Bledsoe's Targets by Range Compared

[ravidubey]

Intermediate
Barring injury, the best Bledsoe has ever had will be on the field in 2005. Keyshawn Johnson, Jason Witten, and Dan Campbell give him options like he has not had his entire career. This is exciting...

...until you look either short or long!

Short
As a short range receiver, who on the Cowboys can compare with Kevin Turner, David Megget, Curtis Martin, Larry Centers, Travis Henry, or even LeRoy Thompson, Sam Gash, or Robert Edwards?

Outside of last year with Willis McGahee (who was unimpressive as a receiver), at this point I don't think Bledsoe has ever worse off for a short range/safety valve receiver. Julius has a TON of work to do, A-Train is average, and Barber a big unknown. I'm hopeful both Barber and Julius and do it here, but it's a major "?".

Long
Terry Glenn is not as good as he used to be, and Quincy Morgan has the talent to be Shawn Jefferson but can't stay healthy. Bledsoe's weakest deep receiver combos have been:

1993- Ultimate Brisby/Michael Timpson were a year too raw
1995- Timpson leaves, Glenn is not here yet
2000- Shawn Jefferson leaves

Bledsoe had a far younger Terry Glenn in many of those years, and he had Eric Moulds in others.

What bothers me is this year's available deep targets reminds me of 1995.

In 1995, Bledsoe had statistically his worst year, worse in ways than even his rookie year. He had Sam gash, Curtis Martin, and Dave Meggett short and the great Ben Coates intermediate -- but Ultimate Brisby was his only deep option.

I'd compare the Brisby of 1995 to the Glenn of 2005. What I'm leaving out is Quincy Morgan, who reminds me alot of Shawn Jefferson who helped divert attention from TG big time in the late 1990's.

Maybe 1995 is a fluke, but if Bledsoe's history is any indication, we NEED Morgan to come through this year.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

And Bledsoe loves long passes and hates the short passing game.

 

[Alexander]

And Bledsoe loves long passes and hates the short passing game.

That is not surprising.

Bledsoe has always been a deep passer and has never developed touch in the short passing game to compensate for his age and declining skills. He is very much like Marino. In the later years.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

That is not surprising.

Bledsoe has always been a deep passer and has never developed touch in the short passing game to compensate for his age and declining skills. He is very much like Marino. In the later years.

That's probably a pretty comparison. He's a tad bit more mobile than Dan but his release isn't close and his accuracy has never been great.

 

[Alexander]

That's probably a pretty comparison. He's a tad bit more mobile than Dan but his release isn't close and his accuracy has never been great.

Dan was better because he could thread the needle and cut put the ball into spaces nobody else could. Bledsoe has the arm but not the accuracy. He thinks he does and that is part of his problem. The extra tortoise step Drew has on him is minimal.

 

[tyke1doe]

Where is Ben Coates?

I don't know whether our receiving corp is the best Bledsoe has had to work with when you factor in Curtis Martin, Ben Coates, Terry Glenn, Shawn Jefferson and Keith Byars.

Glenn was faster but less experienced. Still he caught 90 passes for over 1,000 yards in his first season. Keyshawn is probably more experienced than anyone the Pats had in Bledsoe's heyday and the Pats backs would be better than the Cowboys, since both Byars and Martin were good out the backfield, and we still don't know what type of receiving back Julius is.

I think a more mature Bledsoe will be better than a young Bledsoe, but that depends on whether he's patient and doesn't try to force things. He has some talent to lean on. He just has to remember he doesn't have to do it alone.

 

[tyke1doe]

My bad, I read over your Ben Coates reference in my first perusal of your post. I see where you mentioned him as a re-read the thread.

 

[big dog cowboy]

if Bledsoe's history is any indication, we NEED Morgan to come through this year.

At least we will rely on our running game to set up the passing game instead of vice versa.

 

[dargonking999]

At least we will rely on our running game to set up the passing game instead of vice versa.

It helps even more when your star RB isnt on the injured list

 

[jobberone]

Hey how about Polite for the short game. There I saved you the type Hos. You're welcome.

Key will be good for the short and intermediate as will Witten and Campbell. Jones seems to have the hips for the short game and supposedly Barber is ok as well.

Protection and keeping Bledsoe on the game plan as well as a good running game. It will be ok. Trust me.

