The game’s best quarterback will be getting at least one new notable wide receiver. That much is certain, after Kansas City’s Super Bowl winning offense sputtered for most of the season.
Rashee Rice shows some promise; I think he’ll lead that offense in receiving in the upcoming season. But I think they’ll be looking to add another viable body. Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson and Mecole Hardman simply haven’t shown enough. Kadarius Toney has more ability than those guys, but I don’t think he’ll be back.
The need for another wide receiver is enhanced by Travis Kelce being 34. Patrick Mahomes needs some quality guys to work with.
Consider, for one example, drops. Kansas City finished the just-completed season with 44 drops. That’s the most of any team in the last five years. Since 2019, only two other teams have had seasons with more than 38 drops. (In fairness, if we look not at drops but percentage of drops, two teams have been worse – the 2023 Browns (who’ll also be adding a wide receiver) and the 2019 Bills.
| OFFENSES WITH 35 DROPS (last 5 yrs) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Com | Drops | Pct |
| 2023 | Kansas City | 421 | 44 | 9.5% |
| 2020 | Pittsburgh | 428 | 43 | 9.1% |
| 2023 | Cleveland | 355 | 42 | 10.6% |
| 2021 | LA Chargers | 443 | 38 | 7.9% |
| 2023 | Dallas | 428 | 38 | 8.2% |
| 2021 | Buffalo | 415 | 36 | 8.0% |
| 2020 | Dallas | 413 | 36 | 8.0% |
| 2019 | Dallas | 388 | 36 | 8.5% |
| 2020 | Detroit | 374 | 36 | 8.8% |
| 2019 | Miami | 371 | 36 | 8.8% |
| 2023 | LA Rams | 361 | 36 | 9.1% |
| 2019 | Buffalo | 299 | 36 | 10.7% |
| 2023 | Detroit | 408 | 35 | 7.9% |
| 2021 | Miami | 404 | 35 | 8.0% |
| 2021 | Carolina | 348 | 35 | 9.1% |
While we’ve got this stat file open, I’ll also point out that the 49ers last year were unusually good in this regard. They dropped only 9 passes in the just-completed season, finishing as the only team in the last five years to drop less than 3 percent of its catchable balls.
| OFFENSES WITH BEST DROP RATES (last 5 yrs) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Com | Drops | Pct |
| 2023 | San Francisco | 336 | 9 | 2.6% |
| 2022 | Seattle | 399 | 13 | 3.2% |
| 2020 | Arizona | 387 | 13 | 3.3% |
| 2022 | Atlanta | 257 | 9 | 3.4% |
| 2019 | Atlanta | 459 | 17 | 3.6% |
| 2021 | Green Bay | 402 | 15 | 3.6% |
| 2022 | Philadelphia | 350 | 14 | 3.8% |
| 2022 | LA Rams | 347 | 15 | 4.1% |
| 2022 | Arizona | 433 | 19 | 4.2% |
| 2021 | New England | 364 | 16 | 4.2% |
| 2022 | Las Vegas | 359 | 16 | 4.3% |
| 2022 | Minnesota | 448 | 20 | 4.3% |
| 2020 | Chicago | 402 | 18 | 4.3% |
| 2022 | Houston | 352 | 16 | 4.3% |
| 2021 | Houston | 354 | 17 | 4.6% |
—Ian Allan