Positional Analysis: WR

[dll2000]

Mere

1 hour ago, G08 said:

I'm kind of coming around on:

1. Meredith

2. Wilson (let's not forget he was the #2 targeted WR on the Chiefs last year; there's no reason he can't do the exact same thing here)

3. Rookie (I'm good with James Washington, Christian Kirk, DJ Moore, and don't sleep on Dante Pettis)

4. White

5. Inman

Not nearly enough even as a band aid.  Could be another disaster year.   

1. Meredith might not be able to practice until training camp.  Hasn't shown next step yet prior to injury, not coming off bad injury.

2. Wilson?  Why are you guys so high on him?  5'9 player who was 3rd or 4th receiver on Chiefs this year before injuries shoved him forward.  Leery of guys who play disinterested until their contract year.  If Chiefs have any interest he will be staying put.  

3. Rookie.  Yes, will be a rookie here, but unreliable with high bust rate.

4. White. Has done nothing to show he can stay healthy or even play if healthy.  May not make the team.

5. Inman. I think Inman is a decent player and worth retaining.  

I think you go.

1. Young good FA who can be around for 4 years and grow with team and QB.  (Robinson, Watkins, Richardson, maybe even Landry or Gordon).   Kinda of a hard sell though.  Objectively if I was a top free agent WR I am not loving Bears history.   I think Jags would be crazy to let Robinson go.  Not sure about their cap situation. 

2. Wright

3. Inman.

4. Meredith (who hopefully moves to 1 or 2 as he gets healthy).

5. Rookie (who hopefully surprises moves to 1 or 2, if its Ridley I would say he is 1 or 2 from day 1 and you can probably throw out the top FA candidates I mentioned above).

6. Gentry or Rookie #2 whoever wins the job.

 

 

[WindyCity]

I agree with G08 that White will be on the team, either active or on IR. His money is guaranteed. Where I disagree is that he will be counted on in any regard by this staff. Pace cannot continually get burned by this guy just because he is the his 1st love.

My guess is that Pace is realistic and has White penciled into the 6th spot where he cannot burn him.

 

[G08]

Th only way Landry makes a semblance of sense to me is if we are expecting to give him 150+ targets on short, quick hitters and expect him to get pounded while trying to pick up YAC. That's how you get players killed, too. I don't like the look.

Wilson isn't a superstar, @dll2000 but he was the #2 wide receiver in this offense on an explosive Chiefs team. That should make him a fine #2 here, no? He's literally done the job before.

The #1 is where I think questions can justifiably arise... I'm a big Cam Meredith fan and he said he expects to be full go by training camp. Tarik Cohen can run 9 routes to take the top off a defense if we want him to do so... or we can go after Wilson and John Brown.

X - Meredith, White

Z - Brown, Rookie

Slot - Wilson, Wright

 

[Superman(DH23)]

16 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

I agree with G08 that White will be on the team, either active or on IR. His money is guaranteed. Where I disagree is that he will be counted on in any regard by this staff. Pace cannot continually get burned by this guy just because he is the his 1st love.

My guess is that Pace is realistic and has White penciled into the 6th spot where he cannot burn him.

 

Anything you get from White is a bonus this year.  I imagine the Bears arent counting on him, but if he has a good camp and preseason he could see his role increased.  

Personally i would resign Wright tender Meredith and Inman, sign Wilson and Richardson.  

[G08]

3 minutes ago, Superman(DH23) said:

Anything you get from White is a bonus this year.  I imagine the Bears arent counting on him, but if he has a good camp and preseason he could see his role increased.  

Personally i would resign Wright tender Meredith and Inman, sign Wilson and Richardson.  

It would be the Bears way for White to have a career year this season, a la Kyle Fuller.

[chisoxguy7]

11 minutes ago, G08 said:

Th only way Landry makes a semblance of sense to me is if we are expecting to give him 150+ targets on short, quick hitters and expect him to get pounded while trying to pick up YAC. That's how you get players killed, too. I don't like the look.

Wilson isn't a superstar, @dll2000 but he was the #2 wide receiver in this offense on an explosive Chiefs team. That should make him a fine #2 here, no? He's literally done the job before.

The #1 is where I think questions can justifiably arise... I'm a big Cam Meredith fan and he said he expects to be full go by training camp. Tarik Cohen can run 9 routes to take the top off a defense if we want him to do so... or we can go after Wilson and John Brown.

X - Meredith, White

Z - Brown, Rookie

Slot - Wilson, Wright

 

Why can't Landry be asked to run drags, outs, and to abuse zone coverages? He can be the go to guy for slants and curls, as well. Everyone on this board is too quick to judge a guy based on what he has been asked to do so far, rather than what he is capable of. Landry having a low YPC average is more a statement on Adam Gase than it is on Landry, to be honest.

