You never know what the morning news will bring in the offseason. Last night came a report that Tyreek Hill, who had been apparently close to a long-term deal with Kansas City that would have made him the highest-paid wide receiver in the league, is under investigation for alleged battery.
Details on the case are at this link. The alleged victim is Hill’s 3-year-old son, and Hill's fiancee apparently made the complaint. The team released a statement saying it's aware of the incident and is in the process of gathering information.
Hill was drafted in the fifth round three years ago, and a large part of the reason he was available that late was for off-field incidents, most notably a domestic violence charge against his then-pregnant girlfriend. He pled guilty to assault and battery and was kicked off his Oklahoma State football team.
Kansas City took a chance drafting Hill, but he hasn't had any incidents in the NFL since then. Just a few months ago, of course, Kansas City cut ties with Kareem Hunt over an off-field assault where video came to light. Depending on what further details come out about this incident, the team may be faced with a similar type of decision.
The NFL will also have its say, and regardless of what happens in the courts, a suspension looks possible, if not likely.
Should the team be without Hill (a reasonable expectation), other pass catchers will need to do more. It's not exactly a deep group of accomplished receivers: Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson, plus a few guys yet to do anything in the league. Chris Conley just signed with Jacksonville, so he's out of the picture.
Hill is of course a game-breaking talent, with his 12 TDs last year coming from an average of over 33 yards. That was one of the top rates in the league, among all wideouts to catch at least 3 TDs. Watkins was a different kind of player in the offense, catching shorter touchdowns -- just 11.7 yards per touchdown. The guy who was more like was Robinson; his touchdowns came from an average of 27 yards.
| WIDE RECEIVER TDS, AVERAGE DISTANCE (2018) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Avg | TDC |
| DeSean Jackson, T.B. | 57.3 | 4 |
| Albert Wilson, Mia. | 55.3 | 4 |
| Donte Moncrief, Jac. | 50.3 | 3 |
| Christian Kirk, Ariz. | 47.7 | 3 |
| Marquise Goodwin, S.F. | 40.8 | 4 |
| Robert Foster, Buff. | 40.7 | 3 |
| Amari Cooper, Oak.-Dal. | 37.1 | 7 |
| Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 33.5 | 4 |
| Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 33.1 | 12 |
| Tyrell Williams, LAC | 33.0 | 5 |
| Chris Hogan, N.E. | 33.0 | 3 |
| Cooper Kupp, LAR | 32.8 | 6 |
| Robby Anderson, NYJ | 32.8 | 6 |
| Josh Gordon, Cle.-N.E. | 32.5 | 4 |
| Mohamed Sanu, Atl. | 31.8 | 4 |
| Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 31.1 | 10 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson, N.E. | 31.0 | 3 |
| Will Fuller, Hou. | 30.3 | 4 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 29.3 | 7 |
| Jarvis Landry, Cle. | 29.3 | 4 |
| Mike Evans, T.B. | 28.4 | 8 |
| Golden Tate, Det.-Phi. | 28.3 | 4 |
| Nelson Agholor, Phil. | 28.3 | 4 |
| Calvin Ridley, Atl. | 28.0 | 10 |
| Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 27.4 | 15 |
| Demarcus Robinson, K.C. | 27.0 | 4 |
| Dante Pettis, S.F. | 25.6 | 5 |
| Dede Westbrook, Jac. | 25.2 | 5 |
| TreQuan Smith, N.O. | 25.0 | 5 |
| Kenny Stills, Mia. | 24.0 | 6 |
| Aldrick Robinson, Min. | 24.0 | 5 |
| Curtis Samuel, Car. | 23.2 | 5 |
| Corey Davis, Ten. | 23.0 | 4 |
| Allen Robinson, Chi. | 22.0 | 4 |
| Courtland Sutton, Den. | 21.3 | 4 |
| Marvin Jones, Det. | 20.8 | 5 |
| David Moore, Sea. | 20.4 | 5 |
| Rashard Higgins, Cle. | 20.3 | 4 |
| Zay Jones, Buff. | 19.9 | 7 |
| Cole Beasley, Dall. | 19.3 | 3 |
| DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 18.6 | 11 |
| A.J. Green, Cin. | 18.5 | 6 |
| Brandin Cooks, LAR | 18.2 | 5 |
| Stefon Diggs, Min. | 17.7 | 9 |
| Mike Williams, LAC | 17.5 | 10 |
| Julio Jones, Atl. | 17.4 | 8 |
| John Brown, Balt. | 16.8 | 5 |
| T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 16.0 | 6 |
| Anthony Miller, Chi. | 15.9 | 7 |
| Robert Woods, LAR | 15.7 | 6 |
| Adam Thielen, Min. | 15.4 | 9 |
| Michael Thomas, N.O. | 15.4 | 9 |
| Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 14.8 | 5 |
| Adam Humphries, T.B. | 14.8 | 5 |
| Tyler Boyd, Cin. | 14.4 | 7 |
| Julian Edelman, N.E. | 14.3 | 6 |
| Demaryius Thomas, Den.-Hou. | 13.8 | 5 |
| Devin Funchess, Car. | 13.8 | 4 |
| Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 13.3 | 6 |
| Chris Godwin, T.B. | 13.1 | 7 |
| Antonio Callaway, Cle. | 12.8 | 5 |
| Kenny Golladay, Det. | 12.6 | 5 |
| Odell Beckham, NYG | 12.2 | 6 |
| Sammy Watkins, K.C. | 11.7 | 3 |
| Davante Adams, G.B. | 11.2 | 13 |
| John Ross, Cin. | 11.0 | 7 |
| Josh Reynolds, LAR | 11.0 | 5 |
| Jaron Brown, Sea. | 10.6 | 5 |
| Keenan Allen, LAC | 10.5 | 6 |
| Michael Crabtree, Balt. | 8.0 | 3 |
| Chris Conley, K.C. | 7.8 | 5 |
| Alshon Jeffery, Phil. | 7.5 | 6 |
| Phillip Dorsett, N.E. | 7.3 | 3 |
| Dontrelle Inman, Ind. | 6.7 | 3 |
| Sterling Shepard, NYG | 3.8 | 4 |
| Kendrick Bourne, S.F. | 3.0 | 4 |
| Jordy Nelson, Oak. | 10.7 | 3 |
For those drafting this weekend -- there are actually people doing it -- makes sense to move Hill well down (off?) the draft board, mindful of a suspension. Fantasy-wise, Watkins stands to benefit the most, moving up to more of a No. 1 target in the offense. But the intriguing guy to throw a late-round pick at is Robinson. He hasn't done a lot in the league (21 and 22 catches the last two seasons) but seems most likely to be headed for an expanded role.
--Andy Richardson