Tag: Receivers

Chiefs WRs worked on their release during practice this week

Check out this video of the #Chiefs’ receivers working on their release at the line of scrimmage during practice this week.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ new-look offense is gearing up for their home opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. During drills at practice on Monday, the Chiefs’ wide receivers were seen working on their release at the line of scrimmage, which will be crucial against Baltimore’s lockdown secondary.

Though most of Kansas City’s wideouts will be available for the Chiefs’ tilt against the Ravens, free agent addition Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown is set to miss the game due to an injury he sustained in the preseason.

Sports radio host and reporter Darren Smith gave fans this inside look at Kansas City’s workouts on Twitter, where he posted a video of the receivers’ progress on the practice field:

 

As gameday draws closer, all eyes are on the Chiefs’ new pass-catchers, who will do their best to help quarterback Patrick Mahomes secure Kansas City its third consecutive Super Bowl victory this season.

Texans at a crossroads with roster cuts regarding receiver room

The Houston Texans have a good problem on their hands regarding the wide receiver room.

By Tuesday at 3 p.m., the Houston Texans will have finalized their 53-man roster for the 2024 season.

By 3:01 p.m. Tuesday, 31 other franchises could be in line to land a starting-caliber receiver thanks to the depth among Houston’s pass-catchers.

“I feel really good about the room that we have,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday. “Of course, the top three guys that we have are all big-time playmakers. But all the other guys have stepped up and made plays at some point.”

Last season’s seventh-ranked passing attack received a jolt in the offseason with the acquisition of four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs. He’ll take over as a primary target opposite proven weapons like Nico Collins and Tank Dell for C.J. Stroud’s arsenal.

Depth players like John Metchie III and Xavier Hutchinson pushed to see more playing time. They fought throughout practice to prove their value beyond being secondary roleplayers.

Metchie, a former second-round pick out of Alabama, finished with 11 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. He constantly won routes at the line of scrimmage and found avenues for first-down pickups.

Hutchinson, a 2023 sixth-round pick from Iowa State, might have been every quarterback’s security blanket after leading the team in receptions (12) and receiving yards (114) in four games.

“[You] talk about guys like Xavier Hutchinson, just seeing the progress he’s made from year one to year two,” Ryans said. “It’s been pretty cool to see his growth and see his development.”

Metchie missed his entire rookie season as he was battling leukemia. He played seldom during the 2023 season as his body was working back to full speed through the recovery process.

Teams are interested in the former Alabama star with two years of roster control left on his current contract. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, multiple teams have inquired to see if Metchie was available through trade since Houston’s best position is receiver.

The Texans don’t seem coy to pull a move yet as they finalize the rest of their roster. And with Diggs only in Houston on a one-year deal, Metchie could be considered the favorite to start in 2025 while being the first man off the bench this fall.

What could separate Metchie and Hutchinson from others is their value on speical teams. Both played over 30 percent of snaps during the preseason and can offer experience in various roles.

Ryans said Monday that special teams are essential to roster cutdown since backups will play a significant number of snaps on their units. The difference between making a roster and hitting free agency could be how they fit into specific speical team roles.

“Sometimes that’s a huge determinator in winning and losing games is that field position battle,” Ryans said. “So you need guys who can really step up on special teams and not just be a placeholder as an emergency guy or a depth filler. That guy has to add value on our special teams.”

Steven Sims, Ben Skowronek, Quintez Cephus, Johnny Johnson III and Noah Brown come with experience on speical teams. Robert Woods offers a more veteran presence in the huddle and is under contract for this season.

Should Houston part ways with both Brown and Woods for younger pieces like Hutchinson and Metchie, it would cost nearly $15 million in dead cap space. Should the Texans trade the two veterans, the asking price could be at the minimum given their current contracts.

Three spots remain for eight receivers still alive. The math is simple: Houston, at most, will keep five and stow two away on the practice squad.

Metchie isn’t clearing waivers. Neither is Hutchinson.

Even if both are released, Ryans considers this decision a rigorous but understandable choice.

“When you have as many guys as we have, it’s a really good problem and I’m definitely excited about the group,” said Ryans.

Latest PFF receiver rankings not a good look for Patriots

The Patriots’ receivers clearly have something to prove in 2024

The New England Patriots’ receiving corps is not looked at favorably in a new ranking from Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema, who ranked the unit last out of 32 teams in the NFL.

The organization is returning its most productive wide receiver from 2023 in second-year player DeMario Douglas. Also returning is veteran wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster, who is looking to bounce back after a difficult 2023 season. Douglas recorded 49 catches for 561 yards, while Smith-Schuster recorded 29 catches for 260 yards and a touchdown.

