NFL: 10 receivers who took it to the house most often
By Miles Wray
T9. Riley Cooper, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
47 catches, 835 yards, 17.8 YPC, 8 TDs – 17% TD Rate
T9. Eddie Royal, WR, San Diego Chargers
47 catches, 631 yards, 13.4 YPC, 8 TDs – 17% TD Rate
After 2012 seasons in which they were barely targeted — both Cooper and Royal caught 23 passes that year — both receivers benefitted tremendously from having new play-schemers running their offense. In Philadelphia, the revelatory arrival of head coach Chip Kelly saw Cooper go for more yards in 2013 (835) than Cooper was able to compile in his previous three, Chip-less seasons with the Eagles combined (679). In San Diego, new offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and new head coach Mike McCoy freed Royal for a career-best YPC that surpassed Royal’s previous career best by nearly three yards.
There’s no reason to think that Cooper’s productivity will dip one iota in 2014: he’ll have another year of experience with Chip Kelly, a full year working with quarterback Nick Foles, and DeSean Jackson‘s absence should mean more opportunities for all. With Whisenhunt having moved on to Tennessee, it will be an interesting opportunity to see whether Whisenhunt or McCoy was the true X’s-and-O’s genius.