2nd best receiver all time, from 2008

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

I agree. I wouldn't have Owens in my personal top 10, because if I were a GM I wouldn't want him on my team. Guys can be jerks and not be a distraction (I think Randy Moss qualifies), but Owens always crossed the line. But my main issue with Owens is that for as big and tough as he was, he was very unreliable over the middle. I don't know if he just had bad hands or if he heard footsteps, but that is one area in which guys like Irvin and Carter (and even Harrison) are superior to Owens.

Are we talking about the same Randy Moss?

Guy was eventually a problem everywhere he went, too.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Oh, and for the Irvin bashers...

 

[Senser81]

As for Michael Irvin, I know this was written in 2008, but even for his style of WR, i'd take Andre Johnson over Irvin without even thinking twice about it. Far superior player. And i'm not even sure i'd have Johnson in my Top Ten.

Also, obviously Calvin Johnson has to be on this list somewhere.

I wouldn't go so far as to put Andre Johnson over Irvin. Irvin made his rep going up against top CBs and upping his game in the playoffs. I don't know if Andre Johnson fulfills either of those criteria.

 

[Senser81]

Are we talking about the same Randy Moss?

Guy was eventually a problem everywhere he went, too.

True, but I think Moss had a longer shelf life than TO. I think Moss's problem was that his coaches eventually thought he wasn't trying, whereas TO was just abrasive to everyone.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Oh, and for the Irvin bashers...

It's not even Irvin's fault, it's just the idea of him being 4th on this list is patently absurd and unjustifiable.

If he were listed 8th or something, i'd still disagree with it but I doubt i'd have wanted any time complaining about it.

 

[Senser81]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t430u1LCClQ


If you are bored, here are the 1966 Chargers highlights that are Lance Alworth-heavy.

Alworth's numbers on the year...13 games, 73-1383-19.0-13

 

[jms493]

These lists are great because W2B gets so fired up!

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

True, but I think Moss had a longer shelf life than TO. I think Moss's problem was that his coaches eventually thought he wasn't trying, whereas TO was just abrasive to everyone.

I don't disagree with his shelf life...and Moss was a much more talented receiver, in my opinion, which allowed for the longer leash. Moss' problem was that he eventually wasn't trying, not the perception of. There has never been a complimentary route that Randy Moss liked to run, even when he was with Cris Carter and Jake Reed as a young player. Plus, his lack of diversity running the route tree made it increasingly difficult for teams to get him the ball unless they forced him the ball, mostly down field. He wasn't exactly willing to run digs and skinny posts.

All of this was multiplied once a team started to suck, he got frustrated, pissed off, the QB wasn't getting him the ball, etc.

For the reasons listed with Owens...I'd hesitate to put Moss #2. He is without question, the most talented wide receiver ever, IMO...and he is a Top 5 guy, should be #2, but because he was such a pain in the ass, I'd probably hold off on putting him that high. Teams seemed to never win with him, despite how talented he was.

Say what you will about Michael Irvin and his rankings on this list...he did have some fruity qualities about himself in the same vein that Moss and Owens had, but it never manifested itself in the manner it did with the aforementioned two. Guy was a great teammate. Guy went up against the league's best a ton and often succeeded. Also, one helluva playoff performer. Was good for one monster game every year in the playoffs and was often a difference maker in all but a few playoff games during Dallas' big run.

 

[jms493]

Warner will love these stats.

Moss's 2 superbowls -

2007 - 5/62 1TD
2012 - 2/41

:elisha:

 

[Pitty]

Methinks Fitzgerald ends up somewhere on this list by the time he's done.

 

[Aso]

Methinks Fitzgerald ends up somewhere on this list by the time he's done.

Hurts his chances a little after playing for years with shitty QB's like John Skelton and Kevin Kolb. At least it hurts his stats pretty drastically.

 

[jms493]

Fitz has to have the best hands ever!

 

[Pitty]

Hurts his chances a little after playing for years with shitty QB's like John Skelton and Kevin Kolb. At least it hurts his stats pretty drastically.

Larry just turned 30, has about 12,000 yards, 90 TDs, and is an 8 time Pro-Bowler. If anything, playing with shitty QBs and putting up those numbers increase his chances.

 

[ram29jackson]

Larry just turned 30, has about 12,000 yards, 90 TDs, and is an 8 time Pro-Bowler. If anything, playing with shitty QBs and putting up those numbers increase his chances.

or end up like the modern Lynn Swann or Harold Jackson, Great but forgotten in a sense

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Methinks Fitzgerald ends up somewhere on this list by the time he's done.

Severely underrated player, probably because he plays for the most obscure franchise in the sport. Playing for the Cardinals is like playing for the Titans or Bills, nobody is paying attention. Hurts even more to be buried in that shit time zone, playing late games against the Rams or Seahawks head to head with the back end of network double header national games.

Fitzgerald & Steven Jackson are the two most underrated players of the last decade, because outside of Arizona's brief run with Warner (and even then), nobody watched either guy play. And they were both legit great.

