WR... Draft or Furrey?

[TheKraftyOne]

Mike Furrey was released by the Lions. If you remember the Lions/Pats game in 2006 you could reasonably say he was the best player on the field. He had nine receptions for 123 yards and 1 TD with Kitna at Qb. He finished that year with 98 catches so he wasn't a one game wonder.

He missed about half of 2008 on IR due to a concussion, a decision he disagreed with. He has veteran savvy along with good hands and route running and Belichick has to like that type of player so stay tuned.

You could make an argument that he was as good as Welker in 2006.

 

[bakes781]

You mean 2006

I'd much rather pick up a guy like him for cheap $ than waste guaranteed $ to a WR in the 1st or 2nd round.

 

[tanked_as_usual]

furrey is like 31.......I'd rather go for a guy like shaun macdonald although I would probably bring them both in for a workout........special teams is also a consideration........

 

[TheKraftyOne]

You mean 2006

I'd much rather pick up a guy like him for cheap $ than waste guaranteed $ to a WR in the 1st or 2nd round.

I know! I read that and edited it. I think I was reading about his 98 catches and my brain damage kicked in and made me write 1996. At any rate, he seems like he fits into the category of a Belichick type move. He can still move the sticks.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

First off--he's not officially a free agent yet, although it sounds like he will be in due time.

If Furrey's willing to come cheap, he might be a good pickup. That said, I'd still rather have a good young WR than a WR on the wrong side of 30.

 

[TheKraftyOne]

furrey is like 31.......I'd rather go for a guy like shaun macdonald although I would probably bring them both in for a workout........special teams is also a consideration........

We talked about both players before. One blurb I read is interesting:

Shaun McDonald started at wideout opposite Calvin Johnson in Week 7, but Mike Furrey wound up with far more production.
McDonald caught one pass for -7 yards to Furrey's 89 yards on six grabs.

One game but they were fighting each other for PT when it happened.

 

[TheKraftyOne]

First off--he's not officially a free agent yet, although it sounds like he will be in due time.

If Furrey's willing to come cheap, he might be a good pickup. That said, I'd still rather have a good young WR than a WR on the wrong side of 30.

He was released and is a FA according to this story in the Detroit Free Press:

He wasn't a Lion anymore.

A few minutes earlier, he had hoisted a wooden beam on his shoulder and said: "They just released me."

Furrey was with his family at Metro Airport about 9 a.m. Tuesday, about to board a flight to Tampa, when his wife's phone rang. It was Lions general manager Martin Mayhew.

"He just said that he was calling the guys that he was going to release, and I was one of them," Furrey said. "That was it. Short. Very short."

 

[TheKraftyOne]

He was released and is a FA according to this story in the Detroit Free Press:

He wasn't a Lion anymore.

A few minutes earlier, he had hoisted a wooden beam on his shoulder and said: "They just released me."

Furrey was with his family at Metro Airport about 9 a.m. Tuesday, about to board a flight to Tampa, when his wife's phone rang. It was Lions general manager Martin Mayhew.

"He just said that he was calling the guys that he was going to release, and I was one of them," Furrey said. "That was it. Short. Very short."

Technically you're right since it isn't official until 2/9

 

[billdog3484]

furrey is like 31.......I'd rather go for a guy like shaun macdonald although I would probably bring them both in for a workout........special teams is also a consideration........

id probably rather have mcdonald too, but keep in mind, he will probably be more expensive. furrey probably wont have that many good offers, so will come on the cheap. i think we should make a run at furrey. he seems very difficult to cover in open space

 

[BradyManny]

First off--he's not officially a free agent yet, although it sounds like he will be in due time.

If Furrey's willing to come cheap, he might be a good pickup. That said, I'd still rather have a good young WR than a WR on the wrong side of 30.

I'd take both if we have the roster spots.

There are some wide receivers I like in this draft - and in just about every area of the draft. I think its a must to grab one of them thinking long term, but as we know, wide receivers that contribute overnite via the draft are the exception (Branch) not the rule.

Furrey would be a good fit if he comes real cheap, but I don't think he's providing what this team needs most at that position, which is a 3B to Gaffney's 3A, a guy who can get to the intermediate part of the field faster than Jab.

 

[bakes781]

If we can find the next David Givens in this draft that would be sweet. Otherwise I'm pretty dead set against drafting one early. Unless Maclin or Crabtree were to fall in our laps & even then I'd be hesitant.

