David Bell Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs: Taking Up the High Road to St. Joe! – Sammy Watkins

David Bell June 23, 2019 No Comments Gallery

Chiefs: Taking up the High Road to St. Joe – Sammy Watkins!: it all started some time ago when Profootballtalk did a write up on Sammy and what he was trying to accomplish in 2019. Let’s  start with that article as a frame of reference:

Folks in K.C. are talking to others around the league — coaches, pundits, etc — and they are talking about WR’s and the fact that the Tyreek Hill fiasco will have an effect. That effect can have a beneficial aspect and a detrimental one but it appears to me from all that I am able to garner,that the Kansas City Chiefs have a WR stepping… up and in… without regard to Hill or draftee Mecole Hardman or anyone else but his own work this past offseason to get ready for 2019.

The Chiefs have a lot of talent, but it is all young and inexperienced talent, and with Hill’s status remaining illusive, Sammy Watkins was needed to come in and take on more than just simply being a good player on a team: he’s done all of that.

Hill will return and is important to the leadership of the Chiefs. Unfortunately, he is unable to be there to perform any part of that leadership and is MIA on the field, in the club house, as well as in the playbook. Hill’s physical presence was also a part of the excellence that is becoming part of the Chiefs mystique, with speed being crucially important.

Enter Sammy Watkins

With the uncertainty of Hill’s return, the Chiefs needed to have a WR step to the fore and that has been Sammy Watkins. He is the a big positive according to the Chiefs coaching staff as witnessed by the basic NFL Insider conversation.

Sammy Watkins will take on the role of over the top #1 WR. We won’t know until we get into the season and see how quickly Mecole Hardman can come along. What is necessary is for Watkins to verbally become a leader and teacher in the locker room? He has to encourage and motivate the young guys because until Hill does return, Watkins is going to have to step it up in multiple ways. Everything I have read, seen or heard thus far into the offseason and OTSs, explains why I should believe that Watkins is the real deal… and is already leading the Chiefs WR Room.

What to know about Watkins Offseason

-As viewed by others and Sammy himself

1. Watkins has become a leader on and off the field. It is said that he has been very interactive with the young players on the Chiefs such as Robinson, Hardman and Pringle. The coaches have noticed and have made public statements about how Watkins has emerged as a clubhouse leader for the WR room. The pundits and analysts have had quite a lot to say and it is enough to have so many of them writing about it be note worth.

Charles Goldman, USA Today Chiefs WIre had a very nice piece on Sammy, observing that as the Senior member of the WR room he is embracing the leadership role. Read More here:

That article deals with the important of having a top player of the position provide the guidance and education in and out of the clubhouse and Watkins is doing it with many. Thumbs up!

James Palmer had a view of Watkins in mini-camp:

2. Pundits, observers, authors alike, have all stated that Watkins has become a natural captain of the WR room. This is becoming more readily apparently daily. See Ryan Tracy, of Rogue Analytics, for his latest on Sammy here:

 

 

3. We knew that Watkins had speed but has suffered injuries. From the OTA’s as witnessed by the staff, Watkins is playing the game at a high level right out of the gate: he was trained and ready from the start, and in great condition. A view of Watkins from Receiver School from the Chiefs Mini-Camp:

4. Staff has observed that Watkins appears to have gained muscle mass and decreased the level of fat in his system.

5. Watkins is playing a high speed, right now:

6. Watkins and Pat Mahomes (PM2) are hard at it, prepping for the season with Sammy serving as his #1 target for the #1 QB. See here:

7. Watkins himself said he was in the best condition of his life and he was ready to go hard at it as soon as he arrived. He stated he did not take much time off and did continuous training all offseason to prepare for opening day. He has stated that he worked to be in condition and ready for a tough football season and to be prepared for the punishment, and avoid injury. We’ll see about that.

Realistic Caveats (there’s only one)

Watkins broke into the NFL in 2014 and had a very good season in 2015, his second year, with 1,049 yards receiving and 9 TD’s. Unfortunately he has had injuries which held him out of games in 2016 through 2018. What is necessary is for the observer to buy into the fact that Watkins can overcome the injury bug and be a factor for all 16 games?

I did not wish to avoid that worry about injuries so here is a view of that and how good he is, which I think covers this caveat:

Summing It Up

Watkins is a high quality wideout capable of being a #1 WR. His ascendance is greatly important to the Chiefs but also to Pat Mahomes and the young wideouts who are working to emerge as NFL players of import. Watkins has the speed to break over the top, with solid route running and the ability to be a possession receiver who will contest passes, make the catches in traffic all the while providing leadership to the younger players. He has the speed and hands to fulfill a role for K.C. upon Hill’s return which is to be a perfect compliment in talent. For the Chiefs? This gives them a solid 1-2-3-4 receiver group for Pat Mahomes: an over the top WR, a possession compliment, a TE that is a constant threat in the slot or crossing routes or up the seam with RB’s that can catch the ball and get yards after catch. I like this very much, although to be perfected is dependent on Hill’s return… or Hardman’s development.

There is a good opportunity to read about how Watkins stepped up and had a great season with Tyrod Taylor in 2015. See the story here:

Watkins stepping up will indeed be a crucially important factor, especially early on as the young players are developing and Hill’s absence leaves an leadership opening. With a WR room that consists of Hill, Watkins, Hardman, Robinson, and Pringle (and a cast of very talented young WR’s in back of the front 5), the Chiefs are in good shape to truly achieve a dominance via the aerial game that few teams could muster. Paul Pulley’s article on the WR’s in Camp is an important view of the capability of the Chiefs receiver group. Review that offering from Paul Pulley –> here:

I agree with his assessment that it is a top crew with or without Hill. I don’t wish to get into Hill and his return and when that will be and how many games suspended, etc. We go with what we have and the Chiefs have a WR taking the high road to St. Joe, Sammy Watkins.

My last view of this is similar to that of Nate Taylor’s, who writes about the Kansas City Chiefs for “The Athletic.” I have written many times about the fine articles of Seth Keysor who is also writing for The Athletic and Nate Taylor’s articles are top stuff. Taylor posted the following short piece about Watkins and it goes into who Watkins is… addresses his health, covering the progress by rookie draftee, Mecole Hardman, and how he views his QB, Pat Mahomes. Well worth the listen.

No matter how you feel about monies and players and decisions, you cannot state that Watkins is not working hard to take on the Chiefs #1 role for a WR… and that is needed for this WR group. What Watkins is offering is an important piece of the puzzle.

I have bought in: win, lose or draw. How about you?

David Bell – ArrowheadOne

 

 

 

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