Atlanta Falcon WR Harry Douglas: Boom Or Bust In 2009?

by Dave Choate on Jul 14, 2009 12:00 PM EDT in Editorial

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The previous news item on Harry Douglas wasn't good news, but it did get me thinking about my one of my favorite draft picks of 2008.

Douglas is a burner, plain and simple, and a guy who could offer a lot as a return man on special teams. With Roddy White and Michael Jenkins entrenched in front of him on the depth chart, though, he can't really move much higher on the depth chart without injuries or crippling ineffectiveness, neither of which I'm rooting for. That leaves his role pretty well set as a third receiver and contributor on special teams.

The real question is, will he do it well? He's still a young receiver and has done enough so far that I'm confident he will, but our roster has also been filled with late bloomers of late, so the best could still be to come for Harry. With Tony Gonzalez added to the stable of receiving options, however, it's possible he'll see next to nothing for targets. Personally, I'd predict somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 catches, 300 yards and a couple of TDs, plus a punt return taken to the house.

But you don't care what I think. What do you think?

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harry

he might not blow up stat wise but i can see him helping us start alot of drives around or past the 50 yard line, other than that maybe 4 or 5 tds total which would be sweet

by gritzblitz on Jul 14, 2009 12:13 PM EDT reply actions

mediocre

I think he will have some good playing time and hopefully will help us out on 3rd down. maybe he will surprise me. who knows.

Life is a garden. Dig it!

by Hardcore Falcon on Jul 14, 2009 12:31 PM EDT reply actions

Not true at all

We all care what you think Dave, otherwise we wouldn’t be here!

But more to the point, I think HD will probably turn out to be more of the late bloomer WR much like the two in front of him on the charts. Stuck as the third WR option as well as having TG around to leech receptions away, he most definitely isn’t going to be the intended go-to guy. That being said, it might also force the coverage to slack on him leaving him open for some really big plays every other game or so, not to mention leaving him much less taxed so that he can really explode on returns.

I would be no less surprised if he ended up with a couple hundred yards and a few TD’s than I would if he pushed for a thousand yards and ten TD’s like some other second and third option WR’s have done in the pass (think Price in BUF). If I had to put my finger on one or the other though, I would go with the former and include maybe two return TD’s.

by Jesse28 on Jul 14, 2009 1:18 PM EDT reply actions

Biggest Sleeper on the Offense

I think you’re going to see Douglas get plenty of looks. He is arguably the most under-rated offensive weapon we have, though Jerious Norwood and even Michael Jenkins could follow suit.

Take these stats from the National Football Post . Last year, Douglas was targeted 39 times, caught 60% of those targets, and had only 3 drops. 33% of those catches were for first down. Roddy White caught the same percentage of his looks, except he had 148 targets vs. 8 drops. Michael Jenkins, who had a great year last year, caught 62% of his passes, where he was targeted 81 times and had 2 drops.

The point is that Douglas catches the ball just as well as White and Jenkins. gives the Falcons easily the best three receiver set outside of the New Orleans Saints. He also led all of the receivers in YAC (yards after catch), and did I mention that at 11.9 yards per punt return he ranked ahead of some pretty good return men (Leon Washington, Dante Hall)

He has dynamic speed and excellent football skills (meaning he can play receiver, run reverses, break big plays on punt return, etc.). And the best part is he’s going to be completely overlooked now that teams can’t ignore Roddy White and T-Gon is an option in the middle or in the flats. I think he has a real breakout year to be honest.

by LetsGoFalcons on Jul 14, 2009 1:31 PM EDT reply actions

I didn't edit

But I meant the next best 3 receiver set in the NFC South besides the Saints.

by LetsGoFalcons on Jul 14, 2009 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions

And then it’s ONLY the Saints because that’s pretty much all the Saints do is pass. It’s scary to think how dynamic this offense is.

by LetsGoFalcons on Jul 14, 2009 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Let's see...

Roddy vs. Colston – I’ll take Roddy.
Jenkins vs. Lance Moore – I guess after what he did last year while Colston was out, you’d have to take Moore, but he’s coming off shoulder surgery and might not be ready for training camp…
HD vs. Devery Henderson – I’ll take HD and not think twice about it. Henderson is like a track star trying to play receiver. Yes, he’s fast and can get deep, but he has awful hands.

I’d say our top 3 stacks up pretty nicely compared to the Saints, thank you very much…

by orang3b on Jul 14, 2009 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions

No disagreement there

Just the Saints get the ball thrown the whole game. I would gladly take our personnel and our offense any day.

by LetsGoFalcons on Jul 15, 2009 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions

By the way DOL talked to Abraham's Agent

Abraham isn’t holding out.

by LetsGoFalcons on Jul 14, 2009 1:36 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Thanks for the heads up

Good news, indeed.

by Dave Choate on Jul 14, 2009 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions

BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by REEM on Jul 14, 2009 2:15 PM EDT reply actions

Here comes tha...

