A Tale of Two Cities – the NFC WRs: Same Player, New Destination. Who stands to improve?

There were plenty of off season moves this year, but not all of them put players in better situations. Here, I take a look at the either  improved or still stagnant chances of  veteran wide receivers in their new homes.

Allen Hurns, Jacksonville -> Dallas: I distinctly remember what a brisk breath of fresh air Hurns was for fantasy when he started his career tearing off huge plays for Jacksonville with startling consistency. I also remember his descent back to earth as the receiving corps became more crowded and the field was shortened for a struggling Blake Bortles. Now a Cowboy, the herd has been thinned again for Hurns and, as it stands, he’s their best proven receiver. The offense will undoubtedly run through Zeke Elliott, but Hurns will play a major role for the foreseeable future. He could very well post WR2 numbers all season.

 

Mike Wallace, Baltimore -> Philadelphia: I think people are sleeping on Wallace who posted almost 750 yards and 4 TDs on a much worse offense than the Eagles’ last season. He’ll be sharing the stage with Nelson Agholor and Alshon Jeffery, both of whom are good but not dominating of a receiving corps. Also, though they are about the same age, Jeffery has missed 11 games over the past 3 years with nagging injuries while Wallace has missed only 2 games over his 9 year career. Wallace is no Torrey Smith, the player he replaced, so he’s not going to disappear for stretches. He’s going to be viable all season.

 

Paul Richardson, Seattle -> Washington D.C.: Though it may seem like Richardson is coming into more prominence in his new home of Washington, I find it unlikely that he’ll be as useful as he was in Seattle his last season there. He’s got Crowder, Doctson, Reed, and Thompson to contend with for targets, and he’s got a QB in Alex Smith who has made his career based on the throws he doesn’t make. Unless Smith decides to key in on Richardson as his Tyreek Hill for the season, don’t expect much consistency from the speedster.

 

Jarvis Landry, Miami -> Cleveland: There’s no contest here, geographically speaking, as Cleveland doesn’t have anything resembling a beach that I am aware of, but could Landry become the offensive force he was always on the verge of becoming in his new home? Well, probably not. He was top dog in Miami, but in Cleveland he’s going to have to contend with Gordon, Coleman, Njoku and Johnson for his looks now. His best hope is to turn into a safety blanket for Tyrod Taylor, who is likely to be under duress a good portion of his time under center. I don’t feel like Landry will be the man he was in Miami, and I’m drafting him accordingly.

 

Taylor Gabriel, Atlanta -> Chicago: Gabriel always seemed like a well of untapped potential in Atlanta, but in the shadow of Julio Jones, he never quite broke out there like I’d hoped. In Chicago, he’s currently second fiddle again, but to Allen Robinson this time, with a hopeful Anthony Miller creeping up behind him. On paper things seem slightly better for Gabriel’s chances, but then he won’t have the QB in Mitch Trubisky that he had in Matt Ryan, and maybe that’s not a bad thing as Trubisky may be less attached to one player than Ryan is Jones. Gabriel’s biggest boost is his new coach Matt Nagy, who turned Tyreek Hill into the pint-sized powerhouse he is today. The news that the Bears will depend on RB Jordan Howard less also helps his chances.

 

Kendall Wright, Chicago -> Minnesota: Wright was quietly productive last season in Chicago with 614 yards on 59 receptions, and he steps into a primary role on a Minnesota team that may boast one of the best offenses in the NFL this year. Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs are both going to get theirs, but Wright has sneaky potential to have his best season in 5 years as the slot man for Kirk Cousins. He’s going to have value wherever you take him in the draft, as you aren’t going to need to pick him up before the 2nd to last round in most cases.

 

Brandin Cooks, New England -> Los Angeles: It might seem like Cooks is a no brainer WR1 in his new home in Los Angeles, but Cooks has had the benefit of playing with two Hall of Fame QBs over the span of his short career. Jared Goff is not in the ballpark of a Drew Brees or Tom Brady, and neither of his previous teams had a workhorse like Todd Gurley either. He also doesn’t yet have the rapport with his QB that Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp already possess. For these reasons I’m not yet sold on Cooks having the success he’s had in the past. He’s still going to be boom or bust as far as I can tell.

 

Cameron Meredith, Chicago -> New Orleans: If Meredith had played a full 16 games last season, there’s a good chance he would’ve topped 1,000 yards in Chicago. He played 14 though, and hit 888 yards. I don’t see this happening in New Orleans, where he joins Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn as the third starting receiver in the mix, with all of them falling in behind Alvin Kamara. Also, all of them are over 6 feet, making them each viable in the end-zone, thus canceling each other out to some effect. It’s going to be difficult to predict who gets the bulk of receptions on any given Sunday now.

 

Brice Butler, Dallas -> Arizona: The Cowboys inexplicably let Butler go at the time they needed him most, and Arizona ran away with him. Averaging over 17 yards per catch over the last two seasons, Butler makes for an intriguing option on the outside opposite Christian Kirk. There will be plenty of opportunities for him to thrive as a Cardinal, and I foresee Butler having the best season of his career in 2018. An 800+ yard, 5 TD+ season is within reach.