Williams vs Street

[ThoughtExperiment]

I happened on this other forum that had a big thread on Terrence Williams vs Devin Street. I guess Dooley said some positive things about Street, and the theme of that thread is basically that Williams sucks and Street is going to be a big upgrade once he learns the game.

Now I like Williams, but that doesn't mean I'm not objective about how good he is. No, he's not a superstar player. Yes, we'd have been better off drafting the Cal WR over him. But I think he's been pretty good his first two years given what he is and how many weapons have to share the ball on this offense. And he is coming off a very productive playoff season. Most of all, I think Street is a complete spare. Looks to me like he's a big, slow possession WR who offers little. Williams was a higher draft pick, he's faster, he's about the same size, and he was much more productive his rookie year.

What am I missing in people thinking Street would be some big upgrade? Or is this a case of that board not having a clue?

 

[Doomsday]

I liken Williams to Butch Johnson and Alvin Harper. Street? Seems quite pedestrian by comparison.

 

[cmd34(work)]

If I just looked at their last years of college, I would think Street has more potential than Williams. We all joke about it, but the body-catching thing is a real issue with Williams. I wonder sometimes if he is simply another by-product of Romo (see Laurent Robinson). At worst, Williams is a very good #3. The problem is with him being your #2, is that he is one injury away from being your #1.

With today's multiple-WR looks this really isn't an issue. There are more than enough snaps and targets for both Williams and Street.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

If I just looked at their last years of college, I would think Street has more potential than Williams. We all joke about it, but the body-catching thing is a real issue with Williams. I wonder sometimes if he is simply another by-product of Romo (see Laurent Robinson). At worst, Williams is a very good #3. The problem is with him being your #2, is that he is one injury away from being your #1.

How do you figure that?

And yes, Romo has a lot to do with the success of all our receivers, minus maybe Dez... But Street plays with him, too, so I don't see where that makes a difference. If anything, Tony and TW being on the same page on those scramble plays, for whatever reason, seems like a plus for him. What if Street doesn't have that the same way.

 

[Doomsday]

We all joke about it, but the body-catching thing is a real issue with Williams.

He seemed to improve on that somewhat as the season progressed. Saw alot of really solid hands catches. Plus his hands are huge, a major asset.

 

[cmd34(work)]

How do you figure that?

Williams seem like he just ran streaks and deep posts and the QB floated it to him. I rarely saw him attack a ball.

Street had more plays where I saw him body the DB, go up, and get the ball.

Now, this isn't me saying I looked at their whole seasons. This is from the 4 or 5 games I saw of each them in their final years of college.

 

[Sheik]

We can do better than street and Williams at #2.

If Williams could consistently catch a football with his hands, he'd be a legit #2. I don't trust his body catching.

That said, he's been productive, especially considering that 5 or 6 game disappearing act he pulled this year. Still had a decent year numbers wise.

Street? Blah.

 

[dbair1967]

What do CZ experts think?

Take the opp side.

 

[Midswat]

I can't be critical of Williams. Then again, I don't "break down film."

What I do know is that with him as our #2, we had a monster year offensively. Couple that with the fact that as good as Dez was, Williams had a number of season-altering catches. Third & 20 vs Seattle and the long TD before the half vs Detroit are two examples.

I don't even remember Street taking a snap this year. I'll root for the kid and if he's an upgrade, then thats awesome. Personally, I'm fine with TWill at the #2 spot though.

 

[boozeman]

Street is another Sam Hurd.

 

[Midswat]

I liked Hurds potential as a young receiver. Made some athletic catches. I wonder if he would've panned out had it not been for the whole trying to be a drug kingpin thing. You know, had he focused on football.

 

[dbair1967]

Street is another Sam Hurd.

Street has some real WR ability, Hurd never did

 

[bbgun]

Street is another Sam Hurd.

ah yes, TO's protégé. I wonder if he's catching passes in the exercise yard.

 

[Omegasupreme]

Street has some real WR ability, Hurd never did

Based on what? Streets was not drafted for his athletic ability. The justification of his value was his knowledge of the pro offense specifically able to run all the routes. So here is a slower, thin receiver (over time he will only get slower) who is well versed in an offense that fails more often than it succeeds in the current NFL AND in an offense that really only works well when the WRs such as Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Az Hakim etc are blazing fast in order to get quickly downfield into their "spots". If they are not strong enough to break the press (Streets) or not quick/fast enough to get downfield (Streets) then they are really useless as a #1-3 WR. But hey, Jason doesn't have to teach this guy his 9 route tree paths, so that's good.

Williams also blundered 4 TDs because he doesn't extend. He doesn't contest passes. I think he is valuable as a number 3 WR because he can RAC fairly well and he is visible to Romo when the Garrett 9 routes inevitable render no one open in the first 3.5 seconds off the LOS...if Romo is not sacked.

If they switched to a WCO both Williams would make more sense.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

I'm not sure if Hurd wasn't better his rookie year than Street. I don't remember if he did much as a WR, though he did make a few plays later on. But he at least was a pretty good special teamer, and I don't know if Street even did that.

Anyway, I just wondered if I was missing something on Street. He looks like your standard journeyman replacement-level player who really doesn't offer anything special in any way. And it's not like he produced his rookie year. Omega hinted at it, but I bet the biggest thing he had going for him was playing for Garrett's old buddy Chryst at Pitt.

 

[boozeman]

Street is a guy so expendable, we could easily draft his replacement in April. Hardly a guy we should give two thoughts to.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

The booze of backup WRs.

 

[bbgun]

meanwhile, Andre Holmes has turned into a decent WR in Oakland ..

 

[dbair1967]

Let me try to understand Cabal philosophy here.

We drafted the guy in the 5th rd. He plays behind a legit all pro, a quality 2nd yr WR at #2, Cole Beasley (who turned into an ideal 3rd/slot WR) and also split reps with veteran WR Dwayne Harris.

The scouts and the WR coach like him, but because you slobs didn't see him make a bunch of plays THIS yr, he's a nobody that can/should be easily replaced?