Top NFL Landing Spots for Odell Beckham Jr., WRs After Cowboys' Brandin Cooks Trade
The Dallas Cowboys' trade for Brandin Cooks not only gives them a solid No. 2 receiver but also presumably takes them out of the veteran wide receiver market for now.
That's not great news for the rest of the veteran receivers who could be looking for new homes in 2023. There aren't many difference-makers in this year's free-agency class, which means teams will have to evaluate the price tag before making moves to improve their pass-catching corps.
After the initial waves of free agency, there are only a few receivers left on the market who could move the needle. Odell Beckham Jr. is a high-risk, high-reward option who would have made sense for Dallas but will now have to find a new destination.
Then there are the players who could be on the trade market as the draft approaches. There have been varying degrees of speculation and rumors that would make DeAndre Hopkins, Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton potential trade targets.
Here, we'll take a look at the top landing spots for the best remaining free agents or trade candidates at wide receiver who could help elevate a team's passing attack.
Odell Beckham Jr.
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Top Landing Spots: Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens
Odell Beckham Jr. remains the most interesting of all the free-agent wide receivers. The 30-year-old comes with serious injury concerns but has a track record of production that can't be matched by any available receiver.
OBJ tore his ACL for the second time since 2020 in Super Bowl LVI last year. He sat out all of 2022 but still entered the market as one of the few receivers who could be a high-end secondary option.
A report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted that the receiver was looking for $20 million per year. However, OBJ took to Twitter to deny that report while insinuating that a team offered him $4 million, a figure he found to be dissatisfactory.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported Sunday on an episode of SportsCenter that he didn't know which franchise offered him a contract worth $4 million but that the Chiefs and Patriots have both been linked to the receiver.
The best landing spots for Beckham are going to be the ones that give him a good quarterback and the ability to contend. The Bills and Chiefs offer Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, respectively. He would be a great sidekick for Stefon Diggs in Buffalo or Travis Kelce in Kansas City.
The Ravens shouldn't be discounted. Per Fowler, their scouts were at his workout earlier in March, and signing him could create some goodwill between them and their franchise-tagged quarterback Lamar Jackson.
DJ Chark
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Top Landing Spots: Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans
DJ Chark may never reach the levels of production he saw in 2019. As a second-year player, he had 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns.
He's still one of the most intriguing free agents left and can make a difference as a field-stretching threat. He averaged 16.7 yards per reception on 30 catches for the Lions last year and was important in keeping the Lions' receiving corps dangerous until Jameson Williams returned from injury.
His best fit now is a team that is overhauling its receiving corps and could use him as a placeholder while waiting for other options to develop. His size and speed make him a ready-made fit on vertical routes.
The Vikings could use that kind of wide receiver and have an open spot after cutting Adam Thielen. Justin Jefferson commands all kinds of extra attention, and Chark would force safeties to look his way or risk getting burned deep.
The Panthers have a need for speed after trading away DJ Moore in the deal to move up to No. 1. The lack of a deep threat will make life more difficult for whomever they decide to take with the No. 1 pick.
They reportedly brought Chark and Thielen in for a visit and were interested in signing both. Carolina subsequently agreed to terms with the latter on a three-year deal Sunday afternoon, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
With Brandin Cooks going from Houston to Dallas, the Texans all of a sudden need a burner. Robert Woods brings a veteran presence but doesn't take the top off a defense. Chark can.
Mecole Hardman
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Top Landing Spots: Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons
Mecole Hardman never fully took off with the Kansas City Chiefs. The speedster doesn't work as a No. 1 option but serves a purpose as a deep threat on the outside who can also take gadget plays for big gains.
His best landing spot would be a place that will look to manufacture touches for him and utilize his speed.
New Colts head coach Shane Steichen has shown he's an offensive mind that can maximize his players' abilities. The Colts lost Parris Campbell in free agency and don't have much at receiver outside of Michael Pittman Jr. Hardman would give them a much different receiver who can be a part of the running game with jet sweeps, too.