 

[CanadianPat'sFan]

id probably rather have mcdonald too, but keep in mind, he will probably be more expensive. furrey probably wont have that many good offers, so will come on the cheap. i think we should make a run at furrey. he seems very difficult to cover in open space

I also think that MacDonald would be more expensive but I would rather have Furrey. He had great production with a decent QB (Kitna) 98 receptions and 1086 yards in 14 starts in 2006 and 61 receptions for 664 yards in just 10 starts in 2007. His durability was the only issue for me but if we could add him pretty cheap then he would push Gaffney to play better.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I do not think we need any more guys working the short routes in our offense, I think we need a WR that can work the intermediate box, between Moss and Welker. Ideally a TE, but Watson has not proven he can catch consistently.

 

[MetalBleachers]

Is he another Welker? Hard to say. I think if they pick him up then they're essentially saying they've given up on TE production.

Wouldn't mind seeing them add a deep threat.

 

[dryheat44]

I'm not sure why we need the poor man's Wes Welker on the team when we actually have Wes Welker. There's not room for both of them on the field. Bobby Engram or Devery Henderson make much more sense.

If Furrey and Welker are both on the field, all the defense is going to do is pack the short zone with nine players in running situations and use a base 4-3/3-4 on passing downs, making our running game very tough to execute. We'd be doing the exact opposite of stretching the field.

It would be sort of like signing Matt Hasselbeck.

 

[Synovia]

I also think that MacDonald would be more expensive but I would rather have Furrey. He had great production with a decent QB (Kitna) 98 receptions and 1086 yards in 14 starts in 2006 and 61 receptions for 664 yards in just 10 starts in 2007. His durability was the only issue for me but if we could add him pretty cheap then he would push Gaffney to play better.

I'd take the 2006 starts with a grain of salt. Mike Martz offenses always put up numbers like that.

 

[DaBruinz]

I'm not sure why we need the poor man's Wes Welker on the team when we actually have Wes Welker. There's not room for both of them on the field. Bobby Engram or Devery Henderson make much more sense.

If Furrey and Welker are both on the field, all the defense is going to do is pack the short zone with nine players in running situations and use a base 4-3/3-4 on passing downs, making our running game very tough to execute. We'd be doing the exact opposite of stretching the field.

It would be sort of like signing Matt Hasselbeck.

Not sure how you think that Devery Henderson makes any sense. The guy hasn't ever been able to step up when needed. Not when Stallworth went down. Not when Horn went down. Not when Colston went down. Every other WR on the Saints has done better than Henderson when needed. Colston. Patten. Lance "friggin" Moore.

Bobby Engram is an injury waiting to happen, unfortunately. He's only had 1 season in his last 5, where he's been fully healthy. Not to mention that he's 36 now.

There are better options out there for the #2 spot. One of which could be Anquan Boldin, if he's traded.

As for Furrey, He could play opposite Moss and run the intermediate routes that we are looking for. Its not what he's best suited for, but he can do it.

 

[CanadianPat'sFan]

I would not say that almost 100 catches and over 1000 yards is a "grain of salt" to achieve in the NFL. The guys has talent and if he came cheep I think is better then Washington as our 4th WR. Maybe push Gaffney if he comes back to play a bit better and catch the ball.

I doubt it will cost too much at least not near the money that Engram or Devery Henderson would cost us. I like our WR production with the addition of him and a deep threat in the third round of the draft (Louis Murphy, Florida, Derrick Williams, Penn State if there in the third and Mike Wallace, Ole Miss is a sleeper who can get down field in the late rounds).

I have seen Furrey make DB's look bad at times whenever i watched Detroit play (Thanksgiving like everyone else) but I think we can get him cheap and would be worth the money.

 

[Synovia]

I would not say that almost 100 catches and over 1000 yards is a "grain of salt" to achieve in the NFL.

1000 yards in a mike martz system, yes, it is. Especially considering he played in all 16 games the next year and only put up 600 yards. He put up 1000 yds that first year because he was a converted Safety and nobody even bothered putting anything above a nicklback on him. They were much more concerned with Roy Williams.


Teams that lose 12+ games a season put up a lot of passing yards.

 

[MetalBleachers]

Wouldn't mind having a punt returner not named Wes Welker or Kevin Faulk, just to keep those guys out of harm's way.