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(BTW, the link has other rating catagores - some other FAs folks have mentioned are discussed. Tyrod, too.)
"Last week we looked at the Top-10 best receivers at creating separation among the NFL's select group of No. 1 wideouts. That is an exclusive club but we know there are other talented receivers scattered throughout the NFL today.
Many of them will fall on this ranking of separation ability. Some of them are complementary receivers to a No. 1 wideout on their own team, while others are at the top of their depth chart but don't fit the classic mold of a true alpha receiver. Here we will look at the Top 10 No. 2 wide receivers at creating separation using the NFL's Next Gen Stats tracking data. The metric measures the separation between the receiver and the defender on passes where they were targeted.
Note: 100 total targets was the minimum number to be considered a No. 2 receiver and not a No. 3 or lower. However, none of these players saw 100 targets when lined up out wide, as that was the threshold for the No. 1 receiver group."
FAs:
4) Brandon LaFell, Cincinnati Bengals (2.76 separation at target)
Out wide separation: 2.72 (83.2 percent of targets)
Slot separation: 2.21 (14 percent of targets)
Air yards per target: 10.9
We can feel your snickers from here, but look, the Bengals did actually get a solid season as a No. 2 wide receiver out of Brandon LaFell. He even had to step in as the No. 1 toward the end of the season, as he averaged a team-high 8.7 targets per game in the six contests that A.J. Green missed. LaFell averaged 2.76 yards of separation on his targets this year and presented a reasonable option for Andy Dalton. A free agent this offseason, LaFell could conceivably return to the Bengals on a reasonable contract. Should he depart, that would open up a hole at the No. 2 outside spot in Cincinnati. Rookie Tyler Boyd was much more effective on his slot targets (2.75 yards of separation) than when targeted out wide (1.97 yards of separation) in his first pro season, so projecting him to that spot is a bit of a leap of faith.
LaFell's stats last season :
G GS Rec Yds Avg Lg TD 20+ 40+ 1st
16 14 64 862 13.5 86 6 11 4 42
7) Pierre Garcon, Washington Redskins (2.66 separation at target)
Out wide separation: 2.64 (86.8 percent of targets)
Slot separation: 2.78 (47 percent of targets)
Air yards per target: 10.8
The second Washington receiver on this list, Pierre Garcon had an incredibly effective season considering there were rumors he was on the chopping block in training camp. He had his first 1,000-yard season since he led the NFL in receptions back during the 2013 campaign. Garcon is still one of the better route-runners in the NFL, and has seemed to become more savvy as the years have worn on. With 2.64 yards of separation when targeted out wide and leading the team with 114 looks total, he was the clear top outside pass-catcher for Kirk Cousins in 2016. Along with DeSean Jackson, Garcon will see his contract expire this offseason. He could easily return to Washington to make sure they have a contingency plan in place with Josh Doctson coming back from an Achilles injury, or he will prove to be a nice addition for another team searching for a useful veteran receiving body.
Garcon's:
16 16 79 1041 13.2 70 3 15 3 52
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