Kendrick Bourne will be returning as well, and he is looking to bounce back after suffering an injury at the end of October last year. He tallied 37 catches for 406 yards and three touchdowns before the injury.

The Patriots have a collection of wide receivers looking to prove themselves. While the situation might seem bleak presently, there are reasons to be optimistic for the future.

Sikkema wrote:

The team’s second- and third-highest-graded receivers in 2023 were Demario Douglas and Hunter Henry. Rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker should get a good amount of looks early on. At running back, New England brought in Antonio Gibson, who is a good pass-catcher.

Ultimately, this is a low-ceiling group for 2024. But the long-term outlook is decent.

It will be interesting to see how all of the receivers develop. New England certainly has young talent at their disposal. Nevertheless, it might make for a rocky 2024 season as the rookies continue to develop.

11 WRs Chiefs could target at the trade deadline

Could the #Chiefs target any of these 11 receivers at the trade deadline?

The Kansas City Chiefs have a clear need to add another wide receiver to their roster, even after trading for two-time Super Bowl champion Mecole Hardman earlier this week.

Hardman is likely to be utilized as a gadget player, taking jet sweeps and quick screens in Andy Reid’s innovative offense. His value in the passing game will lie in his ability to be a field-stretcher that keeps opposing defenses honest and opens up room for guys like Travis Kelce and Skyy Moore over the middle.

While Kansas City may be content with their move for Hardman, the possibilities for additions at wide receiver may prove to be too enticing for Brett Veach to pass up on as he looks to shepherd the Chiefs to another Super Bowl victory.

Here are a few options that Veach could explore bringing in for Patrick Mahomes before  The NFL trade deadline passes on October 31:

Brett Veach: Chiefs can get production out of all 7 receivers

Brett Veach told reporters that he believes all seven receivers on the #Chiefs’ 53-man roster can be productive for Kansas City in 2023.

The Chiefs have never kept seven receivers on the initial 53-man roster to start the season under coach Andy Reid.

That is, until this season. Kansas City opted to keep seven WRs on Tuesday: Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Rashee Rice, Justyn Ross, Richie James, and Justin Watson.

Why the change entering the 2023 season? Toney’s training camp injury may have had something to do with it, or maybe tight end Jody Fortson’s season-ending injury which led to the team keeping three tight ends instead of a usual four.

Or, maybe, the receiver room was too talented, or too versatile, to let anyone go.

“We have different types of receivers, whether they are guys like Richie James that handle a bunch of stuff with the return game, then you have Ross who’s a size guy,” general manager Brett Veach said during Wednesday’s press conference. “We lost Jody, that was someone coach (Reid) always had packages in for short yardage and red zone.

“We have a talented deep receiving corps. They’re all different in their ways, and coach just does a great job of trying to maximize what they can do and implementing packages for guys.”

Veach noted that the team has different sets of plays for different receivers. Considering the fact that some receivers may match up better against certain defensive backs week to week, it’s clear the Chiefs have a true committee approach where anyone could shine any given week. Sort of like last season.

“We’ll have a core group of guys that can handle every package and be involved in every package,” Veach said. “Then we’ll have a group of guys that are tailored and tweaked to what they can do … I think having those seven receivers gives us a variety of different ways to attack a defense.”

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Packers roster battle preview: How many receivers make final roster?

How many receivers will the Packers end up keeping on the 53-man roster?

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An important part when it comes to roster construction for the Green Bay Packers — or any team for that matter — is the math, specifically, striking a balance with how many players they keep at each position to maintain the max capacity of 53 on the roster. When it comes to wide receiver for the Packers, realistically, they could have anywhere from five to seven on the initial roster.

In the Matt LaFleur era in Green Bay, the Packers have kept seven receivers just once, and that was last season. They kept six in 2019 and 2021, along with just five in 2020.

If the Packers end up keeping only five this season, then there is little mystery to this question. Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Samori Toure, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks are all roster locks. With Green Bay’s heavy usage of 11 and 12 personnel, along with how active the running backs and tight ends are in the passing game, there will be few snaps available for a sixth wide receiver, and the Packers could choose to use that roster spot at more heavily rotated positions, such as edge rusher or interior defensive lineman, or crowded position groups like offensive lineman, linebacker, or safety, rather than on a developmental receiver.

I would still consider Grant DuBose the favorite to be the team’s sixth wide receiver, given that he is a recent draft pick, and we know that when it comes to determining the final roster spots, the Packers do prefer to keep their own draft picks. A prime example of this is Green Bay keeping Jonathan Ford last summer after many believed both Chris Slayton and Jack Heflin outplayed him during the preseason. Ford would stay on the roster all season but was inactive on gamedays.

