| April 18, 2005 | « Previous Story | HOME | Next Story » | Posted at 12:51 PM |
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| Wideouts | Bills Depth Chart | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Starters- Eric Moulds Lee Evans Backups- Camp Fodder- Drew Haddad, Kahlil Hill, George Wilson, Ledaris Vann The emergence of WR Lee Evans last year into an offensive force solidifies the Bills' receiving corpse into a very dangerous unit. Teamed with the recently restructured and perennial Pro Bowl threat Eric Moulds, the Bills have the most feared 1-2 WR threats in the division. It will be a make-or-break season for #3 WR Josh Reed. After a promising rookie season, production and confidence has fallen. He will be pushed hard by Sam Aiken to retain his spot. While we don't believe the Bills will make any major moves at WR in 2005, don't put it past GM Tom Donahoe to sign or draft added competition at an already competitive position on the roster. |
The multi-talented receiver and Biletnikoff Award winner followed his father to Michigan, as Stanley Edwards was a standout running back for the Wolverines (1977-81) before playing in the National Football League with the Houston Oilers (1982-86) and Detroit Lions (1987). Braylon switched to jersey No. 1 after wearing No. 80 during his first two seasons with the team. A versatile athlete, Edwards also ran track during the indoor and outdoor seasons, competing in the high jump as well as the 60- and 200-meter dashes. In 44 games with Michigan, Edwards started 36 times. He shattered all of the school's career receiving records. Edwards caught 252 passes for 3,542 yards (14.1 average) and 39 touchdowns, surpassing the previous marks of 176 receptions by Walker (1998-2001) and 3,076 yards and 37 scores by Anthony Carter (1979-82). His 39 touchdown grabs also set a Big Ten all-time record, while his 252 catches rank fourth and 3,542 yards rank third in conference annals. Positives: Has a tall and linear frame with room for additional growth … Has good shoulder width, small waist and hips, and well-defined thighs and calves … Has the size, speed and flexibility to run, jump and adjust to most thrown passes … Shows great speed on vertical routes and can get deep and separate … Negatives: Has shown good maturity as a senior, but was in trouble with the coaching staff previously for taking plays off … Still needs a coach to ride him to get the best out of his ability …
In 2003, Williams was a consensus All-America first-team selection, becoming the team's first All-America wide receiver since Keyshawn Johnson in 1995 and the first USC sophomore honoree since Tony Boselli in 1992. He was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award (nation's top receiver) and finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting. Williams started every game at split end, leading the team with 95 receptions for 1,314 yards (13.8 avg.) and 16 touchdowns. Only Keyshawn Johnson (102 in 1995) had more catches in a season for the Trojans. His 1,314 yards rank fourth on the school's season-record list behind Johnson (1,362 in 1994 and 1,434 in 1995) and Johnnie Morton (1,520 in 1993). His 16 scoring grabs broke the old mark of 14, set by Williams in 2002 and by Morton in 1993. He finished his career with 176 receptions for 2,579 yards (14.6 avg.) and 30 touchdowns. Positives: Tall, long-limbed with a well-developed, muscular frame, good bubble, tight waist and thick thighs and calves … Smooth and efficient in his release, using his long arms and strength to quickly defeat the press, driving hard with his legs to beat the jam … Negatives: Despite his size and strength, he does not show aggression when asked to block (will position and get in the way, but will not stalk) … Strong runner, but sometimes takes time to get back to speed after the catch …
A gifted receiver who possesses outstanding speed, Williamson developed into the Gamecocks' big-play artist as a junior. A proven deep threat, he also proved capable of carrying the ball out of the backfield in addition to excelling on special teams as a kickoff returner and gunner on the coverage units. As a junior, Williamson accounted for a career-high 835 yards on 43 receptions with seven touchdowns. He also had seven kickoff returns for 105 yards (15.0 avg.) and 30 yards on four carries (7.5 avg.). He closed out his career with 91 receptions for 1,754 yards (19.3 avg.) and 13 touchdowns in 34 games. His 1,754 yards rank seventh on the school's all-time record list. Williamson also gained 101 yards on 12 carries (8.4 avg.), 447 yards on 24 kickoff returns (18.6 avg.) and recorded four solo tackles on special teams. Positives: Tall, long-limbed athlete with a good frame that can carry additional weight … Has long, toned arms, good bubble and very good flexibility and knee bend … Hard worker, the type that will fight for the ball … Negatives: Will position block to seal off, but lacks aggression and is not the type who will use his strength to shock and control the defender … … Has adequate hands, but struggles to adjust to the over-the-shoulder tosses …
