The Cincinnati Bengals' signing of Terrell Owens and the following partnership with Chad Ochocinco will make for at least the most entertaining wide receiving tandems in the league, but will they be the most effective?
In today's pass-happy NFL, a strong wide receiving duo can carry a team a long way. It's no longer just about that No. 1 target, but it's about having two targets that can open up and offense and make a team more explosive as a result.
But where does this new couple in Cincinnati rank among the top receiving tandems in the league? Do the Bengals own one of the top tandems or is this just a move that will simply increase the mouthpieces in the Queen City?
Note: This list is strictly about No. 1 and No. 2 receivers and does not include tight ends who may lead their team in receptions.
32. Cleveland Browns: Mohamed Massaquoi/Chansi Stuckey
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The Browns have a new quarterback, but they will really need this combination of receivers to do better than the 53 catches and 922 yards they racked up last season.
Massaquoi is still young and Stuckey spent the first few seasons of his career buried on the Jets depth chart. Neither install much fear in opposing defenses, nor does the Browns offense as a whole.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Michael Clayton/Arrelious Benn
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The Buccaneers were in desperate need of wide receiver help, which is they chose Benn in the second round of this year's draft.
Clayton is better than last season's numbers indicate, but the growth of quarterback Josh Freeman will determine if this duo can move up the list by the end of the 2010 season.
30. Oakland Raiders: Louis Murphy/Chaz Schilens
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The delicate quarterback situation has hampered the development of many Raiders receivers, including top pick Darius Heyward-Bey.
However, this duo has yet to distinguish itself and comes off a season in which they accumulated a combined 63 catches and 886 yards. The Raiders acquisition of Jason Campbell finally gives them a veteran presence under center.
Whether Campbell can help this tandem improve will go a long way to dictate the Raiders success in 2010.
29. St. Louis Rams: Donnie Avery/Mardy Gilyard
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The Rams have their No. 1 target in Donnie Avery, and will now rely on 2010 second-round pick Mardy Gilyard to be the deep threat across from Avery. Avery caught 47 passes for 589 yards and five touchdowns last season.
It's a good start but the inexperience across the way drops the Rams down the list.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars: Mike Sims-Walker/Mike Thomas
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The Jaguars have endured fairly regular turnover at receiver, but should be settled on Sims-Walker and Thomas for the 2010 season.
The duo combined for 109 catches and 1,322 yards last season. They are both sizable targets for quarterback David Garrard, but both are young and still fairly raw. The upside may be there for the Jaguars, but not in the short term.
27. Tennessee Titans: Kenny Britt/Justin Gage
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Britt is developing into a legitimate No. 1 target for quarterback Vince Young, while Nate Washington's 42 catches in 2009 was a solid debut for the Titans.
Neither wide receiver has the explosiveness to be a dominating No. 1 receiver, but they are a good duo that combined for 89 catches last season and are growing with Young.
26. Carolina Panthers: Steve Smith/Brandon LaFell
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Steve Smith is a Pro Bowl-caliber wide receiver, but has not had help across the field that could make him as explosive as he can be. Enter Brandon LaFell who the Panthers selected to be that No. 2 wide receiver.
Smith cannot do it all on his own, which is why the Panthers remain down the list until LaFell or any other receiver on the roster steps up and grabs the No. 2 spot.
25. Chicago Bears: Devin Hester/Johnny Knox
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Devin Hester is developing into a deep threat wide receiver and Johnny Knox comes off a strong, emerging season in which he caught 45 passes for 527 yards. Hester and Knox give quarterback Jay Cutler reliable targets.
Now the expectation (or at least hope) is that Hester can continue to produce beyond his 57 catches in 2009.
24. San Francisco 49ers: Michael Crabtree/Ted Ginn
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The 49ers have significantly upgraded their top two receivers over the last two years by drafting Crabtree and acquiring Ginn via trade this offseason.
Both are capable of becoming high level wide receivers, but for now both remain raw commodities that are still learning on the job in the NFL. The 49ers' tandem could fly up the list in coming years, but for now are too underdeveloped to be much higher.
23. Buffalo Bills: Lee Evans/James Hardy
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Evans returns to the No. 1 spot now that Terrell Owens has left town. Hardy is the clubhouse leader expected to assume the No. 2 role following nearly two whole seasons missed due to ACL surgery.
Both Evans (46 catches last year) and Hardy are better than their career numbers would otherwise indicate, but the biggest question is whether or not the Bills will have a quarterback who can get them the ball.
22. Washington Redskins: Malcolm Kelly/Santana Moss
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Moss caught 70 passes for 902 yards last season despite very shaky play under center while Kelly, and his 25 catches is the most production remaining on the depth chart after Antwaan Randle El returned to Pittsburgh.
