Jason Wood's Thoughts

The good news? 67 receptions for 1,079 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The bad news? It's taken Donté Stallworth the better part of two seasons to accomplish that stat line. Entering his third season, Stallworth hopes to finally fulfill the unquestionable promise that made him the Saints top pick in the 2002 draft coming out of Tennessee. Stallworth was supposed to add another receiving option opposite perennial All Pro Joe Horn; but chronic hamstring issues have kept Stallworth from being a reliable option.

When he's played, he's been explosive - witness the 19.4 yards per catch last season or the 11 touchdowns in 67 receptions. Unfortunately, he hasn't played enough to engender admiration from Saints fans, coaches, teammates or fantasy owners.

So you should avoid Stallworth this season, right? Not so fast. Given Stallworth's current average draft position (26th WR according to Antsports) I believe there's value enough to consider him as your 3rd receiver with a very real shot at playing himself into the top 20 this year. Here's why:

1. Joe Horn has lost a step - I'm as big a Joe Horn fan as you'll find but I believe Father Time has started to catch up with him. Almost 33 years old, Horn took a step back last season failing to reach 1,000 yards for the first time in his Saints tenure. More troubling was his YPC, which fell from 14.9 to 12.5. I believe he's lost a step, and recovers less quickly from injury. While Horn remains the Saints top receiving option, I no longer think the team can afford to look his way with such propensity, QB Aaron Brooks would welcome Stallworth's emergence as an every game weapon.
   
   
2. Stallworth's health issues are correctable, I hope - I must admit that last year, after his rookie season was hampered by hamstring issues, I bought into the hype. Yet, turns out the same issues applied again. So why buy into the hype again? Because this year Stallworth's teammates are praising him as are the coaches. And as importantly, he's been a standout in mini camp and the beginning of training camp; something you certainly could not have said in years past.

   "Donté did a great job during the offseason," said Horn, who's still considered the Saints go-to receiver. "He knows the hamstrings have been his big problem, the thing holding him back, so he works on them more with his flexing and stretching."

3. The Saints offense is explosive; and desperate for a 2nd option - Aaron Brooks has developed into one of the better quarterbacks in the NFC; at least from a fantasy perspective. The team wants and needs another weapon in the receiving corps and Stallworth is that guy. One can be certain it's not Jerome Pathon, and rookie Devery Henderson is little more than a raw speedster at this point in his career.

4. Stallworth is the total package barring another injury - Stallworth has the size (6'0", 196 lbs.), speed (4.3 40-time), and playmaking ability (11 TDs in 67 catches, 16.1 yards per reception) to be a Pro Bowl receiver. Don't discount his hamstrings, but recognize that such an injury can be 100% remedied. For a few years Isaac Bruce suffered through bad hamstrings and was chronically disappointing, but then he got better through diet and exercise and went on to a Hall of Fame caliber career in St. Louis.

Final Thoughts

I'm not counting on Stallworth becoming the Saints top receiving option this year, but I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of the season it was he, and not Joe Horn, who was Aaron Brooks' go-to guy. Not to take anything away from Horn, but the only thing that's kept Stallworth from being an elite player thus far has been his hamstrings. Yet, under a huge microscope this offseason Stallworth has answered the call and credits a new focus on stretching, diet and offseason exercise. One of these seasons Donté Stallworth is going to stay healthy and when he does, you're going to wish you had him on your roster. Every year you need to hit a few home runs on draft day to win your league, and Stallworth will be one of the guys that prompt me to swing for the fences. Don't be afraid to roster Stallworth as your WR3/WR4 in the middle part of your draft and, save injury, be ready to reap the rewards.

Colin Dowling's Thoughts

There is 'upside' and there is UPSIDE. Donté Stallworth, in my opinion, enters this season with more of the former than just about any other wide-receiver in the league. Why? Because despite offering better than average production is his first 2 years, Donté made the mistake of disappointing people last season. That, combined with a gimpy hamstring, has made Stallworth the kind of receiver people love to ignore on draft day. "Hmmm….I'll pass on him because his leg might not be healed." "Uh….I don't like him because he doesn't appear to be getting any better and he drops a lot of balls." "Gee…I'm going take Devery Henderson 10 rounds from now and maximize the value at WR…" None of these things, NONE of them, paints an accurate picture of what Stallworth is, and what he could be.

