Probably this, but I never saw Maynard so I'm just going by his credentials. Al Toon and Jerry Rice came out the same year and were always compared in their early days. Had Toon gone to play with Joe Montana and Steve Young in Joe Walsh's offense, and Rice come here to play with Ken O'Brien and Pat Ryan in Joe Walton's offense, you can probably imagine how that would have worked out for each guy.
Can't tell you how many times I thought about this in the past. With the Jets, Toon was heavily used as a possession receiver and was left exposed to so much punishment on passes in middle of the field and on sideline pass plays where he was so often a stationary target on critical third down conversion plays. He has great vision, hands and was amazing at making sharps cuts/moves that made the first would be tackler after the catch miss him completely. While he may or may not have ended up with Rice's stats, I have no doubt whatsoever that he would have ended up in the top 10 all time for yardage, TDs and receptions had he been taken by SF instead of Rice.
This is one area we had some real good ones. Maynard and Sauer both great I liked Sauer better over all. Walker, Moore, Keyshawn, Barkum, Coles, Cotch, Chrebet all real good. Burkett wasn't that good but he was a fiesty guy and I always enjoyed watching him for some reason. Toon is the guy I rate the best and it's not even close. I look at Toon and Namath in terms of ability in almost total awe. Toon was flat out HOF great an absolute god on the football field. Shame we didn't get to see more of him. He is one of the greatest athletes I have ever seen play in any sport.
I remember Toon announced his retirement on Thanksgiving. The following Sunday, Dennis Byrd broke his neck. Banner week for the Jets.
could you imagine had Toon had stayed healty and we didn't waste a supplemental pick on moore therefore leaving us a 1st rder a year later and us taking the player that we really wanted. who was brett favre.
Only seen Maynard from old footage and the highlights of Superbowl III. Toon is my favouriite All-Time Jet, should have been a Hall Of Famer but at least he quit before the concussions got too bad.
And that game against KC where Byrd was paralyzed was the first game I ever went to as a 14 year old in 1992. I worshiped AL TOOOOON and so you can imagine how devastated I was. Easily Toon as the best WR for the Jets since 1985 when I have been watching them.
Aside from Center(which isnt a glamour position so people rarely recgnize or embrace our great history at that spot) WR is likely this franchise's most prestigious position. Alot of big time names. I'm gonna go w/ Toon. i truly believe if he had stayed healthy, and if KOB didn't meet up w/ Bruce Coslet...Toon would be a household name this many uears later just like Rice..and would be in the HOF. The Lam Jones numbers posted earlier shock me. He was alot more productive than he's gotten credit for.
The problem was he went 2nd overall. His numbers would have been good if he went 122nd or 222nd overall. Art Monk was selected 16 picks after Jones. Jones dropped quite a few passes.
I don't know what Don Maynard you were watching but the one I saw was pretty damn fast. You must be confusing him with Sauer.
Yeah, i realize why his name is such a dark one for many of the old timers. It was more of a draf thing than anything else. I just didn't know that he had halfway decent numbers. When you factor in some of the WR busts over the last 25 years...he isn't as bad as he's made out to be. Troy Williamson(7th overall in 05) Mike Williams (10th overall in 05) Charles Rogers) 2nd overall in 03) David Terrell( 8th overall in 01) Peter Warrick(4th overall in 00) David Boston( 8th overall in 99) Michael Westbrook(4th overall in 95) Desmond Howard(4th overal in 92) Joey Jones(9th overall in 84) Granted that's basically 10 guys..but that's only counting top 10 selections..there are several post 10 selction first round busts including guys like Rashaun Woods and Sylvester Morris. I'm not sure I would put any of the duds on this list above Jones, w/ the exception of Howard solely as a returner.
Weeb Ewbank and I agree with you. Here is a quote from Weeb from the July 23, 1973 issue of SI, when Maynard was starting his 14th season in pro football: "Maynard is one of those lean and hungry Texans who can run forever," says Jet Coach Weeb Ewbank . "Normally you'd think a guy his age would be all done, but he keeps himself in shape; no one knows his own body quite as well as Don. He still has fine hands and excellent speed. As a pass catcher he's lost none of his skills." http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1087587/index.htm Don himself also seems to agree with us: "Bake Turner and I was fast and fast. And then Bake got hurt and Sauer came along, and I was fast and Sauer was more of a control ballplayer." http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.jsp?release_id=323
Yeah, Sauer wasn't fast, but damn could he run routes and catch the ball; anything thrown remotely in his direction was going to be a catch.
Joey Jones was not selected in the regular draft. He went 9th in the USFL Dispersal Draft. He was a good player with Birmingham, but I don't know why he didn't do anything in the NFL. Morris was a very good player, but his career was ruined by injuries. He might just be the best of the 1-year-career players. Personally, I wouldn't label Morris as a bust because he was good as a rookie. Hart Lee Dykes (16th overall, 1989) was a similar case, but he played more than one year. David Verser was a bad choice by Cincinnati in 1981 (10th overall). Anthony Hancock, 11th overall, KC, 1982- garbage Perry Tuttle, 19th overall, Buffalo, 1982- garbage Clyde Duncan, 17th overall, St. Louis, 1984- sucked
RJ Soward and Yatil Green are also big time busts. Although in Green's defense he just couldnt stay healthy.
