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 ado,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. And he’s a big and strong dude weighing over 200 lbs at only 5’11. 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.
