As Jets Fans, We Should Not Write Off Unproven Young Receivers

Countless times over the summer we have heard the same thing as Jets fans:

"Your receivers are not good enough" or "you will need to bring in a proven guy if you want to succeed." It really got me thinking about a couple of guys that were not highly rated nor overly experienced who we came to love and respect.

We are constantly reminded that we do not have a big play receiver, and you would be forgiven for thinking that the team had some flag football toddlers playing opposite Jerricho Cotchery the way that some describe the lack of depth at the receiver position.

How about looking at two of our most loved receivers of recent years? The man pictured above, Wayne Chrebet: undrafted, unproven and said to have little to no chance of ever playing in the NFL.

A man who started at the very bottom of our depth chart, so buried in fact that he could easily stumble on some Bill Belichick home videos of practice from year's previous.

The rest of that story is indeed history, and I'm sure that any Jets fan reading this article will not need me to remind them that he would play for over 10 years, bringing in some of the most important passes in recent memory, and putting everything on the line, every game he played. Concussions and all.

Did anyone really give him a shot after being a 22-year old undrafted wide receiver, who stood at an insignificant 5'10" and weighed less than 190-pounds going on to record over 7,000 yards for the Jets in his career? 

I'm sure that many Jets fans know the old tale of the security guard and Chrebet on his first day.

When he tried to enter the training complex the sentry met him with a firm:

"Players Only"

"But I'm on the team," said the 5'10", Chrebet.

"'Like hell you are,' I told him," Fisher recalls. "I thought Wayne was just another kid from Hofstra."

This is not a article intended to evoke nostalgia at the good old days of Wayne Chrebet and his fearless play. This is a article intended to warn against the pitfalls of writing off players before they have a real chance to make a contribution.

Cotchery was never really given a chance under Herm Edwards. Sure, he played some, but he wasn't started, and if there is one thing that Jets fans can be thankful for, it's Justin McCareins' showing up tardy in 2006 and failing a physical.

This led to Cotchery's being given his first chance in 2006, and brought down 82 passes for 961 yards and six TDs. Not bad for a player who had spent the majority of his first two seasons for the Jets as the fifth or sixth receiver.

Obviously, I'm not saying that any of the receivers that we currently have are going to turn out like Chrebet or Cotchery. I am, however, saying that there is a possibility that they could; however, we know that won't happen unless they are given a chance.

Rex Ryan obviously believes in these guys. He had the chance to bring in several receivers this summer, and although the Jets are rumoured to still be in talks with the Broncos over Brandon Marshall, there is no reason to doubt the confidence that Rex has in these players.

So who will be given that shot? It's likely that Chansi Stuckey will play in the slot and David Clowney will play as the two. That's how I see it so far anyway, but the Jets have other possibilities, too.

Brad Smith, the former quarterback at Missouri, always used in trick plays, has impressed so far this camp. Or perhaps Marcus Henry, who knows? The new receiver, Aundrae Allison, might step up, or maybe Britt Davis or Wallace Wright.

Remember Cotchery's 2005 season? Does it not remind you a little of Chansi Stuckey's 2008 season? In fact Stuckey, had better numbers. Look what Cotchery did in 2006, and now look at the potential for Stuckey in 2009.

Do not fall into the trap of assuming that the Jets do not have talent at the wide receiver position because there are no experienced players outside of Cotchery, or because none of the players there were high draft choices.

I will conclude with the title of this article. As Jets fans, we should not write off unproven young receivers.