Position preview: Wide receivers bring variety of tools

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Monday, Jul 09, 2007
By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com

Shortly after the Chargers used their first-round pick in April’s draft on LSU wide receiver Craig Davis, General Manager A.J. Smith praised his hands, speed and route-running ability. He also expressed pleasure in the fact that his top pick was a bit different.

“I like different styles of receivers,” Smith said. “We like to have a mixture if we can to give your coordinator several guys; all talented with different shapes, sizes and expertise.”

With Davis in the fold, the Chargers are pleased with the variety of size, speed and athleticism found in their wide receiver corps.

“It’s diverse,” Smith said. “We’ve got the big guys. We’ve got speed guys. We’ve got receivers who run good routes and catch the football. I think we’ve got good football players at the wide receiver position.”

The group figures to be led by six-year veteran Eric Parker, who caught 105 passes for 1,384 yards over the past two seasons, the most among Chargers wide receivers. His tireless work ethic and ability to lead by example has endeared him to teammates, and Parker’s reliability has allowed him to gain the utmost confidence of his quarterback.

“Being big, fast, running and jumping is all great,” Philip Rivers said. “But if you're not dependable, it doesn't matter. Eric is a guy I know I can count on. He’s always going to be in the right place.”

Late last season, Vincent Jackson saw his playing time significantly increase and the 6-5, 240-pounder took full advantage of his opportunity to contribute. In the final seven games of the season, Jackson caught 20 passes for 357 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winner at Seattle on Christmas Eve.

“Vincent didn’t necessarily do anything different,” Wide receivers coach James Lofton said. “He just got in the game and they threw him the ball. He made a few plays and we believe he’s going to continue to do that.”

Like Jackson, fellow third-year receiver Malcom Floyd flashed in 2006 and hopes to build on that experience this fall. Floyd caught 15 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns. He turned in a 109-yard performance, the only 100-yard game by a Chargers’ wide out last season, during the team’s dramatic comeback win at Cincinnati but in the process suffered an ankle injury that eventually cost him his season.

Floyd spent the offseason working on his strength and consistency. With the size of Floyd and Jackson, the Chargers have two enticing red-zone targets who have shown the ability to make big plays.

"I'm excited about them,” Rivers said. “They're both big, strong, fast guys. To me, they're real streaky. When they get hot, they're really hot. From what I've seen this offseason, they've tried to become more consistent performers on an every-down basis, and I think they've gotten a lot better at that.”

The Chargers believe they’ve found the perfect complement to their bigger receivers in speedster Craig Davis. The 6-1, 207-pound rookie has the speed to stretch NFL defenses and the route-running ability to allow him to affectively work underneath. Head Coach Norv Turner said on draft day that he believes Davis has the best hands of any receiver in this year’s rookie class.

“Like all young players that come into the League, he’s going to have to learn, but we feel Craig is a complete receiver,” Turner said. “He has great hands. He has great run-after-the-catch ability. That’s something we felt we could add to our football team. He’s mature. This is another young guy who’s certainly going to contribute and have an affect.”

Kassim Osgood has established himself as one of the game’s top special teams players, but the Pro Bowler would like an opportunity to be more involved in the offense. At 6-5, Osgood is another big receiver who has long speed and could contribute. He’ll look to turn in a big training camp performance in effort to win more time with the offense.

Greg Camarillo contributed on special teams in 2006, his first year on an active NFL roster. Camarillo is a solid route-runner with soft hands and a good feel for the game.

Mark Simmons attended training camp with the Bolts in 2006 and is back in hopes of gaining a roster spot this fall. He’ll be in competition with undrafted rookie free agents Sonny Shackelford and Jarrett Hicks as well as Rick Musinski, who recently signed with the Chargers after spending the spring in NFL Europa.

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