Eagles' WRs Hands Are Good And Bad

by JasonB on Jan 18, 2012 9:01 AM EST in Philadelphia Eagles News

Pro Football Focus released their latest report on drop rates yesterday and two Eagles showed up on their lists. One on the good list and one on the bad list...

The first list was the 20 best hands in the NFL measured by drop rate, which is calculated by looking at how many drops a WR has per catchable ball thrown his way. A "catchable ball" in measurement is one which was either caught or dropped. So while a "drop" is still a somewhat subjective stat, I like how they've basically taken the subjectivity out of what a catchable ball is. And even as far as drops go, as long as you use the same criteria for all, you can get useful info even if your definition of a drop is more or less harsh than someone else's.

The Eagle on the good list shouldn't come as a huge surprise. Jason Avant caught 51 of the 54 catchable passes thrown his way, making for the 16th best catch rate in the NFL. Avant didn't have his best year and was the culprit on a few costly mistakes, but the guy still doesn't drop passes.

Likewise, the guy on the bad list shouldn't be a huge shock either. DeSean Jackson dropped 9 of the 67 catchable passes thrown his way. That's the 16th worst catch rate in the league amongst qualified WRs (those with at least 30 catchable passes).

That stat certainly won't be helpful as DeSean hits the market in search of "Larry Fitzgerald money" this offseason. Fitzgerald by the way? Just three drops in 83 passes for the 8th best catch rate in the league...

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DeSean Jackson

a.k.a Todd “Alligator Arms” Pinkston 2.0. He’s going to have a really hard time getting Fitzgerald money.

by postman856 on Jan 18, 2012 9:22 AM EST reply actions

for who, for what!?!?

"Obviously, I lobbied for him to be here. But what a difference a year makes." -- Donovan McNabb

by thePurpleLion on Jan 18, 2012 9:45 AM EST up reply actions

Damn, Fitz and Colston are amazing. You get thrown at ~80 times and only have 2-3 drops. Incredible.

"If I can get you to think twice, I'm in your head."
-Brian Dawkins

#HireSpags

by immynimmy on Jan 18, 2012 9:26 AM EST reply actions

Yea and Fitz made up for the 3 drops by catching 3 deflected passes that never should have made it to him in our backbreaking season-ending slopfest against the Cards.

by MikeCampy on Jan 18, 2012 9:55 AM EST up reply actions

And Fitz makes a lot of uncatchable balls catchable.

by VBG on Jan 18, 2012 10:47 AM EST up reply actions

Colston is awesome, I hope we can get him here on a cheap 2-3 year deal if DeSean doesn’t work out (and it looks like DeSean is going to test the market anyway).

by postman856 on Jan 18, 2012 11:02 AM EST up reply actions

Jackson

There is no way he is getting Fitzgerald money.

by slumslum on Jan 18, 2012 9:32 AM EST reply actions

I would honestly like to see ‘importance’ somehow factored in, as dropping a 3 yard out on 2nd and 7 is just not the same as dropping a TD, and 4-5 of DJ’s drops would have been TD’s.

by captain nodar on Jan 18, 2012 9:37 AM EST reply actions

I don't care about importance

The position, you’re paid to CATCH the ball and then run. Jackson can’t even do the most simple thing he’s required to do. That is why I hate it when people think he’s top 10. Catching the ball is simple, even Chad Hall can do that.

by slandog on Jan 18, 2012 11:09 AM EST up reply actions

Yep, but think about what dropping those cost the team. Do you think there is any other player that dropped more than 1 TD? IIRC, DJ dropped 5 TD’s, 4 of which were actually in the endzone.

by captain nodar on Jan 18, 2012 11:12 AM EST up reply actions

Oh I agree

I just want my WR to catch the ball regardless if it’s in the endzone or at midfield on a 3 yard out.

