Can Steve Johnson Become an Elite Wide Receiver?
In this recent article on BB.com, Stevie discusses his intentions to become considered in the conversation of elite young receivers in the league. Whether or not you believe he is already there, he does not. This is a good and bad thing. You never want your players to feel that they have arrived or accomplished their greatness. You want players to feel that they always have something to learn and that they can always improve their craft. This is good, but also raises a possible negative idea in whether or not Stevie feels that he can do that in Buffalo.
"I believe I can be considered with this young generation of receivers… my name can be mentioned," Johnson said. "That’s as far as I can go because I don’t have any playoff games under my belt. I don’t have any winning seasons under my belt or any individual accolades like Pro Bowls or first team or things like that.
I guess it comes down to whether or not Stevie feels that this team still is on the rise. In the two seasons where he has found success, the team as only managed to win 9 games. It is possible that he has lost some faith. I believe that this opinion will play a huge role in Stevie’s willingness to resign here. I understand that he has so far said all of the right things and that he wants to remain in Buffalo, but I expect that right now.
Some stats:
Victor Cruz: 82 receptions, 1,536 yards, 9 TD
Mike Wallace: 72 receptions, 1,193 yards 8 TD
Torrey Smith: 50 receptions 841 yards, 7 TD
A.J Green: 65 receptions, 1,057 yards, 7 TD
Michael Crabtree: 72 receptions, 874 yards, 4 TD
Jordy Nelson: 68 receptions, 1,263 yards, 15 TD
Desean Jackson: 58 receptions, 961 yards, 4 TD
Percy Harvin: 87 receptions, 967 yards, 6 TD
Darrius Heyward-Bey: 64 receptions, 975 yards, 4 TD
Mike Williams: 65 receptions, 771 yards, 3 TD
Steve Johnson: 76 receptions, 1,004 yards, 7 TD
NFL.com
Yes, some of these guys are rookies, but they are started full time. This is only Stevies second year as a full time starter, so it is fair to add them in here. Once you start to put names like Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, his numbers look even worse.
I love Stevie, and I hope he stays, but if you look at the stats, he is not yet elite and I hope he still thinks he can get there in Buffalo. The stats also show that we still need a big WR. If the Bills can convince Stevie that they will in fact bring in a guy like Bowe, Jackson, Meacham or Manningham maybe they can convince him that will increase his chances of not only putting up more numbers, but winning as well.
Can Stevie become an elite wide receiver in Buffalo?
What do we need to do to help him stay and accomplish his goals?