Moss can be the deep threat for Donovan McNabb, while Kelly's development should continue with a more veteran and more consistent quarterback running the offense.
21. Denver Broncos: Eddie Royal/Jabar Gaffney
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The Broncos are likely going to rely on 2010 first-round pick Demaryius Thomas to play like a No. 1 receiver, but until he proves he can, the onus falls on Royal and Gaffney to fill the void left by Brandon Marshall.
Royal and Gaffney combined for 91 catches, 1,077 yards last season, but the Broncos believe Royal is ready to step up and assume a bigger role in the offense in his third season.
20. Seattle Seahawks: T.J. Houshmanzadeh/Deion Branch
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Houshmandzadeh caught 79 passes for 911 yards and three touchdowns last season and is the unquestioned No. 1 receiver in Seattle.
However, the Seahawks tandem slips on the list after the loss of Nate Burleson and the likely reliance on the aging Deion Branch.
Branch caught 45 passes in 14 games last season, but the Seahawks are hoping his knees are once again healthy if they are to emerge out of the NFC West.
19. Kansas City Chiefs: Chris Chambers/Dwayne Bowe
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Bowe and Chambers combined for 83 catches and 1,177 yards last season during Matt Cassel's first go-around with the Chiefs. Charlie Weis' hiring as the offensive coordinator should help Cassel get closer to his 2008 form that landed him a mega contract.
That should spell positive dividends for the Chiefs top two receivers. Both have the talent to produce more but need a quarterback capable of getting it out of them.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Hines Ward/Mike Wallace
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Ward has been the mainstay in the Steelers offense for the better part of the last decade, but it is the continued growth and development of Mike Wallace (39 catches, 756 yards in '09) that will determine how could this duo can be.
We already know Ward to be one of the best possession receivers who can move in the open field. Can Wallace pick up the slack left by Santonio Holmes?
17. New York Giants: Hakeem Nicks/Steve Smith
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Steve Smith may not play like a No. 1 receiver, but there is no doubt that Smith is Eli Manning's top target.
Coming off his first 100-plus catch season, Smith's stock is at an all-time high.
Meanwhile, the Giants hope that 2010 is kind to sophomore Hakeem Nicks, who the Giants will rely heavily on to be the downfield threat they sorely missed last season. If Nicks can do that right from the start, this tandem should move up by midseason.
16. Philadelphia Eagles: DeSean Jackson/Jeremy Maclin
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Jackson is rapidly developing into one of the most dangerous home run threats in the game today.
Maclin provides similar speed and explosiveness on the other side of the field. Both can break the field wide open on any play and are nightmares for defensive backs in one on one situations.
Now, can they keep up the production with Kevin Kolb?
15. Cincinnati Bengals: Chad Ochocino/Terrell Owens
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Perhaps it's a fool's errand to put this much stock into the biggest loudmouth duo in the league, but there is production still to be had from Ochocinco and Owens.
Ochocinco still caught 72 passes for over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns despite a very sketchy season from Carson Palmer, while Owens caught 55 passes in a Buffalo offense that often appeared it played without a quarterback.
If Palmer can rediscover the consistency that made him one of the best in the league a few years ago, Ochocinco and Owens could still be a handful for opposing defenses.
14. Atlanta Falcons: Roddy White/Michael Jenkins
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White and Jenkins make for the perfect combination in the Falcons offense. White (85 catches, 1,153 yards in '09) and Jenkins (50 catches, 653 yards in '09) are an excellent deep threat/possession duo that provide the Falcons their major threat on offense.
13. Dallas Cowboys: Miles Austin/Roy Williams
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Austin was arguably the biggest breakout receiver in the league last year as he totaled 81 receptions for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Austin is now the de facto No. 1 receiver, although Williams may still lineup as one. Williams must overcome a disappointing 2009 season in which he caught just 38 passes and was often relegated to Tony Romo's third choice.
A strong start from rookie wideout Dez Bryant could push Williams off the page entirely.
12. Detroit Lions: Calvin Johnson/Nate Burleson
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Calvin Johnson is rapidly emerging as one of the best wide receivers in the entire league. Johnson caught 67 passes for 985 yards and five touchdowns in 2009, and that was while he drew double teams on nearly every play.
To back him up, the Lions signed Nate Burleson who caught 63 passes for 812 yards and three touchdowns as Seattle's No. 2 man in 2009.
The waiting game is on quarterback Matthew Stafford to see if he can take advantage of this new dual threat, but the Lions have given Stafford the weapons to be very successful.
