Tag: wrs

Patrick Mahomes has seen a ton of growth from Chiefs’ receivers at training camp

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes shared his thoughts on the growth he’s seen from his new receivers during the course of training camp.

One of the biggest storylines surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason has been the evolution of the wide receiver position.

The team said goodbye to Tyreek Hill, Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle during the offseason, but welcomed JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Justin Watson and others. The biggest concern about the new players was how quickly they would be able to adapt to the scheme and build chemistry with the star QB Patrick Mahomes.

Asked about the growth he’s seen from his new receivers this offseason, Mahomes believes they’ve come a long way since he gave his initial impressions.

“I’ve seen a ton of growth,” Mahomes said. “Those receivers in training camp and OTA’s, I mean there’s a lot of routes ran. We practice fast, we keep things rolling in the time period. And they kind of have to be in and out and we run a lot of deep routes. You can see in OTA’s, that it was really getting after them. They were pushing through, pushing through. Then you got to the mid part of camp you saw that they had their legs under them, they were running these routes, getting back in the huddle and running them again. They were recognizing coverages as they were doing them. I think it was very good for them to get down here and see how we do things and now, as we get back to Kansas City and get closer to the season, we’ll refine that and make sure they are ready to go then.”

From the offseason throwing sessions in Texas through the end of training camp, Mahomes has seen necessary improvements from the group. Now that training camp is complete, they’ll be refining things at team facilities over the next few weeks. They also still have a few preseason games to get their chemistry in the right place.

With injuries to JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, some receivers who haven’t had as much opportunity to play with the first team during training camp should get their chances to shine in preseason Week 2. Mahomes is excited to see what those receivers can do with the opportunity.

“Yeah, it’s going to be an exciting opportunity for them,” Mahomes said. “You saw guys like Skyy (Moore) and Justin Watson who kind of made plays when they came in this first preseason with Shane (Buechele) and Chad (Henne). For them to make plays there, they’re obviously going to get more reps with me in this game. I’m interested to see how they maximize that opportunity, but I mean they’ve been doing it at practice, making the plays at practice and doing everything the right way. For them to get in there and get some opportunity to run with the ones, I think it’ll help us out in the long run whenever we do get those guys back, having a good group of guys that can go in at any time.”

Hopefully, the receivers who get chances with the first team will be able to capitalize on the opportunity against the Commanders in preseason Week 2. Either way, it’s clear that the receiver position is in a good place as far as Mahomes is concerned.

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Packers WRs have plenty to prove entering 2020

Pro Football Focus ranked the Packers WR group at No. 24 among the 32 NFL teams going into the 2020 season.

Davante Adams is a star and a three-time Pro Bowler who is almost always included within the NFL’s top tier of wide receivers, but the rest of the Green Bay Packers receivers will go into the 2020 season with plenty to prove to outsiders.

Pro Football Focus recently ranked all 32 of the NFL’s wide receiver groups entering this season, and the Packers – with so many unknowns behind Adams – ranked 24th.

PFF backed the ranking by noting the Packers receivers ranked 25th in overall receiving grade last season. The team did little to significantly upgrade the talent base of the position this offseason, waiting until deep into free agency to swap Geronimo Allison for Devin Funchess and missing out on all the top receivers in the 2020 draft class.

Adams will continue to be Aaron Rodgers’ top target, but it will fall on the shoulders of several receivers – including Funchess, Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown – to lift the rest of the group and help the Packers improve in a meaningful way in the passing game.

All offseason, the Packers’ brass expressed confidence in the group. If all goes to plan, Funchess will provide a physical, veteran presence, Lazard will continue his ascension after breaking out in 2019, Valdes-Scantling will grow into a reliable deep threat, and St. Brown will emerge as a viable slot option. Even if only one of the above scenarios plays out, the Packers will be better at receiver.

But the group is ranked so low entering 2020 because skepticism in the players remains high.

Funchess had productive seasons in Carolina, but he was inefficient as a target and suffered from drop issues, and he’s not a threatening speed presence. He also played just one game last season after breaking his collarbone in Week 1.

The analytics really liked Lazard’s work in 2019, and he now has the trust of both Rodgers and Matt LaFleur. Will he keep ascending now that teams have a year of tape on him? It’s a challenge for all young players. Taking the next step – from surprise contributor to consistent contributor – can be a tough one.

Valdes-Scantling will get a chance to rebound after injuries and inconsistency wrecked his second season. He has the size and speed to be a dangerous deep threat, but can he become a more complete receiver in Year 3? Developing individual consistency and a connection with Rodgers should be primary goals.

St. Brown missed the entire 2019 season with an ankle injury and is now a mystery entering 2020. He is talented, but missing a full season can be devastating for a young player.

The Packers also have Jake Kumerow, who has won over Rodgers, and several other young players, including Darrius Shepherd, Malik Taylor, Reggie Begelton and rookie undrafted free agent Darrell Stewart.

Overall, the receiver group behind Adams includes six undrafted free agents, two Day 3 picks and Funchess, a second-round pick of the Panthers. It’s a group that hasn’t been bolstered by big investments. The Packers are banking on internal improvement to help an important position in the passing game.

Brian Gutekunst banking on big jump from Packers’ young WRs

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst is confident his young WRs – Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown – will take a big jump in 2020.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is anticipating his group of young receivers to take a big jump in 2020.

His continued confidence in Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown – who are all entering their third season in the NFL – helped explain why Gutekunst didn’t take a receiver in the 2020 draft.