However, DuBose is yet to practice in any capacity, which, as LaFleur said during OTAs, will force him to play catch up. We’ve also seen the emergence of undrafted rookie Malik Heath, who seemingly made a play during each of the open practices and during 7-on-7 drills was working with the offensive group that featured many of the starters. Bo Melton is another name to keep your eyes on, as he could have a defined role by filling the motion man and gadget role in the offense with his 4.34 speed. I expect there to be more pre-snap motion with Jordan Love at quarterback, and having that element helps LaFleur achieve the ‘illusion of complexity’ we’ve heard him refer to, which in short, keeps defenses guessing, thus opening up running and passing lanes.

Either Heath or Melton could potentially push DuBose for that sixth roster spot with a strong showing this summer.

I do think that keeping seven receivers is the most unlikely option of the three, given that there are other position groups — specifically the ones mentioned previously — where keeping an additional player would be more valuable than a seventh receiver with likely no role on offense. But with that said, if the Packers do go that route, it will be DuBose and likely either Melton or Heath unless someone else comes out of nowhere this summer.

As of now, keeping six receivers is what I expect the Packers to do, with those six spots going to the receivers they’ve drafted over the last two years. But this is also a position group where the number of players kept feels like it will be greatly impacted by what takes place elsewhere. Again, the role of the sixth receiver is likely going to be small or even non-existent, so if there is more value in keeping a sixth interior defensive lineman or a sixth edge rusher, that could swing how many receivers the Packers keep on their initial 53-man roster.

Justin Herbert speaks on Chargers’ new offense ahead of 2023 season

Justin Herbert was bullish on the idea of the Chargers offense improving their ability to create more explosive plays in 2023.

The Chargers gave Justin Herbert a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore and two new receivers with their selections in the 2023 NFL draft.  And with a tailwind after his standout season last year, the team’s offense seems poised for success come September.

Herbert was asked if Los Angeles’ offense might be more explosive in 2023 with the likes of Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis in their receiving corps, which he answered in the affirmative.

Yeah, I’d like to think so. I think that’s always the goal for an offense, is having those explosive plays, whether that’s through the run game or the pass game. [Offensive Coordinator] Kellen [Moore], he has a great mind. He’s done such a great job of kind of interpreting exactly what he wants for this offense. It’s a clear message for us as an offensive unit of what he’s trying to accomplish.

Moore’s playcalling and guidance will only bring the Chargers so far, though, and it will be up to their outstanding cast of offensive talent to put Los Angeles over the top in the highly competitive AFC.

With Herbert under center and a revamped crew of receivers for him to target, improvement should come early for the team’s offense as they aim to win their first playoff game in more than five years,

Which Packers receivers caught the most passes from Aaron Rodgers?

A list of the players who caught the most passes from Aaron Rodgers while the future Hall of Famer was with the Packers.

The Hall of Fame career of quarterback Aaron Rodgers ended with the Green Bay Packers after 18 seasons total and 15 seasons as a starter. Rodgers completed a little over 5,000 passes to 88 different pass-catchers between 2005 and 2022.

Who did Rodgers complete the most passes to while in Green Bay?

Here’s the list:

Justyn Ross, John Ross making strong impression on Chiefs HC Andy Reid

Andy Reid spoke highly of both Justyn Ross and John Ross at his media availability session at #Chiefs OTAs on Wednesday. | from @TheJohnDillon

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The Kansas City Chiefs host two receivers with the same last name, but vastly different skill sets on their offseason roster. Both have shined brightly at the team’s organized team activities this week.

Head coach Andy Reid was asked about the pair of talented pass catchers, undrafted standout Justyn Ross and former first-round draft pick John Ross, at a media availability session on Wednesday. He spoke highly of their effort to this point in the team’s offseason program.

“I like both of the Ross’ (John and Justyn), big and little,” He explained. “So, the big one (Justyn Ross) is coming along. He feels good, his foot feels good (and) the surgery that he had worked out well up to this point. He’s made some nice plays for us out here. I know Pat’s (Mahomes) got trust in him, so that’s good to see. And the smaller Ross (John Ross) is extremely fast and quick. Before he got hurt, he was on to a pretty good season. I like what I see there, too.”

The Chiefs will need to maximize every bit of promise that both of these receivers have if they hope to repeat as champions in 2023. The former first-round pick out of Washington, John Ross, impressed media members at practice with his speed and poise, also catching the attention of his head coach.

