SB Nation - Keenan McCardell

Why Jon Gruden Didn't Work Out in Tampa Bay

Niko Houllis — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:45:09 -0000

I've Been around for all the "Dump McKay in the Bay" Signs.

I listened to the "Give Leeman Bennett One more year" talk.

"Ray Perkins Must go, he is killing our boys".

Been There, Done that.

In each case, a coach with some measure of success has come through our doors at One Buccaneer Place, coming in with credentials, leaving with scribble marks on their resumes, usually never to be heard from again.

Each time, we were able to take a look back after a cool down period and see things for what they were;

Leeman Bennett never had a chance, the Bucs were devoid of talent after spending so many #1''s trying to replace Doug Williams, they never replaced aging defensive players.
Ray Perkins had success in New York with his defensive coordinator Bill Parcells, and excellent drafting by now legendary GM George Young.
Sam Wyche had excellent talent around him in Cincinnati and just the right system for the right players he had. When that talent dropped off, 1991 happened in Ohio. 3-13. When he got here, he found a team without talent, and an owner who cryed poor while stuffing his coffers full of team money, trading or cutting talented players before their second lucrative contracts could take place, always posting a young team on the field. Young, Inexperience, and with limited talent.

Free Agency changed that. The salary cap not only stopped you from speding too much, it forced Hugh Culverhouse to spend at LEAST the minimum. Suddenly talent ensued. Hardy Nickerson. Jackie Harris. Alvin Harper (Ok, they tried).

Enough time has passed so we can now take a look at what happened with Jon Gruden. WonderBoy. Boy Genius. Genius. All names he did not create for himself. He was called these because thats what he was. He was a study of the game, of the offenses of Bill Walsh. He learned from the creator of the West Coast Offense, and he kept it in its purest form longer than any other disciples (Thus why no shotgun for so long. Bill Walsh did not use such a thing).

Holmgren Identified this brilliant student, and took him to Green Bay to be a quality control assistant, which turned into Wide Receivers coach. This caught the eye of Ray Rhodes, new head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, who made Jon Gruden the Offensive Coordinator. Wasn't long before Gruden's offense ranked 4th and 6th, and was eyed as a head coach.

The Raidahs.

Al Davis.

..and now super young offensive genius Jon Gruden, took over a team that went 4-12, and instantly turned them into a .500 team. He didnt have the QB to work with there, getting Jeff George and Wade Wilson. So the next year, in 1999, he signed Rich Gannon, who worked out perfectly in his system.

In only his second year, he found his QB, in a QB driven system. It was the key to his success there. Oakland had a powerful offense, with numerous weapons. The Team Ran as well as it passed. In fact, better; The 2000 Raiders had the No.1 Rushing team, with the 15th passing attack! In 3 years Gruden took a 4-12 team to 12-4 and the AFC Championship game where he lost to the Superbowl champions, and probably one of the best defenses in history, the Baltimore Ravens. In 2001, there is no telling how far Gruden and his team would have gone if not for the tuck rule game, which eliminated them.

Then came the trade. A kings ransom, and reason number..

