MARQUISE LEE – Couch Rider Report

Is D.J. Chark Jr. Primed for a Big Week Two?

I love love LOVE my LSU WRs! I was also hoping the Baltimore Ravens were was able to pick up one of them, but they appear to be doing just fine with the new blood they have. We are all familiar with the household names like O’Dell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry who come from the Bayou Bungles. However, there is another who has a huge opportunity this weekend to put his name one step closer to the two aforementioned names. D.J. Chark Jr. had a nice week one; can he do it again this week?

Go D-J, that’s my D-J!

Marquise Lee’s injury is opening a doorway for the second-year player. Last Sunday, Chark balled out catching 4-of-4-targets for 146-yards and a “tuddy” from two separate QBs. Nick Foles may have gotten him to paydirt, but the 6-4 speedster appears to have a connection with Gardner Minshew II as well.

Apparently, D.J.’s performance is not a real shocker to the team. According to bigcatcountry.com, Jags’ OC John DeFilippo had this to say about the second-year player:

“I don’t think anybody in our locker room was surprised by DJ’s performance on Sunday. I think he has been doing that from training camp on. You saw flashes in the spring in the OTAs…”

With Marquise Lee dealing with an injury keeping the veteran sidelined for week two, the 2018 2nd round pick has a great opportunity on his hands to make his case for more reps. Chris Conley may have had more targets but Chark led the day in yards.

Blip on the radar or…?

The question remains whether he is just a big play guy or an every-down type of “Baller” who Defensive Coordinators will have to game plan in the future? My money is on Chark having another solid day. The Houston Texans better have a plan or they will get roasted on the backend.

TOP 5 WR TRIOS

And the TOP WR Trio is…

Today, I asked a simple question on Facebook. It wasn’t complicated. I simply asked, “who has the best Wide Receiver Trio in the NFL?” I received several responses, but the clear winner according to social media is the New York Giants; this is simply because of the addition of Brandon Marshall to an already excellent receiving corps. I believe this to be a little bit biased.

Does the QB matter?

I was on the Marshall bandwagon before I saw his motivation tank towards the end of the season. And now he’s on a team with the quarterback who averages 17 interceptions per season? The main topic of discussion in the social media feed was, does the quarterback matter when it comes to discussing who has the top receiver trio in the league?

The gentleman discussing the matter decided that it did not matter due to the wording of the question. Now if that is the case, then you have to bring in the Jacksonville Jaguars into the discussion; I say this because Blake Bortles is considered to be trash by many pundits, due to a very frustrating 2016 season. However, the former first-round pick has three deadly weapons to throw to in Allen Hurns, Allen Robinson, and Marquise Lee. I am sure this is leaving you scratching your head wondering, “Lee, seriously?” Yes, Seriously, he is a factor. Let’s take a look at the stats.

Lee?! Final Answer?!

The former USC player may have only had 3 TDS on the year, but he helped move the chains for the Jags 44 times (Brandon Marshall 43 first downs). His 63 recs for 851 yds (Brandon Marshall 59-788-3 TDs) is truly something to looking at from a third-string Wideout. Sure during the season he eventually supplanted Hurns for his job but imagine an entire season with Blake Bortles actually in his 2015 form? Anyway, this is not about one guy; this is about complete WR units, or at least the top three.

WR Factory?

Let’s move over to another unit that I consider to be a WR factory. One could state the Pittsburgh Steelers come to mind when thinking TOP WR units. While 2016 was not a shining example of that, with Mr. Brown clearly “steeling” the show in 2016 with 106-1284-13 TDs. But with Martavis Bryant returning from suspension and the up and coming Eli Rodgers (who I believe will replace Brown eventually), this squad is going to unfortunately be monster in 2017 (Me, Ravens Fan).

I could go in on a couple of other squads such as the Cowboys, Packers (Keep in mind this is not considering the QB), or even Bucs, but I am going to give you what you came here for; you came for the list. Here are my Top-5 WR Trios of 2017:

Jermaine’s Top-5 WR Trios of 2017

Atlanta Falcons – This squad has Julio Jones, Mohammed Sanu and a burner in Taylor Gabriel. Sanu has taken pressure off of Julio at times and is a definite upgrade from the former star, now retired Roddy White. Defenders now have more to worry about then the “Julio Bomb”.

Jacksonville Jaguars – Yes I put them at four! Think about the last squad. They have a clear #1 WR, and then there is a slight dropoff when it comes to the #2 and #3 WR. The gap is closer with this group, and the talent is up there.

Pittsburgh Steelers – This is truly a WR factory. WR Coach Richard Mann is pushing out WRs like it’s nothing. He even made DHB look good. Mr. Brown, when he is not being fined for twerking, or dumb FB live videos is a beast. Combine Brown with anyone Mann coaches up and you have a squad opposing CBs will have nightmares about.

New York Giants – Anytime you hear the words 1A and 1B when talking about WRs you know there is a ton of talent in the discussion, or they might both just suck; this is not the case with Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall. “With their talents combined…” I mean together with Sterling Shepard, they could be considered the best in football if it were not for this next unit.

New England Patriots – The rich got even richer during the offseason with the addition of Brandon Cooks. There is no doubt in my mind that when it comes to all quadrants of the field, these guys can get you there! Chris Hogan and Mitchell are already nice outside options; adding Cooks only makes them stronger. Let’s not forget about the hardest working man in football in Julian Edelman. Name the route, and Jules will run it with precision. I can’t stand the Pats but this is a unit teams have to respect and prepare for weeks ahead of time.

Jermaine Lockett is a Writer and CEO for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.