The late great Al Davis, however, ignored outside scouting reports and went with his instinct, drafting Heyward-Bey with the eighth pick in the 2009 draft.
In his first year, Heyward-Bey’s routes resembled a young stallion attempting its first steps. The majority of the passes thrown to him bounced off his frail chest.
But on the spirited and emotional Sunday afternoon after the passing of one of the sports world's most sparkling icons, Al Davis, two of the NFL’s most underappreciated players, Heyward-Bey and Jason Campbell, stepped onto the field with an appreciative glitter in their eyes, pulling off the upset.
When I think of Reggie Wayne, Roddy White, Vincent Jackson, Andre Johnson, Miles Austin, Anquan Bolden, Stevie Johnson and Marques Colston, I think of top flight wide receivers. They're "go-to" wideouts who demand attention from defensive backs and defensive coordinators.
Most NFL observers wouldn’t bunch Oakland’s Heyward-Bey with this crowd because of his history of poor production. But today is a new day for the historically unproductive receiver.
Heyward-Bey has more in common with the before mentioned receivers than just having the same job title, and pay checks endorsed by an NFL ball club. I
n 2011, Heyward-Bey has accumulated more yards than all of those receivers. In the AFC West, Heyward-Bey trails only Chiefs Pro Bowl wideout Dwayne Bowe in receiving yards.
Unlike them, Heyward-Bey works hard without complaint.
These may be the reasons that rumors are spreading in New England that the Patriots are considering making a trade for the t...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