Called by many the finest receiver in the history of Oklahoma football, Clayton and quarterback Jason White were largely responsible for this traditionally ground-oriented team developing one of the best aerial attacks in college football. In 52 games, Clayton started 36 times. He holds the school career records for receptions (221), receiving yards (3,241), touchdown catches (31) and 100-yard games (15). He had nine career multi-touchdown games and averaged one touchdown every 7.0 receptions during his career. Clayton surpassed the previous school records of 169 catches by Quentin Griffin (1999-2002), 2,009 yards by Antwone Savage (1999-2002) and 16 scores by Trent Smith (1999-2002). He closed out his career with 12 tackles (9 solos), 120 yards on six kickoff returns (20.0 avg.) and 101 yards on seven punt returns (14.4 avg.) with a score. He also totaled 82 yards on 14 carries (5.9 avg.). Positives: Has a small, wiry build, but possesses good overall muscle tone … Very dangerous after the catch, showing excellent acceleration and a pull-away burst … Has quick feet to plant and make the first tackler miss … Has outstanding acceleration to uncover vs. man coverage and the speed to stretch and separate coming out of his stance … Negatives: Size is a concern, but he could be more effective if playing an inside slot position … Might not be strong enough to handle the physical game at the next level, but uses his hands efficiently to avoid the press …
Brown is a very athletic pass catcher with excellent field vision and determination. The fifth-year senior overcame injury problems earlier in his career to join Fred Gibson in forming one of the finest receiving tandems in college football. They were largely responsible for the success of the Bulldogs' passing attack, as both finished their careers with over 2,000 yards receiving. In 2004, Brown again led the team in receptions. He caught a career-high 53 passes for 860 yards (16.2 avg.) and six touchdowns. He closed out his career by starting 28 of 52 games. Brown collected 144 passes for 2,008 yards (13.9 avg.) and 12 touchdowns. Positives: Has good overall muscle development, tight waist, good bubble and knotted calves … Off the snap, he shows good quickness to get into his routes and does a very good job of dropping his weight to get in and out of his cuts … Works the short to intermediate routes well, displaying good body control and the ability to adjust to the poorly thrown ball … Has good sideline awareness and the ability to catch outside his frame … Negatives: While he has the strength to gain yardage after the catch and good initial quickness, he is not a blazer and lacks the second gear to accelerate instantly … Runs crisp short and intermediate routes, but rounds his cuts and breaks too early on the ball on deep routes …
Having already established himself as one of the premier receivers in the Conference USA prior to 2004, White used his senior season to entrench himself as one of the country's best big-play specialists. Not only did he lead the nation's pass catchers in receiving yardage, he also shattered school and Conference USA records before concluding his career. White garnered All-Conference USA honors in 2003, as he hauled in another 39 passes, good for 844 yards (21.6 avg.) and seven touchdowns. The best was yet to come, as White led the nation in receiving yardage and ranked third in the country with a 20.5 yards per catch average. He caught a career-high 71 passes for a Conference USA season-record 1,452 yards and set a school season record by converting 14 of those catches into touchdowns. In 45 games, White started 43 contests. He caught 163 passes for 3,112 yards (19.1 avg.) and 26 touchdowns. Positives: Has a strong, athletic frame with long arms and legs, good overall muscle development, thin waist, wide shoulders and room for additional growth … Long strider with above average quickness … Has the second gear needed to run by and get on top of the defender … Can set up the defenders with his fakes, stutter-step and ability to vary his speed …Negatives: Does not separate on the hard angle cuts well, as he's more of a soft angle receiver … Has a little bit of a poor stance, and when he stands too tall, his release limits him in this area (exposes his chest too much releasing) causing him to struggle some vs. the jam, but he closes the cushion quickly … Despite his quickness, he does gather himself to take off, but shows good explosion and is a determined runner after the catch …
One of the most gifted athletes to ever come out of the collegiate ranks, Matt is going to be a "pleasant problem" for an NFL team, as his stellar performance during Senior Bowl week has teams wondering what is his true pro position. Arkansas was faced with the same dilemma when Matt enrolled at the school. In addition to his outstanding size, strength and quickness, Matt has the ability to play equally well in any task he is given. While Matt thrilled Razorback football fans the last four years with his impressive play, he also was a favorite of Arkansas' basketball fans, performing on the hard court when he is not playing football. Continuing to impress at every turn, Jones also excelled in the class-room earning Academic Honor Roll accolades during his time at Arkansas. An All-American selection as an all-purpose back by The NFL Draft