Former First Team All-Pro Braxton Berrios

[MBGreen]

As long as we don't open the season next year with him as our 3rd reciever I'm happy about this.

I would assume he'll be a straight-up replacement for Crowder as our slot guy.

[SixFeetDeep]

I would assume he'll be a straight-up replacement for Crowder as our slot guy.

So this scenario means we don’t procure any upgrades at WR via FA or the draft

I prefer to draft a WR high, go into the season with Davis/Moore/Rookie as the 1-3. I’m fine with Berrios as the slot specialist and the 4th WR on the depth chart.

Not a big fan of not trying to upgrade at WR

[Heismanberg]

So this scenario means we don’t procure any upgrades at WR via FA or the draft

I prefer to draft a WR high, go into the season with Davis/Moore/Rookie as the 1-3. I’m fine with Berrios as the slot specialist and the 4th WR on the depth chart.

Not a big fan of not trying to upgrade at WR

I don't see it that way.

Elijah Moore would be getting these end arounds and quick hitters, not Berrios.  If you put both of them out there at the same time, you can do a lot to keep defenses off balance.

You want multiple skill guys that can do the same things because if one goes down late in the week or during a game, you don't want to scrap a chunk of what you've prepared for.

This offense needs help outside and vertically.  Berrios and Moore give us two versatile weapons inside with similar skillsets as ball carriers and slot options.  Moore is just more capable as a receiver.  Bringing him back shouldn't prohibit this team from going after an outside WR in FA or high in the draft or both.  I think it makes a smaller wideout like Michael Gallup less of an option, but that's okay.

We've let good return specialists go several times and it never really works out for us.  A Berrios extension gives us depth that we've lacked for what feels like forever and it solidifies a piece of our special teams. 

[Heismanberg]

The wideouts that should be gone in 2022 are Jamison Crowder, Keelan Cole, Jeff Smith, Vyncint Smith, DJ Montgomery, and Denzel Mims.

A slot option (Crowder), WR 4 (Cole), a WR6 (J. Smith), 2 practice squad guys (V. Smith and Montgomery), and an absolute bum (Mims).

You can turn over the wideout room in a hurry by adding one big time playmaker in the top ten and by signing a quality vet that he hoped Cole would be.

Top Ten Pick (Jameson Williams/Treylon Burks/Garrett Wilson)
Corey Davis
Elijah Moore
Braxton Berrios
Veteran Depth
Late Rounder
PS Type

[Derek Smalls]

Berrios replaces Crowder, yes. Berrios would be our primary slot and gadget guy if we resign him.

I think the draft is the best place to supplement Davis, Moore and Berrios. That is a competent WR threesome, especially if Moore takes a big step forward like I think he will. However, I would like someone there that can really push Davis and Berrios and give us depth. If we draft a WR high, they can push Davis and Berrios both into slightly smaller roles at the beginning of the season, and ideally by the end of their rookie season, the rookie is playing more than either of them.

Then you can have whoever else compete for WR5 and WR6 (Mims, Smiths, Montgomery, UDFAs, veteran FAs, late picks, etc).

[d sw0rdz]

The wideouts that should be gone in 2022 are Jamison Crowder, Keelan Cole, Jeff Smith, Vyncint Smith, DJ Montgomery, and Denzel Mims.

A slot option (Crowder), WR 4 (Cole), a WR6 (J. Smith), 2 practice squad guys (V. Smith and Montgomery), and an absolute bum (Mims).

You can turn over the wideout room in a hurry by adding one big time playmaker in the top ten and by signing a quality vet that he hoped Cole would be.

Top Ten Pick (Jameson Williams/Treylon Burks/Garrett Wilson)
Corey Davis
Elijah Moore
Braxton Berrios
Veteran Depth
Late Rounder
PS Type

i had low hopes for cole going into the season when literally all of the material we got from him during one jets drive, which is literally made for fluff pieces on our players, consisted of him displaying class-clown type behavior in the locker room, and had nothing to do with what he'd give us on the field LOL

[Derek Smalls]

i had low hopes for cole going into the season when literally all of the material we got from him during one jets drive, which is literally made for fluff pieces on our players, consisted of him displaying class-clown type behavior in the locker room, and had nothing to do with what he'd give us on the field LOL

1JD prepared me for a Year 3 Darnold disappointment when all they showed were his USC highlights in the Darnold fluff video.

