(06-13-2022, 09:17 PM)NYC4jags Wrote:

(06-13-2022, 08:15 PM)Bullseye Wrote: Bigger slot WRs aren't exactly a new concept, FWIW, nor should their increased use.

Buffalo's Andre Reed did a lot of damage from inside while Don Beebe and James Lofton worked outside with the late 80s-early 1990s Bills.

A little more recently, at 6-4, Chris Henry was a very dangerous deep threat as a slot WR for the Bengals when they also featured Carson Palmer at QB with Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmanzadeh outside.

Early in his career, Dallas' Ceedee Lamb started out as a bigger slot.  With the departure of guys like Cooper, I think Lamb will be primarily an outside guy.

Offenses are going to try anything that could give them a matchup advantage.  If that means employing a bigger guy inside, and going against the paradigm of smaller receivers like Wes Welker playing slot, so be it.

The increase in production from slot receivers has been trending up for sometime and that's why I'm attempting (apparently poorly) to point out the flaw in saying "he's just a slot guy." 

Also, the notion that slot receivers aren't as valuable and shouldn't be paid similarly to Xs and Zs is going the way of the dinosaur soon enough. 

Here's an article from 6 years ago that was saying the same thing in 2016. Time marches on and we'll see slot receivers' money get much closer to top tier X and Z guys. 

https://www.sbnation.com/2016/8/1/122457...ts-numbers

I think the biggest reason is teams don't run 2 WR sets as much anymore so the majority of the time there will be at least 3 WRs on the field so the numbers will be better.  I don't hate the Kirk signing I just thought he was a bit overpaid but it don't look nowhere near as bad with these big WR contracts given out.  He was signed more on potential and what they think he can do more than what he has already done.  With that said I think TL will make WRs better and Kirk will have a career year along with Shenault.  Marvin Jones will get his regular 900+ yards 8 TDs

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