Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 24, 2003 12:00 AM
Top 5 receivers
1. Charles Rogers, Michigan State, 6 feet 2 ½, 202: Tall and skinny, he has the athletic gifts to score from anywhere.
2. Andre Johnson, Miami, 6-2, 230: Amazingly fast for his size but drops more passes than he should.
3. Taylor Jacobs, Florida, 6-0, 205: Not in the class of Rogers or Johnson, but he's productive.
4. Kelley Washington, Tennessee, 6-2 ½, 223: Great tools but has a reputation for being difficult for coaches to handle.
5. Bryant Johnson, Penn State, 6-2 ½, 214: Not much of a deep threat but should be a solid No. 2.
Sleeper Kevin Curtis, Utah State, 5-11, 186: Intelligence and toughness compensate for his lack of size.
Cardinals needs Desperate is the best description. The top three receivers from last season have departed via free agency, and there are no proven replacements. The Cardinals need to draft two receivers who can contribute as rookies.
The Cardinals would like nothing better than to install a passing attack as bold and unpredictable as the one employed by the St. Louis Rams.
Unfortunately, they're stuck with talent that's more suited to running the veer. At least for now.
The top three receivers from last year - David Boston, Frank Sanders and MarTay Jenkins - have departed through free agency. The remaining five players have a combined 66 receptions in their careers.
So unless they convince quarterback Jeff Blake to run the option, the Cardinals need receivers in this weekend's draft.
"What we would like to do is come out of the draft with at least a couple of receivers and the pass-rush situation addressed," said Rod Graves, the team's vice president of football operations.
The Cardinals probably won't take a receiver in the first round, unless they trade down from the sixth overall pick. The top two receivers, Michigan State's Charles Rogers and Miami's Andre Johnson, could be among the first five players selected.
Most NFL talent evaluators agree there is a significant drop in talent after that.
"I think the last two years were deeper than this year," Houston general manager Charley Casserly said of this year's receiver crop. "But I think Charlie Rogers clearly is a guy you're going to talk about, you're going to read about. He has enormous potential. We've been scouting him for two years now, and the guy is going to be a superstar in the league."
Detroit is expected to take Rogers with the second pick, leaving Houston, with the third selection, to take Johnson.
He could be quite a consolation prize. Johnson is 6 feet 2, 230 pounds and can make defensive backs look like they are playing on a field of pudding.
The Cardinals are expected to address their need at receiver as early as the second round, when players such as Penn State's Bryant Johnson or Tennessee's Kelley Washington will probably be available.
Last week, the Cardinals brought Texas A&M receiver Bethel Johnson in for a visit.
Ideally, offensive coordinator Jerry Sullivan would like to have a stable of five solid receivers who are fast and versatile enough for the unpredictable offense he envisions. It's a plan modeled on the schemes Pittsburgh and St. Louis have been so successful with the past few years.
"If you have one or two wide receivers as opposed to three or four, it does limit what you can do in terms of being a problem for the defense," St. Louis coach Mike Martz said.
"I think defenses have always been ahead of the offense in this league. That's my opinion. I think to keep up with defenses, you've got to try to take away the rhythm of the game from the defense.
"I think that's what you do when you change your personnel groups, put multiple receivers in and out. When you sit with a two-wide receiver group throughout the game, a defense can really try and take control of the tempo of a game."
The Arizona Republic
Apr. 24, 2003 12:00 AM
Top 5 receivers
1. Charles Rogers, Michigan State, 6 feet 2 ½, 202: Tall and skinny, he has the athletic gifts to score from anywhere.
2. Andre Johnson, Miami, 6-2, 230: Amazingly fast for his size but drops more passes than he should.
3. Taylor Jacobs, Florida, 6-0, 205: Not in the class of Rogers or Johnson, but he's productive.
4. Kelley Washington, Tennessee, 6-2 ½, 223: Great tools but has a reputation for being difficult for coaches to handle.
5. Bryant Johnson, Penn State, 6-2 ½, 214: Not much of a deep threat but should be a solid No. 2.
Sleeper Kevin Curtis, Utah State, 5-11, 186: Intelligence and toughness compensate for his lack of size.
Cardinals needs Desperate is the best description. The top three receivers from last season have departed via free agency, and there are no proven replacements. The Cardinals need to draft two receivers who can contribute as rookies.
The Cardinals would like nothing better than to install a passing attack as bold and unpredictable as the one employed by the St. Louis Rams.
Unfortunately, they're stuck with talent that's more suited to running the veer. At least for now.
The top three receivers from last year - David Boston, Frank Sanders and MarTay Jenkins - have departed through free agency. The remaining five players have a combined 66 receptions in their careers.
So unless they convince quarterback Jeff Blake to run the option, the Cardinals need receivers in this weekend's draft.
"What we would like to do is come out of the draft with at least a couple of receivers and the pass-rush situation addressed," said Rod Graves, the team's vice president of football operations.
The Cardinals probably won't take a receiver in the first round, unless they trade down from the sixth overall pick. The top two receivers, Michigan State's Charles Rogers and Miami's Andre Johnson, could be among the first five players selected.
Most NFL talent evaluators agree there is a significant drop in talent after that.
"I think the last two years were deeper than this year," Houston general manager Charley Casserly said of this year's receiver crop. "But I think Charlie Rogers clearly is a guy you're going to talk about, you're going to read about. He has enormous potential. We've been scouting him for two years now, and the guy is going to be a superstar in the league."
Detroit is expected to take Rogers with the second pick, leaving Houston, with the third selection, to take Johnson.
He could be quite a consolation prize. Johnson is 6 feet 2, 230 pounds and can make defensive backs look like they are playing on a field of pudding.
The Cardinals are expected to address their need at receiver as early as the second round, when players such as Penn State's Bryant Johnson or Tennessee's Kelley Washington will probably be available.
Last week, the Cardinals brought Texas A&M receiver Bethel Johnson in for a visit.
Ideally, offensive coordinator Jerry Sullivan would like to have a stable of five solid receivers who are fast and versatile enough for the unpredictable offense he envisions. It's a plan modeled on the schemes Pittsburgh and St. Louis have been so successful with the past few years.
"If you have one or two wide receivers as opposed to three or four, it does limit what you can do in terms of being a problem for the defense," St. Louis coach Mike Martz said.
"I think defenses have always been ahead of the offense in this league. That's my opinion. I think to keep up with defenses, you've got to try to take away the rhythm of the game from the defense.
"I think that's what you do when you change your personnel groups, put multiple receivers in and out. When you sit with a two-wide receiver group throughout the game, a defense can really try and take control of the tempo of a game."
