For whatever reason teams seem to shy away from veteran wide receivers until the season has started. It’s understandable that you’d want to develop young talent, but having a veteran in camp who knows what he’s doing can only help that process. In the end, the goal of every team should be to field the best possible squad. Here are five free agent wide receivers that can help do that.
Andre Johnson, WR, Indianapolis Colts
2015: 41 catches, 503 yards, four touchdowns, Age 34
Johnson signing with the Colts last season was supposed be a career resurgence for a player who was once arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. Instead it showcased how Johnson probably no longer has the tools to be an outside receiver. What he can do is move inside in the slot like Larry Fitzgerald did in Arizona. Johnson should have plenty of speed and athleticism left to work the seam and the middle against nickle backs, safeties and linebackers.
Johnson made $7.5 million with the Colts last season and he’ll not be able to sign anywhere near that amount. If he wants to still play, he can probably get $1.5 million from a contender. Best fits: New England Patriots, New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals
James Jones, WR, Green Bay Packers
2015: 50 catches, 890 yards, eight touchdowns, Age 32
Jones returned to Green Bay after taking a year sabattical on the west coast with the Oakland Raiders. Jones immediately picked up right where he left off in the Packers’ offense, putting up nearly identical numbers as he had in his prime years of 2010-2012. His yards per catch average was a career high and his yards per game, 55.6, was the second best mark of his career.
Jones is a professional, legit NFL receiver and it’s a mystery to me how he keeps getting cut loose. Last year the Packers signed him after the New York Giants cut him after training camp for $875,00. Looking at his touchdown totals alone, that salary level seems more than justified to me. Jones probably has four more good years in him and could probably be had cheaply with a deal of that length. Best fits: Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers
Marques Colston, WR, New Orleans Saints
2015: 45 catches, 520 yards, four touchdowns, Age 32
Colston’s performance took a pretty good dive this last season making his $6.5 million price tag a little too steep. Nagging injuries limited his playing time and he made just five starts and appeared in just 13 games. When he was on the field he was still productive, averaging 11.6 yards per catch and scoring four touchdowns.
Colston would do well to think about transitioning to the slot full time himself and extending his career. An experienced and smart wideout, Colston would be a good fit on a team with a young group eager to learn from a guy that played under Sean Payton and with Drew Brees for the last nine seasons. Best fits: Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions
Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons
2015: 43 catches, 506 yards, one touchdown, Age 34
White’s been regressing for the last few seasons and no one’s noticed because Julio Jones has been setting the league on fire. White’s 43 were his lowest total since his second year in the league. For a guy that averaged 80 catches and 1,200 yards a year from 2007-2012 that’s a significant drop-off.
I’m a broken record here, but a move to the slot would make White a more valuable weapon and give him much easier match ups that speedy young corners on the outside. He still averaged 11.8 yards per catch last season, so working quick routes, digs and hooks can make him an asset to a team in need of consistent third-down production. Best fits: Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers
Anquan Boldin, WR, San Francisco 49ers
2015: 69 catches, 789 yards, four touchdowns, Age 35
Boldin is the oldest wideout on the list but still the most productive. His totals were down last season only because the 49ers offense was a dumpster fire. Out of his 12 seasons in the league, he’s hit 1,000-plus yards seven times and when he doesn’t get there, he’s still in the ballpark with a career average of 13.1 yards per catch.
Boldin’s age and any perceived loss of speed has been a non-factor. Speed was never his game to begin with coming out of Florida State in 2003. He’s always been physical, knows where to attack the ball and is difficult to tackle, especially by defensive backs that might be 20 pounds lighter than he is. Best fits: Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, Indianapolis Colts
