The 2008 Giants were very experienced; the 2009 Giants were not.

In ’08, New York had Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress as the team’s starting receivers; Toomer retired after the year, while Burress shot himself in a nightclub late in the ’08 season and missed all of the ’09 and ’10 seasons.

The top 7 receivers on the ’09 Giants were the other Steve Smith (24 years old in ’09), Mario Manningham (23), Hakeem Nicks (21), Kevin Boss (25), Ahmad Bradshaw (23), Domenik Hixon (25), and Brandon Jacobs (27). Entering the 2009 season, Smith had 637 career receiving yards, Manningham had 26, Nicks had 0, Boss had 502, Bradshaw had 54, Hixon had 601, and Jacobs had 359.  Derek Hagan, who finished 8th on the ’09 Giants with 101 receiving yards, was the most accomplished receiver entering the year by virtue of his 645 career receiving yards entering 2009.

On a weighted average, that means the 2009 Giants receiving group entered the year with just 318 career receiving yards (by reference, the 2008 Giants were at 2,608). What do I mean by weighted average? Well, Smith had 28.7% of the 2009 Giants receiving yards, and he had 637 career receiving yards prior to 2009; therefore, his 637 receives 28.7% of the team weight. On the other hand, Manningham and Nicks had, together, 38% of the Giants receiving yards in 2009, and they had, together, just 26 career receiving yards entering 2009. The table below shows the full calculation, with the result equaling a weighted average of 318 career receiving yards.

Last year, just three teams saw their receiving group bring a weighted average of less than 1,000 career receiving yards to the table: the Browns, Vikings, and Saints. Meanwhile, the Cardinals (Larry Fitzgerald) and Ravens (Steve Smith, Mike Wallace) were both over 4,000 yards. The table below shows all passing attacks since 1990, and how experienced or inexperienced each group was entering the season.  The 2009 Giants are the most inexperienced group, which came after a run of very experienced teams (type “NYG” into the search box to see all Giants teams).  You won’t be surprised to see the most experience teams (the table is fully sortable).

What stands out to you? The New York Jets may wind up as the least experienced team of 2017. Last year’s Jets team was very experienced, but this year? Matt Forte (4,379) and Bilal Powell (1,287) are the only players with more than 1,000 career receiving yards: Forte in particularly would likely provide a reasonable floor even if he only receives 5% of the team’s total passing yards. But the Jets top wide receivers are all rookies or second-year players: Robby Anderson (587 career yards, all last year), rookie ArDarius Stewart, Charone Peake (186 career yards, all last year), and Jalin Marshall (162 career yards, all last year). At tight end, it’s veteran Austin Seferian-Jenkins (713 yards in three seasons) and rookie Jordan Leggett. It may be a very long season in New York.