2007 NFL Preview: Wide Receivers

First off, let's give a round of applause to time. It's taken awhile, but training camps are finally upon us. No more "next month." No more "just a few more weeks." It's on to nightly updates on ESPN and the NFL Network and the morning tour of the local beat writers' notebooks.

Good times.

With that said, we've got work to do. The players and coaches hit the field. We hit the stat tables and depth charts. We've broken down quarterbacks and running backs. Now comes the most enigmatic of all positions on offense: wide receiver.

There's so much that goes into being a successful wide receiver. First, you've got the traditional measurables, combine-style. How fast can you run the 40? How high can you jump? Can you cut at max speed?

Then there are the intangibles. Will you go over the middle? Can you get off the jam? On 3rd-and-8 late in the fourth, will you go out of bounds after seven yards?

Then there's the "rookies suck" rule. Last year, there were 43 wide receivers who broke the 50-catch mark. One, New Orleans' Marques Colston, pick 252 from Hofstra, was a rookie. In 2005, it was zero out of 44.

It's not impossible for a rookie to go off. Anquan Boldin had 101 catches and 8 TDs as a rookie in 2003. So there are exceptions. But can Calvin Johnson do the same in Detroit? Probably not. Not enough balls to go around with Roy Williams and Mike Furrey coming off a combined 180-catch season. Plus, he's going into the notoriously complex Mike Martz offense.

Then again, maybe we should look at the back of the draft. How about Derek Stanley, pick 249 to the Rams out of Wisconsin-Whitewater? He seems as likely a candidate as Colston was this time last year.

Anyway, as with our previews of quarterbacks and running backs, we're not making a fantasy cheat sheet. This is about which team is strongest at the position, the greatness at the top and the depth below. For wide receivers, we're using receptions, yards, scoring, and potential for big plays as the judgment criteria.

AERIAL BLITZ

Cincinnati (Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Henry, Reggie McNeal)
Detroit (Roy Williams, Mike Furrey, Shaun McDonald, Calvin Johnson)
New England (Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker, Kelley Washington)
St. Louis (Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Drew Bennett, Dane Looker)

Notes: Only one team in 2006 averaged more than 200 yards per game from their wide receivers — the Cincinnati Bengals. They led the league in WR TDs (26) and put up 47 plays over 20 yards and 14 over 40 yards. Carson Palmer is another year removed from knee surgery and the eight-game suspension of Chris Henry is only a mild blow.

Detroit would have to be ranked this high just based on last year's 225 combined catches for Lions' wide receivers. Now add in the fact they add Johnson, the anointed "can't-miss prospect of the decade," plus they're going into the second year of the Martz offense. Jon Kitna says they could score 10,000 points this year. Just ask him.

Of any position grouping on any team, the Pats' WR corps has undergone the most transformation. There's always the chance an influx of top talent won't mesh, but Tom Brady is the one pulling the trigger. That counts for a whole hell of a lot, especially with this ridiculous amount of talent.

Bruce is going into his 14th year and will be 35 this season, but the addition of Drew Bennett ensures a top-line passing attack for several years ahead. Even though Steven Jackson had a huge scoring year (16 TDs), the WRs still accounted for the sixth-most TDs in the league (18, tie with Philly).

THEY'RE GOING TO GET YOU

New Orleans (Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Terrence Copper, Robert Meachem)
New York Jets (Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery, Justin McCareins, Tim Dwight)
Indianapolis (Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, John Standeford)
Arizona (Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, Bryant Johnson, Sean Morey)

Notes: New Orleans ranked only 15th in total receptions by wide receivers (168), but were fifth in touchdowns (21, one per every eight receptions) and led the league in both plays over 20 yards (51) and plays over 40 yards (17).

On the other side, the Jets were in the middle of the pack in TDs (13) and plays of more than 20 (31), but were third last season in number of total receptions by wide receivers (221). They are also going into the second year in offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's scheme and will have a more reliable running game with Thomas Jones to keep the safeties honest.

The Colts have perhaps the best WR duo in Harrison and Wayne, but the injuries to Brandon Stokley (109 catches in '04 and '05 combined, 8 last year) have forced the Colts into a more balanced offense featuring the tight ends (95 catches between Ben Utecht, Dallas Clark, and Bryan Fletcher) and using backs as receivers (40 for Joseph Addai, 36 for Dominic Rhodes). Adding Gonzalez, the Ohio State rookie, may help push some of the action to the WRs, as might the departure of Rhodes.

Arizona's receiving and yardage stats were on par with Cincinnati's, with those two the only to break the 3,000 combined receiving yardage last year. But Arizona scored far fewer touchdowns (16 to 26), and there's a chance the numbers drop with former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt taking over as head coach. Still, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald are a hell of a pair.