Why Jon Gruden did not work out? It was a deal MADE to work NOW, at the cost of later. 4 highly skilled players were missing from Jon Grudens Buccaneers from around 2004 to 2008, players that could have helped if not for anything but letting free agency money that was badly needed be used for better purposes.
Rich McKay resigned Martin Gramatica, Simeon Rice, Keshawn Johnson, Brad Johnson, and Booger McFarlane to lucrative long term contracts. No, he didnt do it to sabatoge the team! It was the way McKay had worked for years. Lock in your core group of players, and it was a succesful system: Prior to free agency. But as life would spin, these players were NOT part of the core. Gramatica fizzled in 04, as did Brad Johnsons usefulness. Why McKay would extend Keyshawn knowning full well he clashed with Gruden so much is beyond reasoning. Only Rice would be around till '06.
Talent. McKay could spot the talent, but was not a good Free Agency GM. Allen was a wizz at Free Agency, but it would appear not as good at spotting the talent. The Bucs did not hit home on lower round draft picks, and in a lot of occasions did not do well in higher ones either. Taking a bigger chunk from much needed and scarce free agency money.
QB failure- One of the biggest myths (probably no. 2) is that Jon Gruden couldnt make up his mind with QBs. Gruden tried in vain to find his Rich Gannon, and probably did with Jeff Garcia, but a few years too late, both in Bucs timeframe, and Garcia's body's. But Gruden only benched a QB 3 times in 7 years at the helm. Brad Johnson was the man, and won the Superbowl with him. Brad Johnson in 7 years was the only QB to play all 16 games in one year, that was 2003, which by no coincidence was the best ranked offense for the Bucs; #10. Brad was benched first in 2004. Chris Simms was given the job, but lost it to injury. Griese took over, and started in 05. Griese went down to Knee Injury and Simms became QB again. The Bucs started the 2006 season with Simms, but due to his spleen ruptured, had to go with a backup, and chose Gradkowski who was benched for Rattay. To start the 07 Season, Jeff Garcia played until injury. Garcia was benched after game one of 2008, the 3rd benching done by Gruden. That is it. Gruden's system is Quarterback driven, and yet was never able to develop, or settle with, one QB for reasons his fault and some not of his doing.
The Message got old. He wasnt around in Oakland that long, and there was a system of continued success there. Here, there was instant success, with mostly (key word, MOSTLY) players that were not his own. Then there were declining seasons which took their toll on his message, and his word. Players were told one thing, but when there are losses, things don't always go as planned. "Love Ya Bro" as he was fond of saying, works great when you go 8-8, 8-8, 12-4, 10-6 like he did in Oakland. But when you go to the Superbowl, then do a 7-9, 5-11, it just doesnt go over as well.

I think Jon Gruden's tenure here can be summed up simply; He took over a team of underachieving pro bowl calibur players, who after going to the NFC Championship game in 1999, never were able to recapture that fire in the two seasons afterwards. He provided the defense of that team with the fire to get back to 1999 form, and then some, and with the help of about 7 well placed free agents on offense, was able to get that side of the ball to play with the same level of intensity that was expected of the defense. The offense did not respond overnight, but they improved every week, culminating in a unit that played its best when it needed to, the playoff stretch, and in the playoffs themselves.

The improvements on offense are undeniable. Looking at the 2001 players and then the 2002, you can see "Gruden won with Tony's Team" is utter nonsense.

From Keshawn, Jacquez Green and Karl Williams, To Keyshawn, Keenan McCardell, and Joe Jurevicius.

From Dave Moore and Todd Yoder, to Ken Dilger and Ricky Dudley.

Not to mention the additions of Romen Oben, Kerry Jenkins on the left side of the line, who really took over towards the end of the year and provided excellent protection.

The Myth that Gruden won the SuperBowl with Dungy's players is indeed the biggest myth of all.

If he did, then he beat HIS superbowl team in black, the Raiders. Anyway you look at it, Gruden took a team to the Superbowl in 2002, no matter how your point of view goes!

People tend to forget the defense in 2000 and 2001 was starting to crumble. They were having problems getting off the field on 3rd downs. They were allowing large point totals. They were NOT the units of 1999 anymore. The Fire that Jon Gruden brought helped rekindle Tony's defense, so credit needs to be given there too.

In the end though..too many factors just added up to spell doom for Jon Gruden and Bruce Allen.

The constant injuries, the handling of players, were a sore eye for Gruden whenever talked about by local Radio programs and newspapers. After all was said and done, the Glazers were ready for the same new blood Gruden provided 7 years earlier, and it was the right decision. To say Jon Gruden is not a good coach, or doesn't know offenses, is just selling the man short completely. You don't forget how to do your job, and we will see that in a few years when he is back on his feet again. I for one hope he stays out of the NFC South.

Wide Receiver Musical Chairs

Jonathan Loesche — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:04:56 -0000

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

Nate Hughes has been a pleasant surprise for the Jaguars in training camp. Where does he fit in the Jags wide receiver plans?

