Fixing the WR position

[Chicago4Life]

What will he get?

4/52/24?

the Rams already have $10mil/year in Tavon Austin and $7mil/year in Robert Woods, plus a good looking rookie. That's a lot to invest in WR.

the rams will likely cut austin in 2018.

 

[dennehy]

the rams will likely cut austin in 2018.

$5mil is a lot to eat to free up $3mil.

 

[Chicago4Life]

The realistic free agent WR list IMO...
J.Landry
P. Richardson
J.Mathews
T.Pryor
M.Lee
D.Moncrief
John or Jaron Brown

Robinson - gets tagged by jags, have ton of money...even more once they cut bortles
Adams - pack would be stupid to let adams walk away, nelson is aging fast, leaves only cobb, allison, davis
Jeffrey - eagles on track to goto superbowl, he will get paid by eagles
Watkins - snead wont let watkins get away

 

[Chicago4Life]

$5mil is a lot to eat to free up $3mil.

its a still a plus, saving 3 mill, what has he done well to deserve 8 mill? his production can be replaced by a udfa making 500k

 

[dennehy]

its a still a plus, saving 3 mill, what has he done well to deserve 8 mill? his production can be replaced by a udfa making 500k

It's just rare to eat that kind of $ for such little gain. Plus he's somewhat effective running the ball for them.

 

[Escobar's Army]

Why not Landry over Watkins? Landry has already shown he's a true #1 without a great QB. I'd pay him to WR market value and make him the #1 priority this offseason. The rest is perfect. We aren't that far off as Inman is a keeper and getting Merideth back will both be reliable targets for Mitch.

 

[ruprecht]

Excellent job again Adipost. Objective and realistic view minus the Emo angst so prevalent here.

 

[WindyCity]

Why not Landry over Watkins? Landry has already shown he's a true #1 without a great QB. I'd pay him to WR market value and make him the #1 priority this offseason. The rest is perfect. We aren't that far off as Inman is a keeper and getting Merideth back will both be reliable targets for Mitch.

I think Landry and Kirk would both be best in the slot.

 

[bears26]

I am not big on Watkins and I would stay away from him. The Bears will need to add at least two new receivers (Allen Robinson, Jarvis Landry, Richardson, Adams, Odell Beckham Jr - Giants may be in full rebuild).

 

[hester247]

It’s no secret to anyone that the Bears may currently have the worst wide receiver corps in the entire NFL. I believe many people under value how important a position it is for a young QB.

Take Deshaun Watson, for example. He had two elite WR’s lining up on opposite sides of the field, the speed guy (Fuller) and the power guy (Hopkins). The obvious example here is that these guys can get open consistently and that they will catch anything in their vicinity, all of which is true. But maybe the biggest benefit to a young QB is that they keep defenses predictable.

Deshaun Watson is not attacked the same way as Mitchell Trubisky is. Not even close. With Trubisky, defenses deploy a robber in the middle of the field to confuse Trubisky. They disguise coverages frequently. They show zone, but immediately switch to man at the snap of the ball. Safeties charge in to jump routes.

On the other hand, with Hopkins and Fuller on the field, defenses can do none of those things. They know they have to account for these two receivers on every play. And so does Watson. He knows where the safeties will be prior to every snap. This is a massive advantage for a young QB just learning to read defenses.

So without further adu, I present to you my blueprint for fixing the WR position:

X WIDE RECEIVER

Sammy Watkins - Free Agent

The X receiver, or split end, is the WR lined up wide opposite of the TE. In a 3 wr set, he’s usually all alone on his side of the field, the weak side. Because of this, he has to be an exceptional blocker in the running game.

After the 5 offensive lineman and the TE, the X WR is usually the 7th player to lineup directly on the line of scrimmage. Because of this, the CB can easily slow him down or redirect his route by jamming him at the snap of the ball. To consistently break a jam at the LOS, a WR either has to be extremely powerful (Julio Jones), exceptionally slippery (Odell Beckham), or have elite footwork (Antonio Brown). Well, Sammy Watkins has some of all of the above.

Watkins is a physical freak. He’s a physically huge WR with track speed. He’s pretty much the perfect X receiver. He has an incredible first step off the LOS, powerful hands to disengage CB’s and catch passes, and the footwork to break away from coverage.

When healthy, Watkins is unstoppable. Unfortunately, he seems to be injured often. But by no means is he soft. He actually plays through injuries, but he is no where near as effective. This is the sole reason he is going to be able to hit free agency.

I think Ryan Pace will single out going after Sammy Watkins. Why, you might ask. Well, it’s because Sammy Watkins is basically a better version of Kevin White. This might sound like a ridiculous reason, but Pace must have been in love with Kevin White’s skill set to draft him #7 overall. And Watkins was the same type of player coming out of college.