by slandog on Jan 18, 2012 1:04 PM EST up reply actions

Speaking of importance:

by MikeCampy on Jan 18, 2012 12:18 PM EST up reply actions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVbDIG9ZUTY

by MikeCampy on Jan 18, 2012 12:19 PM EST up reply actions

by MikeCampy on Jan 18, 2012 12:20 PM EST up reply actions

Yep, this was an absolute heartbreaker. I think I stood there with my mouth wide open in disbelief, unable to speak for about a minute.

by captain nodar on Jan 18, 2012 2:45 PM EST up reply actions

it was the pink shoes, akers was missing kicks with pink shoes, once he switched, the ball went through

My mojo so dope. BITCH!
"People always call me up and ask me: "Why do you think you can fly?"
"Because I'm an Eagle:)." Randall Cunningham

by dday on Jan 18, 2012 4:01 PM EST up reply actions

Yeah, that would be interesting. You could categorize them by how late in a half it is, how close the game is, etc. Would take a hell of a long time though.

I'll give you a cookie if you know what my pic is from.

by Avant-Garde on Jan 18, 2012 1:59 PM EST up reply actions

I hate Drew Rosenhaus.

"Obviously, I lobbied for him to be here. But what a difference a year makes." -- Donovan McNabb

by thePurpleLion on Jan 18, 2012 10:00 AM EST reply actions

I wanna poop in his olympic size pool.

by ieatcrayons on Jan 18, 2012 10:18 AM EST up reply actions

he is bad for sports.

"Obviously, I lobbied for him to be here. But what a difference a year makes." -- Donovan McNabb

by thePurpleLion on Jan 18, 2012 10:33 AM EST up reply actions

his clients disagree with you

At least one more year of Andy and Juan. If they don't win it all they both better be gone!

No way Eagles draft a LB in the first round 2012.

by MightyJoeBanner on Jan 18, 2012 12:12 PM EST up reply actions

ah yes..

I said Jackson was playing like Pinkston 2 years ago and had 50 guys rag on me. Glad to see some of you are finally coming around. Jackson is NOT the #1 receiver we all thought he would be, Eagles have had ONE in the last 15 years. TO. That’s it. Time to move on without this guy. Plenty of uber fast guys in the draft who weigh more than 160 lbs.

by Gdog2009 on Jan 18, 2012 10:07 AM EST reply actions

uhhh.... no.

Yes he had lots of drops … but to compare him to pinkston is just wrong. He is a hundred times faster, completely different style of receiver. He had an off year. We should just get rid of him?!?! Should the Titans get rid of CJ … no. But, unfortunately for DeSean, you cant ask for Fitz money following a shit season like that. Something has to give there. I still think that his speed and threat outweigh the attitude and penalties.
I am in favor of keeping him but not at Fitz money.

"Obviously, I lobbied for him to be here. But what a difference a year makes." -- Donovan McNabb

by thePurpleLion on Jan 18, 2012 10:40 AM EST up reply actions

But, unfortunately for DeSean, you cant ask for Fitz money following a shit season like that.

Well in DeSean case he asked for or presumably asked for Fitz money before the shit season.

The only real difference between this year and previous years was the lack of 40+ yard catches that he had which more often then not translated into touchdowns. He had 5 this year compared to 8 he had last year and 10 the year before that.

My question and it’s for someone more qualified to answer that, but what causes the drop off of 40+ yard plays? Is it the coverage is it the play calling is it the lack of time the QB has etc? I guess what I am getting at is, how much of that drop off is a direct result of Jackson and how much of it is based on things out of his control?

I am not trying to defend the guy, or his actions and his attitude, both of which drive me up the wall but I personally feel that there is only so much you can ask from a guy with the frame that Jackson has and the type of game he plays. He isn’t a red zone threat really at all, he isn’t going to go over the middle like Maclin or Avant. We all need to accept that. And as a result of those things DeSean needs to accept that he isn’t going to get Fitz type money because he isn’t Fitz, and he never will be because he can’t do the things that Fitz can.

Ed Snider is a crotchety old fuck.

That is all.

by EREX21 on Jan 18, 2012 11:05 AM EST up reply actions

Even before this shit season

He had no right to ask for Fitz type of money. Fitz can do it all, all the routes, red zone, difficult catches, and he actually catches the ball.