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No roster position has seen more competition this offseason than that of wide receiver. Besides Torry Holt, every wide-out is fighting for a spot and it has seemingly brought out the best (or worst) in each receiver on the Jaguars' roster. Cuts will be coming shortly and the Jaguars will have some interesting decisions to make. Will they only keep five wide-outs as they usually do, or has this corp shown enough to make it worthy of carrying six spots. If so, who will be the sixth wide receiver on the Jags roster? Will Mike Sims-Walker or Mike Thomas even survive cuts to make it into Teal for 2009?

Torry Holt

The ex-Ram gave Jaguar fans hope when he was signed in free agency this off season. He has given no reason to abandon it either. Although he has only played limited time in the preseason, he has shown he still has the ability to make circus catches and Sportscenter highlights.

Holt earns the #1 position by default due to his resume. Although Troy Williamson has begun to show big play potential, he'll need to show more of it to try to unseat Holt.

Project Position: #1

Troy Williamson

Along with Derrick Harvey, Williamson is making the 2008 off season look like a slightly less horrible venture than it was first thought to be. Williamson made the play of the preseason so far and has made himself into a go to threat for Garrard. The former #7 overall pick looks like he's finally comfortable in his own skin and if he can continue down this road, he'll make Shack Harris look like a genius. Emphasis on look.

Williamson has earned himself the second starting position opposite of Holt. If Williamson can play consistently to the level he has played in the preseason, the Jaguars may finally have a receiving pair on par with Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell.

Projected Position:#2

Nate Hughes

Hughes has been the pleasant surprise of training camp. He has lifted himself from UDFA and practice squad candidate to being ranked ahead of any of the receivers the Jaguars drafted in 2009. The concussion Hughes sustained in Philly will certainly limit him against Washington, but he has already secured his roster spot for 2009.

Hughes earns himself the slot position for his consistency and ability to go over the middle.

Projected Position: #3

Jarrett Dillard

Remember how hyped everyone was about the Jaguars 2nd day wide receivers in April? Let this be a lesson in tempering expectations. Dillard earns a roster spot for showing potential in the limited action he got during the preseason. He certainly looks like he can carve out a niche career as a sure handed possession receiver, but he'll need some more seasoning first.

Projected Position: #4

Mike Sims-Walker

A combination of sheer potential that deserves one last chance and a rather "meh" reaction to every other receiver on the roster, Walker survives cuts to make it on as the last receiver. Walker was having an excellent camp until sustaining a high ankle sprain in the scrimmage. This latest injury will certainly be the last straw before the Jaguars back breaks with him though. He has to stay healthy or he'll be gone.

Projected Position: #5

Mike Thomas

The speedy and undersized Wildcat has been nursing a hamstring for most of camp and hasn't played at all in the preseason. He's certainly headed for Injured Reserve barring a miracle or an incident that gets him headlines for the wrong reasons.

Tiquan Underwood

Underwood represents a dilemma for the Jaguars. He hasn't upstaged any of the other wide receivers to get a roster spot, but his upside means he will almost certainly not clear waivers. He needs a monster game against the Redskins if he wants to overtake Walker for the final roster spot or force the Jags to keep six wide outs on the roster.

-Jonathan Loesche

Jacksonville Jaguars 2009 Training Camp: The new beginning begins

River City Rage — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:35:27 -0000

More photos » by Jason DeCrow - AP

Will Monroe be in camp?

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It's finally here. The 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars will report to training camp on Sunday, bringing to an end what was quite possibly the most painful offseason in Jaguars history. We've seen Fred Taylor leave the team and go to the New England Patriots, something that will look dreadful when the Jaguars face the Patriots on December 27th. We saw the release of nearly the entire crop of 2008 free agents and most of the Jaguars wide receivers leave. Jerry Porter, Matt Jones, and Reggie Williams all still unemployed, though I'd argue that Matt Jones still has a chance to do well, somewhere.

