Faceoff - WR Jerry Porter, Oakland Raiders

Posted 7/20, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Upside - by Mike Brown

If drafting decisions were based on talent alone, Jerry Porter would be an easy top-20 choice year after year. Of course, we realize that talent is merely one aspect of the player evaluation we each do, and Porter's talent has never been good enough to warrant selecting him at his previous ADP. Because there was always the injury risk. Or the underperforming risk. Or the risk that he would catch just one pass the entire season while he griped and moaned on the sideline all year long and be deactivated far too often for a player of his caliber.

To say Porter carries some baggage would be quite an understatement. But here's my question: Does anyone really know what was going on in Oakland last season? I mean really and truly know? Because here's the thing. It's become almost fashionable over the past ten years or so to rip the malcontent athlete, call him a prima donna, call him a crybaby, etc. At times, however, we need to ask ourselves if the unhappiness is perhaps justified. I'm not saying I back Porter and I'm not saying he was right in his actions or anything. But the fact of the matter is that his biggest beef was with HC Art Shell. Well, Porter's still around -- Shell was fired.

If Porter still has something left in him (and from minicamps and workouts, all indications are that he does), then you can land yourself a number one receiver on an up-and-coming offense. Show me the wideout who is still in his prime, has two seasons of at least 64 receptions, 942 yards, and five touchdowns in the past three seasons, and can be had in the tenth round.

And therein lies the biggest difference with Porter this time around. He'd have to fall on his face completely in order to not live up to his ADP this time around. Why? Because everyone jumped off the bandwagon a year ago. Half your league will laugh at you for taking him, calling it a wasted pick (amongst other things). Meanwhile, they'll squawk about how much upside and value they got by taking Kevin Curtis and Eddie Kennison, who players who define the term "boring". Those guys might fill in a week or two here and there, but they aren't going to be relied upon consistently. Will Porter? Who knows??? One more major slip-up and he may not make it out of training camp. But right now, he's doing and saying all the right things and every off-season report on him has been a positive one. If he can keep his head on straight, the tenth round is a very nice place to find yourself a solid WR3 and borderline WR2.

Downside - by Colin Dowling

To be fair, I think there is a lot to like about Jerry Porter this season. He isn't injured. He has shown the ability to be very productive. He is now the number one receiver for his team. There is a new coach, so he should be out of the doghouse. There are certainly plenty of positives to find with regard to Porter.

That said, there are just as many reasons to give pause when selecting him on draft day. True, Jerry Porter is the number one receiver on a team that has improved quarterbacks and should have an improved offensive system, but there are a TON of things that have to break just right for the team to produce better then last season.

For starters, there is Porter himself. Jerry Porter technically was active for four games last season and caught one pass. While Porter is not old by any stretch, taking essentially 12 months off from playing football isn't something you can undo overnight. Regardless of camp-speak, it will likely take Porter a few weeks to return to form after such a long hiatus. For this reason alone Porter could be more of a "buy low in week 3 candidate" as opposed to someone you should draft.

Secondly, the quarterback position and offense should be more improved with Josh McCown coming in as the starter. That said, we all know that McCown is simply keeping the driver's seat warm until JaMarcus Russell is ready to see the field. As such, it is important to realize that even the most talented rookie quarterbacks in recent history rarely have fantastic statistics early on in their careers. What happens if the Raiders begin 0-4 (very possible) and Russell is inserted? All prospects for Porter as a fantasy force go right out the window.

Toss in that the competition in the AFC West won't be easy and brand new NFL coaches always have a period of adjustment, and I'd encourage you to think twice about how much you want to rely on Porter for your fantasy squad this season.