Same drill as yesterday. This time, though, I wanted to look at receivers — tight ends and wideouts only — and determine whose production had vacillated the most from 2013 to 2014. The leader in the plus column was the Falcons’ Julio Jones (an increase of 1,013 receiving yards over last season). The leader in the minus column was the Browns’ Josh Gordon (a decrease of 1,343), who was suspended for 10 games because of a DUI conviction.
Again, this isn’t necessarily a measure of whether a player was better or worse. Injuries, naturally, can cause big swings one way or the other. The question is more: What did his team get out of him?
BIGGEST GAINERS
| Receiver, Team | 2013 | 2014 | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julio Jones, Falcons | 580 | 1593 | +1013 |
| Travis Kelce, Chiefs | 0* | 862 | +862 |
| Randall Cobb, Packers | 433 | 1287 | +854 |
| Malcolm Floyd, Chargers | 149 | 856 | +707 |
| Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos | 740 | 1404 | +664 |
| Kenny Britt, Rams | 96 | 748 | +652 |
| Andrew Hawkins, Browns | 199 | 824 | +625 |
| Larry Donnell, Giants | 31 | 623 | +592 |
| Marcus Wheaton, Steelers | 64 | 644 | +580 |
| Rob Gronkowski, Patriots | 592 | 1124 | +532 |
*Played in one game.
And just think: Jones missed a game. Otherwise, his total would have been even higher. As for Sanders, he certainly made a great free-agent decision to pair up with Peyton Manning. His yards nearly doubled.
BIGGEST DECLINERS
| Receiver, Team | 2013 | 2014 | Drop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Gordon, Browns | 1646 | 303 | -1343 |
| Rod Streater, Raiders | 888 | 84 | -804 |
| Victor Cruz, Giants | 998 | 337 | -661 |
| Jarrett Boykin, Packers | 681 | 23 | -658 |
| Vernon Davis, 49ers | 850 | 245 | -605 |
| Pierre Garcon, Redskins | 1346 | 752 | -594 |
| Denarius Moore, Raiders | 695 | 115 | -580 |
| Brandon Marshall, Bears | 1295 | 721 | -574 |
| Brian Hartline, Dolphins | 1016 | 474 | -542 |
| Harry Douglas, Falcons | 1067 | 556 | -511 |
On this side of the street, you have Boykin, whose yardage totals in his first three seasons have bounced from 27 to 681 (when Cobb was hurt) to 23 (when Cobb was healthy again), and Garcon, whose stats took a big hit after the Redskins signed DeSean Jackson (and the quarterback situation turned into a three-headed mess).
OK, I’ve got that out of my system. Make of the data what you will. Just wanted to throw it out there.
Source: pro-football-reference.com
Healthy again, Julio Jones saw his receiving yards for the Falcons increase by more than 1,000 this season.
