Nice article that includes a spotlight on Wandale and mostly talking about how franchise receivers are increasing in importance.
Here is some of what the article said (and I hope I am not breaking too many rules):
In high school, Wan’Dale Robinson played nearly every position: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, linebacker, safety, returner. At Nebraska, he narrowed his focus to running back and wide receiver. But in 2021, when he decided to transfer, he had one goal: wideout — full time.
Robinson, at 5-foot-8 and 178 pounds, knew it was his most likely path to the NFL. He chose Kentucky, his home state’s flagship school, in large part because he knew the Wildcats would throw the ball a lot. In one season in Lexington, he caught 104 passes for 1,334 yards — both school records — and seven touchdowns. He only carried the ball seven times. He was a rising star at a position that was, at the next level, rising in its own right.
With offenses throwing more than ever and defenses scheming to stop receivers deep, gaining yards after the catch has become crucial to a wide receiver’s productivity and has sent the stock of those who do it well skyrocketing. Teams have acknowledged it this offseason by doling out big deals to even No. 2 receivers, such as Mike Williams of the Los Angeles Chargers (three years, $60 million) and Christian Kirk of the Jacksonville Jaguars (four years, $72 million).
“You know the value a receiver has now,” a smiling Robinson said of the flurry of offseason activity. If he also was imagining what the recent moves meant for his future earning potential, he restrained himself. “For me, at the end of the day, I just want to go in and help whatever team I’m a part of.”
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For Robinson, the Kentucky wide receiver expected by most experts to be drafted in the third or fourth round, the demand for wide receivers has been welcome news, especially for a player who excels at yards after the catch as much as he does (5.7 per catch last season). He said he once worried about his slight frame and lack of receiver experience, but after San Francisco used Samuel as a dual threat in the playoffs, he highlighted his versatility for teams during his pre-draft visits as a way to stand out.
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For Robinson, the idea of such life-changing money is too far away to fathom. He has been studying different wide receivers — the Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp and Arizona’s Rondale Moore, a friend from back home — with the goal of not just making the NFL but sticking in it. He’ll learn this week whether the choice he made not long ago, to embrace the position full time, will pay off.
Link for those that can access it
Here is some of what the article said (and I hope I am not breaking too many rules):
In high school, Wan’Dale Robinson played nearly every position: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, linebacker, safety, returner. At Nebraska, he narrowed his focus to running back and wide receiver. But in 2021, when he decided to transfer, he had one goal: wideout — full time.
Robinson, at 5-foot-8 and 178 pounds, knew it was his most likely path to the NFL. He chose Kentucky, his home state’s flagship school, in large part because he knew the Wildcats would throw the ball a lot. In one season in Lexington, he caught 104 passes for 1,334 yards — both school records — and seven touchdowns. He only carried the ball seven times. He was a rising star at a position that was, at the next level, rising in its own right.
With offenses throwing more than ever and defenses scheming to stop receivers deep, gaining yards after the catch has become crucial to a wide receiver’s productivity and has sent the stock of those who do it well skyrocketing. Teams have acknowledged it this offseason by doling out big deals to even No. 2 receivers, such as Mike Williams of the Los Angeles Chargers (three years, $60 million) and Christian Kirk of the Jacksonville Jaguars (four years, $72 million).
“You know the value a receiver has now,” a smiling Robinson said of the flurry of offseason activity. If he also was imagining what the recent moves meant for his future earning potential, he restrained himself. “For me, at the end of the day, I just want to go in and help whatever team I’m a part of.”
________________________________
For Robinson, the Kentucky wide receiver expected by most experts to be drafted in the third or fourth round, the demand for wide receivers has been welcome news, especially for a player who excels at yards after the catch as much as he does (5.7 per catch last season). He said he once worried about his slight frame and lack of receiver experience, but after San Francisco used Samuel as a dual threat in the playoffs, he highlighted his versatility for teams during his pre-draft visits as a way to stand out.
_________________________________________
For Robinson, the idea of such life-changing money is too far away to fathom. He has been studying different wide receivers — the Los Angeles Rams’ Cooper Kupp and Arizona’s Rondale Moore, a friend from back home — with the goal of not just making the NFL but sticking in it. He’ll learn this week whether the choice he made not long ago, to embrace the position full time, will pay off.
Link for those that can access it
