Curtis caught 77 passes, which was the fourth most by an Eagles wideout since the league went to a 16-game season in 1978. He had 1,110 receiving yards, which was the seventh most by an Eagle since '78. And he averaged 14.4 yards per catch, which was eighth among NFL receivers with at least 60 receptions this season.
But while Curtis might have long ago earned the respect of Dawkins and his other teammates, the rest of Eagles Nation seems to be a little slower in coming around.
They've been showing their appreciation for Curtis' impressive season by calling the talk shows and/or sending out e-mail missives to the media clamoring for an upgrade to the wide-receiving corps.
Welcome to Philly, Kev.
Don't take that as a vote against bringing in a veteran wide receiver this offseason. The more pass-catching weapons they can add to this offense, the better.
But let's give Curtis a little respect. He proved this season that he can be a solid starting wideout in this league.
Part of his problem is that he's a tad undersized - 5-11 and only about 185 pounds.
"For a little guy," offensive tackle Jon Runyan said when asked his impressions of Curtis, "he's strong and he's not scared of anything. The only problem is he's a little on the small side."
Another part of his problem is that he's white, which, in most people's minds, translates to slow.
Curtis is one of just five white starting wide receivers in the league. But the notion that he's slow is a fallacy. He ran a 4.41 40 at his predraft workout in 2003. That's faster than Javon Walker (4.43), faster than Deion Branch (4.51), faster than Bernard Berrian (4.59), faster than Reggie Wayne (4.55), faster than Larry Fitzgerald (4.52), faster than many receivers who are considered more dangerous vertical threats than the Utah native.
