Start Me Up: Wide Receiver #2
Over the next few days, we are going to take a quick look at each and every position of starters on this team. We are starting with Wide Receivers and will work through the offense and across the ball.
Laveranues might be one of the best second receivers in the AFC. Yes, Laveranues’ numbers have receded over the past few years, but how much can be attributed to how he was used in a ball-control passing offense? How much can be attributed to getting bashed two yards off the line of scrimmage time after time? No one’s arguing if Laveranues is a good receiver, he is. He gets a clean release off the line, and able to set up his defender well and can catch balls in traffic that other receivers wouldn’t. Now at 30, Coles window is limited and Mangini has been smart to hold back Coles some in the preseason, saving him for when it matters most.
Still, can Coles stay healthy and put up better stats if he works the perimeter more? Probably, and as mentioned in the post about Cotchery, the team has a much better core group who can work the middle to Coles’ advantage outside. What remains to be seen is if his top gear is still tops, since we’ve seen it so infrequently in the past few years.
Beyond that, how does Coles relationship with Favre settle in? So far, so good, though Coles is liking the excuse to avoid talking to media. Personally as long as Coles puts up numbers, and stay healthy he can stay quiet for as long as he likes.
30 Responses to Start Me Up: Wide Receiver #2
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johnny – based on what i’ve seen from them talking on the sidelines at games, based on some of the side-sessions the two have been working on in practices reported by the media. no doubt it’s likely not much more than a working relationship, but the one way we have had communication (from favre) favre hasn’t done anything to throw him under the bus, so far as I can tell …
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Johnny Styne says:
Bassett — Good points — It still doesn’t look “so far, so good” to me, but you make a real case that it might be –
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jetchick says:
Bassett
Firstly, Coles is our number one receiver. His numbers last year we generated by an injured player that missed games, and played hurt. His previous season was 91 receptions for 1,200 yards. What equation have you developed to move JC ahead of him?Styne
When Coles puts up the best numbers against Miami will you get off his case and admit that your observations as they relate to Coles are twisted and distorted?
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Vinny says:
Coles is a smart guy. Ive seen him chatting with Favre numerous times. I dont think Coles blames Favre for Penington. One thing about Coles, he speaks his mind but plays his heart out. I remember when everyone made a big deal out of him stating Manginis camp was very hard and he didnt agree with it. He was a malcontent, get rid of him, yadda yadda. Everyone ignored his statment that “even though I dont agree with it, I signed a contract , Im a profesional and will give 100% and do whatever is askedof me( which he did ). COles peers vote him one of the NFLs toughest WRs every year.
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AL says:
I think this will be the first year outside of 2002 when chad was at his best that laverneous will be playing with an elite quaterback. A QB that can throw it 50 yards down the sideline. This should be a good year for all our recievers.
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ramble914 says:
With regard to “Coles relationship with Favre settle in? So far, so good”, let’s not forget that Favre extended an olive branch to Coles (not that one was needed) by heaping praise on him and favorabily comparing LC to Donald Driver. I too saw plenty of photos and video of BF and LC on the sidelines talking and laughing, so it would seem to me that while LC is upset at CP being released, he is professional enough not to take it out on BF.
Besides, once he starts catching those amazing passes that only BF can throw, all will be right in Jet land.
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Bassett
I think both LC and and JC will have great years with Favre and a revamped OL. I also feel our crew of TE’s will prosper with Favre as QB.
I guess it doesn’t matter who is our number one and two, but rather what their combined production will be.
I would like to wager one dollar with you as they did in the movie Trading Places as a symbolic gesture that Coles will be number one this year…do we have a bet?
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JustAGreenGuy says:
The issue with Coles isn’t his ability or gamesmanship. He always seems to have a complaint.
Vinny posted – “even though I dont agree with it, I signed a contract , Im a profesional and will give 100% and do whatever is askedof me”
Where the heck was that when he was demanding more money after he was injured half the season and calling the front office liars?
The team is better with him and I’m sure he is a great man but he is a bag of issues. Even when we had Chad. We let Chad go the fairest way we could. Would Coles have rather we cut Barrett (similar cap number. I think) and kept CP, so CP could ride the bench or be held hostage for a trade?
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I’ll take that bet. On who has better statistics at the end of the year or who is still standing?
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kc says:
that is a BIG if !!
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p.s..i think the jetschick IS coles!?
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kc
Let me assure you I am equipped differently then Coles.