Cole nearly had the catch of the year for us, too. I'm not even necessarily opposed to bringing him back to compete for the WR5 job as that veteran depth in Heismanberg's chart. He'll probably come extremely cheap, and he knows the offense and Zach.

[Heismanberg]

Cole isn't terrible and I wouldn't be opposed to bringing him back as depth.  He seems like a good locker room guy.  I just think he'll look for a bigger opportunity in free agency.

I doubt Douglas and our offensive coaching staff are going to beg him to stay.

[Heismanberg]

Then you can have whoever else compete for WR5 and WR6 (Mims, Smiths, Montgomery, UDFAs, veteran FAs, late picks, etc).

Mims can't cover kicks/punts and he can't get on the field over Jeff Smith and DJ Montgomery.  He's gone.

[Derek Smalls]

Cole isn't terrible and I wouldn't be opposed to bring him back as depth.  He seems like a good locker room guy.  I just think he'll look for a bigger opportunity in free agency.

I doubt Douglas and our offensive coaching staff are going to beg him to stay.

I don't think there are that many bigger opportunities for guys coming off a 25-395-0 season with a 52% catch rate who were virtually invisible when they got opportunities. There is no way he is coming anywhere near $5M guaranteed next offseason. He's at the point of his career where he'll have to earn his way onto a roster as a 28-year old coming off a down season IMO. Maybe I'm underrating him a bit.

I'm really curious what Berrios' market could be. He'll have around 500 receiving yards at the end of the season, which would be a career high, so that isn't great production. But he's a good punt returner, catches a lot of passes, is extremely fast, scored touchdowns in multiple ways, and he is still 26. He's a team somebody could overpay, hoping they are getting a player on the rise. I don't think he would get the Jamison Crowder contract, but he might come close.

[Derek Smalls]

Mims can't cover kicks/punts and he can't get on the field over Jeff Smith and DJ Montgomery.  He's gone.

Agreed, but unless they trade him for someone else's spare part, you might as well see what he's got with one healthy offseason.

He's under contract, and you have to think he sees his career on the line heading into next offseason and will come in as strong as he can be. And if he continues what he was this season, you can cut him in camp. If he shows some of the reasons JD drafted him, you can stash him. But you're right, he'll have to show a lot to become a worthy stash, since he can't play special teams.

[Heismanberg]

I'm really curious what Berrios' market could be.

We shouldn't let him test the market.

[SixFeetDeep]

As long as we don't open the season next year with him as our 3rd reciever I'm happy about this.

Top Ten Pick (Jameson Williams/Treylon Burks/Garrett Wilson)
Corey Davis
Elijah Moore
Braxton Berrios
Veteran Depth
Late Rounder
PS Type

This is what I was getting at. Ideally we draft someone high that slots into our top 3 receivers. This is less about Berrios and more about us needing additional help outside, as you said.

We have a really good core right now, adding a 1/1A WR would be all I can ask for Zach to have.

Get him a TE that can do something beyond being a traffic cone out there and let’s freaking cook.

[Derek Smalls]

This is what I was getting at. Ideally we draft someone high that slots into our top 3 receivers. This is less about Berrios and more about us needing additional help outside, as you said.

We have a really good core right now, adding a 1/1A WR would be all I can ask for Zach to have.

Get him a TE that can do something beyond being a traffic cone out there and let’s freaking cook.

We should look at Berrios as about a 30% snap guy. Let the other guys also play some slot. Burks and Williams play a lot out of the slot. Moore played a lot out of the slot in college. If Berrios earns more time or guys get hurt, he can play more.

Berrios might not like that, but we can lock him up first and get the draft pick later.

[reuben]

We shouldn't let him test the market.

Definitely not.

There's one wide receiver in the league with whom Zach Wilson has proven, well-documented chemistry: Braxton Berrios.  This is a Sanchez-Cotchery, Darnold-Anderson situation.  Don't deprive a young quarterback of his most familiar weapon.  We can afford to pay him, so pay him.