Know Your Role: WR#2 Jerricho Cotchery
With a month of quiet ahead of us, we’re just starting a new feature focusing on major roles for the Jets in 2007, continuing this series of major contributors on the Jets with the second receiver, Jerricho Cotchery.
Going into last season, I thought one of the biggest issues for the Jets would be the lack of a credible threat to take some pressure off of Laveranues Coles, and boy was I wrong. Last year, Cotchery caught 82 balls for 961 yards and 6 TDs, not bad for a first year as a starter. According to Football Outsiders, he was the most efficient Wide Receiver on the Jets, catching 66% of balls that were thrown his way.
The Jets thought enough of the young player to extend his current deal in March, thereby not allowing him to hit free agency. When he was asked about foregoing that option, Cotchery replied “I wanted to stay with the Jets the entire time. This is the organization that drafted me and I wanted to be loyal to them. I wanted to finish my career here because I felt like the other teams, if they wanted me when I was coming out for the draft, they would’ve drafted me. This time around, they won’t have a second chance to get me.”
Smart move, Tannenbaum.
The beauty of the Jets’ offensive scheme mostly works to Pennington’s strength, finding the open man. With the coverage that Laveranues Coles garners from defenses, Jerricho Cotchery was allowed some extra space, which he often took advantage of after the catch, ranking him in the top ten among receivers alongside Marques Colston, Lee Evans and Hines Ward last year in terms of YAC.
Cotchery is quick, a good reader of defenses, able to adjust to balls outside his frame, and excellent in short and intermediate areas. Jerricho benefitted from often stacking pre-snap behind other receivers last year, so expect to see more of the same. According to Cotchery himself, he told Foxsports last week that with Thomas Jones on board, the team will be able to set up better matchups for him by using motion plays, just like last year.
What I think he means by this is that the Jets will continue to look to spread the field with more than two receivers, but Thomas Jones presence will keep defenses from automatically substituting to Nickel/Dime packages, thus allowing Cotch to have more of a chance at getting some poor matchups against Safeties or Linebackers. The beauty is, even if they do substitute to Nickel, Cotch could still take advantage of a second line corner, or the Jets could do what Peyton Manning does, which is take the easy ground yards.
Filed under: Main Page, Opinion
Believe JC will have a true break out season this year.
He is the likely target of all those deep plays off play action that we are predicting this year, has better speed at this point than Coles, and less likely to be double covered.
10 TD’s, 1200 yards with 14ypc is very likely.
Great signing, hope Mr. T gets to work on Rhodes, but think Kerry is very likely to believe the hype and test the open market.
I hope that Rhodes doesn’t get too big a head. Hype has been very positive. Perhaps a bit too much?
I hate June!!
i have been in a bit of a debate with some blogging friends about the jets WR production this season. i am confident cotchery is a better fantasy option than coles. agree? disagree? i posted a poll on my blog if anyone wants to vote and check results. (sorry for shameless plug. promise not to make a habit of it.) so far, my idiot friends think coles is better.
halfturn.blogspot.com
jg-
no worries about shameless plugs … as a shameless plugger myself I am not going to throw stones at glass houses!!
Fantasy analysis: With Coles toughness you know it’s going to take a lot to stop him being out there, which is an advantage. Cotchery has not really been tested in that regard since becoming a pro. Both had a few quiet games last year, so neither one is really a high priority on a league wide basis. I think Rinky already made this point, but it depends on the scoring system for your league because Coles will probably get more catches and Cotch will get more yardage.
We need Rhodes. To lose him to free agency would be an absolute disaster. I just hope he maintains his focus and continues to be as good as he was last year.
I expect an improvement, but not a huge jump in production out of Cotch this year. After a breakout season, defenses are going to pay much more attention to him – Coles is the WR who stands to improve more statistically from last year, as Cotch and TJones free up more space for him to operate.
I think JC will see an increase in TD’s (8) and add a few more yards (1000-1100), while Coles will put up around 1250 yds and 10 TDs.
I have to agree with Brandon. Cotch coming into his own and TJ in the back field will just improve Coles all around numbers. Cotch will slip alittle this year I beilve. Not because of talent, just the number of opportunities will be less.
The hardest thing about predicting these statistics is the lack of real data. One year with no running game doesn’t give you much to work with. I remember the Jets taking all the time they could on O just to keep it close. If the D holds this year, what will that mean for the O now? With Martin it used to be run, run, run, four yards at a time. How will Mangini use Jones? And, how often? With a big guy like that with good hands, I can see him coming out of the backfield late and getting good yac. That check down will cost the WRs every time. Anyway, I can hardly wait to see!
here’s my analysis of the recieving game: On third down and in tight spots, Pennington really seems to look for Coles. TJ helps Cotchery in that the running game should be better (hopefully), thereby letting jets pass more on early downs. Basically, I think that on 3rd and 2, Pennington looks to Coles and the backs, but on 2nd and 5 or first down he generally just looks for the open reciever, whoever it may be. Ok, this is just my theory…
As for Rhodes, he needs to be signed long-term now. Ego or no ego. He is the single best player on the team. (And competition could be strong for him in FA, because he can play in any defensive system, unlike all of the front 7.)
As an NC State student at the same time as Jericho, it was fantastic seeing him have a breakout season last year. There isn’t a Wolfpack fan who expected anything less of him. He was Philip Rivers’ favorite target and consistently made catches under pressure that most receivers would not have made. He’s not the fastest or biggest guy, but he just has an innate sense of how to utilize his abilities to their utmost.
If opposing teams have any respect for him, he’ll definitely begin drawing more coverage, but I doubt it will hurt his numbers much, if at all.
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