Kansas City Chiefs: Jeremy Maclin is Most Important Player

The Kansas City Chiefs receiving corps last season was a mess. In fact, as a whole the Chiefs wide receiver position combined only for a total of 129 receptions for 1,588 yards and were held out of the end zone all season long. Those totals were the combined production from seven different players. The Chiefs receivers clearly had some issues last season, and the position clearly needed some attention over the off season.

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After a career year of 85 receptions for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chiefs wasted no time by signing Jeremy Maclin to a five-year, $55 million contract early in the free agency period this off season. Dwayne Bowe and the other Chiefs’ receivers had a very tough time of simply getting open last season. With his impressive combination of speed, quickness and route running ability, getting open has never been an issue for Maclin.

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This major free agent addition not only gives the Chiefs a much-needed number one options at the wide receiver position, it unites Maclin with a coaching staff that he had a lot of success with in Philadelphia. Maclin spent the first four years of his career under current Chiefs’ head coach Andy read when they were both with Eagles.

Maclin is also reunited with his former wide receivers coach David Culley, and offensive coordinator Doug Pederson was the Eagles’ QB coach at that time. That is just the beginning too. Between other position coaches, training staff members and the strength and conditioning staff, there will be a lot of familiar faces for Maclin. As you can see in the table below, Maclin had a ton of success under this regime straight out of college and through the first four years of his career.

Games	Receiving
Year	Age	Tm	Pos	No.	G	GS	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Y/R	TD	Lng	R/G	Y/G
2009	21	PHI	WR	18	15	13	91	56	773	13.8	4	56	3.7	51.5
2010	22	PHI	WR	18	16	16	115	70	964	13.8	10	83	4.4	60.3
2011	23	PHI	WR	18	13	13	96	63	859	13.6	5	59	4.8	66.1
2012	24	PHI	WR	18	15	15	122	69	857	12.4	7	70	4.6	57.1

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table

Clearly, Maclin had a lot of success with this coaching staff in the past, and I fully expect it to continue going forward. In fact, Maclin is the single most important player on the Chiefs’ roster heading in to the 2015 season. You may think I have lost my mind for saying that, but simply look at the gap in proven talent between Maclin and the rest of the Chiefs’ receivers.

Albert Wilson impressed late last season, and he may end up becoming a good number two option, but the deck is stacked against him as he stands 5-foot-8. Rookie Chris Conley has all of the physical tools to be a star, but he is completely unproven, and he disappeared a majority of the time in college. Maclin is a proven number one receivers who has had a ton of success in Reid’s system, the difference between him and the other receivers on the roster is massive.

Dec 21, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Albert Wilson (12) runs after a catch as Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback

William Gay

(22) defends during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

What about Justin Houston, you say? Houston is arguably the best outside pass rusher in the entire NFL. Nobody is going to replace him, but Dee Ford is a legitimate first-round talent who would step up and fill in admirably. The gap between Maclin and the other receivers is wider than the gap between Houston and Ford. Same with Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis, Alex Smith and Chase Daniel and any other starter/back-up combination you can come up with.

Simply put, Maclin gives the Chiefs a legitimate outside threat in the passing game, and for an offense who has not been able throw outside with any sort of regularity in recent seasons, that is absolutely massive.

Maclin is a deep threat who also excels in the short and intermediate passing game. His role in the Chiefs’ offense is going to be huge, and his skills as a receiver are absolutely invaluable. If there is one player who the Chiefs can ill-afford to lose, it is Maclin.

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