OPINION: The State of the Cowboy WR Corps

[DallasEast]

With Owens, you already have someone who can catch everything underneath and can potentially score every time. To truly compliment Owens as a legitimate #2 wide receiver in this offense, you only need someone who will step up and:

• stretch the defense with speed
• dependably catch the deep ball

With Glenn, it's a no-brainer who's the #2 that will drive defensive coordinators nuts scheming to defense both Owens and the deep ball each game. He's a injury question mark for 16 regular season games and the postseason. So, who do we have beyond Glenn?

• Crayton - Moderate speed. Excellent hands.
• Austin - Excellent speed. Average hands.
• Hurd - Moderate speed. Good hands.
• Amendola - Moderate speed. Very good hands.
• Stanback - Excellent 4.58 speed . Unproven hands (probably very good hands though, imo)

Unless Polk, West, Jefferson or Bradford have a lights out training camp, those five are the only serious contenders for making this offense deadly. If Austin were to develop very good hands, he would leap Crayton as the defacto #2/Glenn backup. Stanback may still be a year away from primetime. Hurd and Amendola are in the same shoes as Crayton.

Here's hoping that Austin can finally develop dependable hands because that would be the best solution to a) replacing Glenn (if necessary this season), b) unseat a solid, but not scary #2 in Crayton and c) not continuing to hope for Jerry Jones to pull a Roy Williams out of the hat--which would stamp this offense as deadly as there has ever been in NFL history. Maybe not as deadly as last season's Patriots' offense, but potentially as deadly.

 

[followthestar]

Next year's first draft pick will be a WR who has played in a pro-style offense, and is not a "project" player? And we will also try to recruit a veteran WR as we did this year?

 

[Sarge]

Next year's first draft pick will be a WR who has played in a pro-style offense, and is not a "project" player? And we will also try to recruit a veteran WR as we did this year?

I don't agree with this in the least (at least the part about using next years 1st round draft pick on a WR). If there isn't first round talent at WR, you don't pick one (WR) for the sake of picking one. This is precisely what got us in trouble in the latter 90's.

No question we need WR, but grabbing one in the first round is not NECESSARILY a gimme.

I will predict this though. WR is going to be the number 1 priority next year unless we pick someone up in the meantime.

Pretty bold prediction eh?

 

[lspain1]

I will predict this though. WR is going to be the number 1 priority next year unless we pick someone up in the meantime.

Pretty bold prediction eh?

You know Sarge, you're right up there with Gosselin who sez that the teams with the top QB's have the best chance to win the Super Bowl! It's really quite amazing.

 

[Hostile]

Crayton is so under-rated on this board.

He is a legit strating WR in this league. There are teams that would be lucky to get him. He has good size, very good hands, and runs good routes.

Yeah, his mouth is obnoxious, and, yes, he made a crucial drop at a bad time in the playoffs. But aside from those two things, he is a legit starting WR.

Too many people talk about him here as if he is garbage. He isn't.

Would be sweet to have Roy Williams lining up alongside TO? Yeah, that's be awesome. But how many teams can get two Pro Bowl-caliber #1 WRs on the field at the same time? Arizona, Indy and... ? Well, I guess Detroit with CJ and RW. Not really anyone else. Who were the NYG running out there besides Plaxico?

We can win with TO, Crayton and Witten being our top 3 recieving options. Would it be super sweet to have someone better than Crayton? Of course. But it isn't necessary. Nor is the under-valuing of Crayton by fans here because he isn't Roy Williams.

IMO, Steve Smith was coming on great and Toomer was still a real threat. If a team has a stellar defense then they don't need an unstoppable Offense. I like our Defense, but it isn't stellar. Until it is, I will dream of an unstoppable Offense.

 

[RomoIsBack]

We're fine at WR we went 13-3 last year without Glenn. If he comes back the WR core gets better and so does the team.

you sound like wad Phillips point blank when t.o left we stink we need tg bad if he can play

 

[Clove]

IMO, Steve Smith was coming on great and Toomer was still a real threat. If a team has a stellar defense then they don't need an unstoppable Offense. I like our Defense, but it isn't stellar. Until it is, I will dream of an unstoppable Offense.

None of this offensive stuff means jack, if you can have yourself a mean, nasty, dominating defense, you will always be a contender, as long as you have a decent offense.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Wade, is that you?

:laugh2:

 

[zeroburrito]

shambles.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Well, IMO, there is no question that TO makes this offense go, from a passing perspective. Yeah, Witten is a great, great TE. Yeah, Crayton is an over achieving WR who can be considered a decent 3rd WR in the NFL. Yeah, we have some talent but none of it proven in younger guys. The real issue, IMO, is that we are backing ourselves into a corner with TO. Lets say he has another good year. We are in a contract year in 09 and we will have very little leverage if we can't find another WR to offset TO. He will have all the cards and we will have zero leverage. We all know how the evil TO is when he wants to get paid. I really hope we work something out here with another decent WR or we are asking for trouble, IMO.

 

[Stash]

Crayton started out of necessity last season, not by design.

And while he had a great year, he is what he is, a solid posession receiver.

Ideally, he would be a team's #3 receiver, not a #2.

He's a solid, not spectacular player who gets the job done, but he doesn't scare opposing defenses. Team don't need to account for Crayton in the defensive game-planning.

He benefits a great deal from the double-teams that Owens and Witten draw.

After Owens and Crayton, this team has a list of OK players and huge question marks.

Owens is a great receiver, but he's 34 years old and has played one full season in the past 6 years - and he fought through injury in that season.

There's a better than average chance that Owens could miss some time this season, and if history is any judge, this team will struggle greatly without him - just like they did in the one game he missed last season.

I think this team needs better options than what they currently have.