11. Indianapolis Colts: Reggie Wayne/Anthony Gonzalez
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Reggie Wayne is still producing at a very high level in Peyton Manning's offense, coming off another 100-catch season with 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns. The biggest question mark in the Colts' offense is whether or not Anthony Gonzalez (57 catches, 664 yards in '08) can return from a knee injury that forced him to miss all of 2009 and reassert himself as the No. 2 receiver.
As we saw last season, it almost doesn't matter who the No. 2 receiver is, as Manning made giants out of Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon. However, Gonzalez should get his position back if/when healthy.
10. San Diego Chargers: Vincent Jackson/Malcolm Floyd
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Jackson and Floyd made for one of the more deadly duos in football last year, combining for 113 catches, 1,943 yards, and 10 touchdowns.
Jackson will miss the first three games of the 2010 season due to suspension, but that shouldn't slow down a Chargers offense that relies on both big body receivers to work in traffic and become down field threats on any play.
9. Miami Dolphins: Brandon Marshall/Davone Bess
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The Dolphins wanted to improve their offense so all they went out and did was trade for arguably the best receiver in the entire league.
Marshall brings his 101 catches, 1,120 yards, and 10 touchdowns to Miami, where he will enjoy better quarterback play and possibly better numbers.
Across from him is Bess, who quietly caught 76 passes for 758 yards last season. If Bess can repeat that kind of production alongside Marshall, the Dolphins could have one of the scariest passing attacks in the league this season.
8. Arizona Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald/Steve Breaston
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The Cardinals duo finds itself in a precarious situation. Gone are Kurt Warner and Anquan Boldin, and the windfall of their absences could tell the fate of the Cardinals season.
Nevertheless, Fitzgerald remains of the best receivers in the league coming off a 97-catch, 1,092-yard, and 13-touchdown season, while Steve Breaston (55 catches, 712 yards) is emerging as a very viable No. 2.
How they cope in the post-Warner era in Arizona will be a story line this season and certainly something fantasy owners watch closely.
7. Houston Texans: Andre Johnson/Kevin Walter
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The Texans tend to have a second receiver by committee, but Kevin Walter has grabbed that role following his 2009 season in which he grabbed 53 balls for 611 yards.
Across from him is another one of the game's current best in Andre Johnson, who comes a career year in 2009. Johnson tallied 101 receptions for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns, paving the way for the Texans high-scoring offense.
6. New York Jets: Santonio Holmes/Braylon Edwards
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The Jets bolstered their passing game and gave Mark Sanchez another big weapon by acquiring Santonio Holmes.
Edwards had the low total of 35 catches in the imbalanced Jets offense last season, but is a former Pro Bowler capable of much more in a less conservative offense. His presence alongside Holmes should give the Jets more of an inclination to open up the offense.
5. Baltimore Ravens: Anquan Boldin/Derrick Mason
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The Ravens wanted a true No. 1 receiver so they went out an acquired Anquan Boldin and his 84 catches and 1,024 yards from a season ago. Boldin will be paired with Derrick Mason who caught 73 passes for 1,028 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
Their presence will give Joe Flacco one of the best tandems in the league and bring greater balance to the Ravens offense.
4. New Orleans Saints: Marques Colston/Devery Henderson
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Colston's and Henderson's numbers are somewhat deflated given the amount that Drew Brees spreads the ball around, but they have emerged as two of the best young receivers in the league. They have a combination of size, speed and ability to separate that make them the best fit for New Orleans' league-best offense.
3. New England Patriots: Randy Moss/Wes Welker
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Randy Moss is getting up there in age and Wes Welker is coming back from a late-season knee injury, but until one or both show they can no longer produce at a high level, they have to remain high up the list.
Moss, still one of the game's best deep threats, caught 83 passes for 1,264 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.
Welker, arguably the games best possession receiver, caught 123 passes for 1,348 yards and four touchdowns. The duo was the top producing tandem in the league last year.
2. Green Bay Packers: Donald Driver/Greg Jennings
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Jennings and Driver have emerged as Aaron Rodgers top weapons in a Green Bay offense that could be the best in the league this season.
The pair combined for 138 catches, over 2,100 yards, and 10 touchdowns last season, but those numbers could very likely go up with Rodgers receiving another year of experience under his belt.
1. Minnesota Vikings: Sidney Rice/Percy Harvin
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Rice and Harvin enjoyed collective breakout years combining for 143 catches, over 2,100 yards, and 14 touchdowns last year.
Perhaps they have ole No. 4 to thank for that, but the fact remains that they are both extremely explosive with breakaway speed. Both can take it to the house on any given play, transforming the Vikings offense into a more balanced system.
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