Gamecube agrees 100%
Cody Jacobson’s question: spot on! And the response? Equally as spot on! I equate MVS to Geronimo Allison who played for the Packers from 2016-2019. Allison’s highest reception count was 34 and highest yardage total was 303 yards. (MVS’s 2020 yardage total was boosted by 78-yard, 72-yard, and 52-yard touchdown receptions. Once you are already behind the secondary and out into the open, it’s a lot easier to convert a 36-yard reception into a 76-yard TD). Every year – ’17, ’18, and ’19 – people kept on thinking he (Allison) was going to break out and take advantage of his position in playing with one of the best QBs out there. Didn’t happen. Maybe he’s just not good enough? I have the same feeling about MVS, especially now he’s playing with ANOTHER great QB, has opportunity, has a contract screaming “EXPECTATIONS!” and we’ll see what he does. If you own him and can find anybody that has bought into those things, I’d take advantage of it and sell.
Were Allison and MVS bad in Green Bay? Or does Aaron Rodgers only force the ball to the 2-3 players he trusts no matter how open others may be?
MVS career catch rate of 49.8% says it all. Rodgers has elite ball placement, especially on deep throws. I think he got paid to stretch the field and open things underneath for reliable targets like Kelce and JuJu. I can see Watson outproducing MVS in his rookie year, and also Watkins if he stays healthy.
EDIT: I mixed up GB and KC depth charts. Meant to say Skyy Moore, not Christian Watson. And Sammy Watkins is also I’m GB.
I would say the two go hand-in-hand. We define “bad” to mean not consistent, incorrectly running routes, or dropping passes and that’s translates into trust or a lack thereof. Here are both of their drop %’s:
Allison ’18: 3 drops, 10% ’19: 5 drops 9.1%
MVS ’18: 5 drops, 6.8% ’19: 3 drops, 5.4% ’20: 7 drops, 11.1%
In reference to the 15 drops of MVS mentioned here, some were BAD. I mean bad as in the sense he was essentially wide open and the ball simply went through his hands. While I agree completely with what “Appreciate Reader” says below, I would mention if that’s MVS’s purpose in KC, that’s AWFULLY expensive to me. I have no idea what MVS’s market was and even though the Chiefs may escape after one season, 15 million guaranteed is a massive overpay IMHO. They could (should) have gotten him for the same contract but with far less guaranteed money.
I completely agree. When I say he got paid to stretch the field, I mean that’s what I think will be the biggest benefit. KC certainly paid (and hopes) for more, but I don’t see MVS being a more effective player because of $15m guaranteed. Even if we see Mahomes trust him more than Rodgers was willing to and his production increases, I still expect JuJu to get fed a sizable share of targets.
Brian Robinson over Christian Watson. Oh dear. Oh deaarrrrrrrrrrr
Love your articles, Tyler. I think Hurst’s potential is always bubbling beneath the surface and that he’d be a reliable backend TE1 in the right situation (see 2020; TE9 in PPR). No one’s beating out Mandrews or Pitts. That’s tough luck, just like landing in CIN where Burrow isn’t looking to TE very often. The position needs 5+ targets a game to be productive which is unlikely to happen in CIN where they have a solid run game and two elite WRs. While I have to agree that he is not a valuable dynasty asset – currently – I do think he’s better than Uzomah. If CIN moves to a pass-heavy offense or he ends up as a featured player elsewhere, he has the skills to be a valuable asset again. I’m holding for another year or two in my TE-prem leagues, where I have space.
