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1. J.R. Sierra, Columbus Catfish- The #1 receiver on the Catfish and the #1 receiver in the league. He’s been an all-pro the last two years and been named player of the week 17 times. He was the OSFL’s fastest man in 2006. Sierra is also the league career leader in receiving yards and second yards per catch. The only negatives are his age and his inability to step in big games. Here are his stats in the last two conference championship games: In 2006, 1 catch, 17 yds and in 2007, 3 catches, 28 yds. He’s also in his 13th year and it’s only a matter of time before he falls off. Until then he’s the #1 receiver in the OSFL.
2. Harvey Inoue, Gainesville Gaels- Before you start screaming “Bias” hear me out. Inoue was the 2007 1st team wide receiver. During the 2007 season, he set records for catches during a season and receiving yards during a season. He has caught 61% of the balls thrown to him (the second highest percentage among WRs). Also he’s in his sixth year and just entering his prime. The only question is was last year a fluke. It’s obvious that his comfort with his QB Carl Reese is great and will continue to grow but he had a 30 catch and 600 yd jump from the 2006 to 2007. How does a 44/44 WR make that kind of statistical jump and what happens when teams start to key in on him?
3. Christian Brown, New Orleans Stingrays- So many positives about this guy it’s hard to keep count. He’s only in his 3rd year and he’s clearly one of the top WR in the league. He is one of the cheapest WR in the league making on 3 million a year. Brown is the league’s all time leader in receptions. The only thing that could stop him is uncertainty at the QB position. The problem is that’s exactly what faces the Stingrays this year. It’s clear that Brown has a great relationship with starting QB Ellis Wynn and is Wynn’s favorite target. Stingrays management shocked the team by selecting QB Shane Galloway with its second round pick. Now Galloway is too green to start this season but the future is uncertain. Wynn will be a FA in 2009 and by then Galloway should be ready to start. Fans and New Orleans better enjoy the Wynn to Brown tandem while they can….2009 may be the last year they see it.
4. B.J. Hopkins, Las Vegas Outlaws- He has a championship ring. He was the 2006 All League Wide Receiver. He’s third in all time receiving yards. Hopkins also had a great 2006 postseason leading his team to the championship. But the 2007 came and things started to change. He caught 5 less passes and almost 200 less yards. His Outlaws were also eliminated in the first round of the OSFL playoffs and he only had 40 yards in the game. He’s also one of the highest paid WRs in the league counting almost 10 million against the cap. On a positive note, he caught 2 more touchdowns in 2007. 2008 will be the year that shows if Hopkins’ career is on the decline.
5. Lawrence Ingram, Memphis Admirals- Ingram is the third member of the Memphis Triplets and receives the least amount of attention. He’s is another young receiver (Only in his 3rd year) and very consistent with back to back 1000 yard seasons. What impresses me most is the 400 yard, 6 catch, and 2 touchdown jump in 2007 for Ingram. The Admirals were smart to resign Ingram this past season locking him up until 2012.
Honorable Mention- Danny Viola, Utah Bees; Kendall Wanatabe, Memphis Admirals; Kent Hutton, Ohio Valley Showboats,
2. Harvey Inoue, Gainesville Gaels- Before you start screaming “Bias” hear me out. Inoue was the 2007 1st team wide receiver. During the 2007 season, he set records for catches during a season and receiving yards during a season. He has caught 61% of the balls thrown to him (the second highest percentage among WRs). Also he’s in his sixth year and just entering his prime. The only question is was last year a fluke. It’s obvious that his comfort with his QB Carl Reese is great and will continue to grow but he had a 30 catch and 600 yd jump from the 2006 to 2007. How does a 44/44 WR make that kind of statistical jump and what happens when teams start to key in on him?
3. Christian Brown, New Orleans Stingrays- So many positives about this guy it’s hard to keep count. He’s only in his 3rd year and he’s clearly one of the top WR in the league. He is one of the cheapest WR in the league making on 3 million a year. Brown is the league’s all time leader in receptions. The only thing that could stop him is uncertainty at the QB position. The problem is that’s exactly what faces the Stingrays this year. It’s clear that Brown has a great relationship with starting QB Ellis Wynn and is Wynn’s favorite target. Stingrays management shocked the team by selecting QB Shane Galloway with its second round pick. Now Galloway is too green to start this season but the future is uncertain. Wynn will be a FA in 2009 and by then Galloway should be ready to start. Fans and New Orleans better enjoy the Wynn to Brown tandem while they can….2009 may be the last year they see it.
4. B.J. Hopkins, Las Vegas Outlaws- He has a championship ring. He was the 2006 All League Wide Receiver. He’s third in all time receiving yards. Hopkins also had a great 2006 postseason leading his team to the championship. But the 2007 came and things started to change. He caught 5 less passes and almost 200 less yards. His Outlaws were also eliminated in the first round of the OSFL playoffs and he only had 40 yards in the game. He’s also one of the highest paid WRs in the league counting almost 10 million against the cap. On a positive note, he caught 2 more touchdowns in 2007. 2008 will be the year that shows if Hopkins’ career is on the decline.
5. Lawrence Ingram, Memphis Admirals- Ingram is the third member of the Memphis Triplets and receives the least amount of attention. He’s is another young receiver (Only in his 3rd year) and very consistent with back to back 1000 yard seasons. What impresses me most is the 400 yard, 6 catch, and 2 touchdown jump in 2007 for Ingram. The Admirals were smart to resign Ingram this past season locking him up until 2012.
Honorable Mention- Danny Viola, Utah Bees; Kendall Wanatabe, Memphis Admirals; Kent Hutton, Ohio Valley Showboats,
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