We saw James Harris leave the team and the rise of Gene Smith, he which we must trust to make all the right decisions, as he has final say in nearly everything. It's unclear as to whether Jack Del Rio will still get to pick his sideline attire, or if that too comes from an edict from above. Of course, I say this will all due respect, as I've been OK with just about every move that Smith has made since taking the conn.

The good news is that the majority of our draft picks are signed (more on that to come), there were no significant injuries during the OTA season, and the offseason passed with no arrests, off the field incidents, or distractions. While I hate talking about it, when the biggest offseason storyline is a struggle to sell tickets, we're doing all right.

Three Burning Questions:

1. Will Eugene Monroe, our first round pick, be in camp on time with a reasonable contract? Jason Smith signed a $62 million contract with $33 million in guaranteed money. Basically equivalent to the 5 year, 57 million dollar contract with 30 million guaranteed. That sets the bar for offensive linemen. The Raiders signed Wide Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, selected 7th overall, to a $23.5 million guaranteed and $38.25 million in base salary with a maximum value of $54 million. This sets the cap for Monroe in the slotting order. Derrick Harvey, selected 8th overall last season, signed for t $17.175 million in guaranteed money, $23.8 million before incentives and $33.4 million in total potential money.

So the Jaguars will look to sign Monroe for closer to 19-20 million in guaranteed money, Monroe and his agent will push for 21-22 million, and they'll find a common ground in the middle. Will that be accomplished by Sunday? Highly doubtful. I don't expect a long holdout, but it's likely that he'll miss the first few days. This is why we have Tra Thomas.

2. Will the Wide Receivers continue to develop? Who is Chad Owens and who is the next Jimmy Smith or Keenan McCardell? Who will get alligator arms when Reggie Nelson is closing and who goes over the middle and takes the hit? We can speculate all day long about the receivers and what they could do, but once the pads are in play and the lights are on, all bets are off. I've got faith that this group is going to turn into something special, especially with Mike Walker being healthy and ready for his 3rd season, but we'll have to see.

3. Do we escape the injuries. After last season, every snap, every play, every throw and every awkward fall and twist will terrify me. While Camp Del Rio will be more intense than we're used to, I'd like to see this team go into week one with a healthy roster that can surprise some folks, not one that is hobbled and wounded.

What's on your mind on the Friday before camp?

Quick Bytes: July 17th, 2009

Jonathan Loesche — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:36:52 -0000

Jones-Drew will be focal point of running game, but Jaguars plan to share
There's no question that Maurice Jones-Drew is the star in Jacksonville's backfield. However, for the Jaguars to succeed, they plan to divvy up the carries.

Offseason spotlight: Is Jack Del Rio on the hot seat?
As part of NFL Network's 32 Teams in 32 Days series, we take a look at a key question facing each team. Is Jack Del Rio on the hot seat in Jacksonville?

What kind of pass is Jags' Lewis likely to drop? - AFC South - ESPN
Paul Kuharsky takes a look at Marcedes Lewis and how he intends to finally live up to his pass catching billing.

Jacksonville Jaguars' Philosophy at Wide Receiver Takes a U-Turn | Bleacher Report
Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell were unheralded players that the Jaguars signed. R. Jay Soward, Reggie Williams, and Matt Jones were first round picks that got the Jags no where. Now it seems the Jaguars have gone back to their original philosophy.

Q&A: Matt Jones on his arrests, release, comeback plans | Jacksonville.com
We all know the saga of Matt Jones. While not quite a tell all, this interview does give some insight into his time as a Jaguar.

NFL: Wade Phillips among coaches on the hot seat - ESPN
Wade Phillips and Jack Del Rio are among the coaches on the hot seat as the 2009 season approaches, writes John Clayton.

Chat: Chat with Paul Kuharsky - SportsNation - ESPN
Paul Kuharsky's weekly chat about the AFC South.

Poll

What does Del Rio need to do to keep his job?

Super Bowl

4 votes

Playoffs

52 votes

7-9 wins

76 votes

He'll be brought back regardless

38 votes

He's gone no matter what

3 votes

173 votes | Poll has closed

Camp Battle 2009: Wide Receivers

Jonathan Loesche — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:41:11 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

While Torry Holt will likely be the Jaguars #1 wide receiver, questions remain about the spots behind him.

