Join the Footballguys Daily Update
Start your morning with our roundup of the most important stories in football - with the fantasy insight you need to make league-winning decisions. Delivered straight to your inbox, 100% free.
SETTING THE STAGE
Pierre Garcon is of Haitian decent and attended high school in Greenacres, Florida, earning tow letters in football and also playing soccer. Garcon was 6’-0” tall and athletic, running the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds, but received not one scholarship offer. Unlike his Mother, a Haitian immigrant that worked two jobs and looked for others to support her children, Garcon didn’t work that hard on the field and had poor academic standing.
He spent one year at a military school in Vermont, Norwich University, but wanted to be at a more football oriented program and transferred to Mount Union College, a Division III school in Ohio. In his three seasons there, he averaged 67 receptions, 1,121 yards receiving and 16 TDs and was named D-III All American two years. Garcon also ran track at Mount Union and had career bests of 10.61 and 21.69 in the 100 and 200 meters respectively.
Garcon was invited to attend the NFL Combine in 2008 and posted some impressive numbers. He was measured at 6’-0” and 210 pounds. He ran a 4.42 40-yard dash and had a 36.5” vertical and 10’-5” broad jump. He was drafted in the 6th round by the Indianapolis Colts and signed a four-year contract for $1.8 Million.
He played very little as a rookie, but his four receptions came on only four targets, with three coming in the week 17 game. The next season, Garcon played a large role in the Colts offensive success, but was 5th on the team in receptions, behind Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Austin Collie, and Joseph Addai. The next season, both Collie and Clark missed considerable time and Garcon’s role increased and he tied for 2nd for team receptions. In the last year of his rookie contract, Peyton Manning missed the entire season and the Colts struggled mightily, but Garcon had a career year with his most targets (134), catches (70), yards (947), and tied for his high in TDs with 6.
His consistent improvement and career year, even without Manning led to him signing a five-year $42.5 Million Contract with Washington. There was significant talk of the team overpaying for what many believed was a role player with the Colts. Garcon made an 88-yard TD reception in his very first game, but was injured on the play and had a disappointing season, missing six games and having the fewest receptions since his rookie season. He was called by Jason Reid of the Washington Post, the incredible disappearing receiver, both for his inability to overcome injuries and that he would frequently not be available for interviews.
A year ago, even as Robert Griffin III III struggled all season to return to his rookie success, Garcon thrived. Garcon was the only Washington receiver to have more than 45 catches and led the entire NFL in targets (182) and receptions (113), even while facing consistent double teams due to the lack of respect for the team’s other receivers. The Washington Post indicated this Spring that Garcon would face more single coverage in the team’s first eight games in 2014 than he did over his first two seasons in Washington.
His career statistics are provided below.
Year | Team | Games | Rushes | Yards | Targets | Catches | Yards | TDs | ||
2008 | Indi | 14 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 23 | 0 | ||
2009 | Indi | 15 | 2 | 10 | 92 | 47 | 765 | 4 | ||
2010 | Indi | 14 | 2 | 6 | 117 | 67 | 784 | 6 | ||
2011 | Indi | 16 | 4 | 28 | 134 | 70 | 947 | 6 | ||
2012 | Wash | 10 | 1 | 2 | 74 | 45 | 644 | 4 | ||
2013 | Wash | 16 | 2 | 19 | 182 | 113 | 1,346 | 5 | ||
Totals | 85 | 11 | 65 | 603 | 346 | 4,509 | 25 |
Looking FOrward To 2014
Washington has talked a lot about change over the past several years, but their football team has no doubt made changes. The Shanahans are out and Jay Gruden is the new head coach. He was very successful in increasing Andy Dalton’s production and many are excited about a comeback by Robert Griffin III III this year.
Even though Gruden has been lauded for Dalton’s success, Cincinnati ran a fairly balanced offense the past three seasons. They had a pass/run ration of 55/45. Griffin and Cousins threw a combined 611 passes last year as Garcon produced his career season. Compare that to a three-year high by Gruden in Cincinnati of only 540 passes. It seems reasonable to expect a reduction in the number of passes for 2014.
The addition of DeSean Jackson, who was summarily released by Chip Kelly from Philadelphia may be even a greater factor for Washington and Pierre Garcon moving forward. There is no doubt that Griffin will have the best receivers that he has had in the NFL, including a returning Jordan Reed, who averaged 5 catches, 55 yards and 0.3 TDs per game last year and free agent addition Andre Roberts.These additions should factor in Garcon having fewer targets.
