Coles Big Toe...I'm worried

[Hogskin]

Originally Posted by Ramseyfan

Gardener is a very good #2 possession receiver. People think he isn’t as good as he really is because:
#1 he was a first-rounder and so people automatically have very high expectations for him;
#2 he hasn’t had the running game going to draw defenders closer to the line;
#3 until last year he was the best receiver on our roster, thereby drawing double-coverage on occasion and always getting covered by the defenses’ top corners;
#4 he had less time to get open because our o-line was so crappy under Spurrier;
#5 until last year he didn’t have a very good veteran WR to tutor him; and
#6 he hasn’t had a good, experienced QB under center with whom he can establish a rapport. The lack of stability under center has hurt not just our record, but the performance of our wideouts. WRs need to know their QB and vice-versa to be effective.

I couldn't resist replying to your 6-point post:
#1 - This had absolutely no bearing on my evaluation
#2 - Good point - with the caveat that my response to #3 may actually indicate the reverse is true.
#3 - Actually, he got very, very few double coverages. Since he could be covered well by one man, teams blitzed the hell out of our QB with their "extra" man - this also hurt our running game. He is not a good #1 WR.
#4 - Again a good point, but part of the problem with the line was that our opponents could blitz at will, and our RB's were inept at handling the blitz (Snyder waived the one good blocking back we had).
#5 - Excellent point - and he had some questionable receiver coaching also.
#6 - Agree, but if he continues to drop passes in critical (3rd down) situations as in the past, he may not get that opportunity.