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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- One big-name, statted-up receiver left for a new team and received all the attention. The other seemed to barely register on the NFL transaction list, his 10 years as one of the tops at his position seemingly mattering little.
Both went to small-market teams, so the size of the city shouldn't matter, but the difference is one of the big-name receivers also happens to have a big-time mouth.
That's Terrell Owens.
It isn't Torry Holt, who is the other guy.
Holt has more career catches per start than Owens (5.9 to 5.5) and averages more yards per start (86.1 to 81.1), but it is Owens who stole the headlines this offseason and on into camp with his signing with the Buffalo Bills.
Holt signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Anybody notice?
Owens has a reality show. Holt had someone impersonating him on Twitter.
"I guess I'm not a big deal," Holt said during a break from camp. "We all know what comes with Terrell and what comes from what he's done in the past. I'm just as talented and my numbers are as good as anybody in the NFL the past 10 years. I just don't do anything to try and glorify myself. None of those guys [Owens, Randy Moss] won rings. I've been to two Super Bowls and won a ring."
Yet the perception is that Owens is still a prized racehorse, while Holt, who played his first 10 seasons with the St. Louis Rams, is a broken-down old mule. Guess what? Holt is 2½ years younger at 33.
"People talk about me like I'm 35 or 38 years old," Holt said. "They talk like I'm old and I can't do anything. I don't understand that."
That could be because he's coming off his lowest reception total (64) since his rookie season in 1999. His yards-per-catch average was 12.4 last season, the lowest of his career.
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Sleeper ... Greg Jones: Before Jones-Drew turned into an instant hit, he was supposed to be playing behind Jones. You see, the Jaguars expected Jones to be in a tandem with Fred Taylor in 2006. The idea was for Jones to be the short-yardage back and receiving threat and score double-digits in touchdowns, just like Jones-Drew did. But Jones blew out his knee and was lost for the year. He came back in a limited role and was the fullback last season, but we see him getting an expanded role this year. Jones-Drew is going to be the do-it-all back for the Jaguars, but when he needs a rest, Jones should step in. He should also do well catching the ball, and we like Jones as a handcuff option for Jones-Drew as well as someone worth drafting with a late-round pick. Breakout ... Mike Walker: We're always looking for third-year wide receivers who are ready to take the next step in their careers, and Walker falls into that category. The Jaguars are desperate for playmakers in the passing game, which is why Holt was brought in. With Dennis Northcutt now gone, Walker could be someone that Garrard can rely on. He only has 16 catches for 217 yards in his career, but he had a good offseason and does have good size (6-foot-2, 209 pounds) and speed. If he can stay healthy, we can see Walker turning into a No. 3 Fantasy wide receiver by the end of the year. Bust ... Torry Holt: We hate to call Holt a bust because he comes to Jacksonville full of optimism after spending his entire career in St. Louis. But that's where the problem lies. He's used to playing indoors, and his numbers reflect that. Holt has exactly one touchdown in his last 18 road games and hasn't posted a 100-yard game outdoors since Week 1 of the 2005 season. Holt also is 33 this season and has knee problems. Last year, we saw him decline before our eyes with his worst numbers since 2000 with 796 receiving yards on 64 catches with just three touchdowns. Holt didn't have a single 100-yard game and scored all three touchdowns in St. Louis. If you draft Holt as anything more than a low-end No. 3 option with a late-round pick, you're wasting a draft pick on an aging wide receiver. -- Jamey Eisenberg Current Draft Averages QB: David Garrard (144th overall) RB: Maurice Jones-Drew (2nd) WR: Torry Holt (116th) TE: None |
| Jaguars Fantasy outlook | '09 Draft Prep |
There were reasons. He battled knee issues all season. He played on a bad offense, one that didn't come close to resembling the air attacks the Rams used to put on the field when Mike Martz was offensive coordinator and head coach.
That led to questions about Holt's ability to run by defenders. Can he do it anymore? Or is he morphing into a possession receiver right in front of our eyes?
"I can still get vertical on guys," Holt said.
Not much of that has been seen in Jacksonville so far. The Jaguars have used him little on go routes, leading to more whispers that Holt can't run any more. In the on-field work I've watched since he has come to Jacksonville, I've rarely seen him go deep. The day I watched camp, he was used more on short crossing routes.
"He can't run like he used to, but he can still play the game," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "He can still run a little bit, but I don't know that he's going to be blowing by people. He's not going to be the take-the-top-off guy. We have young guys who can do that for us."
Some of that is because of the style of the Jaguars offense. It isn't a down-the-field mentality, which is why some saw it strange that Holt signed with Jacksonville, although it wasn't like teams were lining up to sign him. He did have offers from other teams -- the Titans really wanted him -- but he opted for a bigger deal in Jacksonville.
"I knew when I came here that's what they were, a running team," Holt said. "I was willing to adjust my game to help our football team. We don't have as many deep routes as I've had in the past. Here it's more of a controlled offense. It's a run-happy offense with a controlled passing game. I wasn't going to be playing for the veteran minimum somewhere. I'm not at that point."
That has led to talk around the league that Holt isn't happy. So I asked if he was.
He chuckled for a second. "I'm happy here, man," he said. "I don't know where they got that from. That's all speculation. I'm happy here. I'm excited about the opportunity to get this thing turned around."
Something says that if he's not getting the ball come October, he won't be afraid to say that has changed.
The Jaguars finished 16th in passing last season, but had just one pass play of 40 yards or more, which was the league low.
Jlt421: Will you be using more three-receiver sets this season? With the draft choices of Thomas, Dillard, and Underwood it would seem like a perfect fit to mold one into a slot receiver to complement Holt and Walker. If not, do you plan on using an extra tight end on the line for run blocking, or would you rather have Greg in there as a lead blocker for Jones-Drew?  Dirk Koetter, offensive coordinator: Probably a mixture of all three. We'll have to see in the preseason how the rookie receiver develop, and to what extent they can help using three-receiver sets. We already have the capability of using the extra tight end or using Gred Jones as a a lead back. Sometimes it comes down to who you are playing that week and how healthy your own guys are.
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Stretch the field? Heck, they couldn't stretch your living room.
Holt is also playing the mentor role. When the Jaguars disposed of Reggie Williams, Matt Jones and Jerry Porter after last season, it meant opportunities for new guys. They drafted three receivers in April, and all three have a chance to make the team.
Aside from Holt, the receiver with the most experience is Troy Williamson, who has a grand total of 23 career starts and is coming off a five-catch season. Holt has more than 16 times as many starts (147) than does the rest of the receiving group, which has nine.
"Their eyes are wide open and everything is fast for them," Holt said. "I get a kick out of it, watching them on film and seeing how fast they go. It's been a treat to work with them. They want to play and want to make an impact. The faster we get those guys to speed the better we'll be. Their experience is zero. I have a pretty good idea what it takes to be a No. 1 receiver down after down."
On this team, he has to be that, even though he admits he's not the same player he was five years ago. Who is? But Holt is arguably one of the great receivers of this era. He's a player who never gets the spotlight trained on him.
Maybe it's because he's not a diva receiver. Maybe it's because he keeps his mouth shut and lets his numbers do the talking for him.
SkiLz2BrN 