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The Jaguars wide receiving corp has been bad for a long time. I believe we can all be honest with ourselves on that one. Following Keenan McCardell's departure in 2001, Jimmy Smith held the fort down admirably. Smith had three 70+ reception/1000 yard seasons in his final four years as a Jaguar. Matt Jones' 2008 campaign, with 65 receptions for 741 yards was the best production from any wide receiver since 2005. In fact, it was easily the best production from a Jaguar wide receiver not named Jimmy Smith since McCardell left.

In 2009, the Jaguars are looking to reverse that trend with mainly young wide receivers and one proven veteran in Torry Holt. Holt will most likely be the Jaguars #1 wide receiver, however, where will the others fall in place behind him?

Torry Holt

Holt was the headline free agent signing of the offseason. GM Gene Smith managed to get him to come to Jacksonville instead of division rival Tennessee, in a courting that was the exact opposite of last year's bust Jerry Porter. While it's obvious the Jaguars aren't getting the Torry Holt of "Greatest Show on Turf" fame, he provides a consistent target the Jaguars have lacked for some time.

If reports are correct, Garrard is already looking to Holt as his "Go To" guy in mini-camp. If something catches there, then Holt will be worth every penny the Jaguars spent. If Holt can turn in between 900-1100 yards and 6-8 touchdowns, then I think we can all agree it was a successful signing.

Mike Walker

Mike Walker may well be the most well known Jaguar for what he hasn't done, stay on the field. Drafted out of Central Florida, Walker would seem to have all the skills a team would want in a wide receiver. A big, strong wide out that runs a 4.35 40 is usually gone by pick 15. However, Walker's nagging knee injuries have kept him from seeing the field.

This is the first time since he was drafted that Vic hasn't given the "Mike's been looking great in camp, then his knee starting flaring up" post. If Walker can stay healthy this year, then he is primed to breakout. I expect Walker to grab the #2 position behind Holt, if healthy. If he can finally play pain free, then the Jaguars should have a solid starting pair.

Mike Thomas

If you haven't already, please check his bio/scouting report here. Thomas will be competing with fellow draftees Jarrett Dillard and Tiquan Underwood, along with Troy Williamson and Nate Hughes, for the rest of the spots on the Jaguars roster. Thomas' best shot at getting the #3 wide receiver role would be becoming the Jaguars' Wes Welker. If he can get open in the slot and be reliable, then he'll be ahead of the game. If not, expect him to challenge Witherspoon for kick returning duties.

Jarrett Dillard

Dillard comes to Jacksonvillle as one half of the most prolific QB-WR duo in Division I-A college football history. Dillard is never going to leave a corner back in a Delorian-esque trail of smoke, but he has great hands and runs routes with precision. I'm expecting a good battle between Thomas and Dillard over who can grab the slot position.

(Jarrett Dillard's Scouting Report-Thanks Surteal!)

Tiquan Underwood

Underwood was taken in the 7th round, as the Jaguars thought of him highly enough to not let him slip into undrafted free agency. Underwood has good numbers on paper, however, it does bother me he only had 7 bench reps at the combine. If he can't get off a jam, he'll find himself out of a job soon. In addition, how much did playing next to Kenny Britt in college help him out?

Troy Williamson

Williamson gives the recently departed Reggie William a run for his money as the biggest wide receiver flop in recent memory. A former 7th overall pick that was acquired for a 6th rounder, Williamson needs to show he has hands to go along with all of his speed.

Nate Hughes

Hughes is a undrafted free agent that was on the Jaguars' practice squad for the final few weeks of the season. Early indications are that he is making a move towards getting the final wide receiver spot. Hughes is raw, but he certainly has talent. He is a three time SWAC Outdoor Decathlon Champion. If nothing else, I expect Hughes to be kept on the Jaguars practice squad if he isn't on the final 53.

