Chris Chambers

After being released by the Chargers, Chambers signed with the Chiefs and was a big contributor in the season’s second half, with 36 catches for 608 yards and four scores in nine games. Moreover, Chambers averaged 16.9 yards per catch and 10.1 yards per look on 60 targets, with four catches of 40 yards or more. At 5-11, 212, the speedy Chambers has just average size, but his excellent leaping ability allows him to play bigger. While he saw 14 redzone targets, eight of those were from inside the 10 and six from inside the five. Nonetheless, a good chunk of Chambers’ production came while Dwayne Bowe was suspended, so it remains to be seen which receiver will be the team’s top target, especially near pay dirt when both are on the field for a significant sample of games. That the Chiefs had the league’s 30th-ranked defense last year should ensure there will be a fair number of targets to go around, however.

Nagged by an ankle injury for most of the year, Chambers lacked his typical burst and athleticism last season, while teammate Vincent Jackson took over as the team’s top target. While Jackson and tight end Antonio Gates are probably still quarterback Philip Rivers’ first reads, Chambers is still a downfield threat given his good speed and superb athleticism. At 5-11, 210, he’s a strong receiver and plays bigger than his size due to his leaping ability, but he’s not the type to mix it up in the middle of the field, and his hands are just average. As San Diego’s No. 2 wideout and No. 3 target in the passing game, expect scattered big plays and a feast or famine game log on a week-to-week basis.

The king of looking good while not doing much on a per-target basis turned over a new leaf of sorts last year with the Chargers, averaging 7.5 yards per target. While that's just about average for an NFL wide receiver, it was far better than the abysmal per play numbers he'd put up in seasons past. (Even during Chambers "productive" years he was inefficient, relying on a high volume of looks both in and out of the red zone to put up good cosmetic stats). At 5-11, 212, and with good speed and great leaping ability, Chambers is still a threat to beat defenses down the field, and he has the athleticism and physicality to be a presence in the red zone (15 targets, four TDs). Chambers isn't a good route runner, however, has questionable hands and lacks focus at times. Moreover, Chambers will have to compete with bigger targets like Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson from in close.

Chambers had one of the worst seasons for a receiver in NFL history, and while no one saw a disaster of this magnitude coming, the signs were there. Here’s what we wrote about him last year: Looking at the cosmetic stats – 82 catches and 11 touchdowns – it might seem as if Chambers had a terrific year, but on further inspection, that’s not the case. Chambers was second in the NFL with 166 targets, but managed to bring in only 49 percent of them. As a result, he generated just 6.7 yards per pass play, good for 65th among qualifying receivers. And the low per-play production isn’t anything new for Chambers who caught just 48 percent of his targets in 2004 and 46 percent in 2003. Chambers took inefficiency to a new level in 2006, averaging just 4.4! yards per target (last). This is less than many running backs average per carry, and running the ball doesn’t include the added risk of a sack, an interception or getting your quarterback hurt. Chambers also was dead last in percentage of targets caught at 38 percent. And it wasn’t as if most of his work was downfield – he was fifth to last among 100-target receivers with 11.5 yards per catch. And before you blame Chambers’ fate solely on the awful quarterbacking duo of Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington, consider that teammate Wes Welker caught 67 percent of his targets and his other teammate Marty Booker caught 61 percent. Oddly enough, despite his awful play, Chambers was fourth in the NFL in overall targets last year (154) and fourth in red-zone targets (23) and first in goal-line targets (10). Yet, he caught only four touchdowns. At 5-11, 212, Chambers is a strong, physical receiver, and his tremendous leaping ability has allowed him to play as if he were 6-3. He’s not a good route-runner, however, his focus is inconsistent and he drops too many passes – all of which help to explain his low rate of receptions per target. At press time, it’s likely that Trent Green will take over as the Dolphins’ quarterback, and even at age 37 we expect him to be a significant improvement over last year’s signal-callers. The question for Chambers is whether new coach Cam Cameron will continue to make him the primary target in the team’s passing game, particularly around the goal line.

Looking at the cosmetic stats – 82 catches and 11 touchdowns – it might seem as if Chambers had a terrific year, but on further inspection, that’s not the case. Chambers was second in the NFL with 166 targets, but managed to bring in only 49 percent of them. As a result, he generated just 6.7 yards per pass play, good for 65th among qualifying receivers. And the low per-play production isn’t anything new for Chambers who caught just 48 percent of his targets in 2004 and 46 percent in 2003. Chambers’ 11 scores were largely a result of his league-leading 29 red-zone targets under last season’s offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. That’s likely to change in 2006 with the much more conservative Mike Mularkey, formerly of the Steelers and Bills, taking over the reins. That said, Chambers’ strength and tremendous leaping ability will ensure that he’ll get at least some looks from in close, and his speed and body control should allow him to make plays down the field. Chambers has good quickness and acceleration and can make defenders miss in the open field. However, he’s not a great route runner, and that (as well as the Dolphins’ substandard quarterbacking) explains why he caught so few of the balls thrown his way the last three seasons. Of course, newly acquired Daunte Culpepper should be an upgrade over last season’s signal caller, Gus Frerotte, but Culpepper is returning from ACL, MCL and PCL tears to his right knee and it’s unclear at press time whether he’ll be ready for the start of the season.

Chambers battled knee tendonitis early and awful quarterbacking all season, posting disappointing numbers in 2004. Although Chambers was targeted 145 times – good for 12th most in the league – he caught a measly 48 percent (29th of 39 players with 100 targets or more). But there’s reason for optimism going forward. Nick Saban and his staff can only be an improvement over Dave Wannstedt’s crew, and strong-armed Gus Frerotte (journeyman though he is) has been brought in to compete with A.J. Feeley. If Frerotte wins the job – and he has a leg up due to his familiarity with new offensive coordinator Scott Linehan’s system – the Dolphins likely will exploit his strength, which is throwing the deep ball, and Chambers will get the chance to make downfield plays.Chambers is just 5-11, 210 pounds, but as Feeley commented last season, “he plays like 6-6.” That’s because Chambers has long arms and is a tremendous leaper. He also has the speed to get behind the defense and the body control to adjust to balls in the air. Chambers has good quickness and acceleration and can make defenders miss in the open field. However, he’s not a great route runner, and that (as well as the quarterbacking) explains why he caught just 46 percent of his targets in 2003 before his low rate last season.

The former Badger emerged as a rookie in 2001 with Randy Moss-like ball skills on downfield throws. Despite starting just six games in 2001, Chambers had 12 receptions on passes thrown more than 20 yards. Last year, he had just eight in 16 starts, (though five went for TDs). Last season’s starting quarterback, Jay Fiedler, struggled mightily with the long ball, and newly signed A.J. Feeley is a West Coast offense QB, so it’s likely that the best part of Chambers’ game will again be under-utilized. A poor route-runner, Chambers was targeted 130 times last year, catching fewer than 50 percent of those passes (an unacceptably low rate of success). Chambers caught nine TDs in Fielder’s 11 starts, so the likely switch to Feeley would come with some risk, especially with another big-name receiver, David Boston, in the mix.

Chambers probably took a step back during his second season (52-734-3), but we're willing to write that off to Jay Fiedler's thumb injury more than anything else. Young receivers often see a spike in their third season, so don't be surprised if Chambers tops 1,000 yards and scores 8 to 10 times in 2003. If he played on a team that was more passing-oriented, Chambers would be a top 10 to 15 receiver on everyone's board, but Fiedler and the Dolphins should make sure he's not underutilized again. The Dolphins have depth and will show multiple receiver sets, but Chambers is the clear cut #1 in this offense.