Maurile Tremblay's Thoughts

Eddie Kennison has quietly put together two top-twenty fantasy finishes in a row over the past two seasons, and appears to be getting better with age. Now entering his eleventh season as a pro, he has increased his yardage and reception totals in each of the past two years, and earned career highs in both categories a year ago.

Kennison has been both consistent and explosive over the past two seasons. He has caught a pass in 67 straight games, an active streak he brings into the 2006 season with him. And he has been a big-play threat as well. He had five receptions of 50+ yards in 2004 (tied for the NFL lead), and five receptions of 40+ yards in 2005 (including two for over 50 yards). He has averaged over 15 yards per catch in each of the past five seasons.

Kennison was one of the fastest players in the league early in his career: he was an All-American in track at LSU, and won the NFL’s fastest man competition in 1997. Although he no longer has track star speed, he still has above-average NFL WR speed. Moreover, while his hands and route-running skills were once suspect, he has made tremendous improvements in each of those areas, and is now a reliable target with his quarterback’s trust.

The Chiefs feature their tight end and running back prominently in the passing game, so Kennison doesn’t get as many passes thrown his way as most teams’ top wide receivers do. But he is very efficient with the opportunities he does get. He was third in the NFL last year in yards per target, trailing only Santana Moss and Steve Smith in that category.

One major concern heading into 2006, however, is whether the Chiefs’ offense will remain as successful under new head coach Herman Edwards as it was under former head coach Dick Vermeil. Former offensive coordinator Al Saunders has also departed this offseason, adding to the uncertainty. Coach Edwards will leave the offense in the hands of Mike Solari, who’s been promoted to offensive coordinator after having spent the last nine seasons as the Chiefs’ offensive line coach. He is familiar with the Chiefs’ offensive system, and will keep the same system in place in 2006. The Chiefs also return all their key offensive personnel from last year, including all five starters along the offensive line, which will contribute to the team’s offensive continuity. Nonetheless, a different person will be calling the Chiefs’ plays this year, and whether Solari can be as successful in that duty as Saunders was remains to be seen.

Positives

• Kennison has improved his hands and route-running skills quite a bit over the course of his career.
• He finished the 2005 season in strong fashion with 151 receiving yards in week 17.
• He plays for one of the top offenses in the NFL, and his team frequently gets into scoring position.
• He is deceptively fast; he gets separation from opposing DBs and has some big-play ability.

Negatives

• Kennison is 33 years old and could start to see his productivity decline.
• He has to share balls with talented pass-catchers at TE and RB in Kansas City.
• He is not a physical receiver, and can be bumped off his routes by aggressive DBs.
• Head coach Dick Vermeil and offensive coordinator Al Saunders, responsible for overseeing an offense that has ranked among the league leaders in virtually every major category for the past several years, are gone.

Final Thoughts

Playing on an offense that features Larry Johnson and Tony Gonzalez in some ways helps Kennison, and in some ways hurts. Defenses have to play up closer to the line of scrimmage to contain the run, which creates openings in the secondary; and opponents’ efforts to cover Gonzalez leaves Kennison in perpetual single coverage, often by the weaker of the defense’s two corners. The Chiefs’ strong running game and the presence of Tony Gonzalez have accounted for much of Kennison’s success since he came to Kansas City; but they also put a ceiling on his upside potential. Kennison will never be the Chiefs’ top playmaker, and will never sniff 150+ targets in a season. Last season’s 1,102 yards receiving is probably pretty close to Kennison’s ceiling given the 100-110 targets he is likely to see.

Quotations from the Message Board Thread

To view the entire Player Spotlight thread (there's a ton of fantastic commentary in there), click here.

brewer:
Ah Yes, Eddie Kennison. One of my personal value plays every year it seems. All this guy does is play in one of the most potent offenses in the league and put up numbers. He ranked as number 18 in terms of FBG scoring each of the last two years, but the latest staff ranking again have him much lower, consensus #27. With the lions share of the TDs going to Larry Johnson and before last year Tony Gonzalez, Kennison will never be an elite WR, but I see no reason that he shouldn't get his 1000 yards and 5-7 TDs again, which should land him safely in the top 20.

mlball77:
I think KC's [offense], may be a touch less prolific this year than what we have grown accustomed to. Because of this and age, I expect a very small decrease in Kennison's numbers... but basically, its much the same as the last few years for him.

Iwannabeacowboybaby:
The Kansas City rushing game gets all the credit, and when it's not, the spotlight is on Tony Gonzalez. Eddie Kennison is Mr. Consistent and I don't see anyone who will cut into his numbers again this year.

Eddie Kennison Projections

SOURCE	RSHYD	RSHTD	REC	RECYD	RECTD
Maurile Tremblay	0	0	63	1024	6
Message Board Consensus	0	0	64	965	6