[chisoxguy7]

9 minutes ago, G08 said:

It would be the Bears way for White to have a career year this season, a la Kyle Fuller.

at which point he turns into a messiah on these boards, because that's the way things are done around here.

[G08]

3 minutes ago, chisoxguy7 said:

Why can't Landry be asked to run drags, outs, and to abuse zone coverages? He can be the go to guy for slants and curls, as well. Everyone on this board is too quick to judge a guy based on what he has been asked to do so far, rather than what he is capable of. Landry having a low YPC average is more a statement on Adam Gase than it is on Landry, to be honest.

That's a fair question and my answer is this: because anyone can do that. You don't pay someone as a top 5-8 WR to do that, you pay the elite WRs that kind of coin, the ones that can make big plays, catch the ball down-field and are a tremendous threat in the red zone.

[G08]

To me, in this offense, Andre Wilson and John Brown > Jarvis Landry.

[chisoxguy7]

Just now, G08 said:

That's a fair question and my answer is this: because anyone can do that. You don't pay someone as a top 5-8 WR to do that, you pay the elite WRs that kind of coin, the ones that can make big plays, catch the ball down-field and are a tremendous threat in the red zone.

Is there evidence that he can't do that? That he hasn't done it yet doesn't necessarily mean that he can't.

[WindyCity]

Landry was used poorly in a broken offense.

Still got 19/23 passes when targeted over 10 yards. Went 6/6 on 15+ yard receptions.

 

Landry just gets open and catches the ball. It isn't flashy it is not explosive, but it is consistent and it moves the chains. He does so at a rate that even though he is slow, small, and plays with reasonable offensive talent he is the guy that gets double teamed by guys.

Wilson is a very good option, but he is not on Landry's level. He may get there and that would make him a Hicks level signing, but we don't have evidence right now that says he can handle a major spotlight.

[WindyCity]

For me we have seen what Trubisky can do with a slot WR in college with Switzer and he had success with Wright.

We have seen in a 6 game sample that Nagy loves to use 3 WR sets and loves to target the slot WR.

 

That being said even if it is not Landry, I have no issue investing money or a high pick in the slot WR position. It seems to work with both our QB and our coach.

[G08]

Just now, chisoxguy7 said:

Is there evidence that he can't do that? That he hasn't done it yet doesn't necessarily mean that he can't.

For a guy that gets 160 targets in a season, he's only asked to go over 15 yards 6 times and over 10 yards 23 times.

He timed at 4.77 and has a 28" vert (very poor explosion numbers).

 

I'd say that's evidence enough for me.

[dll2000]

3 minutes ago, G08 said:

Th only way Landry makes a semblance of sense to me is if we are expecting to give him 150+ targets on short, quick hitters and expect him to get pounded while trying to pick up YAC. That's how you get players killed, too. I don't like the look.

Wilson isn't a superstar, @dll2000 but he was the #2 wide receiver in this offense on an explosive Chiefs team. That should make him a fine #2 here, no? He's literally done the job before.

The #1 is where I think questions can justifiably arise... I'm a big Cam Meredith fan and he said he expects to be full go by training camp. Tarik Cohen can run 9 routes to take the top off a defense if we want him to do so... or we can go after Wilson and John Brown.

X - Meredith, White

Z - Brown, Rookie

Slot - Wilson, Wright

 

Not a big Landry fan and wasn't really considering him as we discussed this, but now that I think about it he does make a lot of sense in an RPO based system playing from the slot.  That system thrives on great TE's and/or slot receivers. Remember you are throwing off a read and Landry will beat people one on one in space inside and he has great hands.  He almost never had that look in Miami.  He caught screens or got doubled running something from his tree.    Nagy could make him a star in Chicago if stars align and he would help run game a lot.  Problem is you need an over top threat on outside to keep D honest to make it work like it is designed.  

Brown from Arizona?  Not a fan of his.  Pass.  Problem with FA WR class is top guys are injured, head cases or perennial underachievers.  

Cohen is (almost) never going to line up outside and run a go/9 unless it's a trick play.  He will run routes from slot, motion or backfield.  He will wheel into a go.   Cohen is an underrated receiver though.  His hands really impressed me last year.  People think he is a gimmick player.  He is not.  He is just small.  Not a bell cow back, but guy should be on the field a lot and I would have no problem lining him up in slot often. 

 

  

[chisoxguy7]

I guess the point I'm trying to make is all a player can really do is fill the role on a team that he's being asked to fill. On a team with Devante Parker and Kenny Stills, Landry going deep wasn't really a top priority. That isn't a statement of his ability though. The guy averaged at least 100 catches over the past 3 seasons and dropped 3 balls last year. To me, that's a guy that, at the end of the day, you can rely on to catch the football. Sign the guy, send him on routes down the field, and trust him to catch the ball, even though that hasn't been his role thus far in his career.