Around the NFL

April 18, 2022

A.J. Green

Quietly, a career-revival in Arizona

The Cardinals re-signed A.J. Green last week. We had fun ripping Green here last year, given how awful his last couple of seasons were in Cincinnati. But to his credit, he wound up bouncing back nicely with Kyler Murray and company.

One popular stat for receiver efficiency these days is yards per target, showing how many yards each pass thrown to a receiver -- completed or incomplete -- results in, on average. Unsurprisingly, three of the very best receivers in this regard last year, among wideouts with at least 90 targets, were arguably the three best receivers in the league: Deebo, Chase, Kupp. But also showing up in the top 8, just ahead of Davante Adams, was Green, averaging 9.2 yards per target.

It's noteworthy in part because in 2020, Green was at the very bottom of the list -- his 5.0 yards per target was the worst figure in the league, just over half of what he finished at in 2021. Quite a one-year turnaround.

WR YARDS PER TARGET, 2020-2021 (90-PLUS)
Year	Player	Tgt	No	Yds	Avg	TD	Y/Tgt
2021	Deebo Samuel	121	77	1405	18.3	6	11.6
2021	JaMarr Chase	128	81	1455	18.0	13	11.4
2020	Justin Jefferson	125	88	1400	15.9	7	11.2
2021	Tyler Lockett	107	73	1175	16.1	8	11.0
2020	Corey Davis	92	65	984	15.1	5	10.7
2021	Cooper Kupp	191	145	1947	13.4	16	10.2
2020	A.J. Brown	106	70	1075	15.4	11	10.1
2020	DJ Moore	118	66	1193	18.1	4	10.1
2020	DK Metcalf	129	83	1303	15.7	10	10.1
2021	Tee Higgins	110	74	1091	14.7	6	9.9
2021	Justin Jefferson	167	108	1616	15.0	10	9.7
2020	Brandin Cooks	119	81	1150	14.2	6	9.7
2020	Calvin Ridley	143	90	1374	15.3	9	9.6
2021	Christian Kirk	103	77	982	12.8	5	9.5
2020	Tyreek Hill	135	87	1276	14.7	15	9.5
2020	Stefon Diggs	166	127	1535	12.1	8	9.2
2020	Mike Evans	109	70	1006	14.4	13	9.2
2020	Davante Adams	149	115	1374	12.0	18	9.2
2021	A.J. Green	92	54	848	15.7	3	9.2
2021	Davante Adams	169	123	1553	12.6	11	9.2
2021	CeeDee Lamb	120	79	1102	14.0	6	9.2
2021	Mike Evans	114	74	1035	14.0	14	9.1
2020	Cole Beasley	107	82	967	11.8	4	9.0
2021	Mike Williams	129	76	1146	15.1	9	8.9
2021	Tyler Boyd	94	67	828	12.4	5	8.8
2021	DeVonta Smith	104	64	916	14.3	5	8.8
2020	DeAndre Hopkins	160	115	1407	12.2	6	8.8
2020	Curtis Samuel	97	77	851	11.1	3	8.8
2021	Chris Godwin	127	98	1103	11.3	5	8.7
2020	Amari Cooper	130	92	1114	12.1	5	8.6
2020	Adam Thielen	108	74	925	12.5	14	8.6
2020	Marvin Jones	115	76	978	12.9	9	8.5
2020	CeeDee Lamb	111	74	935	12.6	5	8.4
2020	Tee Higgins	108	67	908	13.6	6	8.4
2021	Michael Pittman	129	88	1082	12.3	6	8.4
2020	Terry McLaurin	134	87	1118	12.9	4	8.3
2021	Amari Cooper	104	68	865	12.7	8	8.3
2020	Jarvis Landry	101	72	840	11.7	3	8.3
2020	Allen Robinson	151	102	1250	12.3	6	8.3
2021	A.J. Brown	105	63	869	13.8	5	8.3
2020	T.Y. Hilton	93	56	762	13.6	5	8.2
2021	Russell Gage	94	66	770	11.7	4	8.2
2021	Chase Claypool	105	59	860	14.6	2	8.2
2021	Hunter Renfrow	128	103	1038	10.1	9	8.1
2021	Terry McLaurin	130	77	1053	13.7	5	8.1
2020	Robby Anderson	136	95	1096	11.5	3	8.1
2020	Michael Gallup	105	59	843	14.3	5	8.0
