5 NFL Receivers Who Will Improve In 2017 (And 5 Who Won't)

There's an old adage in sports: "Father Time is undefeated." That's especially true in the NFL, a sport more unforgiving and ruthless than most. While some men, particularly Tom Brady, fend off the ravages of time better than others, eventually, everyone will fall. Such is the case for Los Angeles Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, who, at the age of 37, is on the last legs of his Hall of Fame career.

Last season, Gates only caught 53 passes for 548 yards on an average of 10.3 yards per catch. In terms of passes caught and average yardage, those are the worst numbers of his career and there's no reason to believe they'll improve in 2017 with the return of Keenan Allen and the debut of Mike Williams, both of whom will draw more attention from quarterback Philip Rivers.

The Chargers already have Gates replacement on hand in the form of sophomore Hunter Henry, who only caught 36 passes last season, but racked up 478 yards on an average of 13.3 yards per catch. He also pulled down eight touchdowns. As Henry improves, he'll slowly but surely replace Gates in the lineup, significantly shortening the all-time great's playing time.