John Dorsey: The Chiefs’ Man With A Plan
Aug 28, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (19) is tackled by Tennessee Titans cornerback Coty Sensabaugh (24) in the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Wide Receivers
Then: Dwayne Bowe, Jon Baldwin, Steve Breaston, Dexter McCluster, Terrence Copper, Junior Hemingway, Devon Wylie, Josh Bellamy, Jamaar Newsome
Now: Jeremy Maclin, Albert Wilson, Chris Conley, DeAnthony Thomas, Jason Avant, Frankie Hammond
Reading through the names of the 2012 KC wide receivers is like a stroll down the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. At one time or another the Chiefs Kingdom was really excited about many of the names on that list and one after another they let us down. Dwayne Bowe catches 16 touchdown passes and then becomes the least explosive number one wideout in the NFL.
Jon Baldwin looks like Megatron in training camp only to look like a bumblebee (and not the Transformer version) in games that count. Steve Breaston was supposed to be a savvy veteran presence but somehow managed to create even less separation than Bowe. Devon Wylie was going to be the next Wes Welker until he clearly wasn’t (which didn’t take long) and the list goes on and on.
The Chiefs may not have one of the best wide receiver groups in the NFL, but much like the quarterback position John Dorsey has finally amassed a group of wideouts that you can win with. Jeremy Maclin appears to be the reliable number one target that the Chiefs hoped Bowe would be and behind him they have some promising young talent in Wilson, Thomas, and Conley. Jason Avant appears to be the savvy veteran route runner that KC hoped Breaston would be but at a fraction of the cost.
The Chiefs young receivers still have a lot to prove this season, but even if the supporting cast isn’t significantly better (which I think they will be) just having a true weapon like Maclin is a huge improvement. Score another win for Dorsey.
Next up, the tight ends…..
Next: Tight Ends