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What about the Gentlmanly/ Ladyly bet?
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Buisness is buisness in the NFL. Coles and the club came to an agreemenet. And by the way, how many players have now accused the front office of lying ? PLaying inpain should also count for something
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your also trying to “assure” me/us that LC is our # 1 reciever……i gotta see it to believe it!
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hey vinny, the WHOLE LEAGUE plays in pain!
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BASSETT…..take that bet IMMEDIATELY!
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Bent says: This whole 1 v 2 argument is a bit crazy. Number two receivers often get better numbers than the number one guy just by virtue of the fact that the top guy has the better guy(s) covering him.
That’s why T J Houshmanzadeh and Reggie Wayne routinely post better stats than Chad Ocho Cinco (nee Johnson) and Marvin Harrison.
So any bet maybe shouldn’t be decided by who has the better stats, but by who the other team usually puts their best guy(s) on. Of course even that is inexact, because the number one corner usually has less safety support, so sometimes a team will double cover one guy and have their best guy one-on-one with the other.
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jetchick — before I take the bet … what defines “number one”?
he’s number two in my mind … does that mean I win?
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he wont even make it through the whole season….BET WON! (i genuinely,sincerely,honestly hope im DEAD WRONG!) i hope coles has a PHENOMENAL season! just would NEVER bet on it!
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reggie wayne is just PLAIN a better reciever than harrison….BOTH in their PRIME,now thats a different story!
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actually TJ has NEVER had a better season than CHAD JOHNSON…. TJ 2007:rec-112 yds-1143 td-12 CHAD 2007 rec-93 yds-1440 td-8 TJ 2006:rec-90 yds-1081 td-9 CHAD 2006:rec-87 yds-1369 td-7 TJ 2005: rec-78 yds-956 td-7 CHAD 2005:rec- 97 yds-1432 td-9 TJ 2004: rec-73 yds-978 td-4 CHAD 2004: rec-95 yds-1274 td-9
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except MAYBE 06? they are BOTH ” #1′s ” tho.
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TJ gets hurt a lot too. I watched a lot of Bengals games.
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Bent says:
When I say he routinely posts better stats, I mean on a game-by-game basis. ie if Coles or Cotch has the better stats on Sunday, that might not prove that they are the true number one…especially if the reason is that they are keying on the other guy!
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Bassett:
Stats do not tell the entire story. The tough catches in the middle of the field, the third down conversions, the leadership and respect, playing hurt, touchdowns that win games, yards after the catch, getting open, tough catches that put the receiver at risk, locker room leadership, team first attitude, and courage in the face of adversity. Those thing combined with number of catches, yards per catch and total yard stats.
I feel we have two number one receivers, and perhaps the younger JC will eclipse Coles this year.
I suppose we can take a pole of all our loyal posters at the end of the season and whoever they say wins number one receiver will win this bet.
Are we on?
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AABrooklyn says:
No one in the NFL plays with more determination than Coles. Can that be quantified? No. Are there other players that play with the same fierce determination? Yes. Is Cotchery or Coles the #1 receiver? I don’t really care and I don’t think Coles, Cotchery, Favre, the coaches or a lot of other people really care. What is important is they both stay healthy. If they are both on the field every week along with Favre the Jets will have one of the best passing attacks in the league especially when combined with a nice trio of tight ends and the dynamic Leon Washington. At the end of the year Cotchery will likely have the “bigger” stats. Cotchery is ready for prime time and is on his way to a Pro Bowl caliber season (it’s a popularity contest so he will probably be snubbed).
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AABrooklyn — Coles should be jumping for joy that he now has a quarterback — That he is acting like a crybaby of three months is what’s causing him to get lambasted — Add to that the fact that his career may very well end end this season due to Chad’s laying him out last season, Jets fans just don’t have much patience for his bellyaching — Really, if he came out publicly and said “I’m psyched that Brett Favre is my quarterback”, NO ONE would have a problem with him –
His relationship with Favre is “so far, so good”? — Based on what? — We have no facts on the matter other than Coles’ refusal to talk to the media because the Jets replaced Pennington with Favre, that Coles did not play one down in any of the preseason games, and that Coles was voted out by his teammates as an Offensive Team Captain — Oh, yeah, and thanks to his friend Chad, that he’s a tap on the head away from calling it a career — Think about that when Favre throws to Cotch, Keller, and Smith all the way down the field on Sunday –