The Maxwell House Switch On Receivers
Let’s do a little comparison of receviers taken in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, there was a rush on NFL pass catchers in the first round, with seven picks of WRs & TEs in the first round. In 2008, there was only one pass-catcher taken in Round One, and he now is the property of the New York Jets.
Mixing up some of the top receivers in 2007 & 2008. Here’s a little table for you.
So who’s who?
Well, what if I was to tell you that the Jets got a player that was the three pounds heavier and an inch shorter than Calvin Johnson, had the second best vertical leaping ability at 38 inches and had a 40 yard dash time just .02 seconds slower than WR Dwayne Bowe and TE Greg Olsen?
I know that there are other things to think about here, in terms of ability to catch, etc. But it’s clear that this year’s draft class was weak. The supposed top guy, Devin Thomas, was someone who most NFL fans never heard of just three months ago, and he didn’t even go first, it was Donnie Avery to the Rams at the top of the second round, filling their need.
I have high hopes for Keller, and I think that he’s quite a package and will do a great job opening the middle of the field for Pennington, or helping Clemens deep in mismatch coverages … what do you think?
14 Responses to The Maxwell House Switch On Receivers
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Big Bad Bob says:
One of the complaints that was made about Keller, was that there isn’t much room for him to pack on any size onto his frame. Instead, why not try to get him to loose some weight, and turn him into a straight up reciever. Less weight normally turns into more speed/quickness/agility.
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Ilan says:
I hear you Bob but I think the more likely scenario is that Keller will become the quality H-back that the Jets have been looking for since Mangini became coach. He may not be the best blocker but should be very effective being moved around a lot.
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Johnny Styne says:
There is no way Pennington can make the throws to maximize Keller’s ability. Even once Pennington gets injured, we will still not have the deep threat necessary to maximize Clemens’ ability to throw deep and keep the opposing defenses honest.
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david i says:
Good piece of work!
This guy runs benches, drags, outs, curls and seems and turns them into bigger gains with his YAC ability…If anything, that plays well into our game plan of short and medium range throws at a high percentage.
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It was a very good draft. We drafted an offensive weapon to open up our passing game. It’s not easy drafting a WR. Obviously, not one of them had a first round grade on draft boards. Keller will create mismatches all over the field. What should we have done? Drafted a WR who just makes us feel good because we see his name on the depth chart, but is not as talented as Keller??
Gholston doesn’t fill a need? If we hit with him, it will help us out more than we expect. -
AMEN on the point about not drafting a WR early just to put him low on the depth chart! Kiper’s knock was that we didn’t get a WR earlier. I felt the same way…why pick a WR early just to put him 4th or 5th on the depth chart. That’s what Marcus Henry gives us in the 6th round….A big WR to put 4th or 5th on the depth chart and to develop down the road.
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Johnny Styne – I completely disagree. Think about Coles or Cotch going over the middle. Then think about those guys on sideline outs … since Pennington has velocity issues, he has to put the ball on the nose or get it intercepted. with a quick, tall guy with much better vert, especially if Keller is seeing mismatches … he has some real potential. he might only catch 30 balls this year, but it will be a big help.
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Really interesting piece, Bassett, and I definitely understand your thinking about how Keller could create mismatches in our offense and help change field goals to TD’s. My question is, why wasn’t he able to do that more often in college? A quick comp of 2007 stats:
Keller: 68 catches, 7 TD
D Thomas: 79 catches, 8 TD
J Nelson: 122 catches, 11 TD
Avery: 91 catches, 7 TD
M Kelly: 49 catches, 9 TD (missed 2 games with injuries)And for good measure:
Fred Davis: 62 catches, 8 TDKeller is bigger than the WR’s listed, and almost as fast. And he’s way faster than Davis. I feel like he should have been a one-man wrecking ball at the college level – what 20-year-old LB or safety can match up with a guy with those measurables? But his stats aren’t exceptional.
I hope Keller becomes our Dallas Clark – a safety valve that opens up the outside lanes and can get us tough TD’s. I would’ve just liked to see better production to show that he has that in him.
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Bassett — Have you seen the throws made to Keller at Purdue? — They were made by a quarterback with a great arm — They were ten to fifteen yards downfield with zip and on the mark — KELLER DID NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR THEM, so a) he could catch them without getting killed, and b) he could turn and move upfield — His size may help him from getting injured as a result of Pennington’s throws, but he still will no longer be open by the time they get to him — Therefore, even if he is an A talent, with Pennington at quarterback, we will only get C value.
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Jeff Dolfini says:
I just wish I new what the front office was thinking. If they are going to use him as a slot reciever this season I could totally understand this. Now if they are going to bring him in on pass plays only then this is going to be a dead giveaway. Every time we bring him in the defense will think pass. Just put him in as a slot reciever and let him do his thing in the middle.
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ramble914 says:
I see Keller in the same mold as Andre Johnson, the WR from Houston. AJ is 6′-2″ and weighs 230 lbs. He runs a 4.5 40, very similar to DK.
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Andre says:
Love the Keller pick. Wouldn’t want another RECIEVER in the draft.
When I first heard tight end, I thought of a lumbering linemen.
This dude is nice, plus he’s strong. He will translate quicker then the 3 yrs usually expected on a receiver.
Awesome hybrid of speed and power, now we just gotta make sure we can him the ball.
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Boosta says:
Keller was not the primary target for their system. The wide receivers were. To compare his numbers to the wide receiver listed is just totally nonsensical. You should compare him to other TE’s. Looking at his numbers next to F Davis make a lot more sense. However, based on your chart, he had almost as many catches and TD’s as D Thomas, Avery and more catches than M Kelly. This is incredible considering they were the primary targets on their respective teams. This guy is pretty good. Enjoy the season.
I feel good about the draft and very much like the Keller pick. Should be a solid weapon to add to the mix and completely changes our look in the passing game. I hope Baker gets the boost he desires so we go in with three TE’s with different strengths among them. The Jets are thinking outside the box and should be applauded for it rather than using the past as a negative crutch.