KC Joyner, a contributor to ESPN and also known as the Football Scientist, picked the "Michael Vick factor" for all 32 NFL teams. In general, KC defines these players not simply as game-breaking, home-run threats. They're also "impossible to game-plan against: a safety who roams without tendencies or a tight end who lines up all over the field. Like Vick, V-Factors make an offensive or defensive coordinator's game week prep seem like one long nightmare."
Joyner picked Fred Davis for the Redskins:
Chris Cooley has a higher profile, but Davis causes more trouble for defenses. His go-to move: fake a block on a bootleg, sneak down the line and then shoot upfield (catches of 62 and 71 yards last season). It's a play that keeps opponents from clamping down on the slant run or bootleg pass.
I'm not sure agree. First, shouldn't your V-Factor be on the field? For example, in the Tampa game last December, Fred Davis was on the field for 20 of the team's 65 snaps. Fred does have the canny ability to get wide open, but I think the Redskins have more ammo and versatility with Santana Moss and Brandon Banks.
Moss: It's clear his route running is on an elite tear. When he makes his cuts, he is routinely open for the catch. Whether the OLine and QB have their timing down to get him the ball at that exact, planned moment is another story, but teams simply have to account for Moss at all times. Plus, unlike Fred, Moss still has the speed to outrun the secondary.
Brandon Banks: We saw Banks' full value in last night's Tampa game. The Lil Assassin not only took one to the house, but he forced the Punter to kick several balls out of bounds. When a team forces a punter to do that, it vastly shortens the field for the Redskins. (Rogers' two punts out of bounds I saw were 40 yards and 45 yards).
We potentially could even put Tim Hightower on this list above Fred.