It's been two weeks after the NFL season ended with a Green Bay Packers victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. Will the Pack be the first team and last team to win a Super Bowl?
Let's hope not.
We'll take a step back from the NFL lockout threats and all the collective bargaining issues and look ahead to which who have the best potential to do great things next season.
Highlighted in this article will obviously be the wide receivers. While 16 wideouts caught for over a thousand yards, two of those players were able to nab over 100 catches. That's the lowest since Andre Johnson was all by himself catching 103 balls in 2006.
My prediction: Well, there definitely won't be only two players with over 100 balls caught next season, but there should be at least five to six. Just like that of the 2009-2010 season.
Five or six of this group of receivers will be ones who reel in over 100 passes in the upcoming NFL season.
Wes Welker
Welker only was 14 catches short of making the 100-mark last season. If his receptions in the Pro Bowl and playoffs counted, he would have been only two short.
He is probably one of the luckiest wideouts in the game. Wes has Tom Brady throwing to him along with coach Bill Belichick running the team. Those two won the NFL's MVP award (Brady) and AP Coach of the Year (Belichick.)
With a track record that sports three consecutive seasons with 100 or more catches, it can be said that Welker might have had an off year or just wasn't Brady's first or second choice in some passing plays.
He'll have 110 catches next season.
Andre Johnson
It is almost a guaranteed fact that Andre Johnson will easily grab 100 passes next season. Why? It's due to the fact that he only participated in 13 games this season.
The average catches per game he had this season was upwards of 6.5. Three more games with that average would have given him at least 20 more catches thus giving him over 100 catches for the season.
Next season look for him to go above and beyond: 120 catches.
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry's on the bubble here. A lot has happened to him ever since Anquan Boldin left the desert. Also, the quarterback situation Arizona is in isn't exactly what Fitzgerald would love to work with.
Derek Anderson had a slightly better than par season in Cleveland back in 2007-2008. John Skelton didn't bring much to the table either, but he was a rookie quarterback picked in the fifth from a D1-AA school—we'll let him pass here. Then there's Richard Bartel who in the one game that he played didn't show anything special.
Even though Fitzgerald now is a lone receiver and gets spotlighted more and more, he still manages to put up good numbers, but not over a hundred catches.
If Fitzgerald were to hit the 100 catch milestone he'll get just that—100 catches.
Greg Jennings
With a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers, you're lucky to be a receiver on that team.
Although, Jennings has never caught for 100 balls (his career high is only 80) he has the potential to go off next season. This is also providing that the Packers stay healthy next season.
The Packers went into the playoffs as a No. 6 seed last season, so there is still room to grow and be better. They will be the best in the NFC next season and Jennings can help by having a huge season.
I predict 105 passes will land in Jennings' hands next season.
Roddy White
Is it possible for Roddy White to repeat a season like he had last season? Yes.
But will he actually be able to do it? Perhaps.
Obviously teams will now be looking to contain him more knowing what he's capable of. Matt Ryan has the talent at quarterback to deliver the ball to White eight or nine times a game on a daily basis.
It also depends on how the Atlanta Falcons do next season. They had a fairly easy schedule this season (despite having to play both Tampa Bay and New Orleans twice) and when they faced tough teams the score difference was by a small margin.
White will have at most 104 catches next season.
Marques Colston
Colston was two shy of catching 100 passes back in 2007 and has potential to reaching the 100 mark this season. His height is always an advantage for the deep ball, and that's where he's most dangerous.
Quarterback Drew Brees should continue to hit Colston on the deep ball and use him more in the short game. He has the ability to break the tackle and get positive yards after the catch. Colston also has the speed to elude big hits and shoe string tackles.
But with a receiving corps that includes Devery Henderson, Lance Moore and Jeremy Shockey, it's not uncommon that Colston won't be Drew's first option.
Marques will catch 100 in 2011.
Reggie Wayne
Reggie Wayne has been the new Marvin Harrison in Indy ever since he retired in 2008. Wayne even caught over 100 catches will Harrison was lined up opposite of him in 2007.
Another season with over 100 catches would make it three seasons in row with 100 or more grabs.
But times are different now. Reggie is going on 33 years old next season, and he might not be as electric as he once was. However if he's anything like his mentor (Harrison), he'll still be reeling the football in until he's just south of 40 years old.
Reginald will catch 110 passes.
Brandon Marshall
The reason for Brandon Marshall not catching 100 last season could be because he didn't play all 16 games of the season—he only played 14. That and it was his first season with a new system, new quarterback and a new team in the Miami Dolphins.
For the previous three seasons Marshall had over 100 receptions. His sophomore year was his breakout year, going from an abysmal 20 receptions his rookie year to 102 the next season.
Look for his sophomore year in Miami to be just as great, if not greater than the season just had. Chad Henne will the get Marshall the ball as much as he can and Marshall will be open all the time.
Mr. Marshall will have 115 catches.
Calvin Johnson
This is a real reach here. Johnson is a virgin when it comes to catching over 100 passes in a season.
The reason? Lack of a good quarterback and offense in Motor City. But with a healthier and better playing Drew Stanton, Calvin has the potential to have the ball thrown his way all game long.
Just like Colston, Calvin Johnson is a big, deep threat wide receiver. If they can get him involved in a more conservative, short play offense he can break the tackle and gain the first down and more.
On any other team Johnson would be doing a lot better.
He'll lay out for 100 catches.
Dwayne Bowe
Dwayne Bowe is the sleeper in the arsenal of elite receivers. He just like Johnson is a virgin for the 100-plus receptions in a season campaign. With his fifth season coming upon us, hopefully, he will finally reach the milestone.
Bowe was a late bloomer last season. In his first eight games Bowe managed to only catch 26 passes. What happened after that? Dwayne caught 46 passes in the final eight. That's an average of roughly six receptions a game. Put that average into a whole season and he'll only have 96 catches, but he always will have a game where he makes fantasy owners happy.
Take weeks 10, 12 and 16 for example:
Week 10: 13 catches, 186 yards and two touchdowns.
Week 12: 13 catches, 170 yards and three touchdowns.
Week 16: six catches, 153 yards and one touchdown.
Bowe will catch 115 for KC next season.
Randy Moss
Just kidding... the only thing Randy will be catching next season is a cold. Just retire already.
On a lighter note here are some honorable mentions and a few tight ends who can catch 100 balls.
Wide Receivers: Santana Moss, Miles Austin, Steve Johnson (if he doesn't drop everything thrown his way,) Brandon Lloyd and a healthy Percy Harvin.
Tight Ends: Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates and a healthy Dallas Clark.
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