 

[Pitty]

Severely underrated player, probably because he plays for the most obscure franchise in the sport. Playing for the Cardinals is like playing for the Titans or Bills, nobody is paying attention. Hurts even more to be buried in that shit time zone, playing late games against the Rams or Seahawks head to head with the back end of network double header national games.

Fitzgerald & Steven Jackson are the two most underrated players of the last decade, because outside of Arizona's brief run with Warner (and even then), nobody watched either guy play. And they were both legit great.

He was a last second TD away from the greatest WR performance in a Super Bowl. Arguably had the best WR playoffs ever that year too.

 

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

Just some random thoughts...

You TO backers need to take a longer look. Id like to compare him to Irvin for a second as they are so physically close yet deliver such different results. TO accumulated alot of garbage time numbers and just preyed on shitty CBs for such a long stretch of his career. Im not saying he wasn't elite. But of all the top guys at the time TO consistently had trouble with top guys. As physically dominant as he was at the LOS you could play a shot game with the amount of shorted routes ,and alligator armed attempts he'd have up the middle. He was an all or nothing guy. If a CB got to him early TO would mentally checkout for long stretches. Sadly I think his first year run with the Eagles may have been an anomaly that threw people off. Because that was IMO his most consistent season. But before and certainly after the guy refused to perform in big games. Cowboys two seasons in a row watched season altering plays slip through his hands in crunch time. TO got progressively mediocre when important moments crept up. Whats crazy is that he's open on most of these plays. Its some weird mental blank this guy was shooting. He'd do everything right and suddenly.....incomplete then stare at the sky and give his QB the stare. Ugh.. Hes not top 10 when you mix in locker room cancer status. If durability is your criteria then go ahead.

On the other hand you have Irvin a guy who epitomized that physical dominance TO gets raves over. How many of the top WRs can say they had to face 2 HOF CBs and 2 others who were elite level (Aeneas , Green , Taylor , Allen) 6 times a year. Not only did he not struggle he excelled against them. Green was basically his bitch twice a year , Aenas , and Allen were often chew toys. A couple of shots against Rod Woodson & Deion Sanders ? Three 150+ yard games against them. I mean seriously who the hell else other than Moss/Rice can say they faced that level of competition and somehow played that well ? He was an infinitely better route runner than either Moss or TO. Was significantly better than Carter at deep routes , and had a highlight reel of big catches in huge games. He certainly made a long lasting impact as the trend to XLarge WRs and the techniques used by them was a heavy Irvin influence. Theres no reality where TO gets on a list above Irvin unless you are relying on a calculator or profootballoutsiders app.

That said much as I do think Irvin is an easy top10. Probably top 7 ...top 4 seems really high to me. Alworth and Berry not being there is just wtf to me. I personally had them as 4-5. But frankly whoevers #4 on any of your lists...is like half a lace better than someone at #11 or 12 anyways so meh.

Severely underrated player, probably because he plays for the most obscure franchise in the sport. Playing for the Cardinals is like playing for the Titans or Bills, nobody is paying attention. Hurts even more to be buried in that shit time zone, playing late games against the Rams or Seahawks head to head with the back end of network double header national games.

Fitzgerald & Steven Jackson are the two most underrated players of the last decade, because outside of Arizona's brief run with Warner (and even then), nobody watched either guy play. And they were both legit great.

I get the distinct feeling both will be forgotten. I still think the Cowboys get to the SB had they drafted Jackson and not that bum Felix Jones.

 

[Woy]

Severely underrated player, probably because he plays for the most obscure franchise in the sport. Playing for the Cardinals is like playing for the Titans or Bills, nobody is paying attention. Hurts even more to be buried in that shit time zone, playing late games against the Rams or Seahawks head to head with the back end of network double header national games.

Fitzgerald & Steven Jackson are the two most underrated players of the last decade, because outside of Arizona's brief run with Warner (and even then), nobody watched either guy play. And they were both legit great.

Sounds like someone doesn't respect Andy LeVitre.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Methinks Fitzgerald ends up somewhere on this list by the time he's done.

I just wish we could have seen Fitzgerald play with a Brady or Manning for most of his career... hell even a really good, but not great, QB like a Phil Rivers or Big Ben. Instead the guy had a couple years with Kurt Warner and a bunch of garbage in between.

The fact Carson Palmer at age 34 is the 2nd best QB he's ever played with is quite telling.

 

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

I just wish we could have seen Fitzgerald play with a Brady or Manning for most of his career... hell even a really good, but not great, QB like a Phil Rivers or Big Ben. Instead the guy had a couple years with Kurt Warner and a bunch of garbage in between.

The fact Carson Palmer at age 34 is the 2nd best QB he's ever played with is quite telling.

Meh , WRs dont always need world beater QBs. They often benefit from being on bad teams where they just get fed the ball all day. Andre Johnson is just as victimized if not worse if thats the case.