Historically, rookie wide receivers take about three years to mature into consistent playmakers. Now, though, the learning curve has been lessened; more first-year wideouts are making contributions, and for some teams, it's been a godsend. Like the Chiefs, for example. They drafted LSU's Dwayne Bowe last April and midway through the '07 season, Bowe has 29 catches for 499 yards and three scores. That he's third on the team in receptions behind Tony Gonzalez and Larry Johnson speaks more to the offense's overall struggles than his ability to get open, I think. Still, what Bowe has accomplished thus far is pretty impressive.
"I anticipated (the struggles) when we drafted him and we simplified some things so he could line up and play,'' [head coach Herm] Edwards said. "Him and (second-year receiver Jeff) Webb . . . We simplified some things so these guys could play.''Hey, how about that? Edwards is actually trying to improve the offense. I'm kidding, but it's sometimes hard to tell if you've seen the Chiefs play. So why is it so difficult for wideouts to make the adjustment from college to the NFL?
"I just think (it's) all the coverages that they see at the pro level,'' said Edwards, a former long-time defensive back and defensive backs coach in the league. "Obviously the guys that are defending them are a little bit better. In college there aren't a lot of great corners, that's why they're so hard to draft. You don't find a lot of great corners in college football.I suspect as college programs continue to implement NFL offenses, the transition will be smoother. Now if the Chiefs could just decide on a quarterback.
