This roster may have gone from one of the least talented in the NFL to one of the most talented, at least at the skill-positions, but it is full of injury concerns and unrealized potential. Rueben Randle, the former talented-but-inconsistent Giants' wideout. Markus Wheaton, the former troubled-but-talented Steelers' receiver. Victor Cruz, the former Giants' star wideout who hasn't played a full season since 2012. Kendall Wright, the former Titans' 1st-round pick who hasn't played a full season since 2013. Kevin White, the former Bears' 1st-round pick who has only played in four NFL games. His competition this year includes all kinds of big names who need to prove themselves: Meredith looks to be something special: he has the size (6'3, 207 lbs) to succeed as a WR1, is only 24 years old, and has a year of success despite playing on one of the worst rosters in the NFL. Then, as a part of the Chicago Bears, he led all players in receiving yards during the 2016 season, despite the quarterback carousel throwing the ball to him (Cutler, Barkley, and Hoyer). Meredith is a great feel-good story: a college quarterback-turned-wideout, he had a good senior year, but went undrafted anyways. PFF Grade/Rank: 74.5 (53rd among qualifying WR's) In other words, outside of force-feeding the ball to David Johnson (which they will definitely do), the Cardinals actual receiving options are limited, and Nelson may be the most immediate option to step up and fit the bill. Jaron Brown isn't much of a breakout candidate either, considering that he has never surpassed 250 yards in a season over his four seasons with the team. John Brown, as previously mentioned, regressed severely last season (from 1,003 receiving yards in 2015 to 517 receiving yards in 2016), and may continue to struggle with health issues. That shouldn't be worrisome when the rest of his teammates are considered: Larry Fitzgerald, the future HOF receiver, had a lower catch rate than his previous season, averaged the lowest YPC of his career, and will turn 34 this year. His catch rate doesn't look good, but when we let the stats speak for themselves, we discover that his yards per reception ranks among the top-10 in the league among qualifying receivers, and his deep-threat status will likely relegate him to a lower catch rate than most wideouts in future seasons as well. Last year, while John Brown (the other young and talented Cardinals wideout) regressed from his 1,003 receiving yards in 2015 (in large part due to health issues), Nelson was targeted nearly three times as much and almost doubled his total yards from the previous season. Nelson is not as recognizable as many other wide receivers, and will likely be overlooked, which is where his potential value comes in. PFF Grade/Rank: 69.1 (73rd among qualifying WR's) It does indeed look like Shanahan can pull off another great statistical season with Garcon, no matter who plays under center. Oh, and in case you're curious which quarterbacks started games for him during those seasons, they included Matt Shaub, Sage Rosenfels, Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman, John Beck, Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel, Connor Shaw, and Matt Ryan. Shanahan has also had success with other WR1's who play in his schemes (see: Andre Johnson, Santana Moss, Jabar Gaffney, Andrew Hawkins, Julio Jones), and given those players' general statistical success when he was their coordinator/coach, hope for a good season from Garcon isn't so farfetched. Though he was injured in 2012 and only played in 10 games (some with injuries), he was on his way to over 1,000 yards, and accomplished that feat in 2013 with his best statistical season to date (184 targets, 113 receptions, 1,346 yards). Nonetheless, there is reason for optimism: during both the 20 NFL seasons, Kyle Shanahan (the 49ers new head coach) was the Redskins' offensive coordinator, and Garcon was the Redskins WR1. The 49ers are in rebuilding mode, have big questions at the quarterback position, and generally are not regarded as a fantasy football goldmine.Īlso, Garcon will be 31 years old this year (in his 10th season in the league) with a new team, and has only surpassed 1,000 reception yards twice in his career. If you're scoffing at Garcon making this list, you're not alone. PFF Grade/Rank: 85.8 (8th among qualifying WR's)
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