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Skill Position Special: Eight Set to Bust Out in ’07
by Michael E Lawrence
3/9/2007
Ah, the skill positions. The fellows that chuck, carry, or catch the ball with singular speed, unparalleled athletic ability, or studied swagger. The guys we all tune in for.
Is it any wonder the skill position players monopolise television footage, sponsorship deals, and replica jerseys around the planet when they cash the currency upon which Pro Football trades week in, week out? Of course not: they score the touchdowns.
But skill position stars aren’t built in a day usually, they take time to come good, as their conditioning and knowledge improves. Household stars like Chad Johnson, Antonio Gates and Drew Brees, to a man, took time to develop as young pros.
As such, we offer you here a shortlist of eight that Football Diner reckons will explode onto the scene in 2007.
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh
To a degree, it’s hard to argue a quarterback already with a Super Bowl ring on his finger and an advertising campaign (for Fathead stickers have you seen it? By God it’s irritating. But we digress) needs to break out. But as a passer, Big Ben is yet to join the ranks of the elite. While he was a true gunslinger at the University of Miami (Ohio), Roethlisberger was pretty much a caretaker quarterback for most of his first three seasons, Dilfering it to a Super Bowl XL win over Seattle while the running game carried the load. But after a disastrous 2006 off season including a motorcycle accident and emergency appendectomy surgery, Roethlisberger suffered through a patchy regular season and led NFL starters in interceptions with 23. Still, he showed signs of life as Pittsburgh rounded into form late in the year, tossing 6 TDs against 3 interceptions in his final five starts. More importantly, Mike Tomlin is about to open up the Steeler offense some, as Pittsburgh incorporates emerging air threats Santonio Holmes and Heath Miller into the gameplan. Big Ben could, and should, easily surpass career highs for attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns. Let’s just hope the interceptions stay away.
Eli Manning, QB, New York
The very definition of media whipping boy, Eli has so far in his career looked sizzlingly brilliant and then dumbfoundingly awful in successive games, often plays. His accuracy and mechanics have a habit of going awry at the wrong juncture, but how much of that has had to do with intense pressure form the New York media? While Manning’s early off-season didn’t sound any more promising than his previous three seasons, the pre-season has produced reasons for optimism: Eli has recorded a 107.1 passer rating and thrown for 3 touchdowns, with zero interceptions or fumbles. In fairness to Eli, he has produced 24 regular season touchdown passes two years running, but it’s the consistency and big game nerve the Giants want to see, and he knows it needs to happen in ’07. To a degree Eli’s patented second half collapse coincided in 2006 with injury to veteran wideout Amani Toomer. Happily, Toomer and impressive rookie Steve Smith should solidify a receiving corps that focuses heavily on lolloping deap threat Plaxico Burress and just-stepped out of a salon bad boy Jeremy Shockey. As long as new RB Brandon Jacobs can carry the load (and pick up the blitz) this might finally be they year Manning steps out of the shadow of older brother Peyton and meddling father Archie.
Carnell Williams, RB, Tampa Bay
Tempted as we were to list Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown here, we opted instead for former Auburn running mate Cadillac Williams, whose disappointing sophomore campaign made doubters out of many. Constantly banged up, Williams scored only once in 2006 as the Buccaneers slumped badly. But with fan favourite and goal line rhino Mike Alstott off the scene, Williams should start seeing the ball in key scoring situations. He’s also been working more in the passing game in the off-season, and will be running behind an emerging o-line. Given holes to run through, he should re-emerge as the kind of player that broke rookie yardage records in his first three ever outings on an NFL field, and that was voted offensive rookie of the year. Add in the arrival of savvy QB Jeff Garcia and the determination to overcome a poor 2006, and Williams is set to surprise, again, an awful lot of people.