Hardman is a good value replacement for Brandin Cooks in Houston. He has similar speed and would give it a field-stretching option. Nico Collins, Robert Woods and John Metchie III are not enough for whoever will be taking snaps for the Texans next season.
The Falcons are in a similar boat. Desmond Ridder will need weaponry around him if they hope to give him the best shot to succeed at quarterback. Drake London is a promising No. 1 option, but Hardman would instantly become the WR2 in Atlanta. It would afford Arthur Smith the possibility of getting creative within his scheme to get him the ball.
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DeAndre Hopkins
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Top Landing Spots: Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans
Brandin Cooks is a great reminder that some receivers are likely available for the right price. Specifically, DeAndre Hopkins should be on the radar of any team looking for a potential No. 1 receiver.
Jordan Schultz of theScore reported the Cardinals would explore trading their 30-year-old receiver this offseason.
Hopkins served a six-game suspension to start the 2022 season for violating the league's performance-enhancing drugs policy but averaged seven catches for 80 yards per game when he played. He's still capable of elite production in the right scenario.
One such scenario is a familiar one in Cleveland. Hopkins' best seasons came when he was catching balls from Deshaun Watson in Houston. Plus, the quarterback could use improved weaponry outside of Amari Cooper.
Watson wasn't spectacular in his first six games with the Browns. Reuniting him with his former receiver could be just what they need to ignite the offense.
Meanwhile, the Patriots are in desperate need of a star receiver who can help Mac Jones' development. Bill Belichick clearly loves Hopkins. If Hopkins and new Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien can salvage their rocky relationship, it's a great fit.
The Titans are in a bit of a rebuild but still might have the weakest receiving corps in the league. Hopkins would not only give them a No. 1 but a mentor for a receiving group that features young players like Treylon Burks and Kyle Philips.
Jerry Jeudy
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Top Landing Spots: New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs
Whether or not the Denver Broncos would be willing to trade Jerry Jeudy or Courtland Sutton has been a hot topic in the rumor mill.
Dan Graziano of ESPN reported that multiple teams believe the Broncos will deal Jeudy, Sutton or KJ Hamler. And while Dianna Russini of ESPN reported the Broncos are "not shopping" the receivers, Jeff Howe of The Athletic said the asking price on Jeudy would at least be a first-round pick.
Taken as a whole, it would seem the Broncos aren't set on moving either receiver, but they could be listening to offers that involve at least a first-round pick.
That might preclude a place like Cleveland. They don't have a first-round pick until 2025. The Panthers are eliminated, too, because they're light on draft capital after trading up to No. 1 in this year's draft.
Howe named the Patriots as a team that has discussed a trade for Jeudy, and the fit makes sense. Mac Jones has chemistry with the receiver from their time together at Alabama, and the Patriots need a No. 1 receiver even after signing JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency.
The Bills and Chiefs are both in need of receiver help but have a tight cap situation. Jeudy is still on his rookie contract, so it would make sense to give up a first to add firepower to their offenses while easily fitting in his $4.8 million cap hit for next season.
Courtland Sutton
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Top Landing Spots: Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens
Just about every rumor surrounding Jeudy is applicable to Sutton. That is, except for Howe's report that the Broncos are asking for a first for Sutton. It's possible that the asking price would be lower for Sutton.
For one, he's older. He'll turn 28 during the season, which isn't exactly old, but Jeudy will turn 24 in April. That's a whole contract's worth of age difference.
Jeudy was also more productive last season, catching 67 passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns. Sutton had 64 receptions for 829 yards and two touchdowns. He's only had one 1,000-yard campaign since coming into the league in 2018.
If the Broncos aren't looking for a first-rounder for Sutton because he's less valuable, it would open the door for more suitors.
The Browns and Panthers would both be logical landing spots. They have future first-round picks tied up in trades but have Day 2 selections that could be shipped off for an impact player. The Panthers signing a 32-year-old Thielen shouldn't keep them from pursuing the younger Sutton.
The Ravens only have five draft picks in the 2023 event. So trading away a first-rounder is not ideal for them, but the asking price for Sutton would be more doable.
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