Fitz is tits!
Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and Chad OchoJohnson are either out of the league or on the 18th green of their career: gone are the days of the whining wideout yelling for the “damn ball.”
Enter the new NFL. Quarterbacks are throwing for a ton of yardage and throwing it to anyone who is open, often times a tight end or a third, sometimes fourth option in the passing game.While the NFL is most definitely a pass-happy league, we saw only two wide receivers catch more than 100 balls in 2012.
So which players of the Spread the Wealth Era still stand out above the rest? Let’s look at the top 5 wide receivers in the NFL.
5- Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons – He’s not the sexiest receiver in the league but since the 2007-08 season, White has not had less than 83 catches and 1,153 yards in a year – despite playing for a rushing heavy offense in Atlanta. With the Falcons transitioning to more of a passing team last year with the addition of Julio Jones, Roddy’s numbers may not be dropping off anytime soon either.
4- Wes Welker, New England Patriots – The whole “he’s just a possession receiver and not much of a deep threat” argument tends to get a little old after two 120+ reception seasons in three years. Sure, Welker has a career average of only 11.1 yards per catch, but there is something to be said for a guy who is this consistent and this productive. In 2011, he caught 122 passes for 1,569 yards and 9 touchdowns – all career highs. Returning to the most powerful offense in football and with wunderkind tight end Rob Gronkowski sure to be getting more attention from defenses, Welker shows no sign of slowing down.
3- Brandon Marshall, Chicago Bears – For as much as Marshall shows up in the news, it’s rarely for being a beast on the field and usually for either having been traded or for legal reasons. Now on his third team in Chicago, Marshall is reunited with Jay Cutler, his first quarterback in the NFL. His numbers with Cutler in Denver were incredible, averaging 102 catches in his last 3 seasons with the Broncos. Perhaps the greatest testament to his abilities, was the fact that his numbers didn’t drop that dramatically after joining the perpetually anemic offense of the Dolphins.
The great big Johnson!
2- Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions – Megatron finally had a good quarterback throwing to him in 2011 and he responded with the best year of his career. The Lions are a young team that appear to be on the upswing with a strong, young core on offense making Johnson’s best days still ahead of him. At just 27 years old with unequaled freakish size and speed, it is tough not to consider him the best in the league.
1- Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals – Despite having Kevin Kolb and John Skelton throwing him the ball in 2011, Fitzgerald still finished with a career best in yards per catch averaging 17.6, nearly 4 yards more than his career average. He has proven to be the rare receiver that can excel despite his quarterback as well as handle double coverage.
Honorable Mention:
Steve Smith – Steve found the fountain of youth – and Cam Newton – in 2011 and still remains a viable downfield threat.
Hakeem Nicks – If Nicks stays healthy, he’ll be one of the league’s 10 best. Especially with the emergence of Victor Cruz keeping opposing defenses honest.
Greg Jennings – His speed and the powerful Green Bay offense will keep his numbers well above average.
DeSean Jackson – Like TO and Moss before him, Jackson’s talent is undeniable, it’s just a matter of him keeping his head out of his ass – which is no small feat.
Dez Bryant – See also: Jackson, DeSean.
Dwayne Bowe and Stevie Johnson – Both have shown glimpses of being studs, but have struggled with focus and consistency.
Vincent Jackson – Injuries and contract holdouts have held back one of the best-kept wide receiver secrets in the AFC.
A.J. Green – Green lived up to the hype his rookie year and is poised to be in the top 10 – maybe even top 5 – in the coming years.
Andre Johnson – Only injuries can keep Andre out of the top 5. And they do. Every year.
Julio Jones – When Atlanta wanted to switch from a rushing based offense to a more dynamic passing attack, they traded up in the draft to get this beast.
Give Me Liberty 