Mark Clayton, WR, Baltimore
Former 15th overall draft pick Clayton is one of four third year receivers on our list, since year three appears to be the classic breakout season for pass catchers. Pro Bowlers past and present – like Johnson, Terrell Owens, Keyshawn Johnson, Carl Pickens, Javon Walker, Santana Moss, Steve Smith, the list goes on – all put up career figures in their third seasons in years gone by. The Ravens’ Clayton came to life at the tail end of 2006, overtaking vet Derrick Mason as QB Steve McNair’s primary target, not least in the Divisional Playoff game versus Indianapolis. This year he should be entrenched as the undisputed number one option in the Baltimore passing game, particularly as McNair gets more comfortable in his second tour in the offensive system. Clayton is sneaky fast he plays much quicker than his timed speed and is a genuine deep threat. Last year he scored touchdowns from 62, 65 and 87 yards out as part of a 939 yard, 5 touchdown effort. Nothing wrong with these stats, but as long as McNair still has the arm strength, and as long as fellow youngster Demetrius Williams can continue to evolve and draw defensive attention away, Clayton is set easily to surpass them.
Chris Cooley, TE, Washington
Only Jason Campbell’s growing pains and Mark Brunell’s early season inefficiency scuppered Cooley’s scheduled 2006 breakout. As it was, Cooley got into rhythm with Campbell later in the year and posted 734 yards and 6 touchdowns, down a touch from his 2005 output of 774 and 7. Cooley is already a respected receiving option, but his numbers could go through the roof in ’07, as Al Saunders looks to get him even more involved. Throughout training camp Cooley has looked impressive, causing one publication to term him ‘virtually uncoverable.’ Ulp. With a young quarterback looking for easy checkdown completions often, Cooley is set to arrive as an elite tight end, boasting great speed, tough run-after-catch ability and ideal red zone size. He’s also married to a cheerleader. We’re just saying.
Vincent Jackson, WR, San Diego
Does San Diego ever make a bad draft pick these days? Jackson was a second round draft choice from tiny Northern Colorado in 2005. At that point he was purely a size/speed project needing work in every facet of the wide receiver position. Looks like he’s completed the work. After showing flashes of brilliance towards the close of 2006, including a 97 yard, 2 touchdown effort at Seattle (we’ll ignore the incident in which his celebratory spike after a big catch was in fact ruled a fumble weeks earlier), the 6’5 241 lb. Jackson has torn up pre-season scoring three touchdowns and registering 128 yards in just two outings. Of course, pre-season means nothing, but tell that to the Arizona and St. Louis first team defenses against which he did his damage. With thunderous tight end Antonio Gates rumbling down one side of the field, Jackson will have every opportunity to exploit single coverage or find seams in a zone. Like Gates, his measurables are simply off the scale. He should, at least, be a touchdown machine with fellow third year pro Phil Rivers firing him the ball.
Braylon Edwards, WR, Cleveland
Edwards was a first round draft pick you guessed it three years ago, eleven slots before Clayton, to be exact. Expectations were high for Edwards as the third overall selection that year, but a knee injury ruined his rookie campaign. In his second year Edwards and TE Kellen Winslow combined to provide the Browns with some semblance of a passing attack, but his 60 receptions, 879 yards and 6 touchdowns will pale in comparison to the numbers he’ll record in 2007. Above all, Edwards needs to distance himself from the prima donna image he landed himself by venting frustration with the Browns’ offense publicly. On the other hand, it’s this confidence that should see him establish himself as a star in the Johnson / Owens / Randy Moss style: a lot of talent and even more ‘tude to go with it. The question for Edwards remains who will get him the ball, as unpromising Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson vie to get a stranglehold on the starting quarterback position. Usefully, rookie Brady Quinn has shown signs of life in pre-season relief performances. Browns fans everywhere hope Quinn to Edwards becomes a touchdown pipeline for years to come.
Bernard Berrian, WR, Chicago
Look, we’re not just flicking through a list of third year receivers, honestly. It just so happens that Berrian’s promising 2006 season, during which he kinda nearly almost broke out sounds like it might have been a dress rehearsal for a seriously explosive 2007 campaign. Importantly, Berrian returned to early season form in the playoffs, recording 228 yards and 2 tds in three post-season games after collating 775 and 6 during the regular season. Diminutive in stature (he’s 180 lbs.), Berrian got nicked up as the year progressed, so it was important to prove he wasn’t a flash in the pan by hitting stride when it really mattered. Luckily, QB Rex Grossman, for all his bar of soap ball-handling, throws the deep ball particularly well, and the deep ball is Berrian’s bread and butter. More to the point, Bears coaches and local media are raving about the training camp he’s put up: talented CBs Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman have reportedly been burned repeatedly.
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