Where does the group stand

The Jaguars have one proven veterans, a young player with all the talent in the world and a now healthy knee, a monumental bust, and four unknowns. If nothing else, I enjoy writing that over it being composed of multiple first round busts. If Holt can provide a consistent target, the Jaguars will take a step in the right direction. However, the future of the group lies with Walker, and the other young players.

-John

Arizona Cardinals News: Larry Fitzgerald versus Anquan Boldin versus Jerry Rice and Other Great WR's

Hawkwind — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:24:24 -0000

More photos » by Matt York - AP

7 months ago: Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald makes a catch during football minicamp, Friday, May 1, 2009 at the team's training facility in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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If you've been an Arizona Cardinals fan for any length of time, you're well aware of the Larry Fitzgerald versus Anquan Boldin debate. Before the Cardinals' magical post season run this past season, the "who is better" or "who is more valuable" debate was quite a hotly contested argument. Now the Fitz vs. Q debate might not rival Ginger vs. Mary Ann or Monica vs. Rachel but both players have quite a few bullet points on their respective resume's.

Assuming that Fitzgerald cemented himself as the Cardinals' top receiver after his record setting post season, I started to wonder how each player stacked up other great wide receivers of NFL past. To give some background quickly, I started with the all-time receptions leader board and then narrowed the field down to guys who had tremendous success in thier first five seasons. One thing that stood out fairly quickly though is just how rare it is for receivers to be successful in their first five seasons. In fact out of the top 10 leaders in receptions (although we'll ignore Tony Gonzalez who is 9th), five of them didn't record a 1,000 yard season or a 100 catch season until their fifth season in the NFL or later. Guys like Chris Carter (3rd), Tim Brown (4th), Andre Reed (tied-6th), Art Monk (8th) and Keenan McCardell (10th) combined to record just three 1,000 yard seasons during their first five seasons and only one 100 catch season. For comparison purposes, Fitzgerald and Boldin have combined for six and four, respectively. Not bad, but how do they stack up against other recievers who assimilated to the NFL very quickly....

We'd be remiss if we didn't start by listing Fitz's and Q's stats for their first five seasons:

Fitzgerald
	Games	GS	Rec	Yards	Avg	TDs
2008	16	16	96	1,431	14.9	12
2007	15	15	100	1,409	14.1	10
2006	13	13	69	946	13.7	6
2005	16	16	103	1,409	13.7	10
2004	16	16	58	780	13.4	8
Totals	76	76	426	5,975	14.0	46

Fitzgerald has obviously had an amazing first five seasons in the NFL and he's the first receiver in league history to post three 1,400 yard seasons before his 26th birthday. He's also topped 100 receiving yards in a game 24 times (roughly 32% of his games). Here's a quick look at Boldin's first five seasons:

Boldin
	Games	GS	Rec	Yards	Avg	TDs
2007	12	11	71	853	12.0	9
2006	16	16	83	1,203	14.5	4
2005	14	14	102	1,402	13.7	7
2004	10	9	56	623	11.1	1
2003	16	16	101	1,377	13.6	8
Totals	68	66	413	5,458	13.2	29

Boldin has been equally impressive with three 1,000 yard seasons and two seasons with more than 100 receptions. The only real difference in Boldin and Fitzgerald's production seems to be the number of games that Boldin has missed due to injuries.

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Ok, now that we've set the bar, so to speak, let's take a look at some other great receivers who got off to very quick starts. First our list should be no surprise, as any talk of wide receivers has to start with Jerry Rice:

Rice
	Games	GS	Rec	Yards	Avg	TDs
1989	16	16	82	1,483	18.1	17
1988	16	16	64	1,306	20.4	9
1987	12	12	65	1,078	16.6	22
1986	16	15	86	1,570	18.3	15
1985	16	4	49	927	18.9	3
Totals	76	63	346	6,364	18.4	66

Wow, Jerry Rice didn't disappoint. Although he didn't top Fitz or Q in terms of receptions, his yardage total and number of TD's are mind-blowing. One other interesting bullet point on Rice's resume is after five seasons, he'd already collected four Pro Bowls and four All-Pros. To give you and idea of what Fitz and Q are up against if they want to keep Rice with arm's reach, he averaged over 1,400 yards and over twelve TDs for his next seven seasons.

