Alright, let’s talk about this whole Zay Flowers or Jaylen Waddle situation I went through.
Man, this decision was eating at me for a bit. You sit there, looking at your roster, looking at the waiver wire, or maybe prepping for a draft, and these two names just keep popping up.
Thinking it Through
First, I looked hard at Jaylen Waddle. We all know the name. The guy’s got speed, serious speed. Plays with Tua and Tyreek Hill down in Miami. You see the highlights, you see the potential for huge plays. I remember thinking, okay, he’s established, he’s shown he can do it in the league. That feels kinda safe, right? A known thing.
But then my brain started going… how many targets does he really get consistently? Hill is the main guy there, no doubt. And Tua, gotta worry about him staying healthy all season. If Tua’s out, or if Hill just vacuums up like 15 targets a game, where does that leave Waddle? Is he gonna be boom or bust? That inconsistency worried me a bit.
Then I shifted over to Zay Flowers. The rookie out of Boston College playing for the Ravens. Watched some of his college tape, saw the preseason buzz. Kid looked shifty, quick, looked like he could make things happen with the ball in his hands. And you look at Baltimore, Lamar Jackson needs reliable guys to throw to, especially after they paid him all that money. Seemed like a spot where a talented rookie could step in and get chances right away.
But, you know, he’s a rookie. That always gives you pause. How fast does he learn the playbook? How does he handle NFL defenses week in and week out? Can he earn Lamar’s trust quickly? It’s a total guess, really. More risk involved, for sure.
Making the Call
So I spent a couple of nights just going back and forth. One minute I’m thinking, “Go with Waddle, the proven talent.” The next minute, “But Flowers could have that huge ceiling, maybe he becomes Lamar’s favorite target!” It was tough.
I didn’t look at crazy spreadsheets or anything. Mostly just went with my gut feeling based on what I’d seen and the situations. I thought about the Ravens needing playmakers, and Flowers looking electric every time he touched the ball in the clips I saw. It felt like maybe, just maybe, he could have a bigger role earlier than people expected.
In the end, I leaned towards the excitement, the unknown. I picked Zay Flowers. It felt like taking a bigger swing, but maybe for a bigger reward. Waddle felt like the safer floor, Flowers felt like the higher ceiling, and I guess I was in the mood to gamble a bit.
We’ll see how it pans out. Could look like a genius in a few weeks, could be kicking myself. That’s just how it goes sometimes when you’re trying to figure this stuff out. You make your best guess and hope it works.
