Survivor I - Ronald Curry Commentary

NOTE: this draft was completed on 7/24

Recent Stats

YR	RSH	RSHYD	RSHTD	REC	RECYD	RECTD	FPT	RANK
2003	1	0	0	5	31	0	3.1	152
2004	1	-3	0	50	679	6	103.6	39

Positives - Ronald Curry is pretty much as athletic as they come. Last season he gave us a glimpse of what he’s capable of, until he suffered a torn Achilles tendon and was lost for the remainder of the year. Curry, like Hines Ward, was a quarterback in college. He knows the game well and only recently has begun to showcase his talents at the wide receiver position. As of right now, Curry will be the 3rd wide receiver option on a very potent Raiders offense. In the event that something happens to Randy Moss or Jerry Porter, Curry’s value could sky-rocket.

Negatives - Let’s not forget Curry tore his Achilles tendon late last season (week 13 to be exact). Even though he’s an athletic stalwart, he still has to recover. September will be nine months after the injury - will that be enough time for recovery and rehabilitation? That remains to be seen. Even if fully healthy, he is still only the #3 option for the Raiders passing game. Brandon Stokley has shown that #3 receivers can produce, but it isn’t likely that Curry will be able to put up similar Stokley-like numbers without something happening to either Randy Moss or Jerry Porter.

Draft Strategy - Ronald Curry really impressed me last season and I think he’s capable of being a big contributor to the Raiders offense this season, especially with the talents of Randy Moss drawing coverage his way. Curry has speed, hands and the presence of mind to know what the quarterback is thinking, seeing as how he was a former quarterback himself. Last season, pre-Moss, Curry (as the #3 WR option) managed to secure 50 receptions and 6 touchdowns by the end of week 13. If he can do that again this season, he’ll surely outperform his ADP and would likely give my team a big lift grabbing a talent like that in the 13th round.