:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/31300503/20131229_mjr_su5_073.0.jpg)
This might seem like a sacrilege, but people are beginning to wonder how good a player Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald is.
After two consecutive seasons without reaching 1000 yards, there are whispers that he has lost a step and that he simply is not what he was.
There are things you can point to, like the terrible quarterback play of 2012, the injuries of last year and the fact that he was learning a new offense and playing multiple receiver positions.
Is he still a true number one receiver?
ESPN's Matt Williamson, in his Insider post, ranks the receivers in the league and puts them into different categories.
At the top all alone is Megatron, Calvin Johnson, and justly so.
After that are Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham, who match up well, and then "freaks" that are just a bit below Johnson. Those are guys like A.J. Green, Dez Bryant, Julio Jones and others.
The next group includes Fitz. He is 12th overall, just behind Brandon Marshall and Andre Johnson. They are considered "oldies but still very goodies."
Williamson writes:
Fitzgerald, a future Hall of Famer, will turn 31 before Week 1, and while he might not be as explosive as he once was or possess blazing speed, he is a master at the position in terms of route running, using his strong frame. It doesn't hurt that Fitzgerald has the best ball skills and hands in the league.
He is also much tougher than some think, missing just four games in his 10-year career.
2014 is a bit of a prove-it year for Fitz. He is healthy now and will have had over a year in the new offense and the same quarterback for a second year in a row. If he bounces back and puts together a Reggie Wayne 2012-type year, then we can not worry about how good he is.
It has been a while since he has dominated and taken over a game. Many of his best performances in 2013 game with one or two big plays, which were more often than not busted plays.
What can we expect from Fitz in 2014...and where would you rank him currently among NFL receivers? Is 12th too low?