BOOM!

Not saying he will have star WR numbers but I think he will be a big part of our offense. I also read somewhere that we put in our version of the wildcat calling it the “Dirty Bird” with Norwood at QB and using Douglas on the reverses.

Call me cocky if you want but I think our offense is getting to the level of being damn near unstoppable and I love it

by FLA_Falcon on Jul 14, 2009 2:22 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Please link

I want to read that article, if for no other reason than seeing if it states who came up with the name of the Dirty Bird. I can’t remember when Blank bought the Falcons off the top of my head, but I don’t think anyone who is a major contributor in the Falcons organization (and I mean anyone that would be part of the offensive scheming and naming of those sets) was around then.

At this point I just assumed that the Dirty Bird had become pretty much local fan lore. If there is someone in the organization that convinced Smith to call it the Dirty Bird, that is so awesome, and not just from a fan’s perspective.

by Jesse28 on Jul 14, 2009 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions

not sure the link will work

I’m on my blackberry but here goes

http://www.kffl.com/team/7/nfl

I think pat yasinkas may have been the one that called it the dirty bird. Its been a while since I saw it but if I can find it again I will post a link

by FLA_Falcon on Jul 14, 2009 5:29 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

forgot to say

You have to scroll down a little for the wildcat story.

by FLA_Falcon on Jul 14, 2009 5:32 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Numbers et. al.

Numbers are gonna be down for everyone.

A. Tough defenses next season
B. Greater diversity of offensive weapons

What piques my curiosity is the trade of Laurent Robinson. Douglas seems like Robinson in lots of ways (which isn’t a knock, I liked Robinson and was sad to see the trade… Conversely I was somewhat shocked to see Douglas drafted in the first place).

I don’t know how much room there is going to be in this offense for a player like Douglas and so that means he’s got to maximize every possession. A boom for Douglas means a flawless season IMO and a bust is an average one (irrespective of the stat sheet).

Maybe there is no Heaven. Or maybe this is all pure gibberish — a product of the demented imagination of a lazy drunken hillbilly with a heart full of hate who has found a way to live out where the real winds blow — to sleep late, have fun, get wild, drink whisky, and drive fast on empty streets with nothing in mind except falling in love and not getting arrested...Res ipsa loquitur. Let the good times roll.

by iRonin on Jul 14, 2009 2:53 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

L-Rob/H-Doug

I thought I read somewhere that L-Rob wasn’t much of a blocker, and that his unwillingness to block led (at least partially) to the trade. I’m not sure how well H-Doug blocks, but from what I’ve seen/heard about his tenacity on the field (see: punching Law Dog in the helmet during training camp last yr), you’d have to think he’s better than L-Rob in that regard.

Reporter: How will you address all of the dropped passes?

Mike Smith: I don’t think that we were as sharp as we have been catching the football. It’s something that is very fixable. It’s VERY fixable.

by FrankyWren on Jul 15, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions

I've got

20-30 Catches
300-400 Yards
1-2 TD’s
Plus some good work on Punt Returns.

It really depends on how Mularkey runs the Offense this year – to get to 30/400, he’d have to be targeted like 50 times, which would be a ton for the 4th option in the passing game (he had 39 targets last year). If he got close to that number, that would probably mean a lot less playing time for Ovie (3 WR – 1TE – 1RB). Crap, I guess Dave’s 20/300 is a pretty realistic expectation…

by orang3b on Jul 14, 2009 3:42 PM EDT reply actions

Oh,

As far as Boom or Bust? I think he’ll be plenty effective, he just won’t have too many chances.

by orang3b on Jul 14, 2009 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Crap?

I’m hurt by your expectation that my prediction would be terrible.

by Dave Choate on Jul 14, 2009 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions

No, not that.

It’s just that I spent 2 paragraphs that ended up saying, “Yeah, what Dave said”…

by orang3b on Jul 15, 2009 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions

I think

He’ll go for 300 yds
30-35 rec
2 or 3 receiving tds

I think the most important thing about this season is just getting the playing time and getting a chance to develop under white and jenkins. He won’t put up great numbers, and he won’t need to. WR is a pretty hard position in the NFL, and as we’ve seen with Roddy White, it takes a few years to get fully adjusted. I think he’ll be a good receiver in a few years. He can afford to take a back seat to White and Jenkins at this point in his career, and when either of those two start to slow down, he’ll have the opportunity to step up.

