Soupermeister's Breakout Player of 2008 Poll

I like Wilson. The kid seems to have a good motor and with more opportunities will make some big plays this year.

i took wilson. but, for the record, we all have some idea of what wilson is capable of in our system. any judgement of what mix may achieve next year (assuming he even makes the roster) is completely baseless.

I went with Mix because of the Red zone difference. In this new offense i see him being a big factor where it counts, putting points on the board.

Chris Wilson. No question. He barely played until the end of the year and picked up 4 sacks in the last few games. He could develop into a good pass rusher.

Mix has done nothing. I'm still just totally baffled why this guy is getting all this press. I mean if the guy had a few good catches or maybe even a TD I could understand a little hype. All this is a bit silly IMO. How about HB Blades as a candidate with Rocky coming off a knee injury?

What's next, the Alex Buzbee breakout thread?

I don't think Wilson will ever be a 3-down starter. He's just too light (he's listed as 240lbs). If breakout means, "great situational player", perhaps - he could be the next Chris Clemons (let's hold onto this one).

I think Mix has the greater potential for a real "breakout" year, in the sense of being a good everydown player. I guess I think he has a better shot of taking over the No. 2 WR spot than Wilson has of being an everydown player.

I love Wilson. I think he will improve within his role, but only to a point. If he gets more than 8 sacks I'd be surprised, and he will never be a factor in the run defense (in fact, he would probably always be a liability). On the other hand, I just don't know what to expect from Mix - is he the next Kenaan McCardell or Rod Smith? Maybe. If that's the case, Mix still has a couple of years before his "breakout" should be expected:

Rod Smith (undrafted):
Year Age Tm G GS Rec Yds Y/R TD
1995 25 DEN 16 1 6 152 25.3 1
1996 26 DEN 10 1 16 237 14.8 2
1997 27 DEN 16 16 70 1180 16.9 12
1998 28 DEN 16 16 86 1222 14.2 6

McKardell (12 rnd pick)(by Washington):
Year Age Tm G GS Rec Yds Y/R TD
1992 22 CLE 2 0 1 8 8.0 0
1993 23 CLE 6 3 13 234 18.0 4
1994 24 CLE 13 3 10 182 18.2 0
1995 25 CLE 16 5 56 709 12.7 4
1996 26 JAX 16 15 85 1129 13.3 3
1997 27 JAX 16 16 85 1164 13.7 5

Mix:
Year Age Tm G GS Rec Yds Y/R TD
2007 24 NYG 4 0 3 39 13.0 0
2007 24 WSH 5 0 0 0 0 0

Let's keep Mix around, b/c it looks like WR's who are going to "breakout" do it around age 26-27 and are in their 3rd-4th year.

Bottom line, I don't think either player will have a "breakout" year this year. Hopefully Mix progresses and is servicable (if we get >30 receptions out of him, I will be on the Mix man's bus NEXT year) and Wilson proves a cabable situational rusher.

Expecting much more from either player is just wishful thinking without any real rational basis - which, of course, is why SS will tell you that Mix is the new Monk and Wilson the reincarnation of Manley.

Mix is already a Warpath.net Hall of Famer so he's probably ineligible.. I'll go with Wilson because I think he's already shown glimpses of being exactly what we need, an edge rusher from the strong side..

I don't think Wilson will ever be a 3-down starter. He's just too light (he's listed as 240lbs). If breakout means, "great situational player", perhaps - he could be the next Chris Clemons (let's hold onto this one).

Weight doesn't have to be everything for a defensive lineman, Robert Mathis is only 245. Although, he is in a defense where the defensive ends are more worried about putting pressure on the quarterback than stopping the run.

Wilson. I honestly feel a bit responsible for the Mix hype to myself, I mentioned him several times last season when he was in on special teams tackles.

I mean he is decent on teams, but really people assume Mix is some kinda god.

Not gonna play nostradamus here, but I think its easier for backup players to come in and be successful at DE than WR. It's a less high stress position and i think even meager production from a DE is more acknowledged. On the other hand, ppl expect TD's from a WR or at least the occasional big play. It seems like in this day and age if a young WR isn't a game-changer, then ppl tend to forget about him. And if he drops a critical pass or two, forget it, he might as well put his house up for sale cuz he is gonna be shipped outta there as soon as they can afford to cut/trade him.

ZOMG. I think this pic says it all.
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj304/DirkXXVI/2260944700_f751f2bd5e.jpg