“I really like our group of young receivers and where they’re headed,” Gutekunst told Larry McCarren of Packers.com. “I’ve always talked how, I think it’s very true if you look back, that most receivers in this league really start to come into their own in Year 3. Look back at our history here, with guys like Davante (Adams) and Jordy (Nelson), that’s really where they’ve started to come into their own. So I’m excited for those guys.”

The Packers were widely expected to take a receiver early in the draft, which many considered to be strong at the position, but Gutekunst admitted he was “probably” more comfortable with his current receivers than most outsiders. The Packers made nine picks but didn’t spend one on a receiver. Michigan State’s Darrell Stewart Jr. is expected to be added as an undrafted free agent.

Lazard, Valdes-Scantling and St. Brown, the three young players fitting Gutekunst’s description of a soon-to-be third-year receiver, will all be expected to play vital roles in the passing game in 2020.

Lazard, an undrafted free agent, broke out with 35 catches for 477 yards and three touchdowns in 2019, his first season as a contributor. Valdes-Scantling, a fifth-round pick, produced some flash moments early in his second season but hurt his knee and ankle in October and was never the same. St. Brown, a sixth-round pick, suffered an ankle injury during the preseason and missed the entire season.

Lazard played a number of roles, including as a perimeter receiver, in the slot and as a go-to blocking receiver. Valdes-Scantling remains a one-trick pony, but his one trick – in the vertical passing game – can be valuable. St. Brown flashed some route-running ability from the slot as a rookie.

The Packers are now banking on all three to develop into quality players within their specific roles. Gutekunst pointed to several of the Packers’ more recent success stories, such as Adams and Nelson, as reasons to be optimistic about their individual growth as young receivers. Both Adams and Nelson enjoyed breakout statistical seasons in Year 3 and eventually became difference-making players for Aaron Rodgers and the passing game.

However, Adams and Nelson were both high picks with considerable talent coming out of college. They were also far more versatile and well-rounded as individual pass-catchers.

Gutekunst also added veteran Devin Funchess, who will be playing for his third team in three seasons. He played just one game last season before breaking his collarbone. Packers coach Matt LaFleur sees him as a physical receiver with considerable NFL experience.

Former CFL star Reggie Begelton was signed in January. The Packers will also return Jake Kumerow, Darrius Shepherd and Malik Taylor from last year’s team. All four must be considered long-shots to be consistent contributors.

Will Lazard, Valdes-Scantling and St. Brown emerge from the offseason and make good on Gutekunst’s optimism? Will they take a big step in their development and become consistent and reliable playmakers in the passing game? The Packers are banking on it.

Perfect for Packers: 9 WRs land in Daniel Jeremiah’s first top 50 players list

The Packers need a WR, and it’s a very good year to need one.

The Green Bay Packers need a wide receiver, and it’s looking like a very good year to need one.

NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah put out his first top 50 player rankings for the 2020 draft on Wednesday, and nine different wide receivers made the list.

It’s increasingly easy to envision the Packers using one of their first two picks in April’s draft on one of the pass-catchers from Jeremiah’s rankings listed below:

8. CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
9. Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
12. Henry Ruggs III, Alabama
17. Justin Jefferson, LSU
19. Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
22. Laviska Shenault, Colorado
29. Tee Higgins, Clemson
41. K.J. Hamler, Penn State
45. Michael Pittman, USC

The Packers got another terrific season from No. 1 receiver Davante Adams in 2019, but J’Mon Moore was released at final cuts, Equanimeous St. Brown missed the season on IR, Marquez Valdes-Scantling disappeared over the final two months and Geronimo Allison was one of the NFL’s least efficient receivers. The Packers’ need at receiver is substantial, even though Allen Lazard made big plays and eventually became the No. 2 receiver and Jake Kumerow proved to be a willing blocker who provided a few big catches in spot duty.

Drafting one (or more) of the nine players listed above could give Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur exactly the kind of firepower in the passing game the offense needs to get to the next level in its second year in 2020.

Here are a few snippets from Jeremiah’s breakdowns on the receivers:

On Lamb: “Lamb is a polished player who is equally explosive and reliable.”

On Jeudy: “Jeudy is a loose athlete with elite route skills and he should emerge as a high-volume production guy very early in his career.”

On Ruggs III: “Ruggs has Tyreek Hill-type ability. He will be a matchup nightmare every week.”

On Jefferson: “Jefferson is a polished receiver and should make an immediate impact at the next level.”

On Aiyuk: “Aiyuk will need a little time to develop as a complete route runner, but he’s a tough, explosive playmaker with added special teams value.”

On Shenault: “Shenault will need time to develop into a fully polished wideout, but he can have an immediate impact for a creative offensive coordinator. He’s too big, strong and fast to not contribute. His drafting team just has to figure it out.”

On Higgins: “Higgins isn’t going to do a lot of the dirty work in the middle of the field, but he’s very effective on the outside and provides big-play ability.”

On Hamler: “Size is the only negative in this evaluation. In a league starved for speedy playmakers, Hamler should be in high demand.”

On Pittman: “Pittman reminds me a lot of Mike Williams, and he can make an impact on all four downs because of his special teams value.”

In Jeremiah’s first mock draft of the year, he sent Shenault to the Packers at No. 30 overall.

Other receivers who could eventually crack Jeremiah’s top 50 players over the next few months include TCU’s Jalen Reagor, Minnesota’s Tyler Johnson, Texas’ Devin Duvernay, Michigan’s Donovan Peoples-Jones, Baylor’s Denzel Mims, South Carolina’s Bryan Edwards, Ohio State’s K.J. Hill and Texas’ Collin Johnson.

This is a stacked receiver class. The Packers should take advantage in three months.

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