Its true. I'm a Falcoholic! I just can't live without Falcohol!

by phoenix falcoholic on Jul 14, 2009 4:58 PM EDT reply actions

Tim Dwight

Dude reminds me of Tim Dwight. A little undersized but can have his explosive moments. I do have to say that the recent incident at his home is a little unsettling. I’m holding off on judgement until more details come out, but it would be a real shame if the suspect turns out to be someone he knows. This could mean he is running with the wrong crowd and personally I am over players with off the field issues. I hope HD doesn’t turn out that way as he is one of my fave Falcons right now.

In a way, each of us has an El Guapo to face.

by runningback on Jul 14, 2009 5:09 PM EDT reply actions

Good call

on Tim Dwight.

And I totally agree with off-field issues. I’ve pretty much had my fill for a while…

by orang3b on Jul 15, 2009 8:59 AM EDT up reply actions

We Obviously Have a Right to Worry about Players with Off-Field Issues

But this is pretty mild in comparison to what we’re used to. Don’t interpret this as giving anyone a free pass, or even downplaying the seriousness of rape allegations, but sometimes things are not within your control. Also not saying you don’t accept responsibility for the actions of those that are your guests. I guess my overarching point is that as to Douglas, this shouldn’t be much of a concern.

by LetsGoFalcons on Jul 15, 2009 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions

On my season preview

i had him as the hidden gem for next year. With Gonzalez, White and even Jenkins taking heat he will get a lot of action but also Gonzo allows him to gain crucial YAC which is perfect for Douglas’ game over the middle.

go hard or go home

by TO falcon on Jul 14, 2009 8:13 PM EDT reply actions

Seems to be a good kid

His brother Tony played basketball at FSU and I’ve never heard anything bad about him, and considering the past few years that’s saying a lot about my Noles

by FLA_Falcon on Jul 14, 2009 8:23 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

honestly

i think douglas has the skill and potential to move jenkins down the depth chart. jenkins has been a falcon for awhile and just started to get hot towards the end of last yr. HD has been hot since he first put on the colors. plus hes faster,more explosive, and elusive in open space.

by ca$hmere36 on Jul 15, 2009 12:05 AM EDT reply actions

Welcome to the site

I think the key with Jenkins is that he’s one of the best blocking receivers in the league, which in Mike Mularkey’s blocking-friendly scheme is absolutely critical. If HD can become a better blocker, he’d stand a better chance of unseating Jenkins.

by Dave Choate on Jul 15, 2009 12:29 AM EDT up reply actions

I just don't see Douglas breaking into the #2 slot

I think physical stature makes a HUGE difference in this league.

With Jenkins being reliable and a solid 6’4, Douglas is going to have his work cut out for him competeing at his ample 5’11. He has a place, but not as a #2 receiver in an offense that relies so heavily on its blocking scheme.

know what you believe in and why you believe in it

by MentallyMIA on Jul 15, 2009 12:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Agreed...

Jenkin’s size is a huge asset, as well as his blocking ability. IMHO, Jenkins is a very solid #2 receiver. HD has a lot of potential and I expect him to thrive in the slot, and one day he may crack the starting lineup. He’s also great insurance if we have an injury.

by TomQ on Jul 15, 2009 9:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Totally agree

Cookiehead really stepped it up last season.

In a way, each of us has an El Guapo to face.

by runningback on Jul 15, 2009 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions

But I don't think you need to break into a #2 to be a productive wide receiver

Not saying he is anywhere close to the level of Welker yet, but Welker had 1000 yards receiving last year from the slot. Same goes for Breaston out in Arizona. Fact is that the “depth chart” at wide receiver doesn’t mean much between 2 and 3. It’s more based on the type of receiver and how they can fit in the offense. HD is a young and really dynamic weapon to have in that slot position.

by LetsGoFalcons on Jul 15, 2009 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions

great point

and that’s where I see Douglas shining. Between White, Gonzalez and Jenkins, defenses are going to have their work cut out for them… Douglas is going to see himself open in a lot of situations and his ability to make yards after catch is phenomenal. I hope to see him shine this upcoming season, it seems like a very likely possibility.

know what you believe in and why you believe in it

by MentallyMIA on Jul 16, 2009 1:34 AM EDT up reply actions

Break out year expected from WR Harry Douglas. He’ll get more action under #2.

by Jon Cushman on Jul 15, 2009 12:34 AM EDT reply actions

HD, when used in 3 WR sets, lining up against a nickle or FS...

I take that all day long…

I have six locks on my door all in a row. When I go out, I only lock every other one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they are always locking three.

Elayne Boosler

by NaGaNole on Jul 15, 2009 10:26 AM EDT reply actions