Many football critics see the Cowboys at a major loss without star wide receiver Terrell Owens, but I feel differently. I see better team chemistry in Dallas this season and an offensive core that remains very talented. Today we'll review the wide receiver lineup in Dallas.
1. Roy Williams Age: 27 (6'3" 220 lbs 4.42 40 yard dash). When you look at his career stats, most assume he is not a legit #1 WR, but don't forget how talented this guy is. His biggest problem to me is that he has only played in all 16 games once, out of his 5 seasons. He has only reached 1,000 yards once, but I think that is more about injuries and playing in Detroit than it is his talent. He has all the tools that it takes to be a top receiver in the NFL, and hopefully he will prove all the haters wrong. There are a couple reasons that I believe he can show us what he is capable of. Last year's performance with Dallas was most likely just him not being comfortable, and Romo feeling the need to keep trying to get the ball to T.O.. He actually had more yards in 5 games with Detroit than he did in 10 games with the Cowboys (Which shows that his 10 games with Dallas last year are not an accurate assessment of what to expect). I really expect him to be much better now that he has had more time to work with Romo, and the rest of the offense. Also, this is a guy that averages 14.5 YPC (T.O. 14.9 career YPC), which is pretty decent. It's not great, but it's good enough. Basically, if he can stay healthy, he has a good chance of getting 1,000 yards, and at least reaching his career high of 8 touchdowns in a season.
2. Patrick Crayton Age:30 (6'0" 203 lbs 4.58 40 yard dash according to USA Today). I don't know about you, but when I think about Crayton, I have trouble getting over the dropped pass in the playoffs a couple seasons ago. But we have to put that behind us. He has good strength and hands, and has only missed 1 game the past 3 years. In those 3 years, he has been very consistent with his production. He has produced between 500 and 700 yards each season, while notching 15 touchdowns during in that time. I like Crayton, just not as the #2. I think he is the type of guy that is perfect for the slot. He can find the openings in defenses, and isn't afraid to go over the middle. If he can put up another 500 yard season, and get a few touchdowns, I think he has done his job well. Lets just hope he is still getting better at the age of 30. We may only have a couple seasons till he starts to decline, which isn't good for a guy who is a role player.
3. Miles Austin. Austin possesses more upside than Crayton due to his age, as well as his big playmaking ability. Austin had a very high average yards per catch in 2008, and while there weren't so many catches (he wasn't a starter for the team), he showed his ability to make big plays and to find the end zone.
Austin's may end up seeing many of the passes that Owens saw in previous seasons; the deep Romo bombs are a nice fit given Austin's raw speed, and lining up in the slot will throw many offenses off should Austin make an impact in Dallas.
4. Sam Hurd. Like Austin, Sam Hurd is a young receiver on the rise with great speed. He has the local media abuzz with his great play in training camp, but the same thing occurred last season, and Hurd made little impact during the regular season.
While he may just be a 4th receiver, Romo likes to spread the offense out, and I think he'll be a valuable role player in Dallas this season. I wouldn't be surprised to see about 30-40 yards per game, with a few touchdowns to go with it.
I'm gonna end it there, since these are the 4 receivers that are pretty much guaranteed a roster spot, and gonna be the top 4. The way I would prefer for it to work out would be Williams and Austin on the outside, Crayton in the slot, and Hurd as the #4, but I don't know if that is going to be how it works out. I could definitely see the Cowboys leaving Crayton as the #2.
