The Buffalo Bills receiving corps is a precipitously bare cupboard in 2018.
That much is pretty evident heading into the bye week. Through 10 games, just one Buffalo wideout has a game in which he accounted for over 100 receiving yards. And it’s not Kelvin Benjamin. It was Robert Foster who did so in the Bills’ most recent game which was also the team’s best performance of the season, a 41-10 pasting of the New York Jets.
What’s telling about the offensive explosion fans witnessed last Sunday was that Benjamin wasn’t a part of it. Despite seeing three targets, he didn’t make a single catch. That’s something that can’t be said about Dion Dawkins, who lined up as an eligible receiver and caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter. When the team’s starting left tackle is catching balls and you aren’t, your perception as an impact pass-catcher is tanking faster than Jon Gruden‘s Oakland Raiders.
Benjamin is one of many looming unrestricted free agents at the wide receiver position. And it certainly won’t be surprising if the Bills let him walk given the less than savory numbers he’s put up thus far. It highlights the fact that Buffalo’s receiving corps needs a significant makeover in the upcoming off-season. Though there are a few promising players on the existing roster, there will be quite a few new faces next year acquired via the draft and free agency.
Here, the focus is on the latter category. A few players set to hit free agency are intriguing and have the potential to become go-to targets in year two of the Josh Allen era. With the Bills enjoying over $92 million in cap space, the opportunity is there to add a big name. Here are some who make sense.
Buffalo Bills Receiving Corps: A Look at Potential Free Agent Additions in 2019
Tyrell Williams
In many respects, Tyrell Williams is a similar receiver to Benjamin. Both are big-bodied targets with traits that make them capable of taking the top off a defense. A perusal of NFL’s Next Gen Stats makes this apparent. The pair ranks sixth and seventh respectively in average targeted air yards which measures how far downfield they are on average when the quarterback throws the ball in their direction.
But unlike Benjamin, Williams actually hauls in those targets on a consistent basis. His 72.22 percent catch percentage (catches/targets) ranks 23rd among NFL receivers/tight ends. Meanwhile, Benjamin is catching a minuscule 35.71 percent of passes thrown his way. That’s the second-worst total in the league among those with a minimum of 28 targets. It’s also historically atrocious. Should that number not improve, it would be the second-worst among receivers who’ve seen at least 90 targets in a season (he’s on pace for 91) since 1992.
It’s a big reason why it’s only in Buffalo’s best interest to part ways with Benjamin once the season concludes. Williams has the potential to step in and make an immediate impact. Among Allen’s most noteworthy traits is his cannon for an arm. Optimizing that element of his game is crucial moving forward. Adding a deep threat like Williams to the roster this off-season will invariably help in that regard.
Courtland Sutton is in top-3 of wide receivers for YPC (Yards Per Catch). Denver plays Los Angeles Chargers this week. Chargers have two in top-4: Tyrell Williams and Mike Williams. pic.twitter.com/ho4aARtERQ
— 𝘾𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧 (@CameronParkerPO) November 14, 2018
Golden Tate
The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles made headlines ahead of the trade deadline when they acquired Golden Tate from the Detroit Lions. His arrival served as an upgrade to a receiving corps becoming too overly reliant on the prowess of tight end Zach Ertz. But there’s no guarantee that he remains in Philly beyond this season since he’s an impending free agent.
Before the trade, Tate managed three touchdown passes and two games of 100+ receiving yards with the Lions. Though he was fairly quiet in his debut with Eagles last Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, that’s likely to change as he familiarizes himself with the nuances of the offense. His skill set is unique and centers around how dynamic he is in space and after the catch. And he does a lot of damage as a slot receiver.
WR’s Receiving YPG from slot:
1. JuJu Smith-Schuster, 69.2
2. Adam Thielen, 59.3
3. Tyler Boyd, 53.9
4. Golden Tate, 48.1
5. Julian Edelman, 47.3
6. Michael Thomas, 46.6
7. Dede Westbrook, 45.7
8. Tyreek Hill, 45.5
9. AJ Green, 45.1— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) November 14, 2018
Much like Williams’ deep threat ability, Tate’s elusiveness shows up in Next Gen Stats. The ninth-year man out of Notre Dame is one of 19 NFL receivers outperforming their expected yards after catch per reception by more than a yard. This indicates how exceptional he is making players miss and wiggling out of would-be tackles. His skill set would be a welcome addition to the roster. That’s especially true given that not a single Bills receiver is exceeding expectations when it comes to yards after catch per reception.
John Brown
One of the more underrated free agency acquisitions of the previous off-season is the Baltimore Ravens adding John Brown. The 28-year-old signed essentially a one-year “prove it” deal after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Arizona Cardinals. He’s proceeded to lead the Ravens in both receiving yards (601) and touchdown catches (4) this year.
Brown possesses an ability to win balls deep down the field that belies his size. At just 5’11” and 178 pounds, he doesn’t immediately come across as someone his quarterback trusts with deep balls. But that’s exactly what Joe Flacco has in Brown. His 17.7 yards per catch ranks second in the league behind only DeSean Jackson among players with at least 50 targets. It lends credence to the notion that the Ravens haven’t had such a big-play threat since Steve Smith.
John Brown has made a huge impact for the Ravens offense.https://t.co/92MUK0cHiG pic.twitter.com/fQVO1hGI6q
— PFF (@PFF) October 24, 2018
The Ravens are a bit of a mess right now and there are legitimate questions about John Harbaugh‘s future with the team. But Brown has certainly been a bright spot and, as a result, he should be one of the more sought-after free agents this off-season. With wide receiver an obvious need for the Bills, the front office needs to have Brown on their short list of potential additions.
Devin Funchess
Both Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane are in their current roles after successful stints with the Carolina Panthers. Part of their roster construction strategy has involved bringing former Panthers up to Buffalo. Obviously, Benjamin’s been an unmitigated disaster. And the jury’s still out on whether or not giving Star Lotulelei a massive multi-year contract was a good idea. So targeting a player such as Devin Funchess in free agency certainly comes with some risk.
The fourth-year pass-catcher out of Michigan assumed the role of feature receiver when the Bills acquired Benjamin. He certainly emerged as Cam Newton‘s favorite target last year. Funchess led Carolina with 840 receiving yards and finished as one of 18 receivers to find the end zone eight or more times. In 2018, he’s on pace for similar yardage numbers but needs to pick up the pace from a touchdown standpoint as he has just three so far.
Devin Funchess just doesn't get enough credit for taking massive steps the last two seasons.
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) October 21, 2018
Perhaps the biggest criticism of Funchess is his inability to consistently prevail in contested catch situations. It results in him not playing to his size. Similar to Benjamin, he also struggles to create consistently big windows for Newton to throw into. Only 11 receivers have an average separation per route run that’s lower than his 2.3 yards, per Next Gen Stats. Those shortcomings play a part in inhibiting his ceiling. That said, he is in line for some semblance of a raise from his $1.756 million cap number in 2018. For the Bills, it could be a case of buyer beware.
Last Word
Truth be told, this isn’t exactly a star-studded group of looming free agents. The player with the highest current annual contract value per year among them is Larry Fitzgerald, who may call it a career at the end of the season. Randall Cobb is also another prominent name, but his production’s taken a hit this year and he’s having problems staying healthy. There are definitely receivers other than the above four set to hit the open market that could draw interest from the Bills. Through it all, one thing is certain. This receiving corps needs a significant off-season retooling to maximize Josh Allen’s talent. It’s an immensely important component towards Buffalo becoming playoff caliber once again.
