Updated: Hightower Torn ACL/Moss Out 5-7 Weeks

[SirClintonPortis]

Originally Posted by SBXVII

I think I was brave enough to suggest T.O. yesterday. Why? Moss is out 5-6 wks which I figured. Moss was our best WR. AA has had a ton of drops with Rex and it didn't change with Beck. Basically AA was our deep threat and Moss was our possession WR.

Gaffney has caught nothing long. Paul is only used for blocking. Austin could step up but why has it not happened previously? We need a possession WR, one who can keep defenses honest and one who will have to be accounted for by the defense to free up AA, Gaffney, Austin or whoever. I don't foresee Hankerson doing that or Stallworth.

T.O's extra 400-600 yards and whatever TDs(possibly 3-4) this season would mean nothing to us this season if we don't get a ton of wins from him. Even if we add him, we're not really in contention for the Super Bowl. We are 3-3 now, and the addition of an aging WR with diminishing skills who does not know the playbook will not make us suddenly go 7-3, finish with a 10-6 record, and take us to the NFC Championship game, or even past the divisional round. You add T.O to increase your win total. I don't see him increasing it that much to be worth it. T.O will not save us from being stomped by one of the "real" contenders like Green Bay or New Orleans.

Those extras yards and touchdowns also do not rollover to the next season. He'll have to start from square one and outproduce Gaffney or Amstrong. That means better stats than either one of them.

Then, there's the matter that T.O is might be a lemon and thus might not better than what we have. His production has decreased(hasn't had a 1000 yard season since he was in Dallas) and he is coming off an ACL injury. His speed is not going to be what it was when he was 27 and he very well may not get that burst back until next season, if he ever does. A receiver with such limited athleticism will not be making a great impact for us.

T.O is well-known for his dropsies too. He even led the league in them in 2006. A drop machine can hardly be considered worthy of a possession receiver role, where sure hands are an absolute necessity.

With so many potential flaws, I see Terrence Austin as much better alternative. He has a rapport with Beck and does NOT drop the ball willy-nilly.