Lets lay out the facts

1. Stallworth is the #2 wide-receiver on a very fast and very prolific offense. The team placed in the top third of the league in every passing category in 2003.



2. Stallworth is a touchdown waiting to happen. In his first two seasons, including last year's disappointing campaign, Stallworth averaged roughly a TD every 6 times he caught the ball. For comparison's sake, in the last 2 years, Randy Moss averaged a TD once every 9 receptions, Marvin Harrison averaged a TD once every 11 receptions, and Torry Holt averaged a TD once every 13 receptions. At a minimum, Stallworth either makes the most of his opportunities, or the opportunities he gets are good ones.



3. Stallworth has the agility, size, and speed necessary to be a big-time receiver. I'm not going to give 3 year old pre-draft measurables as he is likely to have a changed physiology since then, but I think its fair to say that when he is healthy and on the field, his ability is undeniable.



4. He has the benefit of having a true WR1 opposite him (Joe Horn) to help minimize double coverage.



5. He has had trouble with a hamstring injury and he dropped a few too many balls in 2003.

From all of that, it should be fairly easy to glean that Stallworth has plenty of potential, if only he can make the hamstring issue and the drops a thing of the past. Can he? Lets see what the word out of the Crescent City has been this offseason…

From the Times-Picayune, June 19th….
"Q: Which player will have a breakout season?"

"T-P: If the offseason is any indication, third-year wide receiver Donté Stallworth appears to be in the best shape of his young career, both mentally and physically. Nagging hamstring injuries curtailed his effectiveness and limited his playing time in 2002 and '03. When healthy, Stallworth has shown he can impact a game and be an ideal complement for wide receiver Joe Horn. Stallworth appears to have moved ahead of Jerome Pathon on the depth chart and will enter camp as the team's No. 2 wide receiver. "

"Rookie Devery Henderson of LSU is a year away from contributing. "

Stallworth also appears to be in fantastic shape.

From the June 9th Minicamp report…
"Even without pads WR Donté Stallworth, a former No. 1 draft choice entering his third season, stood out. ``Donté has impressed everyone who has seen him,'' Haslett said. ``A wide receiver probably shouldn't have more than 6 percent body fat. Donté had been at eight or nine, and now he's at 3 percent.''

Final Thoughts

So, here's what we know: Stallworth is physically talented. He plays for a team that excels in the passing game. He has shown plenty of football ability. He has battled nagging injuries for 2 years. He dropped a few balls last year. Personally, I've seen him enough to know that if he's on the field, he can be a special player. Can he stay healthy? That appears to be the big question, although the few signs we can see suggest he's training harder and working to be flexible so injuries are a thing of the past. Considering he's been slipping to the end of the 7th round as about the 29th WR taken overall (Xpertleagues, 1,000+ drafts), I'd say he offers fantastic value if you think, as I do, that he'll put it together this season.

Quotations from the Message Board Thread

To view the entire Player Spotlight thread (there's a ton of fantastic commentary in there), click here.

Winning IS Everything:
"Donté' is a big play waiting to happen. Unfortunately he has also been a hammy waiting to happen. Donté' has good size (6'0, 195) and blazing speed, and he could be a great one. He needs to show more dedication to getting his legs in shape to accept the beating of a brutal season. If he can stay healthy, this will be a breakout year for him and an explosion type year for the whole Saints offense."

Shooter McGavin:
"Stallworth is one of those guys who is probably going to totally ruin my FF season, because I expect big things from him, and can see myself reaching for him to make sure that I have him on my squad. If he stays healthy, I can't see him not having a good year."

Repressed Dennis:
"I think Horn is the past and Stallworth is the present for the 2004 Saints. I like the way their early schedule sets up - through a bizarre quirk, they start with the entire NFC West, which may have some of the worst secondaries and best shoot-out potentials in the league this year."

jurb26:
"If he plays the entire 16 he should pass Horn rather easily in my opinion, however that is a very large IF."

KKrew:
"I'm a Red Sox fan (no need to comment). I've always called Manny Ramirez 'Hammy' because he seemed to always be on the verge of a tiny injury or always recovering from a tiny injury. That is/was a perception that probably doesn't reflect reality. In Donté's case, 'Hammy' is appropriate. It's a perception & a reality. The guy hasn't been healthy."

Donte' Stallworth Projections