Quote:
Originally Posted by That Guy
-if the WR is really good, it makes the QB, RB, OL, etc job easier. the guards and TEs on the colts aren't nearly as good or have nearly the impact that their WRs have. seriously. and saying they aren't involved on every play is like saying a CB is only involved on 1/3rd of all plays. just cause they aren't scoring TDs doesn't mean they're not blocking or running decoy to take guys away from the play.
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How does a good wide receiver make a lineman's job any easier? How does he make a running backs job any easier? Most of what wide receivers do requires the QB to do his job. So yes, theroretically a great wide receiver will improve the amount of error a QB has room for. Still, completing the pass is a lot more in control of the QB than the WR. A lot. He has to 1) read the defense, 2) identify the coverage consider the amount of time he has with the rush, 3) know all the routes (not just the one hes throwing at), 4)and deliver the ball on time AND relatively accurately. Conversely, the receiver on most plays has to first get into position to make the play (by adjusting his route if necessary), and then catch the ball. Incompletions are usually due to something that happened at the LOS (obvious exception to the drops/misread by the receiver). Most NFL caliber receivers are realtively similar in the way they do their job before the catch. Put all the names of WRs in the NFL into a hat and pick one out and I'm certain you'll get a guy who can do the above.
That's why I say that a receiver gets his value from after the catch ability. A receiver's ability to run with the ball after the catch seperates him from other receivers. In the case of Calvin Johnson, I haven't noticed a guy who is anything special after the case. I'm sure his skills are adequate, but if I'm taking a WR with my first pick in a draft, I would hope that he would be a threat to take it to the house on every reception. Santana Moss-style.
You want a receiver who is a good blocker of course, but consider what the job asks one to do. Take a corner out of a running play. Most receivers in the league can do this a good percentage of the time already. While some WRs (like Lloyd) are crappy blockers, most NFL receivers can block adequately. This ability does not make Johnson a special player.