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Out of nowhere, the Kansas City Chiefs made Jeremy Maclin the first major post-June 1 cut, ending a five-year, $55 million contract after just two seasons, saving $10 million in cap space. That leaves the Chiefs with Tyreek Hill, Albert Wilson, Chris Conley, and I’d be lying if I told you I knew anyone else on Kansas City’s wide receiver depth chart without looking it up.
Maclin played only 12 games last season (having missed four with a groin injury), posting career-lows across the board in terms of catches (44), yards (536), touchdowns (2), and yards per reception (12.2). He ranked 64th in DYAR and 62nd in DVOA, well down from when he was 18th and 24th respectively in his first year with the Chiefs.
Unless there’s something more serious going on beyond cap savings, I’d like to think Maclin will find a new home quickly. He’s not even 30 yet and there are plenty of teams who could use him as no worse than a #3 option, while a receiver-starved team like the Ravens would probably make him #1.
CBS Sports ranked the potential landing spots for Maclin, and the Seahawks were surprisingly 9th. The columnist’s explanation was that, “After tight end Jimmy Graham and receiver Doug Baldwin, Wilson's options are thin.” I definitely take exception to the idea of “Wilson’s options are thin” given Tyler Lockett and somewhat mythical character Healthy Paul Richardson are on the roster, but whatever. I guess it’s literally correct.
Maclin has been a second or third-tier WR for much of his career, but 2016 stands out as a sharp dropoff in form. His previous worst full season for DYAR and DVOA was 2012, and by then the Andy Reid-led Philadelphia Eagles had fallen apart.
Jeremy Maclin
| Year | DYAR Ranking | DVOA Ranking | Primary Starting QB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | DYAR Ranking | DVOA Ranking | Primary Starting QB |
| 2009 | 31 | 31 | Donovan McNabb |
| 2010 | 11 | 8 | Michael Vick |
| 2011 | 22 | 23 | Michael Vick |
| 2012 | 55 | 61 | Michael Vick |
| 2013 | N/A (injured) | N/A (injured) | Nick Foles (not that it mattered) |
| 2014 | 18 | 30 | Nick Foles/Mark Sanchez |
| 2015 | 18 | 24 | Alex Smith |
| 2016 | 64 | 62 | Alex Smith |
I doubt the Seahawks add another wide receiver to this season’s lineup, let alone someone who may command money out of Seattle’s price range for even a one year deal, but I could be wrong. He’s a nice-to-have rental for a Super Bowl contender but he’s not a need.
As for where Maclin ends up next, I’d place my money on him going to Buffalo, where he’d reunite with former Eagles teammate LeSean McCoy. Besides, have you seen the Bills WR depth? Yikes.