Wide receivers are active on AFC teams. feel Just like they could (been) a Super Bowl contender heading into the NFL trade deadline. All of these trades were very fresh and didn’t have much time before they started on the field, but their It’s still worth considering what the prospects are.
Diontae Johnson is the perfect addition for the Ravens
Baltimore acquired Diontae Johnson from the Panthers this week in a pick swap on the third day of the draft (actually, the Ravens acquired Johnson for free). This was a smart move by a team that tends to give arguably the best offense in the NFL the most complete wide receiver room the Ravens have had since the Lamar Jackson era. With this spot strengthened, the Ravens offense is ready to chase that Super Bowl appearance that will forever elude them, with Jackson leading the way.
It’s probably unlikely that Johnson will be a monster target. Zai Flowers and Rashod Bateman are entrenched starters. Mark Andrews and Isaiah Retries are established starters at tight end. It’s not like Johnson is going to Baltimore to be a big leader in terms of production for this offense, as this offense already has a ton of mouths to feed. This is an ancillary benefit that they essentially get for free.
Johnson is here to upgrade some of the reps Nelson Aghoroa had on the field and give them a top-level WR3 who will be a more reliable threat for defenses. The team was able to acquire Johnson, who has been an excellent receiver throughout his career, because he had contracted a potentially fatal form of pantelitis. While many NFL players have been injured in North Carolina this year due to pantelitis, Johnson was one of the biggest losers in this regard. Johnson is having the worst season of his career, with his expected points added per target, yards per route run, yards after the catch per reception, and receiving percentage all at the lowest or second-lowest of his career. are.
Still, there’s reason to believe this is just a coincidence and that Johnson will return to being a productive player with the Ravens. Johnson had the most efficient year of his career with the Steelers last year with Kenny Pickett at quarterback. if he plays well that Offensively, being a good player for the Ravens is within reach.
There won’t be a lot of targets available for Johnson here, but as long as he can produce some productive moments and is a little more dynamic than Agholoa, the Ravens have all the pieces they need (offensively). They should be prepared to make it through the playoffs.
DeAndre Hopkins could be the extra safety blanket the Chiefs need
DeAndre Hopkins recently joined the Chiefs after the Titans decided to trade him for the future, allowing Kansas City to get a much-needed upgrade to their offense.
The Chiefs have been in need for most of the year (the year they won the Super Bowl), and the hope is that Hopkins can at least be a stabilizing force to get the team through some bumps. The hump that people are concerned about about this team.
There are two areas where the Chiefs are weak on offense this season. Turnovers and red zone. According to TruMedia, the Chiefs rank 23rd in red zone touchdown percentage (51.9%) and 29th in drive percentage ending in turnover (15.7%). Aside from that, they are still one of the best offenses in the league and can rely on the running game and the simple fact that they have Patrick Mahomes under center. Hopkins has only played in one game for the Chiefs so far, but his presence appears to be beneficial for the Chiefs going forward.
Hopkins ran only 14 routes against the Raiders and had two catches for 29 yards on three targets. This is a small accomplishment in a vacuum, but it actually shows that the Chiefs and Mahomes are targeting him and making him a valuable member of their offense going forward. Hopkins was one of only two Chiefs players (along with Travis Kelce) to record at least 2 yards per route run, and of all Chiefs players to run at least 10 routes in the win over the Raiders. He ranked third in targets per route run. He also ranked first among these receivers in EPA per target, but again with only three targets.
While this is a very small sample size against a truly awful defense, this sample size shows that Hopkins’ presence could have been greatly missed on the offensive end. Even at 32 years old, he could probably be a huge upgrade in this area and help stabilize some of the margins that were struggling. He’s probably not the ace, alpha No. 1 receiver he once was, but he doesn’t have to be just to stabilize an offense that features the league’s best quarterback.
In other words, the NFL’s best team just got better. They won’t be the most explosive group in the world yet, but they don’t have to be to ultimately achieve their goal. Good luck AFC!
Amari Cooper can still pay dividends for Bills
Amari Cooper has been with the Bills for two weeks and has had mixed results in those two games, but that’s not a bad thing for him or the Bills.
In his first game free from Browns territory, Cooper scored a touchdown and gained 66 yards on five targets in a blowout win over the Titans. He only had one catch for 3 yards against the Seahawks this week, but the Bills didn’t need him just to crush Seattle on the road. This is the kind of receiver that would be perfect for the Bills to add at the moment. He’s a veteran receiver that you can get when you need him, but he’s not essential to your game plan.
Cooper suffered the same pain that other Browns receivers had before he was traded: playing with the worst quarterback in the league. Cooper averaged 4.7 yards per target playing alongside Deshaun Watson, but that number has already jumped to 9.9 yards per target in Buffalo. In a much smaller sample size, Cooper has shown that his ability hasn’t really dropped since last year, and he’s just in a better situation playing with one of the league’s best passers in Josh Allen.
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The trade gives the Bills a reliable target on the outside and young receivers like Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman to add speed to their offense and add to a team aiming for a Super Bowl this year. This isn’t the most complicated idea in the world, just a stable veteran presence with a chance to shine when football gets tougher and experience with the league’s best players matters in the postseason.
It remains to be seen whether this Bills team has everything it takes to win a title, considering they were defeated by the Ravens earlier this season. Still, this is a useful addition for them and they will likely need to rely on Cooper at certain points. This is an incredibly balanced offense, led by a quarterback who is playing MVP-caliber football this season. Let’s take a look at what happened in January. Because that’s when this deal will be truly appreciated.
Davante Adams trade is good but not enough
Unless the Jets can achieve a big record like a 10-game winning streak, their season will be incredibly over, but it’s not for lack of trying. They’ve poured a huge amount of resources into this roster, and one of their most recent acquisitions is former Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, who apparently has a long relationship with Aaron Rodgers dating back to their days in Green Bay. It’s in Whatever the reason, so far Rodgers and Adams are just fine with each other, making this a low-impact move that could ultimately help the Jets get the win they need to save their season. It just wasn’t there.
Over the past two weeks, Rodgers and Adams’ relationship has had middling results. Of the seven Jets players who ran at least 10 routes in Weeks 7 and 8, Adams ranked second behind Garrett Wilson in targets (15) and tied for first in routes run (68). are. Despite all this activity, the actual results were not very good. Adams ranks fourth in yards per route run (1.24), last in expected points added per route run (-0.09), sixth in first downs and touchdowns per target (26.7%) and in target completion percentage. Ranked 5th (40%).
This is a multifaceted issue. Rodgers is recovering from an Achilles injury and, at 40 years old, is clearly well past his prime, and Adams is not a viable No. 1 wide receiver at this point in his career. Still, the point of this trade for the Jets was to get a top QB/WR combo and hit the ground running to turn their season around. They were 2-4 at the time the trade was made. They are currently 2-6, wasting an incredibly expensive season.
There’s still a chance for this personal connection to turn around and have some great moments in the waning years of his career, but as far as actual wins go, this season is over. If Rodgers decides to come back and play another season, he might get another shot in 2025, but it’s too late for now.
At least there will always be Adams’ tackle on Beanie Bishop’s interception against the Steelers. no one can take that away from them.
