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Spotlight - WR Patrick Crayton, Dallas Cowboys

Posted on 8/11, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Jason Wood's Thoughts

Patrick Crayton enters the season as Dallas' #2 receiver, but you get the feeling that wasn't the way the Dallas brass intended the offseason to shake out.

• There were rumors about acquiring Chad Johnson
• There were rumors about signing Randy Moss
• There were rumors about acquiring Roy Williams
• There were rumors about acquiring Anquan Boldin

Rumors, rumors, everywhere, but were any of them true? It's impossible to say but if you've been around this game long enough you know that where there's smoke, there is often fire. The Cowboys also wanted to bring Terry Glenn back into the fold, although not enough to waive their demand he sign an injury waiver.

Regardless of what the Cowboys WANTED, they HAVE Patrick Crayton as the WR2, and that means he has a real chance at surprising fantasy prognosticators.

There are worse things than being Dallas' #2 wide receiver:

• Tony Romo has emerged as one of the most accurate and productive QBs in the league
• Dallas was 4th in passing yards (4,105) and 2nd in TD passes (36) a year ago
• Terrell Owens is dominant and commands double teams frequently
• There is no viable WR3 who could push for a starting spot this year
• The running game keeps defenses honest
• OC Jason Garrett is one of the league's brightest and most respected assistant coaches

But is Crayton up to the task?

The Dallas WRs face a difficult schedule according to Clayton Gray's Strength of Schedule analysis. Based o the analysis, Dallas' opponents are projected to allow just 18.5 fantasy points per game this season; which would be the 5th most difficult in the league. You KNOW Terrell Owens is going to get his no matter what, which means the other WRs could have some rough outings.

The real #2 option in the passing game is, without question, TE Jason Witten. Witten had a monster season in 2007, catching 96 passes for 1,145 yards and 7 TDs. He's one of the best (if not the best) tight ends in the game and will be targeted early and often.

The good news is Crayton generally has good hands. I say generally because everyone remembers the dropped pass against the Giants in the playoffs last year, a pass that almost assuredly would've been a touchdown and could've changed the entire playoff landscape. But last regular season, Crayton only had 2 dropped passes in 81 targets, and converted a respectable 61.7% of his targets into receptions.

Positives

• Crayton is the clear #2 in an uber productive passing offense
• Crayton has no material deficiencies in his game, and comes cheap based on current ADP
• Terrell Owens will draw double teams leaving Crayton freed up to make plays downfield quite often

Negatives

• Crayton isn't particularly dominant in any facet of the game, he's good, just not great
• There is tremendous pressure on him after an offseason where every reporter, fan, blogger and TV analyst wanted to discuss his dropped pass against the Giants
• Despite being a starting WR, Crayton is relatively low on the offensive totem pole in Big D, as Terrell Owens, Jason Witten, Marion Barber and, most likely, Felix Jones bigger focal points

Final Thoughts

Patrick Crayton is being drafted WR37 right now, which is in line with the consensus projections for him. While I think he has the potential for a much bigger season than that, it's unclear just how high his ceiling is. On the other hand, his floor is fairly high, to boot. I would be comfortable drafting Crayton as my WR4 or WR5; so that I didn't have to count on him but would be ready to plug him into my lineup if he takes the next step in developing more consistency.

Quotations from the Message Board Thread

BigRed:
This guy disappears way way too much to ever get consideration on my team. I don't see that changing. Pass

Iwannabeacowboybaby!:
The most discussed topic on offense during the off season has been the WR2 position for the Cowboys or the lack of it. Crayton dropped a ball in the playoffs vs. the Giants that could have helped put the Cowboys ahead but he took his eyes off it and dropped it. With Owens getting injured at the end of last season and Glenn's with the Cowboys on very shakey grounds, the Cowboy's appeared to need a solid addition at WR.

Heading into last season, Crayton was one of my sleeper selections. I thought he played solid overall last season and moved forward. I think Crayton learned a lot from last season and owners who are taking Patrick Crayton as there WR 3 are going to be very happy with that selection.

Patrick Crayton Projections