Miami Dolphins' Ted Ginn, Jr.: Big-Time Receiver or Possession Receiver?

After the Miami Dolphins' Monday Night Football loss against the Indianapolis Colts, there are a lot of good points to build off of, but there are also some major problems on the team.  Among those glaring problems was Ted Ginn, Jr.'s inability to make a big play when he was needed most.

Late in the fourth quarter, quarterback Chad Pennington threw the ball to Ginn in the end zone, who was only in single coverage.  The ball was perfectly placed and it hit Ginn right in the hands, but it bounced right out for an incompletion.  Every receiver is taught that whenever the football touches your hand, you should catch it.  Ginn didn't, and it cost Miami the game.

Since the beginning of last season, everyone has been watching Ginn to see if he can develop into the star receiver that he was drafted to be.  He has shown a lot of improvement since his first season in the NFL, but will he continue that improvement until he develops into a star receiver?  Or, will he just be a possession receiver without any big play-making ability?

Ginn was definitely more of a possession receiver against Indianapolis, catching many key passes to help move the chains.  But I do not think that this will be the case for Ted Ginn's entire career.  I can see him developing into a star, and he may develop sooner than you think. He was a big-time receiver when he played college football at Ohio State, and as he gets more comfortable in the NFL he should be able to take on the big-time role like he had in college.

And, before anyone starts talking about looking for a new receiver to take the number one spot in Miami, consider this: Despite what you want to think, Ginn had a great game against the Colts.  Except for that one play, he caught pretty much every ball that was thrown his way.  If that play had never even occurred, then we would be talking about his amazing performance instead of wanting him to be replaced.

All I ask is that you give Ginn a little more time before you start looking at possibilities to replace him.  You can probably expect a big rebound when the Dolphins head to San Diego to face the Chargers.  After a dismal Week One for Miami's offensive line, they rebounded very well against the Colts.  I bet the coaching staff had a lot to do with that rebound, so they will be looking to motivate Ginn to rebound from that catch for next week.

Please also note that I am not at all okay with Ginn's dropped catch Monday.  I guarantee you that I was just as much, or even more, mad than anyone reading this right now when Ginn dropped that pass.  I have replayed it bouncing off of both of his hands hundreds of times in my head.  I probably will not forgive him for it for quite some time, but I just don't think that it will be an indicator for the rest of his career.

So, back to the original question: Will Ted Ginn ever be a big-time receiver, or will he always be a possession receiver?

My answer is that yes, he will end up being a big-time receiver.  He will just take some time to develop into one.  There are too many reasons for why he will be a big-time receiver, one of them being his extremely successful career with the Ohio State Buckeyes.  Expect Ted Ginn, Jr. to have a big rebound week against the Chargers Sunday, but he will probably take until next season to really develop into a star receiver in the NFL.

But, please, do not count Ted Ginn, Jr. out yet.