Chiefs receiver depth chart rundown
The player pictured above is Chiefs wideout Mark Bradley. After being released by Chicago, Bradley was acquired via a two-year deal for the minimum on October 1. He easily passed Devard Darling and Jeff Webb on the depth chart despite barely knowing the offense. Picking up eight starts down the stretch, Bradley finished with 30 receptions for 380 yards (12.7 YPC) and three scores.
Here is a look at the Chiefs' current receiver depth chart:
X (split end) - Dwayne Bowe / Terrance Copper / Quinten Lawrence* / Taurus Johnson*
Z (flanker) - Mark Bradley / Devard Darling / Jeff Webb / C.J. Jones / Rodney Wright
Y (slot) - Bobby Engram
* = rookie
Lawrence, the Chiefs' sixth-round pick out of McNeese State, is only being looked at as a return prospect. Johnson is an undrafted free agent. Wright, Jones, and Copper are special teamers. Webb offers pretty good hands and size, but caught only five passes last season and is a fourth-receiver type.
Kansas City has serious depth issues at wideout and is relying heavily on Bowe, Bradley, and Engram. There is also a massive amount of targets to make up with Tony Gonzalez gone. Gonzalez led all tight ends with 154 passes thrown his way last season. New Chiefs starting TE Brad Cottam will be a blocker.
Top receiver Bowe, playing Larry Fitzgerald's old split end position in new coach Todd Haley's offense, is the most obvious candidate to see increased looks. Engram will also command Matt Cassel's attention.
Bradley, the 39th overall pick out of Oklahoma in 2005, is locked in as a starter and will play the role of Anquan Boldin. Injuries, mostly to his knee, cost Bradley 11 games in his first three seasons and he obviously isn't on Boldin's level as a player. But when healthy he should see 7-10 targets per game. The 27-year-old will be worth drafting in all leagues. He has stayed off the shelf this offseason and has the talent to be a fantasy factor in Haley's shotgun-heavy spread. Bradley is the ideal late-round flier pick; a high-upside WR5.
Comments
2008 WR DVOA (ranks out of 79)
Dwayne Bowe 66
Bobby Engram 76
Mark Bradley 77
2007 DVOA (ranks out of 87)
Jeff Webb 87
Now these guys have a lot of excuses for why they were so bad last year, but Todd Haley and Matt Cassel are going to be in for a real shock when the actual season starts. In order to find a worse receiving situation in the NFL, you'd probably have to go to Chicago. Luckily, Jay Cutler is going to turn those fellas into superstars :)
For 114 drafts on Mock Draft Central in the last 10 days, they have Bobby Engram at 190 and Mark Bradley at 193. I'd take Engram. There's probably no player in the NFL more likely to be injured next year than Bradley, and on the few occasions he's been healthy he's been terrible. Engram may take the group bus from the old folks home to the game each week, but at least he's shown bursts of competence in his career.
Since the Chiefs face a brutal schedule and have no realistic way of moving the ball, it won't be surprising if Dwayne Bowe tops 200 targets this season.
Posted by: The Dude Abides | June 8, 2009 04:43 PM
Todd Haley is a proven receivers genius, having gotten 100- and 97-catch seasons from Marty Booker with the Bears in the early 2000s, back to back career-best (after rookie) years from Terry Glenn in 2005 and 2006 at age 31 and 32, Larry Fitzgerald's best season in 2008, and possibly Boldin's had he not missed five starts.
With the expected upgrade from Croyle/Huard/Thigpen to Matt Cassel and the changing of offenses I'd say it's pretty safe to throw out last year's DVOAs.
Anyways, the point here isn't to discuss who's any good. Bradley has never been mistaken for a good, reliable receiver. It was to lay out the depth chart and point out who could get the targets left by Tony Gonzalez.
Posted by: evan | June 8, 2009 05:15 PM
Also, the more difficult schedule won't adversely affect the receivers' production. in fact, it could lead to more targets and catches if KC is playing from behind.
DVOA is no indication of production or fantasy value. as you point out, bowe's DVOA rank was terrible yet he still finished as the WR16 overall in fantasy.
Posted by: evan | June 8, 2009 05:24 PM
in ppr engram will be a monster if he stay healthy playing the wes welker role
i like mark bradley as a sleeper wr that no one will look at that can win you a few weeks (low risk/high reward)
Posted by: brent | June 9, 2009 12:04 AM
I'm not sure how you can actually put both "engram will be a monster" AND "mark bradley ... can win you a few weeks" in a single post and expect anyone to take you seriously again.
Posted by: Juggs | June 9, 2009 09:00 AM
How many TE targets are really going to be "made up" from losing Gonzalez, though? Mentioning the 154 from last year doesn't make sense to me when there's a new QB and a new OC in Kansas City. Those numbers came from different players in an old scheme.
Posted by: Mark Parisi | June 9, 2009 09:56 AM
i think a lot of the numbers can be thrown out from last year but i think the point silva was making was that someone besides bowe will have a legit fantasy impact this year. i think bradley will do that - when hes healthy. everyone else is a question mark.
Posted by: scott c | June 9, 2009 11:40 AM