Who is Bryan Walters?
Several games into the regular season, players continue to emerge from nowhere to become fantasy relevant. Jacksonville’s offense, including Blake Bortles, Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and rookie T.J. Yeldon have become viable options in starting lineups. Digging a little deeper, with Julius Thomas and Marqise Lee largely ineffective due to injuries, journeyman wide receiver Bryan Walters has taken advantage of his opportunities as the Jaguars’ third receiving option. Is his production sustainable for the remainder of the season?
Walters’ name may ring a bell as he has been in the NFL since 2010 following an extremely productive collegiate football career at Cornell University (CU). Entering the Ivy League school as a multi-sport star (including on both offense and defense on the gridiron) Walters proceeded to set many school and conference records as a wide receiver and returner. He finished his four-year stint with 144 receptions for 2032 yards and 12 touchdowns, along with an average of 99 return yards per game with two touchdowns on special teams. He is first in school history in all-purpose yards, punt return yards and kick return yards, and won several Ivy League awards over the course of his career.
The 6’0”, 195-pound Walters’ main strengths are his speed and hands, as well as his agility on the field to miss tackles. He also demonstrates strength and toughness to handle larger defensive opponents, making him a solid option in the middle of the field. He needs to be a more polished route-runner, though, and though he is quick he does not have the top-end speed to take the top off a defense or the size to win many jump balls.
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Despite the production and accolades, and likely in part due to the aforementioned shortcomings, Walters did not attend the 2010 NFL Combine and was not among the 27 wide receivers selected in the draft that year. He signed as a free agent with San Diego following the draft, which proved to be the first of many transactions involving Walters over the last five-plus years. He sustained an injury during training camp and was released during the preseason, but was re-signed by the Chargers that December and inked a futures contract in January 2011.
After remaining in the organization for over a year and playing limited snaps in four games on the Chargers’ roster, he was released in March 2012 and signed by the Vikings two weeks later. Minnesota cut him in late August and he caught on with the Seahawks shortly thereafter via another futures contract. Released and re-signed in December 2013, he was promoted to the active roster but did not catch a pass.
Walters finally saw significant game-time in 2014 with Seattle, playing in 13 games as he returned 27 punts and two kickoffs. He also caught six passes for 57 yards on 11 targets, though his use was generally limited to special teams. He made his way to Jacksonville as a free agent in March 2015.
Signed to a one-year deal, Walters joins Arrelious Benn, Tony Washington and Neal Sterling as contract-year wide receivers on the Jaguars (if you choose to count him, Justin Blackmon’s contract is expiring too). Hurns and Damian Copeland are both signed through 2016, while early 2014 draft picks Lee and Robinson are inked through 2017. Rookie Rashad Greene’s contract extends through 2018. Walters and the once-highly regarded Benn are the elders of the group as both are 27 years old, with Walters about to turn 28 on November 4.
Robinson is firmly entrenched as the team’s number one wide receiver, with Hurns and Lee alternating as the starter depending on who is on the field. Beyond that, and what have been limited targets for running backs and tight ends, there are currently opportunities for snaps.
Walters made the 53-man roster out of the preseason and caught two passes for 17 yards in the first week of the season versus Carolina. To make room for help in the secondary, he was cut on September 20 but re-signed two days later when Greene landed on Injured Reserve/Designated to Return. Walters proceeded to catch four passes for 55 yards in the next two games before emerging as one of Bortles’ primary targets, hauling in four passes for 64 yards in week five and eight passes for 87 yards in week six.
The uptick in receptions against Houston came primarily following Robinson’s exit from the game with a leg injury, the extent of which is still to be determined. Despite sustaining a back injury at the end of the game, Walters’ x-rays came back negative and he is expected to play week seven. If he does, and Robinson is out for the Jaguars’ matchup against the Bills in London, Walters could be a streaming option against an underperforming Buffalo secondary.
From a long-term perspective, however, Walters does not hold much upside for consideration in dynasty leagues. His inability to stick on a roster and status as special teamer and emergency wide receiver, coupled with his age, do not suggest he will land a starting role in the NFL. His versatility in the return game has helped him to remain on NFL rosters, and as such will draw some targets as the fourth or fifth receiving option, but unless you reserve a spot on your roster for weekly streaming options, he can be left on waiver wires as you search for players with more opportunities or defined roles in their offenses.
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