Report, Matt was also afforded All-Southeastern Conference second-team honors as a quarterback by the league's coaches. He completed 151 of 264 passes (57.2%) for a career-high 2073 yards and 15 touchdowns. Jones rushed 83 times for 622 yards (7.5 avg) and six scores. He concluded his career with 417 of 755 passes (55.2%) for 5857 yards, 53 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. Only Clint Stoerner (57 scores, 7422 yards, 1996-99) had more touchdown passes and more yards throwing in school history. His 55.2 pass completion percentage was good for fifth on the school's career-record list while his 417 completions of 755 attempts both rank third in Arkansas annals. Jones gained 8392 yards in total offense and was responsible for 77 touchdowns, shattering the previous Razorbacks all-time records of 7049 yards and 62 scores by Stoerner. His total offense yards per play average of 7.38 yards rank second in South-eastern Conference history,
COMBINE AGILITY TESTS - 4.37 in the 40-yard dash…2.49 20-yard dash…1.50 10-yard dash…39.5-inch vertical jump…10'3" broad jump…33 1/8-inch arm length…9 ½-inch hands…Right-handed… 19 Wonderlic score.
Positives: Explodes off the snap, using his strong hands to deliver a jolt on the defender to escape press coverage … Moves fluidly towards the ball, dropping his weight to gain more acceleration out of his breaks …Made some great catches at the senior Bowl..... Negatives: Will need some route refinement, as he rounds his cuts a bit … Might struggle a bit to redirect and make adjustments to the ball in flight due to some hip stiffness … Has good speed, but did not show the second gear needed to be considered a deep threat … Must learn route technique and how to generate double moves when working in zone coverage.
Henry is a big-play receiver in the mold of former Mountaineer Jerry Porter. Like Porter, Henry uses a perfect blend of size, speed and strength to provide game-changing plays on the field. In only two seasons with the team, he established himself as a playmaker. Henry continued to excel on the football field in 2004, starting seven games, as he caught 52 passes for 872 yards (16.8 average) and 12 touchdowns. But Henry's lack of discipline overshadowed his talent. Against Rutgers, Henry caught a touchdown and set up another with a 69-yard catch before being kicked out of the game for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. In two seasons at West Virginia, Henry accounted for 1,878 yards and 22 touchdowns on 93 receptions, starting 13 of 25 contests. Positives: Has an outstanding frame for a wide receiver with tight muscles, good upper- and lower-body development, long arms, split high and good thigh and calf thickness … Has the quickness and thrust in his get-off to immediately get into his routes and defeat the jam … Uses his change-of-direction agility and swim moves to get a smooth release off the line … Negatives: His maturity level is sorely lacking … Has had problems with the coaching staff ever since he arrived at WVU, struggles with his academics and has had more than a fair share of on-field antics … Despite his size and strength, he gives just a marginal effort as a blocker …
The cousin of the late Reggie Roby, one of the NFL's greatest all-time punters, Courtney is blessed with smooth feet and outstanding speed. A model of consistency throughout his career with the Hoosiers, he lined up at flanker during his first three seasons at Indiana, but found a home at split end after moving to that position in his final campaign. A tremendous athlete, Roby also excelled on Indiana's track team, clocking 6.90 in the 60-meter dash last spring, his first competitive track-and-field event since high school. Roby started 35 of 45 games during his career. He finished with 170 receptions for 2,524 yards (14.8 avg.) and 12 touchdowns, breaking the previous school all-time marks. . He gained 3,387 all-purpose yards during his time with the Hoosiers. Positives Having added close to 10 pounds of bulk to his frame during the 2004 offseason, he showed better toughness going for the ball in traffic … Has the ability to sink his hips and come out of his breaks with a sharp burst … Negatives Even with the additional weight, he still looks skinny in his lower legs and has only adequate strength … Needs to stay lower in his pads, as he gets too high at times coming out of his breaks … Long-legged runner who has to build to top speed in the open field … Lacks strength and aggression as a blocker, being more of a pester type … Terrence Murphy - 6' 1'' 202
WR - Texas A&M Murphy burst on to the Texas A&M scene, setting a freshman record with 36 receptions, good for 518 yards (14.4 avg.) and three touchdowns in 2001. He played in the final 11 games of the 2002 season, starting three contests. Murphy totaled 599 yards on 36 catches (16.6 avg.) and four scores that year. Murphy finished his career with 29 starts in 45 games. He caught 172 passes for 2,600 yards (15.1 avg.) and ten touchdowns. He shattered the previous school career records of 117 receptions for 1,740 yards by Bethel Johnson (1999-2002). Murphy also gained 209 yards on 17 carries (12.3 avg.) with a score and returned 31 kickoffs for 761 yards (24.5 avg.).