 

[dargonking999]

Really i think with JJ bulking up, he wasnt great out of the backfield last year, but if there's one thing yu know about BP RB, they have to have good hands, and i think JJ will improv on his to give Drew his dump off option.

 

[ravidubey]

Curtis Martin had 1400 yards rushing in 1995. My point was Bledsoe had everything that year EXCEPT a viable consistent deep threat. Running game, plus excellent short and intermediate targets.

Yet Bledsoe stunk it up-- a fluke year for him by most accounts. Does anyone remember what happened to him then? Was the OL broken? Was he hurt? Did he just suck?

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I know this post is about the receiving talent, now and then, but IMO, that's a small part of what will really be the deciding factor. If you want to judge him now and then, I think you need to look at the OLs. This is what will tell the story.

 

[Verdict]

And Bledsoe loves long passes and hates the short passing game.

Ben Coates was a short/intermediate receiver. Coates was arguably Bledsoe's favorite receiver for a certain time period. I think with Witten/Keyshawn to throw to that Bledsoe will excel at the short/intermediate stuff. Also, Parcells like ball control so I expect he will want Bledsoe to watch for the short/intermediate routes.

 

[Doomsday101]

Ben Coates was a short/intermediate receiver. Coates was arguably Bledsoe's favorite receiver for a certain time period. I think with Witten/Keyshawn to throw to that Bledsoe will excel at the short/intermediate stuff. Also, Parcells like ball control so I expect he will want Bledsoe to watch for the short/intermediate routes.

I agree, give Bledsoe a quality TE and he will make the most of it. Dallas will take their shots with the deep ball but I still see this offense a ball control offense with a heavy dose of running

 

[Verdict]

Dan was better because he could thread the needle and cut put the ball into spaces nobody else could. Bledsoe has the arm but not the accuracy. He thinks he does and that is part of his problem. The extra tortoise step Drew has on him is minimal.

...not great. I know he passed for all sorts of records, but he obviously did not ever win a superbowl. Records are nice, but making good decisions are more important. If Drew makes good decisions this year we will contend for the NFC Championship. If he does not, we will struggle. I hope Parcells can get Bledsoe in the right mindset. He does not need to carry the team, he just needs to make good decisions and make a play here and there when it is necessary.

 

[Doomsday101]

...not great. I know he passed for all sorts of records, but he obviously did not ever win a superbowl. Records are nice, but making good decisions are more important. If Drew makes good decisions this year we will contend for the NFC Championship. If he does not, we will struggle. I hope Parcells can get Bledsoe in the right mindset. He does not need to carry the team, he just needs to make good decisions and make a play here and there when it is necessary.

Winning SB is not all on the QB if it were Marino and Fouts would have surely won a SB or 2. If this team wins it will be because the team played good football and that does include Bledsoe

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Winning SB is not all on the QB if it were Marino and Fouts would have surely won a SB or 2. If this team wins it will be because the team played good football and that does include Bledsoe

I agree with that.

To bust on a Marino or Fouts or Kelly or Warren Moon or Fran Tarkenton just because they didn't win a SB is well... goofy.

To me they are all better QB's than Bledsoe-- a lot better.

 

[Verdict]

Winning SB is not all on the QB if it were Marino and Fouts would have surely won a SB or 2. If this team wins it will be because the team played good football and that does include Bledsoe

...if a quarterback makes bad decisions you can write off the superbowl. Ironically, many passing leaders play for bad teams and their stats are inflated because of that fact. Marino played for a pretty solid Dolphin team that should have contended, but did not. I am not bashing Marino, nor saying that he was a horrible decision maker in the mold of Quincy Carter, but I think that he was part of the reason that the Dolphins were not more of a threat to win a superbowl than they were. You have to remember, as a footnote, that Dan Marino had a good cast around him, and had better than average coaching as well.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

...if a quarterback makes bad decisions you can write off the superbowl. Ironically, many passing leaders play for bad teams and their stats are inflated because of that fact. Marino played for a pretty solid Dolphin team that should have contended, but did not. I am not bashing Marino, nor saying that he was a horrible decision maker in the mold of Quincy Carter, but I think that he was part of the reason that the Dolphins were not more of a threat to win a superbowl than they were. You have to remember, as a footnote, that Dan Marino had a good cast around him, and had better than average coaching as well.

What 1,000 yard running back did Marino play with?

Hmm... Hmm... his name escapes me.

Who was it?