Why is everybody getting so excited about any of our WRs outside of TO?
Crayton has good hands but in my mind (and others) lacks the speed/frame to ever become a legit #2WR.
Hurd is another Crayton; he's got good hands/great work ethic but he lacks the speed & the frame (but has added more muscle to his 205# frame) to become a possession WR in the Keyshawn mode. He's only 23 compared with Crayton's 30 & will likely take Crayton's job in 2 years or so. Hurd has a great & will lay his body out on every play to make the catch.
Austin has the size/speed to become a legit #2 WR; but he's had problems catching the ball last year. This year he shown lot of improvement in his pass catching & if it continues he could be a big help in stretching the field opposite TO.
Stanbach essentially was red shirted last year due to his injuries, but apparently he's worked very hard in the offseason to transition from a QB to WR. He has the size/speed & good hands necessary to become a legit #1WR. Read in one of the media reports yesterday that the Cowboys already consider Stanbach as the most talented/promising of the group & also the most dangerous after he catches the ball. Stanbach is looking really good in crossing patterns so the Cowboys probably will utilize him quite a bit there, but he does have difficulty in downfield patterns tracking the ball. The media has reported that Garrett is really pushing the development of Stanbach as quickly as possible. He can be productive this year & we'll certainly show some real flashes of what he can do, but his breakthrough probably won't come until 09.
Amendola is 5'10" and while his timed 40 speed has been reported as high as 4.63 but others say in pads he's actually around 4.57 or even lower. He's got great hands, runs good routes & reads defenses well. As an undrafted rookie WR, he's going to have to show a lot to make the team but then so did Hurd & Austin & a kid named Tony Romo. Besides whatever talent he has, he could have help or be hindered by the fact that Jason Garrett's favorite player while he was with the Dolphins was Dolphin WR Wes Welker. If Amendola continues to consistently show good hands, route running & can contribute on STs through rest of TC & the preseason games, Garrett will find a niche for him. As someone has already pointed out, Amendola's faster then Crayton (and Hurd?) which could make him valuable in the slot and on 3rd downs. An additional factor might also be how soon he can contribute to our offense & his upside.
