01-20-2019, 12:11 PM
(01-20-2019, 05:31 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: This might get a lot of hate... but is he? Really? Here are his rankings the last 5 years:
Receptions / Yards / Rec TDs
2014: t-34th (2 way tie) / 20th / t-29th (17 way tie)
2015: 14th / 8th / t-10th (4 way tie)
2016: t-42nd (3 way tie) / 28th / t-48th (37 way tie)
2017: 16th / 12th / t-8th (11 way tie)
2018: 76th / 51st / t-24th (16 way tie)
The last 5 years averaged out, he's produced a 68 / 1,015 / 7 line. That's good, but nowhere near elite. It actually looks worse if I cut it to a more recent 3 year sample (62 / 912 / 6).
The last 5 years averaged for...
Antonio Brown: 115 / 1,529 / 12
Julio Jones: 105 / 1,599 / 6
DeAndre Hopkins: 95 / 1,327 / 9
Mike Evans: 79 / 1,221 / 8
TY Hilton: 75 / 1,231 / 6
Michael Thomas: 107 / 1,262 / 8 (only been in the league for 3 years, so career average rather than 5 years)
Tyreek Hill: 74 / 1,085 / 8 (only been in the league for 3 years, so career average rather than 5 years)
JuJu SS: 85 / 1,172 / 7 (only been in the league for 2 years, so career average rather than 5 years)
- - - - - - -
I'm sure that there's more guys, but I feel that's sufficient to prove my point. AJ Green hasn't been elite for at least half a decade, if ever. His highest yardage year he was 5th in the league. He has never been a 1st Team All-Pro, and only 2nd Team twice ('12 and '13, or 6 and 7 years ago.)
If you look at his last 5 years, the player he is actually pretty darn close to is Brandin Cooks...
Brandin Cooks: 72 / 1,029 / 6
AJ Green: 68 / 1,015 / 7
He'd probably have better numbers if he were more healthy, but the guy is heading into his age 31 season and has been hurt 3 out of the last 5 years and more seriously 2 out of the last 3. Elite Players have to play, otherwise they'd just be Elite Street Clothser, like Eifert.
He's been hurt. If you want to knock him for that so be it but when he's healthy, he's elite. Ask any GM or head coach out there.
