Getting WR help for the offense: three players the WFT could target

A couple of weeks in the past, I printed an article taking a look at five veteran free agent options for the Washington Football Team. The 5 gamers have been:

• Allen Robinson
• Damiere Byrd
• Corey Davis
• Curtis Samuel
• Will Fuller

I feel Allen Robinson is more likely to garner essentially the most curiosity amongst large receivers within the NFL’s upcoming free company interval; he could be essentially the most wanted FA no matter place. Personally, I’m pegging Damiere Byrd as a low-cost darkish horse for a contract right here in Washington.

But when a workforce requires a game-changing large receiver, that is the free company class to seek out one. In the present day, I assumed I’d shine the highlight on a number of different receivers who’re more likely to be in demand when the brand new league 12 months opens on 17 March. With Washington’s obtainable cap area, the workforce needs to be in rivalry to signal a prime receiver this month.

Listed here are the three gamers I need to concentrate on at this time:

Associated:

Free Agent Fizzle: A bad year for free agents looking for a payday

Photograph by Hannah Foslien/Getty Pictures

Sitting in direction of the highest of the checklist of impending veteran free agent large receivers is Detroit Lions WR Kenny Golladay, who might be searching for a brand new touchdown spot. If the Lions select to not franchise tag Golladay, he should not have any scarcity of groups calling.

When he’s been wholesome — which he wasn’t for a lot of the 2020 season — Kenny Golladay has proven wonderful expertise.

• As a rookie, he acquired his profession off to a good begin, with 28 receptions, 477 yards and 4 touchdowns on 48 targets in 11 video games performed.
• In 2018, beneath new head coach Matt Patricia, Kenny Golladay was Matthew Stafford’s favourite goal. He was focused 119 instances. He pulled in 70 receptions for over 1,000 yards and 5 touchdowns, taking part in in 15 video games.
• 2019 noticed Golladay set a brand new career-high in yards. He caught 65 balls on 116 targets for 1,190 yards, and he led the NFL with 11 touchdowns.

2020 – a season of harm

Final season, expectations have been excessive for the younger receiver as he entered his “contract 12 months”. He was coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons taking part in with backup quarterbacks (Matt Stafford performed in solely 8 video games in 2019). However Golladay’s 2020 season was marred by accidents.

He missed the primary two video games of the season as a consequence of a hamstring harm suffered in coaching camp, after which went down with a hip harm on November 1 that ended his season. The receiver solely performed in 5 video games final 12 months, recording 20 catches on 32 targets for 338 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Previous to that, Golladay had performed in 11, 15, and 16 video games in his first three seasons as a professional.

Over the previous three years, Golladay ranks third in yards per reception (minimal 100 catches) with 16.72, behind solely A.J. Brown (17.43) and Mike Williams (17.29)

One write described Golladay as “a large-framed WR (6’4″) who brings the dimensions you need in an “X” however will get the quantity of a slot receiver (117.5 [targets] avg in 2018-2019).”

However why would the Lions let him go?

After buying and selling for Jared Goff, the Lions want to provide him weapons to justify his monumental contract. The way in which issues sit proper now, nonetheless, the Lions have nearly nobody on their roster outdoors of 2020 rookie Quintez Cephus and Tyrell Williams, however neither participant is a WR1.

The Lions really want to re-sign Golladay and never let him depart in free company.

The issue is that the Lions have the eighth worst cap state of affairs within the league proper now in line with OverTheCap. As of yesterday, they have been projected to be $6.8m over the cap on 17 March.

That signifies that Golladay might very effectively hit the open market. And he’s the massive, bodily kind of receiver that Ron Rivera has proven a liking for previously.

How would he match with the Washington Soccer Crew?

The 6-foot-4, 214-pounder is bodily, wins the contested catches and needs to be recent after taking part in in solely 5 video games final season. Regardless of the protection — Golladay finds a option to get open and make performs. A pairing of Golladay and with Terry McLaurin would make the Washington passing assault immediately fearsome.

If Washington swings for the fences with a top-tier WR signing this month, I’d choose Golladay over Allen Robinson.

Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Photograph by Rob Carr/Getty Pictures

Godwin can sit up for receiving a shiny new super bowl ring very quickly. Bruce Arians proclaimed loudly that the Buccaneers would convey him again in 2021 as Arians dedicated to bringing everyone again. The realities of the wage cap might make a liar out of Tampa Bay head coach.

Tampa Bay has over 20 gamers heading to free company, and solely an estimated $12m in cap area. This isn’t only a assortment of backups with expiring contracts, both. The free agent checklist consists of Shaq Barrett, Lavonte David, Rob Gronkowski, Ndamukong Suh, Leonard Fournette, Antonio Brown, and, after all, Chris Godwin.