Positives: Has adequate height, but shows good overall muscle tone, good bubble and thighs and trim waist … Shows quick acceleration and thrust off the line of scrimmage and is learning how to use that speed to burst into his routes … Uses his head and shoulder fakes, along with a high release to make quick cuts in attempts to avoid the jam … A good threat on underneath routes as he is effective at finding the seam … Negatives: Needs route refinement as he rounds his cuts and takes a soft-angle approach to the ball … Not a polished receiver as he will extend for the ball, but is prone to double catches … Appears aware of coverage, but does a marginal job of uncovering and settling into the soft spot of the zone … Does not sell his route and fails to set up defenders …
Built like a tight end, Jackson has the foot speed to match up with any cornerback at any level of football. His size makes him almost impossible to match up with in one-on-one situations and is always a threat to turn a play into a touchdown, either as a receiver or a return specialist. The gifted athlete also played on the school's basketball team the last two seasons. Jackson rewrote most of the school's records during his 46-game career. He finished with 177 receptions for 3,548 yards (20.0 average) and 37 touchdowns, breaking the old school marks. Positives: Possesses outstanding size, strength and quickness for his position … Shows average initial quickness off the snap, but uses his hand strength to defeat the jam … Gets a good push off the defender to quickly get into his route … Needs a little polish in his running stride, but can be sudden getting into the short area … Has very good hand quickness, showing the ability to uncover and extend for the ball … Natural hands catcher who will pluck and snatch away from the body's frame …Negatives: Bit of a long strider who has to build up speed in order to accelerate … Despite his size, he does not show aggression as a blocker and did not see him spend much time mirroring, shading and controlling defenders on contact …
An exceptional talent who came to Oklahoma after spending two seasons excelling on the football field and in track-and-field at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Blessed with blazing quickness, Bradley is a multi-talented athlete who can catch, run, return and throw the football with equal success. In 25 games with the Sooners, Bradley totaled 685 yards and nine touchdowns on 34 catches (20.1 avg.). He completed both pass attempts for 47 yards and carried four times for 73 yards and a score. He also returned 19 kickoffs for 483 yards (25.4 avg.), including a touchdown. He also registered 13 tackles (11 solos). For his complete college career, he had 58 receptions for 1,114 yards (19.7 avg.), 22 kickoff returns for 523 yards (23.8 avg.) and a score and eight punt returns for 199 yards (24.9 avg.) and two touchdowns. Positives: Has a solid linear build with defined upper body muscle tone, tight waist and hips and low body fat … Has a quick get-off out of his stance to gain sudden advantage and shows above-average quickness in and out of his routes … Uses effective swim or change-of-direction moves to avoid the jam … Best on outs, comebacks, stops and double moves …Negatives: While he will use swim moves to avoid the jam, he struggles some vs. press coverage and is better vs. the cushion … Even though he has very good foot speed, he relies on double moves to get deep … Does not do a good job of tracking the ball over his shoulder or head on fade routes … Seems to prefer to cradle and body catch the ball rather than extend away from the frame …
One of the fastest players in the nation, Thorpe made a successful return to action in 2004, nine months after he suffered a shattered right leg in which both of his major bones were broken on an overtime play vs. North Carolina State. Thorpe was not only a vital part of the Seminoles' football team, but also played an important role on Florida State's track-and-field teams. Thorpe finished his career with 123 receptions for 2,153 yards (17.5 avg.) and 22 touchdowns while starting 21 of 48 games. His 123 catches rank 11th, his 2,153 yards rank seventh and his 22 scoring grabs rank sixth on the school's career-record list. He added 845 yards on 39 kickoff returns (21.7 avg.) and 13 yards on six carries (2.2 avg.). Thorpe is only the second player in school history to gain over 200 yards receiving in a game twice