Out Of These Players Who Will Step Up Ther Game

Since there has been talk of McCants seeing action at H-back in some formations, I'd expect his numbers to get a lot of attention. Dockery may see a lot of action, but until he shows Bugel what he's got, I hesitate to place him up near the top.

Jacobs, Cartright and Wynn I expect to see upped performance out of!

i know i don't have too many problems with gardner, but he has yet to live up to his potential. if he can do that then he will secure his #2 spot, but i see someone moving up and taking it from him possibly as early as the season opener. and while i like mccants, he just doesn't pop out at me as someone who can become a consistent #2 wr. he's an incredible redzone target and maybe a chain mover but not a game breaker. I know we haven't seen much of jacobs yet, but from everything i saw of him in college and in last years training camp, plus the fact he added about 10-15 pounds of muscle in the off season, i think he has a pretty good shot at stealing the #2 spot and i think thrash could be a sleeper pick to put up decent #s since he's back to the more comfortable role of not being the main target.

i know i don't have too many problems with gardner, but he has yet to live up to his potential. if he can do that then he will secure his #2 spot, but i see someone moving up and taking it from him possibly as early as the season opener. and while i like mccants, he just doesn't pop out at me as someone who can become a consistent #2 wr. he's an incredible redzone target and maybe a chain mover but not a game breaker. I know we haven't seen much of jacobs yet, but from everything i saw of him in college and in last years training camp, plus the fact he added about 10-15 pounds of muscle in the off season, i think he has a pretty good shot at stealing the #2 spot and i think thrash could be a sleeper pick to put up decent #s since he's back to the more comfortable role of not being the main target.

I think that's pretty much a dead-on assessment. Though I think Gardner isn't going to give up that #2 spot without a fight

I think Gardner will step it up...he's done a good job keeping his mouth shut over the past few years and just rolling with the punches...he's taken alot of heat, some of it unjustified, and he's been a very quite, show up to work, "lunchpail" player...Gibbs likes people like that and I think some of the flak he's taken will light a fire under him to get him going...he'll work well in the Joe Gibbs system.

McCants is a possession receiver like Art Monk. After the first minicamp and one more time since, Gibbs compared him favorably to Monk. I see that as a huge clue that McCants has a great shot at the #2 spot. In the unlikely event Gardner finally figures out how to stop dropping key passes, I STILL think McCants will have a good shot at the #2 spot. If not, he should be on the field in most formations as #3. Seems like it may come down to who will be on the field with Coles and McCants in 3-receiver sets - Gardner, Thrash, or Taylor. Wide Open. If Cooley performs as the staff hopes, he will handle almost all of the H-back situations. They already threw the HUGE h-back playbook at him to learn. I have not heard if McCants is studying the position at that level, but doubt it.

Why is there so much hate for Gardner? Everyone is willing to give Samuels a second chance after two bad seasons. Remember how many times Jansen jumped offsides and at times looked like a rookie last year? Up to now, Ladell Betts and Taylor Jacobs have been a waste of a high draft pick. Dockery did not look good early on and never really looked great.
I think our entire team (except for Champ Bailey) did not play well on a consistent basis. Even L. Coles and P. Ramsey, who came out great, fizzled and sputtered as the year went on.
Most of the blame has to go to S. Spurrier and his system.
Right before Spurriers first year, many football experts were saying Spurriers system does not lend itself to big possesion receivers like Gardner. Why are we suprised he did not look good?
I am willing hold back my dislike for Taylor Jacobs and Ladell Betts. I will give them a second and third chance (respectively) to prove they are not busts, if you folks give Gardner just as much of a fair chance.....
Believe me, I'm definitely not a Gardner-hater. Just ask any of the Warpathers who were on the board last year, and they'll tell you I was probably giving Gardner more props than he deserved. I've been rooting for the guy since he got drafted-- my Dad played at Clemson, so I have a soft spot for Clemson guys. Rod even agreed to record a little videotaped message for my Dad when I was at camp last year, so I've got nothing against the guy.

There are a couple of reasons I say that McCants and Jacobs have an excellent shot at displacing him on the depth chart: Jacobs has looked stellar in both minicamps, and has added a lot of muscle to his frame in an effort to improve his durability. Jacobs may be the best route-runner on the team, and his hands might be the softest. Frankly, I haven't been nearly as impressed with McCants (he was held out of much of the first minicamp, and didn't do anything spectacular in the 2nd one), but obviously, Gibbs has seen something about him on film that he really likes. McCants has proven he can be a dangerous red-zone threat, and he has excellent size and deceptive speed.

I didn't see anything in the first two minicamps to indicate that Gardner has stepped up his game. While he has shown flashes throughout his career of tremendous potential (200+ yards in that 2001 victory over Carolina come to mind), and he impressed me with his ability to reach 1,000 yards in 2002 (despite the horrible quarterbacking situation), he has never been able to shed his reputation as an unreliable receiver. I'm not saying he won't step up his game at some point this summer, but right now I have to go on what I have actually seen. At this point, if I had to create a depth chart, I'd put Jacobs at #2, with Gardner and McCants in a dead heat for the 3rd spot.

Joe Crisp. You seem really sold on Jacobs. I hope he can be as good as you say. If so, we don't need to worry about the WR position. When/if Gardner is your number 3 option, we are ahead of most teams out there at WR.

Dockery. He had his moments last year, both good and bad. I just think that Spurrier's system was not "rookie friendly". Even the vets had trouble with it.

Joe Crisp. You seem really sold on Jacobs. I hope he can be as good as you say. If so, we don't need to worry about the WR position. When/if Gardner is your number 3 option, we are ahead of most teams out there at WR.
Yeah, Jacobs has certainly impressed me so far this offseason. If he keeps it up and continues to improve through the next minicamp, training camp and the preseason, I can't imagine him not getting a chance to start sometime this season. But obviously, I'd also like to see Gardner and McCants step up their games in response. With the top 4 of Coles, Jacobs, Gardner and McCants-- and what is certain to be a brilliant competition for the #2 and #3 spots-- this WR corps could really develop into something special.

I also like the positive, synergistic effect this competition could have on the secondary. Everybody's going to have to step up their game-- on offense AND defense.