In different phrases, the TB entrance workplace is gonna have some powerful selections to make in terms of protecting the band collectively.

If Godwin is allowed to hit the open market, he does so with the possibility to be one of many prime free agent receivers in a really deep group.

Second fiddle

Whereas Godwin’s manufacturing has been extra modest than, say, Kenny Golladay’s, Godwin has made his mark on the NFL taking part in behind Mike Evans, whereas Golladay was the lead canine in Detroit. Godwin, who briefly took over Evans’ spot for the workforce chief in receiving yards in 2019, gathered 1,333 receiving yards to Evans’ 1,157 yards on three extra targets in Jameis Winston’s closing season in Tampa Bay.

Within the 2020 common season, Evans regained the highest spot with 1,006 yards, due partly to Godwin’s absence for 4 video games as he handled a lingering finger harm. On solely 5 fewer receptions, Godwin posted a good 840 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns with Brady behind heart.

Godwin, the previous Nittany Lion, has amassed 244 catches, 3,540 yards, and 24 touchdowns in his 4-year NFL profession, whereas lacking solely six common season video games.

The dropsies

In the course of the playoffs, the published workforce talked about Tom Brady describing Godwin as “having one of the best palms” of anyone Brady had ever performed with. Godwin went on to drop quite a few balls through the playoffs. Regardless of that obvious low season choke, Godwin is anticipated to garner a number of curiosity if he enters the free agent market this month.

How would he match with the Washington Soccer Crew?

Godwin is smaller than Golladay; he’s, in truth just like Terry McLaurin in dimension and construct at 6’1” and 209 kilos. He has respectable pace (4.42 40 time on the mix) and is an effective blocker.

One would suppose that Godwin, who’s simply 24 years previous, would need to keep in Tampa Bay with Tom Brady. If given the possibility to remain, I think about he would seize it. The fact is, the Bucs most likely received’t have the cap area to maintain all of their free brokers, so Godwin might grow to be obtainable.

If he does, he might be a horny goal for the Washington Soccer Crew to pursue.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers

Photograph by Nic Antaya/Getty Pictures

There’s little doubt about JuJu’s expertise. The younger man can play. He has, nonetheless, been a bit up-and-down in his profession in Pittsburgh.

JJSS pulled in 111 balls for over 1,400 yards in 2018 taking part in reverse Antonio Brown. When Brown left the Steelers, the bets have been heavy on each side on the query of whether or not JuJu would step up and take over as Pittsburgh’s go-to man, or whether or not his manufacturing would fall off with out the harmful Antonio Brown to occupy defenses.

For no matter causes, the fact has been extra the latter than the previous, as Smith-Schuster produced fewer yards in 2019 & 2020 mixed than he did in his sophomore season of 2018.

That’s to not say JuJu has light away. In Pittsburgh’s new fast cross offense that was unveiled in 2020, the receiver pulled in 97 receptions on 128 targets, however after averaging a minimum of 12.8 yards per reception in his first three years within the league, JuJu averaged simply 8.6 yards per reception final 12 months.

It appears inevitable that JuJu’s manufacturing will enhance if he indicators with a workforce with a extra conventional and explosive passing assault. Relying on what occurs at quarterback, that would describe Washington in 2021.

JJSS performed effectively reverse AB, and final season reverse Chase Claypool. He gives groups a proficient goal who’ll transfer the chains and step up within the purple zone.

How would he match with the Washington Soccer Crew?

All issues thought-about, I see JuJu Smith-Schuster because the least fascinating of the potential top-tier free brokers primarily based on his on-field play over 4 years. His breakout season of 2018 got here in an explosive offense that featured a corridor of fame passer and receiver, however JJSS hasn’t been in a position to preserve that degree of manufacturing with out AB as Large Ben has slowed down and damaged down.

Questions on JuJu’s private model additionally appear to have adopted him throughout his first 4 seasons, with some individuals expressing distaste for the 24-year-old receiver’s showboating model. It’s unclear how Rivera and his workers understand Smith-Schuster or precisely how he would mix with the reasonably critical Terry McLaurin. It might be an excellent match, however I’m a bit skeptical.

JuJu is nearly sure to succeed in free company, because the Steelers have three younger receivers (together with Claypool) and simply $3.6m in estimated cap area per OverTheCap. Of the three receivers highlighted in at this time’s article, JJSS is the probably to be obtainable in free company, however the one I might least worth as a possible WFT signing.