The film on Watkins

New Orleans tried to play press man coverage on Watkins, and it didn’t work very well. The CB here is totally overmatched...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/ReasonableImpureIridescentshark

Trying to out physical Sammy Watkins is like a one on one boxing match...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/FriendlyOpenHen

NO tries zone coverage on Watkins with the same result. He cuts through the zone into the soft spot...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/InsistentPlasticGermanspitz

Here the NY Giants CB plays 10 yards off of Watkins. The CB is positioned near the sideline to Watkins left, meaning that he will not let Watkins get to the outside and past him. If Watkins breaks in, the CB has help from the safety Landon Collins. Watkins does break in, triggering the safety to cover him. But Watkins just effortlessly blows by him for a TD...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/AbsoluteEnchantedAustraliancattledog

Watkins is an immovable force...

https://gfycat.com/EnergeticSorrowfulElephant

You are not going to arm tackle Watkins in the open field...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/ReadyWhoppingDeviltasmanian

Watkins can win immediately at the snap of the ball...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/SpiffyVengefulGoral

The CB tries to knock Watkins off his route, but Watkins goes through him like a knife through butter...

https://gfycat.com/LeafyInsidiousAmericanbittern

Watkins almost knocks the CB on his ass at the line of scrimmage...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/ComfortableMajorFieldspaniel

Z WIDE RECEIVER

Christian Kirk - 2nd Round

The Z receiver, or flanker, is lined up on the opposite end of the X. He’s usually lined up on the strong side with the TE and/or the slot receiver. He does not have to line up directly on the line of scrimmage, giving him a free release at the snap of the ball. Because of this, you could put smaller WR’s at this position. This is where the speed burners go that can run a variety of routes on the inside or out.

Christian Kirk is an absolute burner. Used as a decoy often because he commands 3 defenders at times, he can stretch the entire field. What this does is opens up the entire middle of the field for your RB to run through, or for your TE/Slot receiver to rack up yards after the catch.

With a safety over the top to prevent the big play, this makes Trubisky’s life a whole lot easier

. He can trust his eyes rather than question exotic coverages.

The film on Kirk

SLOT RECIEVER

Cameron Meredith

The slot receiver is usually a small and quick player that specifically works the middle of the field. He does not have the straight line speed of the outside receivers, but he possesses the needed agility and change of direction to run zig zag routes in between the linebackers and safeties.

In 2006, the New Orleans Saints drafted a 6-4 220 lb wide receiver in the 7th round by the name of Marques Colston. He was projected to go undrafted, but the Saints picked him up with the fourth from last pick in the entire draft.

Now, besides being a big target and having good hands, nothing really jumped out at you aboot Colston. He barely made the roster his rookie year, and he was thrust into the first game of the season due to injuries.

If the Saints used Colston as a conventional WR, odds are people would forget his name after a couple of seasons. But the Saints decided to play him in the slot, where his particular skill set melded perfectly and he became a massive miss match every time he was on the field.

Whenever Drew Brees needed a critical first down, Marques Colston got the ball. He was too quick for the linebackers, and too big for the nickel corners. He could go up and catch balls down the middle of the field in traffic. He was never flashy, I don’t even think he ever made a single pro bowl. But he became the greatest Saints WR of all time, breaking every single record.

In the beginning of the 2016 season, the Bears were trying to feel out where they should play Meredith. They put him primarily on the outside at first, only putting him in the slot occasionally. But every time he was lined up at slot, it seemed as though Meredith was making a play. Then Alshon was suspended, and Meredith really struggled as a primary outside threat. After a couple of games outside, the Bears made the decision to make the 6-3 220 lb Meredith primarily a slot receiver.

From then on, Meredith absolutely dominated entire games. And it even showed in the in depth analytics. According to Next Gen Stats, when lined up outside Meredith graded out as one of the worst receivers in the league as far as separation from the defensive back. But at the slot, Meredith was at the top of the list with all the elite slot receivers.

When I watch Cameron Meredith, I see Marques Colston and maybe even a little more. The combination routes and double move change of direction routes that I watched him run were absolutely remarkable for a man his size. A linebacker cannot keep up with him, no chance. A nickel back is just too small, Meredith just manhandles them. And safeties are just not quick enough to stay with him.

I think Meredith in the slot could become the biggest weapon in the Bears offense next season. Add in Shaheen, and defenses will be pissing their pants.

