A #2 Receiver: Is it really needed?

[jobberone]

We won three Super Bowls with a number two WR who never caught more than 40 passes.

How? By using backs and tight ends and spreading the ball around to keep defenses honest in the passing game. Mix in a strong rushing attack and play action to keep the defense honest, and defenses had a hard time stopping us, just like they will this upcoming season.

He still kept the defense honest allowing Irvin to work a little more easily. That's the point. If the defense can put one guy on a WR and keep him relatively quiet then they can consistently allocate more resources on the #1.

Not saying distributing the ball is not important either. Of course it is. But TEs generally get different resources than WRs (altho this is changing some). They still work different parts of the field. Same as RBs. One reason I love sending a RB deep. Barber can't do that but Felix likely can BTW. It puts a defense in a bind esp if the RB can get deep quickly enough to allow the QB time to throw it to him.

 

[Billy Bullocks]

I think having a good #2 is a luxury that few teams can afford to have.

I also think that Owens being gone will let Tony go back to spreading the ball around more. (remember the game where Owens was targeted a good 15 times and complained about not being thrown to enough?)

Felix Jones is definately a guy that I think factored in in our decision to release Owens. That and the fact that our real #1 is now Witten.

If Roy Williams and Bennet can live up to the hype, I think we'll be in great shape.

 

[jobberone]

I think having a good #2 is a luxury that few teams can afford to have.

I also think that Owens being gone will let Tony go back to spreading the ball around more. (remember the game where Owens was targeted a good 15 times and complained about not being thrown to enough?)

Felix Jones is definately a guy that I think factored in in our decision to release Owens. That and the fact that our real #1 is now Witten.

If Roy Williams and Bennet can live up to the hype, I think we'll be in great shape.

If you're saying Witten is often the primary receiver then I'll not argue a lot. But he's not the #1 WR. He's a TE and as such has different routes and coverages. He cannot perform as a WR. He's not quick enough nor fast enough for that. He is a major problem for the people who have to cover him though. Apples and oranges.

If a team can consistenly allocate two and even three defenders to cover your #1 then you have a situation like TO in many games. That's fine if you can go to the other receivers who should be in single coverage. I don't see Ausin falling down in that regard. In fact I think he will be covered low and receive high cover as well a lot. That should help an offense somewhere.

You don't need an All Pro at the #2 WR. He just needs to command proper attention. And of course a good OC with good athletes is going to attack weak spots in coverage which should happen with misallocation of resources or mistakes in coverage.

 

[the kid 05]

#2's are over rated, jump right to #3

 

[TwoDeep3]

Just an amazing concept the OP is floating.

How many years did we try to find a guy across from Irvin after Harper left?

Just amazing.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

I agree we dont need more threats we need to execute and get all the current threats involved in the game.

I agree. Dallas relied too much on the homerun with Owens. Now they can actually run their offense.

 

[sonnyboy]

Short answer is yes.

This is now a 2-3 WR formation league. Rule changes have lead us this way.

1 WR 2 TE 2 RB formation is not even an option outside of 3rd and less than 1 yard.

So it really doesn't matter how many good RB's or TE's we have or how good our #1 WR is.

You can go and count up the runs and passes and then distribute them any way you want.

Now I will concede that since we have 2 really good TE's, at least one of them will probably be on the field at all times. And as a team will probably have fewer WR snaps taken than the average team.

But at the end of the day, you're still going to have 2-3 WR's on the field for 95% of the teams snaps.

If Austin doesn't do well in the #2 WR role, it will hurt. If he's getting shut down one on one, it'll free up more defenders for the rest of our options.

 

[jday]

I think adding at least one WR is among our biggest needs.

I was a fan of the RW trade and hope he can establish himself as a gamebreaking WR1 for years to come. Fact is, we didn't trade for him with the expectation that T.O. would be gone and he did nothing to erase fans' legitimate questions about what he will be for us.

If Hakeem Nicks' weight-damaged stock causes him to fall to us at #51. I'm all over it.

You didn't mention PR. Crayton is a fine punt catcher. I'd like a complete special teams 180 next season, which includes adding a dynamic return man with a future in the slot. If we wait on WR, I like several tough, smallish guys in the middle rounds with exactly that resume.

RW and Austin are on the team. Crayton is also but he's also draft-day trade bait; Hurd is JAG and Stanback is on his last legs. I'll take a WR or two in this draft.

I can see the Cowboys picking up one WR, but more than that might be a stretch. One problem is, from what I've read, this is not a very strong draft for WR to begin with. Chances our, by the time the Cowboys get on the board, the BPA will not be a WR. The other problem is, I don't think WR ranks high in terms of need to begin with. Lastly, if the Cowboys do draft a receiver at any point throughout the draft, the big question will be can that individual actually replace Crayton or Austin on the depth chart. The truth is, it might be a stretch for a rookie to replace Stanback and/or Hurd.

 

[Common Sense]

So... using your numbers... Romo is going to complete somewhere between 350 and 410 passes, not couting passes to Hurd, Stanback, Deon Anderson, etc., and we're going to run the ball 425 times, not counting FBs, QBs, and WRs?

Ehhh. Okay... I guess that goes along with the expectation that the defense is going to force 3-and-outs every possession, causing the offense to see a lot more time on the field than would otherwise be physically possible.