Donte' Stallworth by Andy Hicks
Last year Donte' Stallworth was plagued by injury problems (again). Jerome Pathon was given a wonderful opportunity to prove his worth as a starter during Stallworth's injury period of six games and he responded by posting 15-153-0. When he was the #3 for nine games he posted 25-378-4. Pathon is more suited to this role.

Donte' Stallworth on the other hand showed he was more than capable of meeting the challenge in the opening and closing game of the season where he recorded 100 yard games in both. The last, and only time Jerome Pathon got 100 yards in a game was in 2001 with the Colts. Stallworth has 11 touchdowns in 2 injury riddled seasons, whilst Pathon has 14 in six injury riddled seasons. Pathon just isn't the threat that the Saints need in a starting receiver.

Stallworth was a recent first round draft pick and will be given every opportunity to succeed. With Joe Horn getting older, they need a new #1 guy and are pinning their hopes on Stallworth, either this year or next. Stallworth has worked very hard in the off season on ridding himself of the leg injuries and if he were to make it through a season fit and healthy he would go close to breaking 1000 yards and 6 TDs. Pathon at best can hope for 600 and 5.

Trying to argue that Pathon is less of a fitness worry than Stallworth is not correct...Pathon has missed 18 games throughout his career. All the preseason talk isn't on whether Stallworth or Pathon will be the #2, but rather would Pathon hold off rookie Devery Henderson and 2nd year man Talman Gardner. If either of these guys pip Pathon, then his future on the roster can't be bright.

As for Stallworth...he is ready mentally and physically for the challenge. The system is locked and loaded, now all it needs to do is fire. Said Stallworth, "This is my time now. People have expectations for me, but no one has bigger expectations than I do, and I aim to meet them."

Jerome Pathon by Michael Brown
Raise your hand if you've heard this one before. Donte Stallworth is healthy and primed for a huge season. No seriously, this year he's really going to have a good year. Well, let me advise you to think long and hard before you put faith in that statement.

Stallworth could, with his talent, already have supplanted Joe Horn as the #1 option by now if he'd been healthy. And why will he stay healthy now? Because he's done extensive offseason work? It still doesn't replace game action, the constant stopping and starting on turf, week after week. And it's not as if Stallworth has lived up to his vast potential when he's actually on the field, either. He had a terrible case of stone hands last year, and for his career is averaging fewer than 50 yards per game. And like I said, that's when he's even in for a full game.

Jerome Pathon, meanwhile, played in all 16 games last year. Not only that, but he performed well. Bouncing between #2 and #3, he remained consistent, and was the one Saint who didn't drop everything thrown his way. Coaches like that.

Pathon is also a redzone threat. He was targeted eight times inside the 20, more than Terry Glenn, Javon Walker, Steve Smith, and Peerless Price. Not bad for a guy who was a third receiver much of the year. Stallworth, meanwhile, was targeted on passes four times in the red zone - and caught none of them.

The case can be made that Pathon's experience and consistency will win out over Stallworth's boom-or-bust sort of play, but that's the tougher argument. The easy argument is that Stallworth is just too injury-prone to hold up for a full 16-game season. He'll tease everyone with a big game or two early on, to annoy his owners just enough. But it's not as if there is some sort of magic potion for leg woes. Is it conceivable that he has finally kicked the hamstring problems? Yes, it is conceivable. But…wait a minute. Oh wow, a pig just went flying by my window!