses fear enough to double team. Just because a #2 receiver get similar yardage against single coverage that the #1 guy gets against double coverage doesn't make him equal to a #1 receiver. It just means he's an above average #2 receiver, who has learned to take advantage of the fact he has single coverage.

The complaint against Williams is that he hasn't prospered more against single coverage, which just goes to show he's average - not above average - as a #2 receiver. That being said, even average #2 receivers are making $5-7M per season right now, so the Cowboys got a bargain with Williams. People are gushing over Hurns because of one good year 3 seasons ago, but career wise, he's about the same as Williams - which is nothing special.

One more thing: Hurns had his one good year in 2015 when the Jaguars had no running game, and Bortles threw 18 interceptions. Of course he had more catches and yards, because his QB was recklessly throwing the ball around. Prescott won't do that, so it's unlikely Hurns will have similar production to 2015.

 

[dsturgeon]

The NFL is changing. We would like one of the dominant WR's, but I don't think it is as big of a deal as people are making it out to be. This team is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, and I think the fans are going to like what they see.

Last year= everyone was crying about the secondary, and they stepped up.
2 years ago= everyone was crying about the qb, and he stepped up.

Thanks to the front office who has been making very good decisions for 4 or 5 years, the Cowboys are playing as a team, and not just depending on 3 superstars.

The old regime of players is gone, and there are young guys stepping up all over the field.

 

[HowardC]

Aikman is talking about prospects that have the tools but aren't accurate when being drafted, Paxton Lynch, Brandon Weeden types the scouts make excuses for and take in the 1st round. That they usually never overcome that. He's not talking about Dak who has already shown the accuracy to play qb in the nfl but has inconsistent footwork that causes some accuracy issues.

Dak's accuracy leaves a lot to be desired. He can't throw receivers open or put the ball in tight windows. He can't even hit stationary targets in a passing competition as shown at the Pro Bowl and on NFL network... I like Dak but I don't believe that he will ever be able to slice up a defense. He needs receivers to be college open not NFL open. He dinks and dunks because he knows that he can't make the tough throws. Just being honest...

 

[dsturgeon]

Dak's accuracy leaves a lot to be desired. He can't throw receivers open or put the ball in tight windows. He can't even hit stationary targets in a passing competition as shown at the Pro Bowl and on NFL network... I like Dak but I don't believe that he will ever be able to slice up a defense. He needs receivers to be college open not NFL open. He dinks and dunks because he knows that he can't make the tough throws. Just being honest...

True, but there is a good chance he is just behind in his development, and he might be able to improve. He is not going quietly into the night, and I am sure he is trying to fix that. If not, he has competition behind him, and has not gotten a contract yet.

 

[Bobhaze]

That's foolish. Defenses still rolled coverage to the Cowboys #1 receiver. Without a #1 receiver, defenses will play differently. Neither Hurns nor Williams is a #1 threat that will cause defenses to account for them with double coverage.

Getting 800 yards against single coverage is not the same as getting 800 yards against double coverage. It's just not. The raw production may be the same. But how a #1 receiver affects opposing defensive game plans isn't. Bottom line is that is is tougher to play without a #1 receiver than it is to play with a #1 receiver. Bryant may have fallen off against double coverage. But he still obliterated single coverage - something neither Hurns, nor Williams does. That's why Allen Robinson got a 3-year, $42M deal with $25.2M guaranteed this offseason, while Hurns got only $2.5M guaranteed, and Williams signed a deal with $9.5M guaranteed a year ago. Robinson is a #1 threat. Hurns and Williams aren't.

Like it or not, defenses still feared Bryant. They don't fear Hurns or Williams. We need to hope that they learn to fear Gallup. I'm not trying to make an argument about whether or not the Cowboys should have kept Bryant. That ship has sailed. I'm making an argument about the desirability of having a #1 receiver that defenses fear.

In Bob Sturm’s analysis of the Cowboys offense in 2017, he stated that Dez was actually double covered less than half of the time last season.Defenses simply didn’t respect him like they used to. Dez’s Double digit drops, most of which were made between Oct and Dec, made him less trustworthy as the year progressed. He may have been called the “#1 receiver” last year, but he was usually not treated like one by opposing defenses.

Here’s a link by “Football Outsiders” to a very good stat analysis of NFL WRs in 2017. This stat matrix had Dez ranked 72 among NFL receivers last year. This analysis mainly looks at value per play. Rather than me trying to over-explain, check out the link.

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/wr

 

[AdamJT13]

Dak's accuracy leaves a lot to be desired. He can't throw receivers open or put the ball in tight windows. He can't even hit stationary targets in a passing competition as shown at the Pro Bowl and on NFL network... I like Dak but I don't believe that he will ever be able to slice up a defense. He needs receivers to be college open not NFL open. He dinks and dunks because he knows that he can't make the tough throws. Just being honest...

Dak ranked No. 1 in tight-window completion percentage and No. 1 in tight-window passer rating. He also ranked No. 4 in overall depth-adjusted accuracy, No. 2 in accuracy score on throws of 16 yards or more and No. 4 in adjusted completion percentage on throws of 20 yards or more.

But yeah, four different sources of information must all be completely wrong.