Top
10 UFA WRs: (updated March 7)
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| Seahawks.com |
1
– Golden Tate. With my Rams glasses off, much easier to appreciate
Tate as a hard-nosed WR coming off a career year (64-898). Also a
good punt returner, he’s just 26, and the Rams proved to have no
one who could cover him last year. Almost certainly re-upping with
Seattle, however.
2
– Eric Decker. Excellent size, great back-to-back seasons, nearly
1,300 yards last year, 24 TDs the last two years. In FFL, he’d be
the first of this group off the board. My free-agent-bust Geiger
counter is really clicking at paying a #2 guy $8-10 million to be a
#1 guy, though. How does he fare without Peyton and Demaryius on his
team? Like he did in the Super Bowl?
3
– Julian Edelman. Exploded for 105 catches, bailing New England out
for Danny Amendola getting hurt yet again. But how much money will
the Patriots want to throw at slot receivers?
4
– Emmanuel Sanders. Speedy, hitting his prime at 27 and coming off
a career year, 67-740, 6 TD. Bothersome that he only caught 60% of
his targets.
5
– James Jones. Better stats (59-817) than any Ram receiver in ’13, and his 14 TDs in
’12 are still hard to ignore. Also hard to ignore that he’ll
be 30.
6
– Hakeem Nicks. Similar year (56-896) as Jones, except he’s
supposed to be a #1 WR. Was a massive disappointment instead in ‘13,
with terrible hands, nagging injuries and NO TDs. At 6’1”, he’s
not even as tall as I thought. If the Rams were to sign him, I’d be
disappointed, not excited.
7
– Dexter McCluster. Only 26, coming off his best season with career
highs in yards and receptions. Added value as a punt returner, with 2
TDs last year.
8
– Jerricho Cotchery. 32-year-old had career renaissance in
Pittsburgh at slot receiver (46-602) and was outstanding in the red
zone, scoring 10 TDs. Very likely to stay with Steelers.
9
– Ted Ginn. Coming off his best year since 2008 with 5 TDs and has
added value as a punt and kickoff returner. Rams should consider going after him.
10
– Andre Roberts. Has youth (26) and slot/wide versatility on his
side, though Big Dead didn’t seem to throw to the slot (43-471) a
lot, and as things were, he lost reps to Rob Housler at the end of
last season anyway.
Sleepers:
Ginn and Roberts are just a couple of sleeper picks out of this group. Though Damian Williams
couldn’t crack WR3 on the Titans’ depth chart, I liked him and
his route-running a lot when he came out of college. Jacoby Ford was
a lethal kick returner as a rookie; if you dedicated him to that
full-time, maybe he stays healthy for once while remaining a potent
weapon there. The Rams definitely could use any kind of kick return
threat. If they aren’t too expensive, Santana Moss, Nate Burleson
or Jason Avant could add a veteran component that’s badly missing
from the chemistry of the Rams’ receiving corps. (They’d have to
provide leadership, to make up for lack of speed.)
Wild
card: 2013 was a(nother) lost season for Sidney Rice, which you
can’t spell without IR. He blew a knee last October in St. Louis
and also battled concussion problems. But he feels like a perfect
“take-a-flier” signing to me. He’s only 28. He has the
size/speed/experience combo the Ram receiving corps badly lacks. His
2012 stats (50-748, 7 TD) ought to make him worth a look. On a
one-year contract, what’s a better gamble, a flier on Rice or
continuing to wait on Brian Quick? No doubt in disagreement with the
Rams, I’d say the flier.
Tag
you're it: despite Jimmy Graham’s protests, no player was
franchise-tagged as a wide receiver this year.
Out
of the running: Anquan Boldin (re-signed by 49ers); Riley Cooper
(re-signed by Eagles); Jeremy Maclin (re-signed by Eagles); Brandon
Stokley (retired)
Voting
present: Santana Moss, Nate Burleson, Jason Avant, Jerome
Simpson, Damian Williams, Austin Collie, Jacoby Jones, Kassim Osgood
(ST), Devin Hester (KR), Trindon Holliday (KR), Brandon Tate (KR), Jacoby Ford (KR), Andre
Caldwell, Tiquan Underwood, Kevin Ogletree, Robert Meachem, Josh
Morgan, Brandon LaFell, Lavelle Hawkins, Louis Murphy, Seyi
Ajirotutu, Micheal Spurlock (KR), Domenik Hixon, Kenny Britt, Deion
Branch, Josh Cribbs (KR), Darius Heyward-Bey, Joe Webb, Marlon Moore,
Taylor Price, Dezmon Briscoe
The
doctor will see you now: Davone
Bess (psychological); Plaxico Burress (torn rotator cuff,
missed all of 2013); Mario Manningham (recurring knee problems since
tearing ACL in ’12); Marc Mariani (hasn’t played in 2 seasons due
to a broken leg in ’12 and a separated shoulder in ’13); Kevin
Walter (back surgery, out all season); Kyle Williams (tore right ACL
for 2nd time in November).
Might
as well move next door to the doctor: Sigh. Danario Alexander
tore his right ACL for the second time last August. He needed
“followup” surgery on it in January, then had more on it last
month due to an infection. I have that as four operations lifetime on
his right knee. And that’s still behind his left knee, which has
been operated on at least FIVE times! DX is obviously doubtful even
to play in 2014.
Gawd
no: Ah, what a wonderful time this’ll be with analysts
constantly tying Jeff Fisher to former Titan WR Kenny Britt. Britt’s
legion off-field problems automatically put him on the Rams’
wishlist in the minds of most writers. In his flashes of quality play
in the pros, yeah, the 6’3 223 Britt, able to play big and stretch
the field, showed exactly the qualities the Ram receiving corps badly
needs. But he’s also fought injuries for three seasons, and even
when he was healthy for the Titans down the stretch in ’13, he was
a gameday inactive, thanks to too many drops and penalties. Wait a
minute – he has a boatload of off-field issues AND he drops balls
and commits stupid penalties? Great. He’s a Ram.
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RamView’s
moves: DRAFT. SAMMY. WATKINS. As much as I’d like to add a
veteran into the mix, this UFA class really has a lot of flaws. I’d
hate to put out much money for anybody. But whether it’s via the
draft or free agency, the Rams need to make some kind of big move at
the position. Also, if Isaac Bruce or Torry Holt give any further
hints of wanting to coach WRs in the future, I’d drop Ray Sherman
for either in a heartbeat.
Shoot
the moon: Nicks is the logical player to take a run at if the
Rams were to make a free-agent splash at WR. He’s been a #1
receiver and has amply demonstrated the big WR skills and ability to
stretch the field the Rams need badly. He’ll still be very
expensive, though, especially given the number of flaws he has.
Prediction:
Les Snead has already infamously said the Rams don't need a #1
wide receiver. P.S. Les: you mispronounced “remotely have”. They
could replace half their current receivers as far as I’m concerned,
but seem likelier to give Chris Givens a chance to overcome Kennison
Syndrome, which is fine, and to cling bitterly to The Next T.O.
project, which is wishful thinking at best. I’ll try not to be
shocked when they take a flier and give Britt a look, and even less
shocked when he doesn’t make it out of training camp. And I’ll be
highly disappointed if they enter this training camp with the same
receivers that finished last season, which seems very possible the
way Snead’s talking.
-$-
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