Wood's Thoughts:

One of these years, the naysayers will be right. At some point, Jerry Rice will either be exposed for the cyborg that he is or we'll simply have to accept that Rice is not only the best player to every play wide receiver, but he's also the best OLD player to ever set foot on the field.

Yes, Rice is going to be 41 years old this year. Yes, no other receiver has come close to being effective at that age. But honestly folks, the same could've been said about him when he was 39 and 40, respectively. In case you forgot, Rice finished as the 10th and 11th best fantasy receiver in those years.

Not only has Jerry Rice defied Father Time, but he also did something that few free agent receivers have ever done, stepped into a new system and team and flourished from the outset. Frankly folks, there is no comparison for him, and you shouldn't try.

Simply accept that he returns for yet another year as the Raiders number one receiver. While the team isn't sure whether Jerry Porter will finally start over Tim Brown, no one questions that Rice will be the starter on the other side of the formation. But what's truly impressive about this guy, is that somehow, someway, it looks as though you can draft the best receiver in the history of the NFL at a bargain basement price.

Positives

• The best receiver to ever play the game
• Most targeted player on the most prolific passing offense in the league; which returns all its key components for another run
• Finished 10th and 11th in 2001 and 2002, respectively
  

Negatives

• Defying the laws of aging with each passing day, is this the year he finally shows his mortality?
• Must contend with other excellent receiving options (Porter, Brown, Garner, et al.)
• He's eight years removed from him best season, LOL
  

Final Thoughts

Jerry Rice is the 21st receiver off the board according to Antsports mock drafts; for a receiver who has finished 10th and 11th in the last two years, respectively. Rice is the likely number one target on the most prolific passing attack in the league. On a team with the reigning MVP at QB, a cadre of competent running backs and one of the best offensive lines in football. Sure, one of these years Rice will fall short of expectations because of injury or age. But why this year, his 41st, is any more likely to be the year than his 39th or 40th were is beyond me. I'll GLADLY take Rice in the mid rounds knowing that I've got one of the better WR2s in the league for a WR3 price. Draft accordingly.

Tremblay's Thoughts:

You want to see an impressive NFL résumé? Rice currently holds NFL career records in receptions (1,456), receiving yards (21,597), total touchdowns (203), receiving touchdowns (192), most games with 100 receiving yards (73), most 1,000-yard receiving seasons (14), most 100-catch seasons (4) (tied with Marvin Harrison and Herman Moore), most receiving yards in a single season (1,848), most receiving touchdowns in a single season (22), consecutive games with a touchdown (13), most seasons with 50 or more receptions (15), and longest consecutive games with a reception streak (257).

As a route-runner, Jerry Rice is in a class by himself. His footwork is perfectly precise. He can change direction at any point in his pattern and accelerate away from the DB without giving anything away ahead of time. When most WRs make a sharp cut (e.g., on an out pattern), they will chop their feet beforehand and often telegraph the direction of their cut an instant before making it with their head or with a shift in their balance. Rice does not do this. He has a near super-human ability to run through his cuts at what appears to be full speed, and is already coming out of his cut by the time the DB can start to react. He will be 41 years old this year, and is still probably very high on most CBs' lists of receivers they don't want to face in single man-to-man coverage.

Rice also has outstanding hands and concentration. He will catch the ball in traffic, and is particularly effective in the red zone.

And although he has clearly lost a step over the last five years, Rice still has a penchant for making the big play. In 2002, he had receptions of 75, 56, 53, and 48 yards (including the 48-yard TD in the Super Bowl).

Over the last two years, Rice has put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the Raiders, and has been top 12 in the league in both yards and touchdowns over that period. He is coming off his best season since 1996.

Positives

• Still runs the best patterns in the league
• Is in top physical condition
• Is the top receiver in arguably the league's best passing offense

Negatives

• Is old even by the Raiders' standards
• With so many other receiving threats in the offense (Jerry Porter, Charlie Garner, Tim Brown, Doug Jolley, Teyo Johnson), there may not be as many balls left for Rice as his fantasy owners would like
• Everything went right for the Raiders' offense last season; if Gannon regresses to the mean, Rice's production will decline

Final Thoughts

Rice was underrated two years ago; he was underrated last year; and he is underrated again this year. People keep waiting for his age to suddenly catch up with him, but I believe he will continue to be productive for at least another year (and more if he wants to) because of his work ethic and preparation. Besides, he was never a great receiver because of his stopwatch speed. He is a great receiver because he runs deceptive patterns and has great hands. Age has not taken those attributes away from him. I see Rice's production declining by about 10% in 2003, which still puts him solidly in the top 20 among WRs.

Quotes from the P.O.D. Message Thread:

To view the entire P.O.D. thread (there's a ton of fantastic commentary in there), click here:

Ministry of Pain:
"I need to see him play a couple more seasons before I can make an honest evaluation."

TheDirtyWord:
"You look at the Mock Drafts that take place and you still see Jerry Rice slipping past where his production says he should be drafted.

Just to have this posted here's what Rice did last season: 92 receptions, 1211 yards, 7 TD's.

Here is what Peerless Price did: 94 receptions, 1252 yards, 9 TD's

Take into account that Price had -13 yards rushing and Rice had 20, well, their total yardage stats are almost identical."

smlevin:
"(Even if you) Assume a drop in production and ranking for Jerry Rice - will he finish with better than 50-ish catches, better than 1G yards, and somewhere around 8 TDs? Ok, then - do yourself a favor, don't overlook Rice, and snag him in the 6th if he's available. You are guaranteed a top-20 WR. How 'bout them apples?"

Holy Schneikes:
"He is clearly immortal or bionic or both, but at some point he's going to torque off the DBs in the league so badly that they are going to get together and chop off one of his legs. At that point, Rice will probably only be able to manage 800 yards and 6 TDs for the season (until he has time to grow it back, chameleon-tail-style, in the off-season) and my projections will finally be accurate."

EastBayFunk:
"Despite his amazing work ethic, it's evident that at this point in his career he is getting by more on intelligence than on speed and athleticism. Barring injury the Raider offense should be strong, but Jerry Porter is probably a better red zone target and home run threat than Rice at this point in time. Rice's role should decrease slightly as Porter continues to get more attention and passes. That said, the Raiders should throw enough for Rice to have some value."

Projections: