Tag: Receivers

6 trade packages the Jets could put together for a star receiver

The Jets need a star receiver, and they can offer a lot to get one. Here’s a look at six possible trade packages New York can part with:

The wide receiver market exploded this offseason after several high-profile wideouts were traded and/or signed long-term extensions. Deals involving Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Mike Williams, Chris Godwin and Christian Kirk effectively reset the market for the position.

Though the Jets have failed in their pursuits thus far, Joe Douglas clearly wants to add a top-shelf, veteran pass-catcher rather than a rookie via the draft. There are several big names who could still be traded — despite team executives who publically say otherwise — including Seattle’s D.K. Metcalf, Tennessee’s A.J. Brown and San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel.

Armed with five draft picks over the first 70 selections, the Jets have a lot to offer — enough to even make teams change their minds about future plans for a player.

With that said, here are six potential trade packages the Jets could offer for a star receiver.

Speedy WR class matches Packers’ need for speed in passing game

The Packers could use speed at WR. At the combine on Thursday night, 15 WRs ran under 4.45 seconds in the 40-yard dash. It’s a match!

Regardless of whether Marquez Valdes-Scantling stays or goes in free agency, the Green Bay Packers likely need to invest in speed during the 2022 NFL draft.

The timing couldn’t be better. This draft class is stocked full with speed at the wide receiver position.

Matt LaFleur’s scheme depends on speed. On at least a half-dozen occasions over the last two years, LaFleur and quarterback Aaron Rodgers highlighted the importance and value of Valdes-Scantling’s vertical ability in the Packers offense. Not only did Valdes-Scantling create big plays down the field, but the threat of his incredible speed dictated coverages, helped spread the field and opened up others on other routes.

If the Packers lose Valdes-Scanting in free agency, receiver becomes a top need. Even if he’s back, the Packers may want to add a secondary deep threat so an injury to Valdes-Scantling doesn’t immediately condense the scheme. This was the case at times last season, including during the playoff game.

The Packers’ need for speed at receiver matches a speedy draft class of incoming pass-catchers.

On Thursday night at the NFL Scouting Combine, 15 different receivers ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds or under, including eight under 4.4 – tied for the most at the combine since 2006, per ESPN.

Valdes-Scantling ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds coming out of USF in 2018.

Here are the receivers that ran under 4.4 seconds at the combine on Thursday night, per NFL.com:

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Packers drafted at least one of the players listed above.

Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson could be first-rounders. Christian Watson is screaming up draft boards. All three could be future No. 1 receivers. The others could all be valuable role players, much like Valdes-Scantling.

Keep in mind, Cincinnati’s Alec Pierce initially ran a 4.33 but was pushed back to 4.41. Western Michigan’s Skyy Moore (4.41) and Georgia’s George Pickens (4.47) also produced solid times. Treylon Burks of Arkansas finished in 4.55 seconds at 225 pounds. Drake London of USC didn’t run. This is nothing if not a fast receiver class.

Obviously, speed isn’t everything at the position. But in terms of value, the 40-yard dash is as important to the wide receiver position as any in football. Winning deep as a vertical threat often requires straight-line speed. The best can get to top speed quickly and maintain top speed over many yards.

If the Packers want to add speed, this is the draft class to do it. The demand in Green Bay appears to match up well with the supply in 2022.

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5 pending free agent receivers the Jaguars should consider signing

This team needs receiver help, and there are a number of good candidates that could hit the open market this offseason.

Anyone who watched this Jacksonville Jaguars offense at all last season knows this is a team in desperate need of receiver help. While players like Marvin Jones Jr., Jamal Agnew and Laquon Treadwell all had solid contributions, the unit as a whole didn’t get the job done.

Addressing the receiver position is a major priority this offseason, and while it’s something the team will almost certainly attempt to address in the 2022 NFL draft, it may want to look at several free-agent additions as well.

This is a good year to need a receiver, as there are several players with expiring contracts that could hit free agency. Not all of them will reach the open market; Packers receiver Davante Adams, for example, would have been perhaps the top free agent in the entire league, but reports indicate that he could be franchise tagged.

Still, even with Adams of the board, there will surely be several intriguing options in free agency. Here are five that the Jaguars should look into when free agency begins next month.

Saints can’t stay in denial about their wide receivers for much longer

Sean Payton is finally beginning to slip out of denial at the sorry state of his receiving corps, but it may be too late:

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Trevor Siemian isn’t the reason the New Orleans Saints fell flat against the Atlanta Falcons. Well, he shouldn’t be seen as one of the top reasons. The journeyman quarterback threw with enough accuracy and anticipation to give his receivers opportunities to catch the ball and make a play — and his efforts were wiped out by drops throughout the game.

“I thought we dropped a few balls, more than our fair share,” Sean Payton observed after the game when asked about Siemian’s performance. He declined to single out any one position group, noting that drops were an issue all across the offense: “It wasn’t just receivers. I saw other guys dropping balls.”

This is a problem that’s been festering for weeks, or even months. No team has invested fewer draft picks and salary cap resources in their receiving corps in recent years than the Saints. And on Sunday that problem finally became too big for Payton to ignore, as hard he’s tried.

“I like the guys we have in that room,” Payton has said before, offering zingers like, “I don’t care about your PFF grades,” or “We like them better than you guys in the media do.”

The receiving corps struggled before Siemian took over from Jameis Winston, and they’ll struggle with Taysom Hill, too. It’s a talent-poor group that Payton has to micromanage and scheme open but that’s the kind of offense he’s preferred to run. He wants automatons that he can handpick and put into position. The issue is that even if he draws up the perfect play to get someone open, he can’t then catch the ball for them. At some point these guys need to meet the expectations that come with playing in the NFL.

Sure, they went into the season expecting Michael Thomas to return and lead the group as he has before. But the Saints chose to not build any sort of a safety net for themselves and now they’re in freefall. It’s costing them games and potential playoff seeding and their odds of competing for another division title. They’ve got no one to blame but themselves.

Maybe Odell Beckham Jr. can help cure what ails them, if they have the opportunity to go sign him. But this is a problem too big for just one player to correct. It’s going to take a concerted effort in the offseason to overhaul the group. And that means more frustration for the Saints and their fans in the months ahead.

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Who could step up for Packers at WR without Davante Adams and Allen Lazard vs. Cardinals?

The Packers won’t have Davante Adams or Allen Lazard at WR against the Cardinals. Who could step up at the position?

The Green Bay Packers will likely go to Arizona to play the unbeaten Cardinals without starting receivers Davante Adams and Allen Lazard on Thursday night.

Adams, an All-Pro, and Lazard, a trusted role player, have combined for 67 catches, 928 receiving yards and four touchdowns during the first seven games. Together, they represent a significant amount of the snaps and production from the Packers receiver position this season.

How can the Packers get by at receiver against the Cardinals? Let’s break down the candidates for a bigger role.

Tennessee’s leaders for receiving yards following Week 4

A look at Tennessee’s leading receivers through Week 4 of the 2021 season.

Tennessee has a 2-2 record through four games of the 2021 season.

The Vols have wins over Bowling Green and Tennessee Tech. Tennessee suffered its first loss of the season against Pittsburgh in the Johnny Majors Classic at home on Sept. 11.

The Volunteers dropped their Southeastern Conference opener to Florida in Gainesville on Saturday.

Vols Wire will look at UT’s statistical leaders this season.

Tennessee’s leading receivers following Week 4 are listed below.

Grades for Auburn’s 28-20 loss to Penn State

What do you think of these grades?

Auburn suffered their first loss of the season Saturday night, falling 28-20 to Penn State. 

The game was certainly winnable but too many missed opportunities doomed an Auburn team that struggled defensively and looked out of rhythm offensively. The Tigers are now left searching for answers as a loaded SEC schedule looming. 

There are a lot of position groups that performed well and others that showed some major holes on Saturday night after playing a more talented opponent. Both offense and defense have position groups that are strengths and weaknesses. How will they improve moving forward? We will have a better idea in two weeks against LSU.

Here are grades for every positional group. 

Chiefs WR coach Joe Bleymaier settling in new role ahead of regular season

#Chiefs WR coach Joe Bleymaier’s comments last week provided valuable insight into player development and the team’s innovative playcalling | from @TheJohnDillon

After four years spent as an offensive quality control assistant, pass game analyst, and assistant quarterbacks coach, first-year wide receivers coach Joe Bleymaier is still learning the ropes in his new role.

The Kansas City Chiefs shuffled some staff positions in the offseason after the Super Bowl, moving 2020 receivers coach Greg Lewis to work with the running backs, and promoting Bleymaier to fill his absence. The veteran assistant coach has a big chance to make a name for himself on Kansas City’s talented offensive coaching staff.

After a roller-coaster preseason game for the Chiefs’ pass-catchers against the Cardinals, it seemed fitting to reflect on comments Bleymaier made to the media last week ahead of the matchup in Arizona. He emphasized the importance of having the aforementioned Lewis around for input and said he was settling into his new job well.

“It’s a little unique with Greg (Lewis) still being here,” Bleymaier said of his counterpart. “I go to him daily for questions, advice, our guys go to him. I’m the new receiver coach, but we kind of just gained an extra receiver coach because Greg is still there, and the guys feel free to go talk to him as well. So it’s been seamless at least for me.”

That relationship and sort of mentorship from the newly-minted running backs coach could be a difference-maker for Kansas City, as the team’s receivers flourished under his leadership since 2017. Both coaches are former receivers themselves, and their experience in uniform has paid dividends for the Chiefs in crucial situations in the past.

Bleymaier has become known for what Andy Reid calls the “Joe Files.” A collection of plays from all over the world of football that help the Chiefs adapt and innovate on offense. Bleymaier deflected praise about his creativity to the press but told the media that he and the other coaches are always looking for an extra edge.

“We try to find plays from anywhere in the country,” Bleymaier told reporters. “And when we find something that has been successful, if it’s not something we currently have in, then either we try to copy it straight up and put it in or we see how it can fit. If something is working, we’re all about putting guys in the best position to succeed. If there’s a concept or a way to do that that we don’t currently have in, Coach is not afraid to add it. So that’s the great thing about him, our offensive staff, our offense and the guys we have. They’re eager to get more and more and more and have more on their plate in order to showcase their abilities.”

That commitment to fresh ideas was on full display against the Cardinals on Friday, though the offense struggled through miscommunication issues early. Receivers were getting open, gaining separation on various routes routinely.

Bleymaier is sure to be coming up with solutions ahead of the season to aid in correcting the miscommunications. He told the media last week that the short shelf life of successful schemes and concepts keeps him on his toes, and forces him to keep pushing the envelope.

“With the defenses in this league, anything that’s on film for two, three weeks that’s successful, they’ll have an answer for,” Bleymaier said. “So, we’re looking out constantly, weekly for what just got ran yesterday, what just got ran in college the week before, what’s something maybe the defense hasn’t seen yet or maybe the defense we’re facing that week hasn’t seen yet because part of it is also the element of surprise. I would say it’s a weekly type situation where it’s like we don’t have this, we saw it, let’s get it going before the league has an answer for it.”

Life on the cutting edge of offensive genius is second nature for assistants under Andy Reid, so it is no surprise Bleymaier is settling in and getting comfortable. If he can coax even a little more production out of Chiefs’ receivers than was achieved last season, this offense could be nearly unstoppable through the regular season.

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A look at the all-time leading receivers in LSU Tigers football history

A look back at LSU Tigers football history and the all-time leading receivers for the school.

Looking back at the history of the LSU Tigers football program, we have broken down the all-time leading passers and rushers. We shift focus to the pass catchers. Looking over the all-time leaders, there have been many notable receivers to run through Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The names of Rueben Randle, Malachi Dupre, and Terrace Marshall Jr of recent years didn’t even crack the top 20 list. Others, fans will be very familiar with. Odell Beckham Jr and Jarvis Landry are one of the duos to make the cut. Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson also made an appearance among the top.

LSU Tigers Wire takes a look at the top wide receivers to catch passes in Death Valley:

Jimmy Smith says Keenan McCardell couldn’t coach WRs how he wanted to as a Jags assistant

The former Jags receiver said his old teammate Keenan McCardell couldn’t coach Jacksonville’s receivers the way he wanted to.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Keenan McCardell spent the last four years as the team’s receivers coach, but after head coach Doug Marrone was fired following the 2020 season, McCardell wasn’t retained.

But his former teammate with the Jaguars, fellow star receiver Jimmy Smith (who talked to McCardell when he was a Jags assistant), said that McCardell wasn’t able to coach the receiver group how he wanted to during an appearance on 1010XL Primetime.

“The previous coaching staff didn’t want a No. 1 receiver and I know how bad that bugged Keenan …,” Smith said. “Keenan McCardell was not allowed to coach like he wanted to. Let me say it again. Keenan McCardell was not allowed to coach the receivers the way he wanted to.”

According to Smith, that especially impacted the development of D.J. Chark. The former second-round pick from LSU had a breakout season in 2019 after having one of the league’s worst drop rates as a rookie. He finished with over 1,000 yards, but his play dropped off during his third season in 2020, and he finished with just 706 yards and five touchdowns, three fewer than he netted the year before.

Quarterback play certainly played a role in that, as injuries to starter Gardner Minshew II led to Jake Luton and Mike Glennon starting a combined eight games. But Smith said the way that Marrone wanted receivers to be coached also didn’t do Chark any favors.

“Why are the receivers standing straight up at the line of scrimmage? We know that’s not Keenan,” he said. “We know that’s not the way we played and I know that’s not the way that he wants to coach. Because the route running begins by your stance as a wide receiver. … That’s just like football route running 101.”

“Those who know the game knew that Keenan McCardell was not allowed to coach those receivers and it affected DJ Chark’s development because Keenan was not allowed to coach those receivers the way he wanted to.”

New receivers coach Sanjay Lal is a seasoned veteran when it comes to coaching the position group, though he spent the last season in an offensive analyst role with the Seattle Seahawks. His pedigree speaks for itself, but if Smith is right, it will be crucial that Meyer doesn’t micromanage the group the way the last staff did.