Why are "slot" receivers so undervalued?

[letekro]

I would say different athlete not rarer or more elite. The quick twitch run exactly the right route is a skill just as rare IMO. For the sake of debate though I'll go with your line of thinking. If slot guys are more productive (Wes is twice the receiver Wallce is) why do NFL teams pay for tall burner potential over proven numbers?

You're failing to grasp that it's like anything else in economics. It is easier to find a guy that can open from the slot, because of the features of that position explained above, therefore they are worth less. If Wes Welker goes down, I bring in Danny Amendola, if Danny goes down, I bring in Julian. If Julian goes down, I bring in Jeremy Ebert. All of these guys will be able to get open from the slot but all of them will have difficulty getting away from, bigger, physical outside corners. In sum, there are generally fewer guys on the planet that can consistently get open against NFL press coverage on the outside, so they are worth more.

A lot of really good slot receivers have been comparitively mediocre athletes--look at Wayne Chrebet, Davone Bess, Troy Brown, even Wes. None of those guys would consistently get open on the outside.