___________________________________________________ I agree I would make Edwards priority #1, but I'd change the rest. 1) Edwards 2) Cro - Ryans D is based on shut down corners and Cro did a very good job when he didn't have the slot guys. 3) Holmes - Electric player, but still has serious maturity issues. 4) Smith - Another in Westhoff's line of successes: Morton, Washington and Smith. MW makes these guys look great.
101 targets and 2 drops, just to clarify. Wes Welker led the league with 13 drops and Cotch tied for 7th with 8. Holmes at 5 drops with 95 targets.
White scrappy folk who bring their lunch pail onto the football field every play representing patriots nation don't drop the ball that stat is wrong.
His hands were excellent this year (and Holmes had at least 2 huge dropped TD passes), but for those saying Edwards has been this way for his entire Jets tenure, how quickly you forget big dropped TD passes in 09. He was excellent in 2010 though.
His hands have been far better in his Jets tenure than when he was with the Browns. He had 16 drops in '08 and 12 in '07. That's why he's known for having bad hands. Sure he had a couple of big drops for us in '09, but it wasn't like he had consistent problems with catching the ball like he had in the past. He had 6 drops in '09 and 2 in '10.
Spot on man! Braylon had some pretty embarrassing drops in 2009 but definitely picked up his game this year. I really want to see him back. He can be a gamebreaker just as Holmes can. In a perfect world we bring both back, but Braylon is the one I want to see back the most.
No, I think he is changing that reputation now. He got better last year, and was excellent this year.
lil white boy had 13 drops on 123 targets. Yet, he is one of the most reliable WR out there while Ed is butter fingers.
Holmes must have caught the disease from Edwards. Holmes had more key drops than Edwards this past season.
I actually think this is great. It makes opposing fan bases look even more inept. There was an article earlier this year talking about how Henry Ellard worked with Braylon on his catching cause one of his hands has 3 broken fingers. So they taught BE how to cradle with the opposite hand he was normally catching with - which was the bad hand. I went searching for the post but came up empty.
"Edwards and Ellard also talked in the offseason about being a top-five receiver. The key, Ellard emphasized, is consistency. To eliminate drops, they worked on tracking the ball while it’s in the air. His four drops this season — he had 19 in 2008 — are the least among any Jets receiver, according to statistics tracked by Pro Football Focus. They also fine-tuned his route running, to get in and out of cuts without giving the route away, something that can be a challenge with Edwards’ 6-3 frame. He’s had explosive plays on the outside of the field but has also worked inside routes well and made tough catches over the middle — like his critical 15-yard catch in Pittsburgh, after which he was drilled by Steelers safety Ryan Clark. Edwards says he’s catching the ball better now than at any point in his career." Full Article- http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2011/01/finally_at_peace_jets_wr_brayl.html
i think the same article mentioned how his problems were typically on the same side of the field, and how once the CS realized this, they put him on his better side. I remember reading something about both these points. in any event, he's clearly exceeding his reputation. haters will hate.
I already wanted him back more than Holmes (I'd prefer both obviously), but reading this pretty much seals the deal for me. When we first started hearing about the Jets maybe trading for him I was adamantly against it because of his issues with dropping the ball. Even then, I gave him credit for being a tremendously talented athlete. If Ellard has not only corrected the drop issue but is also fine tuning his receiving skills like that I do not want to lose him.
A few were easily Tds. I found it funny that Holmes said after one of his first drops as a Jet.." I never drop the ball".
Yes. That article. But there was another one talking about his broken fingers as well. That's the one I was really looking for. That being said, great article bump. Thanks.
""This pinky is destroyed -- a ripped ligament -- and my middle finger is going the wrong way," he said. "Broke it twice." With a battle-scarred right hand, Edwards leans to the left when it comes to catching passes for the New York Jets. His left hand is stronger than the right, a disparity that affects him on passes over his right shoulder. Eager to correct the flaw, Edwards is working hard in training camp, trying to dispel the widespread notion that he has bad hands. "I'll be OK," he said. "I've been doing good at it this year, trusting the fingers, trusting the hands. So far, it's been working for me." Edwards is an immense physical talent, but he was dogged last season by the dropping issue. Part of that was reputation; he led the league in drops in 2008 as a Cleveland Brown. In 2009, his total wasn't outrageous -- five, according to STATS, LLC -- but they were ill-timed. The most egregious drop came against the Buffalo Bills in Toronto, where he pulled a Luis Castillo, dropping an easy, no-one-around-him pass that should've gone for an 80-yard touchdown. After breaking down plays from last season, Jets wide receivers coach Henry Ellard determined that most of Edwards' drops came on passes over his right shoulder. As Ellard put it, "He has a block on that side," suggesting the issue is mental as well as physical. So on most days in practice, Ellard runs over-the-shoulder drills, hoping repetition solves the problem. "If you want to be in the elite five, you have to make a play every time the ball comes in your direction," Ellard said. Edwards exudes confidence, talking like he expects this to be his signature season. One of his new partners, Santonio Holmes, said Edwards "could be the No. 1 receiver in the NFL -- this year." Edwards has tasted individual glory (1,289 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in 2007), which might explain why he's focusing solely on team goals. He loves the big-play potential of the Jets' receiving corps. "You won't be able to stop us," Edwards said. "Wherever the ball goes, there should be a play." " Full Article here- http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/news/story?id=5461590