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To get to our second receiver, we had to drop down to Torry Holt (11th on the career receptions list) because guys like Marvin Harrison, Isaac Bruce and Terrell Owens had decent starts to their career but they didn't quite meet the criteria.

Holt
	Games	GS	Rec	Yards	Avg	TDs
2003	16	15	117	1,696	14.5	12
2002	16	11	91	1,302	14.3	4
2001	16	14	81	1,363	16.8	7
2000	16	15	82	1,635	19.9	6
1999	16	15	52	788	15.2	6
Totals	80	70	423	6,784	16.0	35

Holt's numbers are eerily similar to Fitzgerald and Boldin, with the only real difference coming in yards per reception, but that difference did lead to Holt having the most yards in our sample set. Just for the record though after his first three seasons, Holt's yards per catch settled in around the upper 13's. Holt earned three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team during his first five seasons and he should end this season inside the all-time top 10 in receptions and yards.

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Our last 'measuring stick' will be, arguably, the best first five seasons for any receiver in NFL history. Randy Moss started his career with six straight 1,000 yard seasons (only one in NFL history) and he recorded double digit touchdowns in six of his first seven seasons.

Moss
	Games	GS	Rec	Yards	Avg	TDs
2002	16	16	106	1,.347	12.7	7
2001	16	16	82	1,233	15.0	10
2000	16	16	77	1,437	18.7	15
1999	16	16	80	1,413	17.7	11
1998	16	11	69	1,313	19.0	17
Totals	80	75	414	6,743	16.3	60

Needless to say, Moss was once on track to give Jerry Rice a run at being considered the greatest of all time but being sent to Oakland in the prime of career derailed that thought. Even with two poor seasons though the 31 year old should finish his career ranking second in just about every receiving category.

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That's quite bit of information to digest at once but it's pretty amazing the kind of company that Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald find themselves in after only five seasons. If only Kurt Warner was about to turn 28 instead of 38, but if Fitz and Q can manage to stay together for any extended period of time, we should see some fantastic career stats for years to come. How would rank these five and how high on the career lists can Fitzgerald and Boldin get? And to make it easy on the eyes, here's the totals line for all five guys.....

Player	Games	GS	Rec	Yards	Avg	TDs
Boldin	68	66	413	5,458	13.2	29
Fitzgerald	76	76	426	5,975	14.0	46
Holt	80	70	423	6,784	16.0	35
Moss	80	75	414	6,743	16.3	60
Rice	76	63	346	6,364	18.4	66

Rams looking for veteran receivers

VanRam — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:58:59 -0000

UPDATE: The Rams will sign Eddie Kennison and release David Vobora by the end of the day, according to PD's Jim Thomas.

With Bennett out, the Rams will take a close look at veteran free agents still floating around on the open market.

Possibilities include former Rams and long-time Chief Eddie Kennison. The biggest advantage the 35-year-old Kennison brings is his familiarity with Al Saunders' offense. Kennison suffered a hamstring injury in his first game last season, and watched his career descend into oblivion before being released by the Chiefs this year. The PD story linked here cites team sources who say that Kennison will visit Rams Park today, most likely taking a physical.

Other veteran free agent receiver possibilities include Joe Horn, 36, and Keenan McCardell, 38(!). McCardell played for Saunders in Washington last season. The Seahawks are desperate for receiving help too.

While I do understand the Rams need for a veteran to round out their depth at WR, I remain convinced that the best option for the Rams is to throw Keenan Burton into the fire right away. He was a better option than Bennett from the start, showing a better grasp of the playbook than Bennett and better rhythm with Bulger through the preseason. More importantly, as I said this morning, Burton's young and hungry, eager to cement his place in the NFL. That would give the Rams something they desperately lacked this weekend, players with a little fire in the belly.

Poll

Should the Rams elevate Keenan Burton to a more prominent role in Bennett's absence?

Yes.

120 votes

No.

7 votes

127 votes | Poll has closed