Dwayne Bowe

Bowe’s 2013 had to go down as one of the bigger disappointments for a largely healthy receiver last year. Not only did he see a workload decline (101 targets), his lowest mark since an 11-game 2009, but he also posted his lowest YPT mark since 2008. The arrival of offensive guru Andy Reid and competent signal caller Alex Smith was supposed to have the opposite effect. Part of the problem was Kansas City’s strong defensive showing early in the year. Thanks to the easiest first-half schedule in the league, the Chiefs and the conservative Smith didn’t need to chance throwing down the field. Credit/blame is also due to Jamaal Charles’ monster year, where he became such a key cog in the passing game. But when the Chiefs’ defense fell apart against the Colts in the AFC Wildcard game, Bowe exploded for 150 yards and a score on 13 targets. With a harder schedule in 2014, we’d expect Kansas City to have to get Bowe more involved. At 6-2, 221 and with 4.51 speed (at least when he was drafted), the now 29-year old Bowe has long fit the mold of the modern NFL wideout with a big catch radius, good ball skills and enough acceleration for his size to separate. With the Chiefs not bringing in any notable receiving talent during the offseason, Bowe should once again be the team's No. 1 wideout, though the start of his 2014 campaign will be delayed by a one-game suspension out of the gate.

Broken ribs and terrible quarterback play derailed Bowe's season in 2012, but rosier days are likely ahead. New head coach and offensive guru Andy Reid replaces the uninspired Romero Crennel, and quarterback Alex Smith is almost certainly an upgrade over the departed Matt Cassel. The Chiefs should be more pass-happy as a result, with more total yards and trips to the red-zone, an area in which the 6-2, 221-pound Bowe has excelled in the past. Bowe isn't particularly fast, but he's athletic and has good ball skills, making him capable of occasional big plays downfield. The Chiefs brought in Donnie Avery to stretch the field, and Dexter McCluster should see work in the slot. But only the disappointing Jon Baldwin has a chance to cut into Bowe's role, and given Bowe's recent contract extension and Baldwin's lackluster performance to date, that's a long shot.

Unlike his Jekyll and Hyde 2010, Bowe was a model of consistency last season, going over 60 yards in 12 of 16 games, but never eclipsing 128 yards in any. Of course, he scored just five touchdowns in 2011 after hauling in 15 the year before, so maybe consistency’s overrated. Other than the touchdowns, however, Bowe put up fairly similar numbers to the previous year’s, and this despite losing quarterback Matt Cassel for the season’s final seven games. At 6-2, 221, Bowe has good size, and he’s athletic for a big receiver. He’s not going to beat a lot of defensive backs with his speed, but he’s able to get open and make plays down the field and in the red zone, giving his leaping ability and strong ball skills. Bowe occasionally lacks focus – his 12 drops tied him for second in the league – and at press time, he’s unhappy the Chiefs used the franchise tag on him and is hoping to get a long-term deal done before the July 15 deadline. At this point, an extended holdout seems unlikely, and with Cassel expected back, Bowe is one of the safer receivers on the board.

Feast or famine is the nature of the receiver position, but Bowe's 2010 was like John Candy eating "The Old 96er" then starving himself for months. During a seven-week span from Weeks 6-12, Bowe had 13 touchdowns and 733 receiving yards. During the other nine weeks he had 429 yards and two scores. In other words, he was one of the best fantasy receivers in NFL history for nearly half the year and virtually unrosterable otherwise, including an inexplicable zero-target effort in a playoff loss to the Ravens. Overall, Bowe led all receivers with 15 scores, finished second in total fantasy points and was more than respectable on a per-play basis (8.74 YPT, sixth among the league's 31 100-target receivers). At 6-2, 221, Bowe has excellent size, and he's athletic for a big receiver. As a result, the Chiefs looked to him a fair amount from in close (19 red-zone looks, nine inside the 10). While Bowe's not especially fast, he was able to get open and make plays down the field, with four catches of 40-plus and a 16.1 yards-per-catch average (4th among 100-target wideouts). Once maligned for his lack of focus (he had a league-leading 11 drops on 88 targets in 2009), Bowe was sure handed last year, dropping just six of his 133 looks. Bowe returns to a Kansas City offense with most of its key pieces intact and added rookie Jonathan Baldwin in the first round. The loss of offensive guru Charlie Weis as the team's coordinator could be felt, however.

