2012 NFL Free Agents: 5 Receivers the Arizona Cardinals Should Target

Before Andrew Luck and Justin Blackmon come off the board with the first two picks of the 2012 NFL draft, there will be a frenzy of free-agent moves that take place.

The Arizona Cardinals will be among the many teams shuffling players in mid-March when free agents hit the market. Though coach Ken Whisenhunt has stated there may not be many moves, you can bet there will be some.

One major move may be to the receiving corps. With Early Doucet’s season starting the way it did and then ending the way it did, some believe he might not return.

Doucet is an unrestricted free agent. His fourth season was by far the best he has enjoyed since being drafted No. 81 overall in the third round of the 2008 draft. He set career highs, catching 54 passes for 689 yards (12.8 YPC) and five touchdowns.

In fact, his production in 2011 bested his previous three seasons combined. From 2008-10, he grabbed 57 passes for 595 yards (10.4 YPC) and two TDs.

Much can be said about how a player responds to being in the final year of his rookie contract.

Many players tend to have career years in that final contract campaign, perhaps in hopes of being paid, or maybe they have finally put it all together and are ready for their production to explode.

Doucet’s teammate, defensive end Calais Campbell, is also in a contract year and had the best season of his career. He recorded a team-high eight sacks, deflected 10 passes and blocked three kicks that helped Arizona win three of its games.

Join us as we take a ride through the free-agent market in search of a wide receiver that can help the Cardinals get over the hump in 2012 and beyond.

Pierre Garçon

In 2011, Pierre Garçon made a name for himself without using Peyton Manning as a crutch.

He set career highs with 70 catches for 947 yards (13.5 YPC) and tied a career mark with six touchdowns.

One curious stat is that his three best games of the season came against three of the worst defenses in the league in Tampa Bay, Kansas City and New England.

In those games he averaged 140 receiving yards and two TDs. All six of his TDs came in those three games.

Garçon averaged just 40 yards per game and was kept out of the end zone the remainder of the season.

But his speed is desirable, and he catches everything in his vicinity. (You know you want to watch that video again.)

He is tenacious with the ball in his hands and does not accept being tackled by the first man that hits him. In many ways, Garçon is a smaller Larry Fitzgerald and would be a perfect complement to Fitz on the field.

Braylon Edwards

Don’t count out Braylon Edwards next season.

He did only have 15 catches for San Francisco in 2011, but he did not fit in with the offense at all and missed some time due to injury.

The 49ers kept the ball on the ground with their running backs nearly 53 percent of all offensive snaps during the regular season.

Edwards would thrive in the pass-heavy system the Cardinals employ—they passed almost 59 percent of the time in 2011.

This move will likely not happen simply because Arizona needs a receiver that possesses down-the-field speed and can break a defense at any point in the game.

Edwards is a possession receiver who can go up and get a pass and make tough catches over the middle. While that would be nice to have, the Cardinals already have Fitzgerald, who is their tough-yards specialist.

Then again, they may take Edwards if they wait too long and miss the opportunity to grab someone who suits their needs better.

Robert Meachem

The New Orleans Saints have a lot on their free-agent plate going forward.

Other than Robert Meachem, quarterback Drew Brees is without a contract after the season.

Fellow receiver Marques Colston, left guard Carl Nicks, defensive tackle Shaun Rogers and cornerback Tracy Porter also need to be addressed.

They cannot keep them all, and Meachem could be the prize of the bunch other than Brees, who is likely to be hit with a franchise tag if the two sides cannot agree on an extension.

Meachem's production has not been astonishing—a tribute to Brees and his ability to spread the ball around to every receiver he has. However, his ceiling is high, and in an offense with fewer weapons, he would likely flourish.

His never-quit mentality would be a welcome asset to the locker room.

The productivity he would bring to the Cardinals offense makes this the most cost-effective choice on the market.

Vincent Jackson

Comparable to when Anquan Boldin suited up in Cardinal Red, the combination of Fitzgerald and Vincent Jackson would be downright unfair for teams to plan for on a weekly basis.

That is, if someone is able to get Jackson motivated for every game on the schedule.

He kills a defense one week, and then he's more useless than Head & Shoulders for Hines Ward the next. (Because you love that commercial and we love you.)

San Diego played four games in the month of November. In games one and three that month, Jackson was spectacular. He caught 14 passes for 306 yards (21.9 YPC) and four TD.

Games two and four were slightly different; he hauled in three passes for just 47 yards (15.7 YPC) and no TD.

Beyond the inconsistencies, the physical tools are obvious. Everyone knows what Jackson can be if motivated. Fitzgerald would be the perfect teammate for him—and anyone, for that matter—and his career.

He would likely come at a steeper price than Arizona is willing to pay, however.

Pipe dream: engage.

Mike Wallace

Chances are that restricted free agent Mike Wallace ends up back in Pittsburgh for another year.

In the event that he does not, however, Arizona would be a perfect fit for the speedster.

He spreads the field like no other player in the NFL can and is turning himself into a complete-package receiver.

Because of this, his overall production dropped some in 2011. Although he caught 12 more passes this regular season over last, his yardage was almost 100 yards less, and he caught two fewer TDs (eight total).

Because he is a restricted free agent, Pittsburgh has first rights to him. But if it lets him go (and it might because of the hefty contract he most certainly will demand), Arizona could be ready and waiting to bring in another former Pittsburgh product.

This one would be huge.