12-12-2015, 11:56 AM
(12-12-2015, 02:27 AM)Shake n Blake Wrote: It's always seemed like most of the folks who bash Chad loved Palmer. Go figure. Chad was always viewed as an excellent route runner until 2010. Then Carson threw his arms up in disgust after a couple INT's and suddenly rumors about Chad "freelancing routes" grew out of control. Of course most of those rumors were started by Carson fans trying to explain away the 20 INTs and 5 pick-sixes that year.
Sure, Chad freelanced some routes, but most great WRs do. I read an article once where Drew Brees said that Colston freelances all the time, and that vet WRs are encouraged to do so. He'd see things on the field and make adjustments. Drew had trust and chemistry with him to know where he'd be. Chad and Carson were together for 8 years. They should've had plenty of trust and chemistry together.
Who you want to blame that on probably depends on who you like more. In reality, it was probably both their faults.
Chad was never a good route runner, when he was in his prime he was able to cover that up with athletic ability. There's a reason he had about 2 targets in New England. As for ranking the receivers, it's difficult because players like Pickens, Collinsworth, Curtis etc all played when the DB's mugged the receivers all the way down the field and the safeties could just blow them up. Green, and the other receivers in the game today are afforded much more protection. It's not really the same game. Not to mention, if anyone ever walked on the Astroturf in Riverfront, they might as well have been playing on concrete.
