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...