SOLID, BUT NOT SPECTACULAR

Dallas (Terrell Owens, Terry Glenn, Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd)
Washington (Santana Moss, Brandon Lloyd, Antwaan Randle El, James Thrash)
Carolina (Steve Smith, Dwayne Jarrett, Drew Carter, Keary Colbert)
Seattle (Deion Branch, Nate Burleson, D.J. Hackett, Bobby Engram)
Denver (Javon Walker, Rod Smith, Brandon Stokley, Brandon Marshall)
Baltimore (Mark Clayton, Derrick Mason, Clarence Moore, Demetrius Williams)
Philadelphia (Reggie Brown, Kevin Curtis, Greg Lewis, Hank Baskett)
Buffalo (Lee Evans, Peerless Price, Roscoe Parrish, Josh Reed)
Pittsburgh (Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Cedrick Wilson, Nate Washington)
San Diego (Eric Parker, Vincent Jackson, Kassim Osgood, Craig Davis)

Notes: In Dallas, there's a downgrade because T.O. is turning 34 and Terry Glenn is turning 33, plus the addition of defensive-minded head coach Wade Phillips and first-time offensive coordinator Jason Garrett; in Washington, because of Jason Campbell; in Carolina, because their second-best receiver is a rookie; in Seattle, because they don't have a proven second threat; in Denver, because Rod Smith is old; in Baltimore, because Steve McNair gets hurt and Kyle Boller is his backup; in Philly, because Reggie Brown is new to being a number 1 and Kevin Curtis is new to being a number 2; in Buffalo, because the maturation of J.P. Losman is not complete; in Pittsburgh, because Mike Tomlin scares me with the whole "I'm not here to make friends" line as a new head coach with a veteran team; and in San Diego, because LaDainian Tomlinson is not a wide receiver.

WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN

Miami (Chris Chambers, Marty Booker, Derek Hagan, Ted Ginn, Jr.)
Oakland (Jerry Porter, Ronald Curry, Mike Williams, Doug Gabriel)
Chicago (Muhsin Muhammad, Bernard Berrian, Mark Bradley, Rashied Davis)
Green Bay (Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Robert Ferguson, Ruvell Martin)
New York Giants (Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Sinorice Moss, Steve Smith)
San Francisco (Darrell Jackson, Arnaz Battle, Ashley Lelie, Bryan Gilmore)
Jacksonville (Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, Dennis Northcutt, Ernest Wilford)
Tampa Bay (Joey Galloway, Michael Clayton, Ike Hilliard, Maurice Stovall)
Atlanta (Joe Horn, Michael Jenkins, Roddy White, Adam Jennings)
Houston (Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, David Anderson, Charlie Adams)

Once you get past the top half of the league, you run into a stack of groups that don't figure to drive the success of their teams. In other words, if these teams' running games aren't working, the passing game, particularly the wide receivers, aren't going to save them.

With that said, Trent Green-to-Chambers could be interesting.

Jerry Porter is a super sleeper coming off the Art Shell debacle. He has to have a big year to re-establish himself.

Jeff Garcia-to-Joey Galloway has the potential to create some decent fantasy scores, if not real-life wins.

Matt Schaub-to-Andre Johnson. Definitely worth keeping an eye on.

So is Joey Harrington-to-Joe Horn, but for a completely different reason.

If Byron Leftwich plays a full season, Matt Jones is on track for his breakout year.

MEAT

Cleveland (Braylon Edwards, Joe Jurevicius, Joshua Cribbs, Tim Carter)
Kansas City (Eddie Kennison, Samie Parker, Rod Gardner, Dwayne Bowe)
Minnesota (Bobby Wade, Troy Williamson, Billy McMullen, Sidney Rice)
Tennessee (David Givens, Brandon Jones, Roydell Williams, Justin Cage)

Notes: I don't mean to demean these guys, but, of the 16 guys listed in this category, can you pick one you really wish was on your team?

Also, screw Bobby Wade. I hate saying that because he's one of the few Arizona alums to make the NFL (Chris McAlister being the best), but his cheap shot against Rodney Harrison in the season finale robbed the Pats of an opportunity to beat the Bears in the Super Bowl. They lost by four points to the Colts in the AFC Championship Game. You're telling me Rodney Harrison wouldn't have been worth four points in that second half? No freaking way.

(It's great to be back, isn't it?)

Also see: NFL '07 Preview: Quarterbacks | Running Backs

Seth Doria is a freelance writer in St. Louis. For daily news and notes on sports, entertainment, and politics, check out The Left Calf.