John Brown broke out for the Arizona Cardinals in 2015 with over 1,000 yards receiving and 7 touchdowns, as well as providing us with a memorable end-zone celebration dance.
Love that John Brown Dance Party! #AZCardinals https://t.co/mYZQS2GFFe pic.twitter.com/ffol3A1BVH
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardsTrends) August 2, 2016
Brown ranked 10th in Reception NEP and was seen as a key piece to victory for Arizona's NFC Championship matchup against the Panthers. Unfortunately, he was limited to just 2 catches for 23 yards in a blowout loss, which was a sign of things to come for Brown and the offense in 2016.
He set career lows in receiving yards (517) and touchdowns (2), while his catch rate (54.17%) was well below the league average. Brown suited up for 14 games, but dealt with a nagging hamstring injury that seemed to linger and impact his play.
| Category | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Receptions | 65 | 39 |
| Catch Rate | 64.36% | 54.17% |
| Reception NEP per Target (Rank) | 0.84 (10th) | 0.69 (T-26th) |
| Reception Success Rate | 84.62% | 97.44% |
| Receiving Yards | 1,003 | 517 |
| Touchdowns | 7 | 2 |
Last year wasn't all bad, though -- he ranked first out of 53 qualified receivers (60-plus targets) in Reception Success Rate, making his catches more meaningful for Arizona than any other pass-catcher despite his limited number of receptions.
While he's shown the ability to put up big numbers, it'll be tough to get targets next year in the desert. Larry Fitzgerald will return for another year after leading the team in targets (150), and he will be joined by David Johnson (120 targets in '16) and J.J. Nelson (74 targets).