Considering that today is our self-promoted day of wide receivers, it would be interesting, perhaps necessary, to point out what Bengals president Mike Brown had to say about his first round draft pick, Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green.
“Green has the tools to be a fine NFL receiver. He has great quickness and he’s got height and can catch the ball," Brown said. "He has the potential to come right in and be a starter in the NFL.”
Earlier on Wednesday, we posted a point of view that could temper Green's immediate promotion as a starter in the first week of the regular season. Two reasons immediately come to mind. One, the lockout stalling rookie development for draft picks this year. The other being that the lack of a desperate need to force him as a starting wide receiver if he's not ready for it. Based off how they performed late last season, Green could be as far as fourth on the depth chart, allowing his development to proceed at his own pace. In other words, because of the former, the latter is expendable.
That being said, we doubt Brown thinks like us with our devilishly genius intellect (and our side-parted hair) that we propagate to the best reader community on the internet.
When Brown says, he could be a starter, it really means: "I'm paying this guy money as the fourth overall draft pick, so he better damn well start."