2020	Chase Claypool	109	62	873	14.1	9	8.0
2020	Tyler Lockett	132	100	1054	10.5	10	8.0
2021	Courtland Sutton	98	58	776	13.4	2	7.9
2020	Cooper Kupp	124	92	974	10.6	3	7.9
2020	Darius Slayton	96	50	751	15.0	3	7.8
2021	Tyreek Hill	159	111	1239	11.2	9	7.8
2020	Brandon Aiyuk	96	60	748	12.5	5	7.8
2021	Brandin Cooks	134	90	1037	11.5	6	7.7
2020	DeVante Parker	103	63	793	12.6	4	7.7
2020	Marquise Brown	100	58	769	13.3	8	7.7
2021	Amon-Ra St. Brown	119	90	912	10.1	5	7.7
2020	Tyler Boyd	110	79	841	10.7	4	7.6
2021	Adam Thielen	95	67	726	10.8	10	7.6
2020	DJ Chark	93	53	706	13.3	5	7.6
2020	Jerry Jeudy	113	52	856	16.5	3	7.6
2021	Darnell Mooney	140	81	1055	13.0	4	7.5
2021	DK Metcalf	129	75	967	12.9	12	7.5
2021	Stefon Diggs	164	103	1225	11.9	10	7.5
2020	Sterling Shepard	90	66	656	9.9	3	7.3
2020	Robert Woods	129	90	936	10.4	6	7.3
2021	Jaylen Waddle	140	104	1015	9.8	6	7.3
2021	Keenan Allen	157	106	1138	10.7	6	7.2
2020	Russell Gage	109	72	786	10.9	4	7.2
2021	DJ Moore	163	93	1157	12.4	4	7.1
2021	Marvin Jones	120	73	832	11.4	4	6.9
2021	Marquise Brown	146	91	1008	11.1	6	6.9
2021	Jakobi Meyers	126	83	866	10.4	2	6.9
2021	Diontae Johnson	169	107	1161	10.9	8	6.9
2020	Keenan Allen	147	100	992	9.9	8	6.7
2020	JuJu Smith-Schuster	128	97	831	8.6	9	6.5
2020	Darnell Mooney	98	61	631	10.3	4	6.4
2020	Diontae Johnson	144	88	923	10.5	7	6.4
2021	Laviska Shenault	100	63	619	9.8	0	6.2
2021	Cole Beasley	112	82	693	8.5	1	6.2
2020	A.J. Green	104	47	523	11.1	2	5.0
2021	Robby Anderson	110	53	519	9.8	5	4.7

Some other interesting things from the table. One is that Green's teammate Christian Kirk was also very good in this regard last year (9.6), a little better than Green. So contract-seeking Murray, and the offense itself, deserve some credit in coaxing that performance out of Green. Kirk is in Jacksonville now, so presumably a few more chances for Green, and also a popular breakout choice in second-year wideout Rondale Moore.

The only guy worse than Green's 2020 performance over the last two seasons -- the only wide receiver within a yard of Green, in fact -- was Robby Anderson last year. The same Anderson who was in the news last week for ripping Baker Mayfield after the report that the Panthers were considered the front-runner to add the Cleveland quarterback. Does Anderson really want another year of Sam Darnold? Things could only be better, at least based on his 2021.

Back to Green. I wouldn't say his performance a year ago makes him a desirable target in fantasy leagues. He caught only 3 TDs, with a particularly memorable, game-losing missed connection at one point. And Murray himself apparently won't be playing this year without a new contract.

But the Cardinals either will or at least should work out the Murray situation. And with Kirk gone, Green might well be the No. 2 in the passing game, much as many want to believe it will be Moore. The veteran looks very much like late-round selection with a good chance to outperform that. Not washed-up after all.

--Andy Richardson

A.J. Green Rondale Moore

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