If you could only pick one who would it be: Bess or Foster?

[fsuhunter]

Bess seems to be the crowd favorite at the moment. Based on what I am hearing from the posters here and the minicamp blogs here are his pros and cons as I understand them:

Pros: Runs excellent routes, has super glue on his hands
Cons: Slow and not much of a threat after the catch. Production in college resulted from the system.

Foster is also popular on these boards and personally I am very excited to watch him play.

Pros: Perhaps the fastest player on the team, definitely the quickest.
Cons: At 5'7 (and 1/4) his size is a concern. Not much experience at WR.

At the end of the day I think Bess would be the type of player that sees the field each week, solid in that he catches most things thrown. A real blue collar player. Foster on the other hand may not see the field as much, but I could imagine him coming in for a few plays each game and electrifying crowds with his sick (wait, am I allowed to use the word sick?) moves. As I see it, there is nothing so special about Bess that the Dolphins could not replace. Foster brings a skill set and upside that is really unique-if he gets the opportunity I think he will be a special player in the NFL.

If it were up to you and you had to choose between the two, who would you pick? Also, what do you see as their strengths and weaknesses?

 

[jhortondj2]

I like Foster as well.... more versatility, including special teams. Would love to see him set in motion at the snap or lined up in the backfield 10-15 times a game... could prove very valuable to a young QB having him run 2 sec timing patterns to counter blitz packages, (i.e. quick hit) and then run after the catch!!!
GOOD QUESTION...I hope they both prove valuable enough to stick, Bess is really making the press recently!!!

 

[inFINity]

Over-all I think Bess would be the better day in day out contributor; that being said, I think Foster has more potential to make the occasional electrifying big play, the one that fires up a team and crowd and turns a game around. Tough call.



I'm glad I won't be the one making that decision...just my two cents.

 

[Canadianfishfan]

I like Bess, for this reason Pros: Runs excellent routes, has super glue on his hands.

Jerry Rice wasn't the fastest. Hopefully Bess will have some 'vision' and find the holes.

 

[Gamezover]

My initial though was why not keep both. However, if the rumor of us signing Terry Glenn reigns true then I doubt that there will be enough roster spots. foster is too short to be kept as a WR. However, he is an excellent blocking WR which has value for a run first oriented team and his speed could make him a hell of a kick/punt returner. I am also hearing that the Front Office wants Ginn to focus on being a WR and so they may consider not using him as a returner (which I don't agree with at all. Think Steve Smith. This is what made Ginn so valuable in the first place.) Bess probably has the best hands on the team. I know he lacks speed, but he catches everything. The Dolphins are going to need a short, over the middle, and crisp route running possesion WR, especially with our QB situation. They will need to get rid of the ball quickly. Also, we already have a play-making speed WR in Ginn, and Hagan is not the slowest player either (hopefully he can find those hands he has been having in camp in games). And if Terry Glenn signs he will also have some speed despite being 34. Now I know we have WIlford as our #1 possesion WR but it couldn't hurt to have another. Overall, if Ginn isn't used as our returner, I think we can still find someone esle that is more valuable to the team to replace him than Foster, maybe a backup RB or Secondary player. With that said, I think Bess is our best option. We need WR's who can catch the ball and help move the chains. I don't see the Phins airing it out this season and so Bess fits the system better. It has been noted that he is a good route runner and so this can make up for his lack of speed.

 

[SuperMarksBros.]

Bess:we needs wrs on this team that can catch.

 

[fatkirstyalley]

Like them both and think both will make active roster. If I had to choose 1 it would be Bess. But I like Foster on returns. Both were excellent FA pickups. Good Job Jeff Ireland!

 

[TurkishFin99]

I see Bess as being kind of like a Wes Welker. Great, crisp route running without blazing speed. If what I'm hearing is true, Bess is running really precise routes and catching anything that is thrown his way. If we were to come out in a 4 WR set at some point, I think Bess could create a huge mismatch with opposing teams' #4 corner.

 

[XXXSURTAINXXX]

I gotta see them in pre-season first. I understand both are having good camps. I was excited to hear that although Foster put a nice block on Jason Allen on a play.

 

[TheFish]

Let's see. I hear that Bess catches everything, but then I saw where he dropped one that hit him in the hands in a recent practice. Word is that his 40 time is 4.7. Runs precise routes and seems to find the seam. Looks to be only a short yardage, possession type receiver. Not sure he's got the speed to be a return man on punts or KO. Not sure that he's had to do much blocking, since Hawaii was a pass on every down type team.

Bess upside: Great hands, runs precise routes
Bess downside: Speed and blocking ability

Foster does not have near the experience as a WR that Bess has. He played WR as a freshman and junior in college, and was a record setting QB as a sophomore and senior. He seems to catch pretty much everything thrown his way too. I've not seen anything in reports that indicate that he has questionable hands. I have read where he wowed the crowd with moves after the catch and good blocks. Foster is likely the fastest guy on the team, having clocked a 4.28 40 at mini camp. He is an experienced punt and KO returner. Tremendous breakaway speed and moves after the catch.

Foster upside: Speed, toughness, kick return and blocking ability
Foster downside: Still learning to be a WR, size

Hopefully both can make the roster, but if I want the guy with the most upside and diversity to help the team, I'm taking Foster.

 

[X-Pacolypse]

Davone Bess.

 

[Canadianfishfan]

Appearently all the rceivers had a drop yesterday. Maybe it was the installs, and being on different pages with the QBs or what have you, but i hear no one really shined yesterday.

I'll take a guy with hands anyday. Welker taught us all how valuable reliability is. Bess reminds me of him. He may go under the radar, but reliable when it counts. May not give you big 50 yrd bombs, but I'll take a 1st down and fresh set too.. no problem.

 

[woody1351]

bess. remember oronde gadson i loved watching a guy who when the ball was thrown to him you knew he was going to catch it.

 

[Valandui]

Let's see. I hear that Bess catches everything, but then I saw where he dropped one that hit him in the hands in a recent practice. Word is that his 40 time is 4.7. Runs precise routes and seems to find the seam. Looks to be only a short yardage, possession type receiver. Not sure he's got the speed to be a return man on punts or KO. Not sure that he's had to do much blocking, since Hawaii was a pass on every down type team.

Bess upside: Great hands, runs precise routes
Bess downside: Speed and blocking ability

Foster does not have near the experience as a WR that Bess has. He played WR as a freshman and junior in college, and was a record setting QB as a sophomore and senior. He seems to catch pretty much everything thrown his way too. I've not seen anything in reports that indicate that he has questionable hands. I have read where he wowed the crowd with moves after the catch and good blocks. Foster is likely the fastest guy on the team, having clocked a 4.28 40 at mini camp. He is an experienced punt and KO returner. Tremendous breakaway speed and moves after the catch.

Foster upside: Speed, toughness, kick return and blocking ability
Foster downside: Still learning to be a WR, size

Hopefully both can make the roster, but if I want the guy with the most upside and diversity to help the team, I'm taking Foster.

I agree with you, but wasn't one of the knocks against Chad Johnson that he didn't have great timed speed?

 

[Fish-Head]

I think that when you are talking about a receiver down on the depth chart, versatility becomes more and more important the further down you go. If Glenn comes in here then they drop one more spot and I would guess that Foster's versatility puts him over the edge... A part time guy who can fill a number of spots on ST's provide a real change of pace in certain situations... Hell the kid can even play QB.. lol.

Bottom line... When you are talking about a kid who excels in blocking and has that kind of 'quickness' and top end speed... Man... And because of where these two sit on the depth chart, you have to give him the edge.

Any way you slice it... Choosing between these two is a nice problem to have.