In the ever-evolving world of NFL offenses, there is no greater sought position on offense outside of quarterback than wide receiver. This year’s free agent market is abundant with top-level talent as well as seemingly-ageless veterans. Of the list of players testing the open market, seven were the top option on their respective team last season.
The plethora of talent available will surely influence the market, driving prices up among bidding teams, and delaying negotiations. Dez Bryant will likely take the cake as the highest-paid receiver this offseason. Receivers such as Demaryius Thomas and Randall Cobb will wait for Bryant’s decision to sign to influence their own price tags. The bidding war for receivers will influence the league for years to come.
Here are your top-10 free agent wide receivers this year.
10. Kenny Britt, St. Louis Rams
A household name to some, Britt revitalized a career many believed to be over prior to the 2014 season. Beginning the year buried on the Rams’ depth chart, Britt emerged as the favorite target of Austin Davis. Britt was reportedly a locker-room cancer in Tennessee, but showed maturity in his time in St. Louis. Despite being irrelevant in the season’s first two weeks, Britt finished the year with 48 catches for 748 yards and three touchdowns, creating new-found league interest in the 26-year-old veteran.
9. Wes Welker, Denver Broncos
Once Tom Brady’s favorite target, Welker’s 49 receptions as the fourth option in the Broncos passing offense was his lowest total since 2005. Welker no longer possesses the speed to be a reliable threat against the top defenders, and his production has dipped each of the past three seasons. Now out of his prime at 33 years of age, Welker is simply a depth-driven commodity and will likely find his place as an insurance piece on a contending team in 2015.
8. Eddie Royal, San Diego Chargers
A favorite target of Philip Rivers, Eddie Royal had one of his most productive seasons as a professional in 2014, catching 62 passes for 778 yards and seven touchdowns. Whether this production was a product of Royal’s ability and speed or Rivers’ tendency to throw into the slot remains to be seen. Of Royal’s 62 receptions last year, 46 came out of the slot. Furthermore, 225 of Rivers’ 379 completions came in those same areas. Royal’s importance to the Chargers’ offense was monumental, making the 28 year old a valuable commodity for teams in need of speed at the wide receiver position.
7. Cecil Shorts III, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars best possession receiver hits the open market this year as one of the most underrated talents in the game today. Despite never playing more than 14 games on a horrendous offense over the last three seasons, Shorts was able to catch at least 50 passes in each of those seasons, accruing 2,343 yards in the process. His statistics do not speak to his talent due to the poor quarterback play that has been rampant in Jacksonville during his tenure. Shorts is truly a hidden value in this free agent market, and will make a major splash among the ranks of wide receivers should he land in an offense befitting of his skill set.
6. Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers
Ranked 30th in passing yardage league-wide in 2014, the San Francisco 49ers simply did not use any receiver not named Anquan Boldin enough for him to make an impact on the field. Michael Crabtree caught 68 passes for 698 yards and four touchdowns in 2014, and has been written off as a complimentary target in this league. A first-round pick in 2009, Crabtree has received more notoriety for his rivalry with Seahawks’ corner Richard Sherman than his play on the field. The receiver’s best season in this league was in 2012 when he caught 85 passes for over 1,100 yards and nine scores. Now at 27 years of age, Crabtree would be a tremendous addition to a team seeking depth at the wide receiver position, if not a true No. 1 target. Furthermore, Crabtree will prove to be a nice bargain for teams that missed out on some of this year’s top talent on the market.
5. Torrey Smith, Baltimore Ravens
The 26 year old Ravens’ receiver is hitting the open market at the perfect time. Smith is a tremendous deep ball threat, a skill that melded perfectly with Baltimore’s starting quarterback Joe Flacco. In 2014, Smith was targeted 21 times on passes 20 yards or longer, catching eight of the 13 that came within reach of the receiver. Smith is the perfect complement to a possession receiver, which will make him a nice catch on the open market. The Ravens’ pass catcher is comparable to Miami’s Mike Wallace, who received a five-year, $60 million deal in 2013. Expect Torrey Smith to look for a similar deal in free agency.
4. Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles
After suffering an ACL tear during the 2013 preseason, Maclin re-signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year prove it deal. The former first-round pick caught 85 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns while only dropping one pass all season. The 26 year old is entering his prime and coming off the best season of his career. Maclin will be heavily sought after by many teams—including the Eagles—and may have been the top target in free agency if not for his counterparts also seeking big paydays.
3. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
Perhaps the most intriguing free agent is this 24-year-old Green Bay Packers’ receiver. Cobb shined in Green Bay as one-half of Aaron Rodgers’ dynamic duo of receivers. While the Packers are known to throw major cash on the table to keep their own, Cobb will certainly garner massive interest league-wide as well. In 2014, Cobb caught 91 passes for 1,281 yards and 12 touchdowns. Despite his size, Cobb is a premier receiving talent in this league, and will be paid accordingly due to his ability as not only as a possession receiver, but a deep threat as well.
2. Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos
Peyton Manning’s favorite target in his tenure as a Bronco is now looking for a major payday. The three-time Pro Bowl selection has caught over 90 balls and reached the 1,400 yard plateau in each of his last three seasons, adding 35 touchdowns in the same span. Thomas has tremendous speed for his size. A versatile deep-threat that is great in the red zone, Thomas will surely earn a massive payday in free agency.
1. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
Alleged character issues aside, Dez Bryant is the most-valuable free agent available on the market in 2015. Dallas’ first round pick in the 2010 draft has lived up to the hype in his short career, catching 381 passes for 5,424 yards and 56 touchdowns in his five seasons with the team. Bryant can do it all. From the short ball to the long ball, there is no stopping this monster in single coverage. On passes of 20 yards or more in 2014, Bryant caught all 15 that hit his hands during the regular season, creating eight touchdowns and accruing 539 yards for the Cowboys. With Dallas’ having just over $5 million to spend in free agency, Dez Bryant could chase the cash elsewhere on the open market, and is likely to sign one of the highest-paying deals in the history of his position. Then again, Dallas could just franchise him and be done with it. That’s the likeliest scenario here.
Photo: USA Today