Cobb was the biggest dropper on the team last year yet you seldom see that brought up.
I've brought it up in the past, in the context of the over-*****ing about the Finley drops.
There's a couple of reasons one tends to look past those Cobb's drops for now:
- He was in his second year in 2012, first with significant snaps, and his game is in steady ascent...when a guy is this good, while evidencing correctable mistakes in route running, it can be said with some confidence we've not seen all of his upside. It's hard not to be enthusiastic.
- The guy is quick in everything he does. Further, his acceleration curve his smooth right into 4th. gear. He doesn't have true long speed without that strong 5th. gear, but he plays more like a 4.3 guy over the first 30 yards rather than his 4.45 Combine average time would suggest. You see it in the returns and the occasional run around end.
- The guy is highly dangerous in space...outstanding instincts and vision. I think this is what gets most people excited. When you seem him catch slants in space you feel he's a threat to break it. The guy just looks like a playmaker. The eye test is backed up in the stats...exactly 1/2 of his yards last season were after the catch.
- He's got fairly soft hands. Those drops look to be a product of overenthusiasm with the prospect of turning up field to break a play. He may or may not get over it, but if the cost of eliminating 5 drops per season is a more deliberate player, I'll take the drops.
- The guy just flat out gets open. 80 catches on 104 targets for a 77% completion rate in 2012 is very high on the NFL scale even among the high percentage slot guys. Considering the 9 drops, he was open enough on 89 of 104 to draw a catchable pass...that's a pretty stunning 86%.
- There's evident fun, or joy if you will, in his game. You can see it even if you can't measure it.
- Wrap it all up and he can beat you anywhere on the field within 40 yards of the line of scrimmage. The guy has a ton of tools.
Jones, on the other hand is more of a grinder/gamer with a more narrow set of skills. His hands are not particularly soft. He cut down on his drops but appears a bit more deliberate when he's not just in the moment jumping for a ball. He's slow off the line and does not have long speed. He's not particularly fluid.
That takes us to his strengths. He's strong and adept in forearming off a DB to get into his break or make a play on the ball. He's got a powerful 3rd. gear. With that package, it makes him deceptive and dangerous at the point of engagement at 10 or 15 yards in off coverage. At that point he can blow by for separation with that 3rd. gear or get a little physical and break off. Jones usually wins or loses at that 10-15 yard point. His route running was much improved last year. He's a good blocker.
Jones is at somewhat of an advantage in being one of the guys that opponents are least worried about. Finley is a preoccupation among opponents. Jennings, when he played healthy, had to be acknowledged as the #1 target. Cobb came to be recognized as a dangerous individual. Nelson (Toto notwithstanding) showed he had some serious game in 2011. So be it...the point then becomes how Jones capitalizes on those opportunities; the 14 TDs says pretty decent football player, especially for a 3rd or 4th. option. But if anybody thinks he's developed into a Cris Carter ("but all he does is catch touchdowns"), they will be disappointed. Defenses will adjust and he's hit his upside.
I think it was Jones, not Nelson, that opponents underestimated in 2012. For what it's worth, Jones is from San Jose.