Bowe had a forgettable season in 2009, highlighted by a four-game suspension for using a performance-enhancing substance as well as time in coach Todd Haley’s doghouse for dropped passes. In fact, despite playing in just 11 games — and receiving just 88 targets (50th) — he led all wideouts in drops with 11. Moreover, for the second straight year, Bowe averaged less than 7.0 yards per target, an unacceptably low mark for a No. 1 receiver in the prime of his career. At 6-2, 221, and with good leaping ability, Bowe still makes a nice red-zone target, and the Chiefs looked his way there 14 times in 11 games. But the team signed Chris Chambers (14 red-zone targets) to a three-year deal in March, and he’ll compete with Bowe for looks from in close. Fortunately for both receivers, the team lacks a quality receiving tight end, and rookie Dexter McCluster is a small speedy type, unlikely to see a lot of work near pay dirt.

Already the third most heavily targeted receiver in the league last year (157), Bowe figures to see an even heavier workload with the more polished Matt Cassel under center, a more aggressive offensive philosophy under new coach Todd Haley and tight end Tony Gonzalez no longer around. Last season was a mixed bag for Bowe, who built on his strong rookie campaign with 16 more catches, 27 more yards and two more scores. But on a per play basis, Bowe regressed significantly, managing just 6.5 yards per target (33rd out of the 35 100-target wideouts). Some of that had to do with the unreliable passing skills of Tyler Thigpen, Brodie Croyle and Damon Huard, and Cassel’s arrival should improve things. That said, Cassel only managed 7.2 yards per attempt overall with the Patriots and 8.0 yards per target out of Randy Moss, so expect Bowe’s per-play efficiency to improve more toward the middle of the pack than the upper echelon. Still, Bowe will benefit quite a bit from being the only game in town in a pass happy offense, especially in the red zone. Consider that last season’s leaders in red-zone touchdowns were Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin with 19 between them and that it was Haley, Arizona’s former offensive coordinator, calling the plays. Likewise, Fitzgerald and Boldin were one and two in goal-line targets and easily tops in goal-line touchdowns with 13 between them. Although Bowe isn’t known for his speed, his ideal red-zone size (6-2, 221), leaping ability, body control and knack for coming down with the ball in traffic make him a decent bet for double-digit touchdowns under the new regime. Of course, Bowe will have to do most of his damage from in close as he’s not much of a downfield threat (just 12 catches of 20-plus yards last year and none for 40 or more).

For all the hype about Calvin Johnson, Bowe turned out to be the NFL's best rookie receiver last year despite playing in one of the league’s worst passing games. Bowe managed 8.5 yards per target on his 117 looks, putting him just ahead of Larry Fitzgerald and Braylon Edwards on a per play basis, even though the Chiefs averaged just 6.3 yards per passing attempt (26th). At 6-2, 220, Bowe has excellent size and passable speed for a big receiver. He's got good eyehand coordination and body-control and is able to make plays over the top of smaller defensive backs. He’s a smooth route-runner with strong, reliable hands and is ideally suited for red-zone work. Nonetheless, the Chiefs didn't exploit his talents enough – Bowe saw just nine targets from inside the 20, while teammate Tony Gonzalez had 18. Both scored three touchdowns on those looks. If Bowe were on another team, he'd probably be bumped five spots up this list, but with Brodie Croyle likely to start the season as the Chiefs' quarterback, Herman Edwards' run-first system and the team’s seeming commitment to Gonzalez and Larry Johnson from in close, Bowe's numbers in 2008 might not be commensurate with his abilities.

Eddie Kennison’s getting longer in the tooth, and Bowe has a good chance to beat out Samie Parker for a starting job. If that happens, look for Bowe to vie with Tony Gonzalez for the team’s red-zone looks. Bowe is 6-2, 221, and isn’t afraid to mix it up in traffic. He’s also a good athlete, with big hands and plenty of leaping ability. He ran a 4.5 40, which isn’t bad, but he’s not a burner. He’ll make most of his money from in close.