in a career. Positives: Has a lean, cut-up frame with good upper body development, adding over 10 pounds of muscle to his body while rehabilitating from his leg injury during the 2004 offseason … Shows sudden explosion coming off the line of scrimmage and can get to top speed instantly to gain and eat up the cushion … Negatives: Has the deep speed to get vertical in a hurry, but seemed hesitant to take a hit the first half of 2004 as he continued to recover from his leg injury … Despite his quickness, he did not make many big plays as a senior, as he was relegated to mostly short and intermediate routes … Added weight before the season, but still lacks bulk and strength to defeat the jam, relying more on his burst to avoid it …
Gibson has been a steady performer for the Bulldogs, teaming with fellow receiver Reggie Brown and quarterback David Greene to stake Georgia to a 42-10 record from 2001-04 (sixth best in the country), three straight seasons of 10 or more wins, three straight bowl victories and three consecutive national top-six finishes. Gibson closed out his Georgia career with 34 starting assignments in 45 games. He collected 161 catches for 2,884 yards (17.9 average) and 20 touchdowns Positives: Has long arms and legs with adequate muscle definition … While his weight room figures are only adequate, he does a decent job of using strength and quickness to defeat the jam … Shows the ability to stick his cuts and work back for the ball … Has very good body control and tracking ability, showing no problems catching the pigskin over his shoulder … Has some short-area quickness to make the initial defender miss … Negatives: Has had a series of minor injuries that lead to questions about durability … His frame is built more like a sprinter's than a football player … Shows marginal academic intelligence and may struggle in a complicated system … His frame looks too lean to stand tall against press coverage at the next level …
Positives: Has a tall, lanky frame with quick feet, good balance and flexibility … For a player of his height, he does a very good job of staying low in his pads to get a quick release off the line … Not explosive, but shows good short-area burst … Runs crisp routes and does a good job of dropping his hips and coming out of his breaks with good acceleration … Negatives: Has good body tone, but could use additional muscle development … More quick than fast, lacking explosion coming out of his breaks … Needs to improve in his route running, especially at the top of routes … Will drift at the break point and does not sink his hips, but shows adequate ability to separate … Lacks the speed and burst to be considered a deep threat, as he is not a real threat to gain yardage after the catch … 
Positives Has outstanding agility, balance, flexibility and acceleration … Smooth off the line, with the sudden moves needed to get vertically up field … Shows quickness running routes and the ability to separate in the open … Quick to see and adjust to the secondary coverage … Utilizes his sudden explosion to avoid the jam at the line of scrimmage … Negatives … Has a small frame with no room for growth … Struggles to get into his routes when facing physical press coverage and needs to use his initial explosion to break free … Needs to refine his route running, as he is not precise or clean in his release … Tends to body catch, resulting in dropped passes … 
Positives: Has good size, speed, strength and athletic ability for the position … Displays solid work habits … Generates a quick release with good lateral movement … Can get deep and create separation after the catch and is best when working against man coverage, as he uses his hands effectively to prevent the defender from rerouting him … Runs precise short curl options, quick slants and out routes and has the ability to run the deep post and fade route … Makes good adjustments on his routes and to the ball and shows excellent ball concentration with the ability to catch out of his frame and make the over-the-shoulder catch … Negatives: Lacks top-end speed, but compensates with a good burst and quickly builds up his acceleration … Has the short-area burst to avoid the jam, but when a defender gets hands on him, he shows inconsistency getting off the line … While he generally displays good hands, he needs to secure the ball better before heading up field (looks to run before catching the ball, leading to some drops of easy throws) … 