The 2014 Kansas City Chiefs finished without a single touchdown from a wide receiver, which is one of the craziest stats in NFL history. That hadn't happened in the Super Bowl era, and it seems especially impossible in this era of exploding passing offense.
There won't be a repeat. The Chiefs took a huge step to fix one of the worst units in the NFL, agreeing to sign former Philadelphia Eagles receiver Jeremy Maclin to a deal that will average $11 million per year, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That will likely be the top receiver contract among the receivers who were slated to be unrestricted free agents, not counting franchised receivers Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant. The Green Bay Packers re-signed Randall Cobb for $10 million per year.
The Chiefs needed to upgrade, no matter the price. There has been a circular argument about why the Chiefs' passing game has been so lackluster. Is it quarterback Alex Smith? Is coach Andy Reid and his staff too conservative in play calling? Were the receivers inept? If the Chiefs are no better with Maclin, we'll have a better idea what the issue is.
The Eagles, meanwhile, continue to bet on Chip Kelly's offensive system to produce yards and points. Since the start of 2014 the Eagles have lost running back LeSean McCoy and receivers DeSean Jackson and Maclin, an incredible drain of talent for any team. The Eagles clearly feel they can fill the holes and Kelly's offense will be the equalizer.
Maclin had 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Eagles last year, and the Chiefs would be thrilled if he replicated that output for them. Actually, even with just one touchdown from Maclin the Chiefs would be ahead of last year's output.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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