LordOfEntropy

If the value he bring to the #3 position (as opposed to Pathon@3) outweighs the negatives of putting him at #3, then of course. Play him.

But in my opinion, the value doesn\'t outweigh. I know he\'s improved, according to all the reports. But I just don\'t buy that he returns more value there than Pathon does.

BillyCarpenter1

That\'s the same kind of things that have been said of many players that were under sized. I don\'t think anyone would be arguing over Lewis being the #3 receiver if he wasn\'t small. According to these posts anyway.

Much of these same things were said about Sam Mills also. Jim Mora gave the guy a chance and he was a pro bowl player.

What if Mills would have been a great special teams player. Would you have not given him the chance to play linebacer because in your opinion he couldn\'t hold up for 16 games.

Bottom line is somone has to be given the chance or you will never know.





[Edited on 26/6/2003 by BillyCarpenter1]

lumm0x

I agree with the idea of maximizing his plays within a threshold. I also believe that when you have an explosive player you find ways to get the ball in has hands. Whether it works or not (Tim Dwight for example), you need to explore the possibility. His 114 special teams touches last year are a work load definitely. I hope that Kareem Kelly will add to our ability to be dangerous on special teams. That way they can\'t kick away from Lewis so much on kickoffs and might reduce his involvement without lack of production.
I also think that Pathon is going to be a dangerous reciever this year. The addition of Conwell and the maturation of Stallworth with the 1st year under his belt can only make us better. We will more dangerous than last year offensively. Hopefully we can stay healthy.

pakowitz

man if we stay healthy, i think we will break all kinds of offensive NFL records

WhoDat

Lewis is a guy with a LOT of speed... but he\'s small, doesn\'t have great route running skils (although they are getting better), and although he seems to be able to find daylight in the kicking game, he\'s not exactly a crafty veteran when it comes to finding holes in the defensive backfield.

Bottom line is that you\'re enamored by his speed Billy. But he doesn\'t have a whole lot more to give. I think he\'s playing almost entirely up to his potential at this point... there\'s not a whole lot more that we can get out of him. There are probably 1,000 guys in the US as fast or faster that Lewis - you don\'t see teams running after them b/c it takes a lot more than that. Lewis could not be a 1,000 yard receiver. He\'s just one of those Mel Grey type guys who will always be a special teams stud and not much more.

\"Excuses, excuses, excuses. That’s all anyone ever makes for the New Orleans Saints’ organization.\" - Eric Narcisse


\"Being a Saints fan is almost like being addicted to crack,\" he said.[i]\"You know you should stop, but you just can\'t.\"

bjmf

:casstet: everybodys missing the point. he can be a great fourth reciever.the teams we play know his speed somebody has to cover him.with the speed we have at the other three recievers, man you can\'t cover all those guys. nobody has that many fast c.b.decoy decoy decoy. if he blows by a guy bam!!!!! you go to him.
he\'s on the field maybe 4, 5, times on offence.you have more of a chance getting hurt
on returns running at full speed into a linebacker then running away from a c.b.
if we don\'t use him someone will with another team.

WhoDat

So then why don\'t other teams go out and sign sprinters? They\'re are a lot of them out there... just put him on the field and send him straight down the sideline every play right?

Let me try this again... it takes a LOT more than speed to be a good receiver in the NFL. Rice is not that fast anymore. Neither is Horn, or Keyshawn, or Owens, etc. etc. etc.

tweeky

To all those that say we should play Lewis because you don\'t want talent wasted. Basically use it all up because there\'s no tomorrow.

I disagree. Deuce is probably our finest athelete, would you want him back there returning kicks, or returning punts?

Lewis has a role on this team. That role has been defines by special teams and an occasional spot at WR on certain plays. I think his overall productivity would diminish if he played much more of a role than that. If we didn\'t already have a quality#3, then I\'d be more open to Lewis at #3. But Pathon is an incredible #3.

Name a single #3 WR who is better than Jerome Pathon.

I can\'t think of one. In fact he\'s better than the majority of #2\'s in the league.

Lewis will make a nice living doing just what he\'s doing now.

If Pathon goes down, then maybe M. Lewis and D. Lewis should share the #3 spot.

Whether we agree or disagree; its all for Him.

BillyCarpenter1

Many wide receivers in the NFL today and in the past were sprinters in college. I agree that it takes more than speed to be a receiver but speed is one thing you cannot teach.

Speed seems to be at a premium for conerbacks. I wonder why that is? It must be to cover all the wide receivers in nfl that have world class speed. It takes more than speed to be a cornerback too, but I don\'t want a slow cornerback. Do you?

roughneck

A corner needs to have speed because the receiver KNOWS where he is going and the corner does not. Also the corner is at a huge disadvantage by moving backward at the beginning of a playand must adjust and recover quickly. Receivers need not have blazing speed. In fact of all the top tier WRs in the game, Horn is probably the fastest. And for those talking about Beerman blowing by DBs in 4 wide sets? That does not happen often for anyone. In those sets you must get rid of the ball quickly and hope a WR can make something happen after the catch. In 4 wide formations you don\'t have enough protection to allow a WR to run a deep post or similar pattern.

\"The Fly has come off of the wall!!\"