Positives
• Garcon led the entire NFL in receptions last year
• He should face significantly less double teams in 2014
• Garcon has been Griffin’s go-to receiver for both his years in the NFL
Negatives
• The addition of Jackson and return of Reed will reduce Garcon’s targets
• Garcon averaged a low 11.9 yards per reception last year
• Alfred Morris is a solid running back and the number of team passes should be less than a year ago
Projections
Name | Games | Rushes | Yards | TDs | Catches | Yards | TDs |
Dodds | 15 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 89 | 1,113 | 6 |
Henry | 15 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 97 | 1,200 | 6 |
Wood | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 1,125 | 6 |
Tremblay | 16 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 97 | 1,162 | 6 |
Holloway | 16 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 80 | 1,000 | 5 |
Final Thoughts
Garcon definitely shed doubts a year ago about his capabilities to be his team’s number one wide receiver, but will he be reduced to second fiddle behind DeSean Jackson this year? Robert Griffin III III was spectacular as a rookie, but stumbled badly last year. Will his continued recovery from his knee injury in the 2012 playoffs lead to a return to his rookie success? There are definitely lots of questions and a lot of interest in the Nation’s Capitol this season, some of it even football related.
Other Viewpoints From Around The Web
Marc Sessler, Around the League Writer on NFL.com
The Washington Redskins pass-catcher told NFL AM on Thursday that he and free-agent addition DeSean Jackson plan to shove the Chicago Bears' duo into second place.
"That's our goal -- to unseat (Jeffery and Marshall)," Garcon said. "But I guess last year their stats were the top two receivers on the same team -- to be up there in the top 10 category for catches and yards or however they play it out. They are two good receivers, but we'll be up there next year fighting for that position."
While Jeffery and Marshall paired for a whopping 189 catches and 2,716 yards last season, Garcon's claims are far from nonsensical. After all, he led all NFL receivers with 113 grabs while Jackson shattered his own career marks for catches (82) and yardage (1,332) in Chip Kelly's high-octane attack.
TheDirtyWord in the Washington Spotlight Thread
Garcon very quietly put up a great season. Amidst the turmoil of 2013, Garcon was huge. He almost had to be though. Saddled with an emerging stud TE who couldn’t get back on the field because he was dealing with concussion issues, Garcon was almost the only viable receiver that WAS could throw to by season’s end and wound up leading the NFL in targets. His 30.1% target percentage was extremely high. What’s working in Garcon’s favor is that his new HC allowed his WR1 in CIN be targeted on 30.6% of their pass attempts. Granted, this is not solely the responsibility of the OC or HC. And the addition of both DeSean Jackson and Andre Roberts should help in diversifying the WAS passing attack. But I’d be surprised if Garcon dipped below 25% of WAS’s targets because at the end of the day, he’s turned himself into a heck a receiver. With very good YAC ability and hands that have improved drastically, Garcon is a legitimate WR1 for WAS and with Jackson in a position to take the tops off of defenses, Garcon should be able to fund more room to roam on the underneath and intermediate routes. His foot still scares me a bit, something that’s lingered in my memory since 2012. But he seems to have been able to manage it in a way that doesn’t compromise his ability to stay on the field. Ultimately though, I think Garcon’s targets will take a drop closer to the 135-140 level, but his catch rate has a chance to make up some of the production difference.
Garcon’s less traveled path goes full circle Dan Wetzel Yahoo Sports
Garcon’s mother doesn’t work anymore and her son is now the patron saint of second-chance football players. Not everyone runs a perfect pattern to the NFL. Not everyone turns scouts' heads at first chance. Not everyone studies as they should.
"I didn't have the academic qualifications," he said. "I just wasn't as motivated as I should've been. The first couple years in high school, I just thought, 'do whatever.' With the route my college career was going, I knew it would be a lot harder."
Garcon is proof that the long road can be the best road. "I think that really made him better," Hart said. "If he was a first-round draft pick, I don't think he would have done the work that he did. It paid off."
Jurb26 in the Washington Spotlight Thread
There weren't many bright spots in Wash last year but Garçon certainly qualifies as 1 of them. He had a breakout season amassing 113 receptions and 1346 yds. If anything was disappointing about his season it is that he managed only 5 TDs despite all those catches and yds. What fueled this amazing season for Garçon was a league high 183 targets. This number is both impressive and unsustainable at the same time. Impressive that Garçon was able to produce with such little help around him. Unsustainable given the improvements the team has managed this offseason. I expect a pretty drastic decline in targets for Garçon in 2014. Wash has added D. Jackson, Roberts and also had another emerging player at TE last season, Reed. That's not entirely bad, though. Garçon may not see near the targets he did in 2013 but his efficiency should go up with healthy RG3 and the added weapons to divert attention.