So Jackson is in no way close to Fitz, even before this past season.

by slandog on Jan 18, 2012 11:11 AM EST up reply actions

I don’t disagree at all with that.

Ed Snider is a crotchety old fuck.

That is all.

by EREX21 on Jan 18, 2012 11:13 AM EST up reply actions

He can ask for any type of money he wants. Whether someone will give it to him is a different story. Heard of negotiations?

by Labah on Jan 18, 2012 5:39 PM EST up reply actions

Agree 100%

Pinkston should never be mentioned in the same sentence in comparison to Jackson unless it’s saying how far along the Eagles receivers have come in the past 10 years. I can’t stand the people who think the Eagles will just go on like it’s not a loss whatsoever to lose DeSean. Yes he had a bad year, and yes there were times where i wanted to reach through my TV and strangle him, but by no means do we flat out cut him and get nothing for him.

I’m saying it here first, we will resign DJ to a decent deal worth around 8-10 million and he will produce for the eagles once he has job security and can pay back the debt he owes Drew Rosenhaus for living beyond his means.

I’d like to propose we burn all recollections of this season from our memory ASAP.

by Vince1129 on Jan 18, 2012 11:09 AM EST up reply actions

I still wanna keep Jackson.

by Eagles swag on Jan 18, 2012 10:19 AM EST via mobile reply actions

I appreciate the amount of offseason info

and articles posted on here to help me forget the painful realization that the giants are about to win 2 superbowls in 5 years. fml

"It's never out of reach when you got the queen on the board, and thats Andy Reid" - Mike Vick
ONE GAME AT A TIME

by eagles4321 on Jan 18, 2012 11:08 AM EST reply actions

Pretty big assumption no?

Follow Bleeding Green Nation on Twitter & Facebook.

by JasonB on Jan 18, 2012 11:28 AM EST up reply actions

A greater power is punishing this fan base

"It's never out of reach when you got the queen on the board, and thats Andy Reid" - Mike Vick
ONE GAME AT A TIME

by eagles4321 on Jan 18, 2012 11:50 AM EST up reply actions

and

SF will roll over, just like the broncos did vs pats, one and done type of playoff performance. Pats Giants Superbowl, and once again Giants will have Pats # :’’’’’’’’’’’’’(

"It's never out of reach when you got the queen on the board, and thats Andy Reid" - Mike Vick
ONE GAME AT A TIME

by eagles4321 on Jan 18, 2012 11:52 AM EST up reply actions

Come on the 49ers are much better then the Broncos

The Broncos and Tebow are a joke. The 49ers are much more legitimate!!

by slandog on Jan 18, 2012 1:06 PM EST up reply actions

I really like desean but if we can’t keep him with a deal that would work out for us, I would love to see colston here. He’s a big guy with amazing hands and decent speed.

by Straight Cash Homie on Jan 18, 2012 11:59 AM EST via mobile reply actions

Colston in an Eagles jersey would be AWESOME

by Jesse Mendoza on Jan 18, 2012 12:22 PM EST up reply actions

Agreed

that is someone they really need to target if Jax goes

by Two Nickels on Jan 19, 2012 10:19 AM EST up reply actions

Maclin?

Why do I think back on this season and all I can recall are huge drops by Maclin? When I started reading this article I thought for sure Maclin would have made the naughty list.

by MannaFromKevin on Jan 18, 2012 12:30 PM EST reply actions

Not all of his huge mistakes were drops, one was a fumble, another was a 4th down catch but he fell down short of a 1st.

by captain nodar on Jan 18, 2012 2:48 PM EST up reply actions

Wr in the 2nd round. Excluding the drops, I still want new talent at Wr. I like my receivers to be mentally and physically tough. The only way Jackson gets yac is if he’s untouched.

"you cannot think this 6-foot man is going to survive a full season if defenses have 904 chances to knock his block off"

by EaglesandRavensFan on Jan 18, 2012 12:33 PM EST reply actions