Wide receivers are often compared to divas – fussy, often demanding opera stars.
Some might even say that a few are drama queens?
Look around the NFL. Some of the most flamboyant players are No. 1 receivers: Chad Johnson, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Plaxico Burress and Steve Smith. It’s as though some feel that the arrogance and bravado are prerequisites for the position. In order to attack defenses and absorb the punishment delivered by kamikaze safeties paid handsomely to dislodge receivers from the football, is there any wonder that wide outs need that swagger and in some cases selfishness to be successful?
Just give me the damn ball!
Keyshawn Johnson as you may recall wrote a book with that title. To be a successful receiver you have got to want the ball. Grab a couple of passes early in a game and a receiver might have their immediate defender playing on his heels. And once he does, he’s owned.
Ignore the receiver, and the defender might build some newfound confidence and confident is not what opposing offensive coordinators want cornerbacks to be.
Last year when the Ravens offense failed to strike pay dirt during their final two games, frustration mounted. The Ravens didn’t attack. They weren’t aggressive. They didn’t compete effectively and that wore thin on the team’s leading wide receiver from a year ago, Derrick Mason.
Mason is a leader. He is a fierce competitor who influences his offensive mates. His mental approach to the game is exactly what you want from your receivers. Who wants a passive receiver anyway? The combination of passive and receiver is a recipe for failure.
We’ll take the diva provided he’s happy.
During his last five games to end the 2007 season including the playoff game v. the Colts, Mason “racked up†eight catches for 78 yards. Not on average – IN TOTAL! Mason’s season ending venting was almost predictable.
"It has been frustrating from the standpoint of working so hard in the offseason and then, in the season, it’s like you just don’t feel appreciated," Mason said after the bitter 15-6 loss at M&T Bank Stadium that brought the promise of the 2006 post season to a crashing halt.
"Whether it’s right or wrong, whether you say it’s selfish or not, anyone in the workplace wants to feel appreciated at some point and I just didn’t.â€
Fans equally frustrated by the loss were ready to cut Mason loose. Fortunately cooler heads prevailed.
"I expressed my dissatisfaction with what was going on," Mason said recently. "Maybe I should have expressed myself in a different manner, but it’s over and done with. I’ve talked with Ozzie and coach Billick, and now it’s behind us."
And that is a good thing for the Ravens and wide receiver coach Mike Johnson’s unit. The Ravens are a better team with Derrick Mason and his presence and leadership round out a very formidable trio of receivers that potentially could be among the best in the game.
“Derrick is a guy who is going to out-compete everybody, every single dayâ€, said Johnson. “If you can just stay close to him then our entire group is going to raise their knowledge and their competitive nature.â€
This summer Mason has competed with as much intensity as he has at any point in his career. And like some other Ravens’ veterans, particularly those who have not sipped from the proverbial cup of a champion, 2007 could be there last chance to do so. There is a simmering sense of urgency which so far has strengthened the team’s resolve and sharpened its collective focus.
For Mason, it’s all about being involved and contributing any way that he can. And clearly the Ravens want and need his production particularly when they break the huddle with a three receiver set, something they’ve featured quite a bit in OTA’s and camp so far this summer.
“One thing we’ve done with Derrick is place him in our 3 wide package in the slotâ€, explains Johnson. “Last year we had Mark Clayton there. By making that change it will definitely help Derrick out tremendously as well as Mark Clayton and you can see both of those guys utilizing their strengths to the best of their abilities.â€
The move makes sense. Clayton is more of a vertical threat than Mason, particularly at this point in their respective careers. And Mason is a craftsman who knows where to sit down in those soft spots of the secondary and he has the presence of mind and veteran savvy to move the chains.
"We’re all here competing, and I feel like I’m still at a top level," Mason said. "I still feel like I’m in great condition, so I’m not going to take a back seat to anybody.â€
It benefits the Ravens to keep Mason involved and if they don’t, we’ll certainly hear from him again, regardless of the team’s success. Remember that back seat.
If the Ravens fail and Mason isn’t happy, 2007 could be Mason’s last as a Raven. In 2008 Mason’s cap figure will be $4.4 million if he remains a Raven. Cutting him loose would save the team $1.6 million in cap space and $3 million in real dollars. But let’s not go there quite yet.
Do us all a favor Brian and Rick and give Mason the damn ball!
