Who is Jaron Brown?

Jaron Foster

jaronbrown

Early in the preseason, this series featured John Brown when he was being drafted in the late third or early fourth round. Since then, his value has increased to the point of being a late first round pick in the November DLF Podcast mock draft and the 2.07 pick in December ADP data. This week we take a look at the other “J. Brown” on Arizona’s wide receiver depth chart, Jaron Brown, to determine whether he is worth consideration to be on your dynasty rosters.

Undrafted out of Clemson in 2013, the 6’2”, 205 pound receiver, born in Puerto Rico and raised in South Carolina, flew under the radar for most of his collegiate career. This isn’t surprising when you consider his teammates, including familiar names such as Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins and Martavis Bryant. Yet despite his more highly-regarded associates, Brown held his own with a reputation as the steady presence among a group of flashy receivers.

Entering Clemson as both a wide receiver and safety, in addition to starring in track and on the basketball court, Brown chose the school over several other options including Tennessee. After redshirting as a freshman, he caught three passes for 30 yards and served as a punt returner in 2009. The following season he became a more important piece of the offense, catching 32 passes for 405 yards and three touchdowns, leading the team with 12.7 yards per reception while averaging eight yards per carry on a handful of touches out of the backfield. His numbers were nearly identical the following season before regressing to 21 receptions for 345 yards as a senior in 2012.

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Unsurprisingly, Brown did not receive an invite to the 2013 NFL Combine. At his Pro Day, Brown ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds, which matched the seventh-place times posted at the Combine by Corey Fuller and then-wideout Denard Robinson. His 10’4” broad jump would have been good for ninth along with Kenny Stills, and his three-cone drill time of 6.82 seconds would also have made the top ten. However, his solid performance notwithstanding, Brown proceeded to go undrafted.

He wasn’t a free agent for long as Arizona signed him after selecting former Clemson teammate Andre Ellington in the sixth round. The team liked his reliable hands and sizable frame, along with an ability to adjust to the ball that makes for a good catch radius, and solid speed. He also has a strong reputation as a soft-spoken leader with a high football IQ, and coaches at the collegiate and professional level (Arizona head coach Bruce Arians in particular) rave about Brown’s intelligent and reliable play.

Though Brown is a well-rounded athlete, on the football field he fails to excel in any particular area. His route running needs improvement and he doesn’t possess the metrics or raw skills to have a high ceiling at the professional level. Many projected him to be no more than roster depth coming out of college.

Regardless of his draft status, Arizona threw Brown right into the mix in his first season. Even with star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and first-round pick Michael Floyd ahead of him on the depth chart, Brown made the roster out of training camp (bypassing veterans Kerry Taylor and Mike Thomas) and proceeded to play in all sixteen games as a rookie. Though the statistics were not particularly impressive, recording eleven receptions on 18 targets for 140 yards and a touchdown, Brown received a significant number of snaps and was consistently praised by Arians. He also was a key member on special teams.

Though his role did not increase significantly in 2014, again Brown played in all sixteen games as he caught 22 passes on 32 targets for 229 yards and two touchdowns. He did not record a reception on only one target in last week’s loss to Carolina, though the whole offense was out of sorts with third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley at the helm. He fractured his shoulder blade in the loss, and projects to have a four-to-six month recovery period. By all accounts he should be ready for training camp, though he will have to miss OTAs.

As is the case with teammates Michael Floyd and John Brown, Jaron Brown’s fantasy value in 2015 and beyond hinges upon the resolution of Fitzgerald’s future with the Cardinals. An enormous cap hit if he returns on his current contract, after he turns 32 no less, there is a good chance the veteran departs after eleven seasons with Arizona.

If Fitzgerald stays, expect Floyd and John Brown to receive slight bumps in targets as they develop but no measurable increase in value for Jaron Brown. He would only serve as a flex play or bye-week filler should one of the other three receivers miss any time.

If Fitzgerald leaves, and the Cardinals choose not to add another receiver in free agency or the draft, Jaron Brown slides up into a much more fantasy-relevant WR3 role with Arizona. Though it is a small sample size, Brown’s role increased with an injured Fitzgerald on the sidelines in weeks twelve and thirteen, totaling ten receptions for 99 yards. His role diminished in terms of targets upon Fitzgerald’s return in week fourteen, though he did catch a touchdown pass. Brown undoubtedly gets a boost in value when Fitzgerald is not on the field, even if that translates to a few short-route targets per game.

On an NFL roster, Brown has the versatility and reliability to play an important role. For dynasty purposes, Jaron Brown is currently best left on the waiver wire. December ADP shows him at 176th overall, or at the end of the fifteenth round, with a range of 150th through 235th. I would prefer many of the players being selected after him, including the likes of Pierre Thomas, Branden Oliver, James Jones and CJ Fiedorowicz. Take your fliers on players with more upside and opportunity, as well as less dependency on the health and contract statuses of more talented teammates.

Follow Jaron on Twitter @jlfoster10 and send any suggestions for players to feature in future articles

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