DebAte-T-Q: Will the wide receiver production improve in 2012?

Well, it's the last weekend without college football until the weekend of December 12^th. That means the off season is officially over. You made it football fans. But before I let you flutter off into dreams of Mocha-skin Mariota using his Dixon-esque zone read mesh to confuse defenses for miles of yardage on the ground, we have to end this off season with one DebAte-T-Q.

With the release of the official two-deep for the Arkansas St game, many fans were clamoring to see who Chip Kelly would name as the starting QB. What I was anticipating more, was the release of the wide receiver depth chart. 2011 was a nightmare for the wide receivers. It started with the LSU game where I think Will Murphy and Justin Hoffman are still locked up on the line scrimmage (would someone please tell Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu to let them go, the game is over now). It didn't get much better as an injured and frustrated Josh Huff dropped as many discouraging tweets as he did wide open passes. Rahsaan Vaughn and Daryle Hawkins definitely did their best to contribute to the game of hot potato. If it wasn't for a magical game by Tuinei in the Rose Bowl, the production of the WR would have pretty much been a complete waste last year.

Fast forward to this season, and many fans were eager to see what two straight solid recruiting classes were going to be able to do. Especially with what many consider a more natural passer at the QB position.

So I've enlisted my bestest camping friend, Bill Musgrave to help me solve this DebAte-T-Q question.

Will the wide receiver position be an improvement in 2012?

Matt: I'll have to say Bill, I'm a little disappointed looking at the depth chart released yesterday. I was really expecting to see a couple of the big name recruits cracking the two deep. I know Huff was pretty much a lock at one of the 6 spots and Hawkins seemed to impress many with his play in the Spring Game, but I really didn't expect Lowe and Dungy to be included in the mix right off the bat. This is giving me flashbacks to LSU.

Bill: Choad. You're a moron.

Matt: I know, I see Addison and Kelley on there, but what happened to Blackmon, Stanford, or even Stanton who seemed to have a pretty decent Spring Game too?

Bill: Listen Tim, I'm going to call you Tim. We must look to Pie for the answers.

Matt: Here is what I'm saying. We've all been excited to see what the 2010 recruiting class of Blackmon, Sumler and Kelley can do. Now Sumler is gone. Blackmon is no where on the depth chart and Kelley is stuck behind Lowe at the slot that will most likely be the least occupied WR position with the option of the TZR in the Oregon offense. Looking at this depth chart, Dungy, Addison, Lowe and Hawkins are all going to see more time on the field than any of those 3 players.

Bill: CATRON SMASH. I NO WEAR PANTS.

Matt: Oh yeah, and Staton too, thanks for reminding me. Why are people always forgetting about Stanton? If our WRs are supposed to be such big time blockers, I'd rather have 5'11" 211lb Blake Stanton out there than 5'9" 181lb Keanon Lowe.

Bill: El Paso is great. That is where I get to watch chicken shit bingo.

Matt: That's part of my problem. I know we've recruited well over the last couple of years, especially in Texas, but are we really developing the talent when we're using displaced QBs and walk-ons on our two deep to start the past two season?

Bill: [Heavy Breathing]

Matt: No, I'm not questioning Scott Frost. I think he'll be a great coach in the long-term, I'm just wondering if either a) the guys we're bringing in aren't as good as their recruiting rankings would indicate, or b) their not progressing on the practice field fast enough to get playing time. It took Vaughn a while last year to show he should be playing over Hoffman and Murphy and now he's not even in the two deep.

Bill: Do you really want me to argue with you about Jeff Maehl? Because the basement dwelling photshop orc Shufelt knows how that ends.

Matt: That's my biggest problem. Who is the Maehl of this team? What guy would you absolutely count on to pick up the third and 8 in this corp? Most people are going to say Thomas, but then you're limiting his usefulness out of the backfield by stacking him out wide, and putting even more miles on Barner throughout the season. Plus, let's not forget that teams have an entire season of tape on Thomas now. He's going to be the #1 guy they try and shut down when he's spread out. You also can't say Huff, not only because of what happened last year, but also because I still believe that he's going to see some time in the backfield as part of the 3 headed monster of DAT, Barner and Huff, like last year's DAT, Barner and LMJ. So who's left? Who do you want Mariota throwing the quick slant to for the necessary 8 yards to keep a driving going?

Bill: Here I'll translate if for you. BBBbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrppppppppppppptpttttttttttttttt..... GET OFF MY LAWN

Matt: We definitely agree on that.

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What say you quackheads? Will the wide receiver position be an improvement in 2012? How are you feeling about the depth chart that was released yesterday? Leave your thoughts in the comments.