Former Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice, who has dealt with injury-plagued campaigns in three of the past four years, has been cleared for football activities by world-renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews. Rice put up just 15 receptions in six games for the Seahawks last season before being cut earlier in the offseason.
At 27 years old and with previous success at the NFL level, Rice could be a real find for a team in need of help at wide receiver. The Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets come to mind first.
Mike Florio over at Pro Football Talk is reporting that the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints as well as the aforementioned Panthers are teams that are interested in acquiring Rice’s services. He also expects something to get worked out relatively soon.
Seattle hasn’t closed the door altogether. It is still in need of depth at wide receiver, especially after the departure of Golden Tate in free agency. Teams could also wait until after the draft to assess where they are at as it relates to the wide receiver position before making a play for Rice. After all, the draft class is stacked at that position.
Photo: Mark J. Rebilas, USA Today