“Well, he’s the one that jumped out at everybody at the combine just when he ran,” Reid said. “I mean, he was extremely fast. I think he set a record there, I believe. He can move, he can skedaddle and he’s smart, which you need to be in this thing.”

As for Justyn Ross, everyone already knows the promise shown by the undrafted free agent out of Clemson. He merely needs to stay on the field and healthy.

For now, though, fans will have to wait to get a glimpse of what is to come from each of these coveted prospects. In time, both will look to prove their long-tenured head coach right in his mid-May assessment of their trajectories.

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What would free agent WR James Washington add to the Saints offense?

The New Orleans Saints are hosting former Steelers WR James Washington on a free agent visit Monday. What would he add to their offense?

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The New Orleans Saints are hosting former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver James Washington on a free agent visit Monday, but what would he add to their offense?

On the surface, Washington looks similar to a receiver the Saints signed last summer: slot specialist Jarvis Landry, both standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing around 205 pounds (Landry’s listed weight has fluctuated from 196 to 205 pounds, while Washington’s varies from 205 to 213). But that’s where the comparison ends. They’re very different players stylistically.

For one thing, Landry has run 67.2% of his routes from the slot during his pro career, including a staggering 70.1% of them with the Saints last year; Washington has only run 23.9% of his routes from the slot in the NFL, peaking with 38.4% in 2021, his last year in Pittsburgh (he spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants last season).

For another, they’ve played at totally different depths of the field. Landry has seen an average depth of target at 8.0 yards in the NFL, gaining 5.0 yards after the catch per reception while catching 52.2% of his contested targets. Washington’s average depth of target has been 14.8 yards, picking up 4.1 yards after the catch per reception. He’s also caught just 40.7% of his contested targets, so while he has a reputation as a physical receiver he hasn’t made those kind of plays consistently enough.

And for one more point to consider, both players run faster than their listed times would suggest, but Washington has another gear that Landry doesn’t match. He timed the 40-yard dash in 4.54 seconds and posted league-average numbers in all other pre-draft testing drills, while Landry bombed across the board (timing the 40-yard dash in a baffling 4.77 seconds). Washington is not an elite athlete by any means, but he does offer more juice than Landry, and it’s part of why he’s been so successful on vertical routes downfield.

Washington predominately lined up at the Z-receiver spot, or flanker, early in his Steelers career. Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said of him last July, per Yahoo! Sports’ Jori Epstein:

“He’s a strong player, he’s a physical player. When you break down the receiver position, he has a lot of flanker traits from the split end side (like) his ability to go out there and dig out safeties, run the crossing routes. He has the vertical speed. The vertical stem routes are definitely a strength of his. I can’t yet give you an analysis of him in the slot because we haven’t yet seen him there, but his ability to play with flanker characteristics at X is something unique to him.”

Some archetypes emerge when you look at the Saints receiving corps, though they move players around so often it’s important to not limit anyone to a single box or role in the offense. You have the split ends, the X-receivers who fight through coverage at the line of scrimmage and compete for contested catches: veterans Michael Thomas and Bryan Edwards, plus rookies A.T. Perry and Shaquan Davis.

Then there are the slot receivers, who benefit from pre-snap motion and may see a lot of work as blockers in the run game: Tre’Quan Smith, Keith Kirkwood, and Kirk Merritt have the most experience here, but Chris Olave was unguardable from the slot in college and when everyone is healthy he should see an uptick in usage here.

But the Z-receivers, the flankers, are the one spot without a real veteran presence. Rashid Shaheed is clearly the best option, following by practice squad holdover Kawaan Baker and rookies Malik Flowers and Sy Barnett. Shaheed’s stock is on the rise but it would make sense to add someone with plenty of pro reps behind them in case he doesn’t sustain the level of play we saw last year. If Washington is up for signing another minimum deal like the one he got from Dallas last year, it could pay off.

Would he make the roster? Maybe, depending on how eager he is to throw his weight around as a blocker. Thomas, Olave, and Shaheed are locks to make the roster. That leaves two or three spots up for grabs. Edwards needs to show he can block as well as Smith while making more contested catches. Perry needs to make the most of his limited target opportunities over the summer. If Flowers can separate himself as a returns specialist, he should make the cut, too.

The numbers game isn’t on Washington’s side, which is why he may ultimately look elsewhere. But the chance to compete for snaps on an inexperienced depth chart might be good for him after an injury slowed him down last season. He’s just 27 years old and could quickly reestablish himself if things break favorably for him in New Orleans. We’ll see how this one shakes out.

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