The film on Meredith

Meredith can break out of his routes with absolute precision...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/ScrawnySeveralLeafwing

Here is Meredith showing off his exceptional hands...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/FrequentAnimatedLark

This is a beautiful combination route. Meredith weaves through the middle of the field and then cuts into the corner of the end zone. Barkley threw this ball before the break...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/JovialRadiantIbadanmalimbe

Here Meredith immediately finds the soft spot of the zone in between 3 defenders...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/WhiteAlienatedAntipodesgreenparakeet

The defensive back thinks he can stay with Meredith in a back peddle until he gets absolutely torched...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/TartDownrightCrocodileskink

Meredith fools the CB so badly that he creates a 10 yard cushion for himself...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/PoshAgonizingHeron

This is simply unfair. Meredith fakes in, then out, then in again, and finally breaks out and embarrasses the DB...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/ForsakenElegantAlleycat

This is just an incredible double move by a 6-3 210 lb slot receiver...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/GoodnaturedLargeCats

I’d like to specifically highlight this play because I don’t see any current Bear receivers doing this. Meredith’s route here is to cut out to the sideline. As he makes his break, he peaks at the pocket and notices that the play has been disrupted. So he immediately abandons the play and changes direction, leaving him completely wide open in the middle of the field. It takes a while for Cutler to find him of course, but he eventually gets it there...

https://gfycat.com/gifs/detail/AdmirableHideousFulmar

BENCH

Dontrelle Inman - Inman is a legitimate starting caliber wide receiver. With the Chargers and Bears, he has now shown that he is capable of playing all the wide receiver positions. He could spell Kirk while he’s developing his rookie year or go in the place of Watkins due to injury. Also, the presence of Inman keeps Meredith in the slot where he belongs.

Kendall Wright or rookie mid round pick - I’d probably go with another draft pick here, but Wright is solid.

Kevin White - White is basically a lottery ticket at this point.

100% what I want to see happen in off-season at WR SLOT...I mean down to every player and where I see Kirk being drafted as well..kudos

 

[gallagher]

I think Landry and Kirk would both be best in the slot.

Then draft Ridley in the first and sign Landry. Inman and Meredith can compete for the other outside WR spot.

That's infinitely better than what we have for Trubisky now.

 

[hester247]

Then draft Ridley in the first and sign Landry. Inman and Meredith can compete for the other outside WR spot.

That's infinitely better than what we have for Trubisky now.

ooofff....OLB/DE would look terrible ...Pace has to go OLB/DE in 1st rd. unless they snag Ziggy Ansah

 

[Les Grossman]

I am not big on Watkins and I would stay away from him. The Bears will need to add at least two new receivers (Allen Robinson, Jarvis Landry, Richardson, Adams, Odell Beckham Jr - Giants may be in full rebuild).

Yeah I agree. Watkins is very overrated. He has barely cracked 1000 yards in his career (one time no less). He’d be okay if he can stay healthy, but he isn’t going to be good value in his next contract (more so than other FA WRs).

 

[Myk]

I hear 2019 draft will be chock full of WRs ready to play. We should wait.

I bet Watkins isn't available since he was traded for. That would be nice.

For a BPA guy Pace sure has us in a position of need every year.

 

[Les Grossman]

Also, I think posters should realize that rookie WRs (even if drafted in the 1st round), likely won’t be starting for awhile.

 

[gallagher]

ooofff....OLB/DE would look terrible ...Pace has to go OLB/DE in 1st rd. unless they snag Ziggy Ansah

I'm not against a massive investment in pass rushers (I presume the DE bit is for IF we switch back to a 4-3). If we don't go with Ridley in the first then I'm pounding the table until my knuckles are raw for a pass rusher.

But WR is far more important to the success of the team. Our defense has a lot more talent than our offense, and we are devoid of WRs that can get open. We need players that help us put up points and sustain drives.

Getting some new OL blood would also be great, but I'm hoping we double dip on linemen with our 4th round picks.

 

[Wild_x_Card]

ooofff....OLB/DE would look terrible ...Pace has to go OLB/DE in 1st rd. unless they snag Ziggy Ansah

Pace doesn't have to do anything. The team needs playmakers all over on both sides of the ball. He can stick to BPA.

 

[bears26]

Also, I think posters should realize that rookie WRs (even if drafted in the 1st round), likely won’t be starting for awhile.

Agree, this is why the WR position will be addressed in free agency with compliments added during the draft. Bears will add at least to above average receivers are my thoughts.

 

[Myk]

Also, I think posters should realize that rookie WRs (even if drafted in the 1st round), likely won’t be starting for awhile.

Or be good when they do.
That's why Pace's rebuild strategy of cutting the QB before getting the QB even with the contract hamstringing him was stupid. WRs should've been getting replaced as he was getting rid of them. Then if he wanted to plug and play a drafted QB it would make some sense.
Constantly putting us in a position of need before addressing the needs is not how you are free to go BPA. Like chess he should be a couple moves ahead. Unlike chess he is the only one he has to plan for.

Unless we really pay out in FA it will be 2019 before we can't hope for lights out offense.

 

[dabears70]

Watkins has had some nagging injuries, but in his first two years he missed only 3 total games and averaged 1000+ yards and 7.5 TDs. Those are low level #1 numbers.

His third season sucked and he was hurt all year but this year there doesn't seem to be much issue.

I wouldn't be surprised if he resigned with LAR. They have a ton of cap space. But they also have some free agents they need to sign and Donald is going to get a blockbuster deal this summer as well.

He's already made comments about the amount of targets he gets so depending on if he starts getting more looks or not the rest of the year might be the deciding factor on whether or not he re-signs with the Rams.