During last year’s NFL draft, there was a very deep receiver class, and few players were as polarizing as Dorial Green-Beckham. Green-Beckham is an extremely rare breed of size and speed. However, he is also very raw and will take considerable time to develop, which apparently, the Tennessee Titans had given up on. The Philadelphia Eagles hope that a fresh start is what he needs to develop into the star he is capable of becoming.
Potential Impact of the Dorial Green-Beckham Trade
Green-Beckham’s Abilities
Green-Beckham is a very gifted athlete. He’s enormous too, and at 6’5 and 237 pounds, he’s one of the biggest receivers in the NFL. He clocked a 4.49 forty yard dash at the combine, which is relatively good for his size. All around, his combine measurements weren’t blowing anybody out of the water, but he has superb hands and can catch almost anything thrown at him.
At 6’5″ his catch range is significantly larger than most other receivers. When he gets the ball, he is one of the more explosive players in the league, and he can turn a sure loss into a first down. However, there are also clear issues with him. His routes are sloppy, to say the least. He shows very inconsistent efforts on all sorts of plays. During his time with the Titans, his work ethic was questioned, and this is allegedly one of the reasons the trade went down.
Play Last Season
Green-Beckham displayed rare explosiveness last season with a 17.2 yards per catch average. However he ran rough routes and made a few bad drops, one leading to an interception. It seemed he was mainly used as a vertical threat with the Titans, which makes sense at his height. It’s a role he’ll likely fill again with the Eagles. He finished the 2015 season with 32 catches for 549 yards and four touchdowns on 66 targets. A good portion of those targets were bad throws. However, some of them not being completed is a result of inconsistent effort on Green-Beckham’s part.
Potential Impact
Green-Beckham is most likely going to get significant playing time, with a real shot at the number three spot behind Jordan Matthews and Rueben Randle. Because of his size, he’ll likely see significant targets in the red zone. Even if he isn’t targeted, his size demands double coverage, opening up someone else in the process. It seems highly unlikely that he’ll be a 1,000 yard receiver this season, but he can carve out a meaningful role. He’s still very clearly a work in progress and has a long way to go, but he can become one of the best receivers in the NFL.
Impact of Losing Dennis Kelly
Dennis Kelly may not seem like much, but he was a decent player. He knew what he was doing, and while he wasn’t great at it, he wasn’t awful either. The offensive line was already thin before this trade. It’s reasonable to expect another move from the Eagles to acquire another offensive lineman. A name to keep an eye on is Will Beatty. Beatty has starting experience with NFC East rival New York Giants. With Lane Johnson facing a 10 game suspension for his second P.E.D. infraction, experience will be key.
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