All Spotlights • Chris Chambers Player Page • SD Projections • WR Projections • WR Rankings • SD Team Report

Spotlight - WR Chris Chambers, San Diego Chargers

Posted on 7/13, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Will Grant's Thoughts

Chris Chambers may be the most frustrating WR gauge this season. It's amazing how much controversy one guy can generate. Is he the guy who broke out in his third season with 963 receiving yards and 11 TDs? Or is he the over-hyped bust from last season that finished the season with only 677 yards and 4 TDs? Is he the victim of the terrible QB play that the Dolphins has last season (6.77 YPA) or is he a guy who simply can't catch the ball, no matter who is throwing to him (59 receptions on 154 targets for a 38% catch percentage). One thing is certain this season: Chambers will be loved by many as an undervalued sleeper, and despised as an overpriced waste of a draft pick by many others.

It goes without saying that the Dolphins had terrible QB play last season. When Joey Harrington is your #1 QB, you know that you're in a world of hurt. Daunte Culpepper never really shook off the injuries from 2005, and was lost for the season after only four games. Harrington stepped in and performed exactly as everyone expected he would, finishing the season with a 5.8 YPA rating, and more interceptions (15) than TDs (12). Third year man Cleo Lemon closed out the last three games of the season with 412 passing yards and 2 TDs, but he only had a 56% completion percentage. This season Trent Green comes over from Kansas City and will be a significant upgrade at QB for the Dolphins. Will that translate into bigger numbers for Chambers? Absolutely.

But is poor QB play the reason that Chambers did so poorly last season? It didn't seem to hurt Marty Booker who caught 61% of the balls thrown his way. Wes Welker? 67%. Randy McMichael? 64.5%. Something just doesn't add up. Even assuming that Chambers always drew the #1 DB and the double teams, it doesn't explain a 38% completion rate. Over the last four seasons, Chambers caught only 48% of the passes thrown his way (326 out of 680 targets). That is significantly below many of the top tier receivers in the league.

Expect big changes on offense from the Dolphins this season. New head coach Cam Cameron should really open up the offense and Trent Green should give their passing game a new focus. They should be able to surpass last year's totals of 3500 yards and 16 TDs. The additions of Lorenzo Booker and Ted Ginn Jr. will give the Dolphins an injection of youth and excitement as well. With a solid defense, and renewed offensive focus, the Dolphins could be a playoff contender and Chambers will be a big part of that. With Wes Welker in New England, and Randy McMichael in St. Louis, the Dolphin passing attack is going to go through Chambers this season.

Positives

• Top WR on a team that should finish in the top 10 for passing yards this season
• Wes Welker (67 receptions in 2006) and Randy McMichael (62 receptions in 2006) are not with the club, giving Chambers more opportunities for receptions and Red Zone Targets
• Trent Green should provide the most stable QB play that the Dolphins have had since 2001

Negatives

• Only 326 receptions on 680 targets (48%) since 2001, and only 59 receptions on 154 targets last year
• With Randy McMichael and Wes Welker gone, Chambers will certainly draw the best coverage guys to his side of the field
• HC/OC Cam Cameron comes over from San Diego, a team that is not known for super star WRS

Final Thoughts

Chambers is an interesting prospect this season. He is the best receiving option on a team that expects to improve on their 12th ranked passing game from last season. Chambers has also been moved into the split end to give him a better chance to separate and find the open spaces. Yet his lack of focus, and history of frequent drops and poor pass catching percentages is causing his fantasy value to drop like a stone. In many leagues, he might even fall into the 7th round. By that point in the draft, Chambers might be worth taking for his upside potential. At this point though, Chambers has not really proven that he's worth the 6th round draft pick that it is probably going to take to get him. Let someone else take the risk unless you can grab him in the 7th round or later.

Quotations from the Message Board Thread

Swampy:
Chambers was brutal, and he will continue to be brutal if he runs the routes he ran last year. There were many deep routes and no qb could get him the ball. He was wide open on many occasions and the ball just never got there. Yet, as many pointed out he has a hard time catching the ball. Its almost like the ball has to have a backward spiral for him to catch it. I see him used in a proficient way this year that will lead to better numbers and more Td's. He is a fantastic grab as a number 3 wr where he can and should be drafted, but he will perform as a number 2.

rzrback77:
[T]here is a little bit of Chambers backlash going on right now. Chambers was the Kevan Barlow of 2006, the guy who everyone loved who just blew up in everyone's face, and as a result, lots of people refuse to draft him. I think he can definitely present value as a WR3, simply because no other WR3 in the league is going to get as many looks as Chambers will get, and with that many looks he'll have to provide SOMETHING. As long as you keep your expectations very low, Chambers probably will not disappoint as badly as he did last year- remember, a 39% catch% was every bit as much of an aberration as a 60% catch% would have been.

Ministry of Pain:
Has to improve over last season. Ginn will not unseat him as the Miami WR1 this year. In fact of Chambers could ever see some one on one coverage I like him a lot better. Problem is he catches a low amount of balls thrown his way but he has worked with such greats as Fiedler, Feeley, Harrington, Lucas, not exactly Dan Marino types. I give him some leeway for that.

Chris Chambers Projections