Sports Publications

Rookie wideouts providing punch lines for D-backs

Sporting News, The, Dec 11, 2000 by Gary Horton

The original Not Ready For Prime Time Players were funny men--John Belushi, Dan Akroyd and Chevy Chase. They kept us howling on Saturday nights with great physical comedy.

Twenty-five years later, a new cast of characters is carrying on the tradition, only this time the hysterics take place on Sunday afternoons.

If you need a good laugh, there are plenty of rookie wide receivers willing to provide one. In fact, these guys are more amusing than any sketch Saturday Night Live's Lorne Michaels has come up with in years. The highly touted pass-catching class of 2000, which was heralded as the deepest in a decade, has been nothing but a punch line among defensive backs. There are few better ways to describe such a comedy of errors.

Of the 15 receivers drafted in the first three rounds, only one--the Seahawks' Darrell Jackson--has scored more than three touchdowns. They have only 19 collectively. To put that futility in perspective, consider that two years ago, Randy Moss, then a first-year player with the Vikings, caught 17 touchdown passes.

The Steelers' Plaxico Burress, the eighth overall pick, who many scouts tagged as a Moss clone (or maybe clown), hasn't reached the end zone once. That's a joke in itself, though you can bet Steelers coach Bill Cowher isn't laughing, especially with Burress now out for the year with a wrist injury.

Burress is the tallest, which makes him stand out as the most noticeable disappointment, but at least four other receivers are struggling through equally rough transitions at a position that generally is accepted as the simplest at which to make an immediate impact.

R. Jay Soward, Jaguars. Adding the former USC star with the 29th pick overall was supposed to accomplish many things for the Jaguars. It was supposed to give coach Tom Coughlin greater play-calling flexibility, in turn making his offense less predictable. It was supposed to take some pressure off the overworked duo of Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell. Most important, it was supposed to give the team an Az-Zahir Hakim-type dimension in the slot.

With three games left, Soward has caught only 14 passes--a number which is surpassed by the amount of team meetings and practices for which he has been tardy.

To sum up his forgettable season, look no further than a costly performance against the Redskins in Week 8. He blew by cornerback Deion Sanders twice, hauling in one touchdown pass and dropping another. Later, he bobbled a pass that Sanders intercepted, then capped off the day with a muffed punt.

Dennis Northcutt, Browns. With quarterback Tim Couch sidelined for the bulk of the season, many Browns fans will cry foul on this assessment. But what's most foul are Northcutt's hands. An inability to hang onto the ball has prevented Northcutt, the first selection of the second round, from showcasing the after-the-catch running ability that made him the Pac-10 conference's most dangerous receiver a year ago.

Northcutt's problem is a fundamental one. You can't run before the catch. His lack of focus has spilled over to special teams, where a botched punt return in the fourth quarter of a game against the Titans halted a possible comeback.

We felt this was a reach on draft day, and Northcutt has done nothing to dispel that opinion.

Dez White, Boars. This guy slid more in the weeks heading into the draft than any of his overrated classmates--he eventually was picked in the third round--and it appears to be for good reason. White dazzled scouts with his sub-4.4 40 times, but even casual film study showed his mechanical, robotic, route-running. Unlike in college, where most cornerbacks can be beaten with flat-out speed, the NFL requires receivers to run smooth, crisp routes. White, whose stiff hips have prevented him from taking a spot in the Bears' injury-riddled receiving corps, understands this all too well.

White's lone touchdown, a 25-yarder in mid-October against the Vikings, came on a screen pass, which simply required him to take a step back off the line of scrimmage and catch the ball. Unfortunately for the Bears, there are few plays in which White's initial step isn't forward.

Todd Pinkston, Eagles. Just a quick glance at Pinkston should have scared off the Eagles. His 6-2, 168-pound frame reminds you of a high school kid who hasn't developed. But Pinkston is 23, and he's done maturing. The deep voice should have tipped off coach Andy Reid. Even if he does put on 10-15 pounds, will that enable him to consistently beat physical press coverage? It's doubtful.

Playing behind arguably the worst starting receiver combination in the league, Pinkston has managed only eight catches. Taking this slight specimen is one of Reid's few bad decisions since joining the Eagles.