2013 NFL Free Agents: Wide Receivers That Will Pan out for Needy Teams

The playoffs aren't over yet—they've barely gotten started—but already, we know that some players are going to be heading out of town when the season officially ends in February.

And some of those free agents could end up being the difference-makers for teams that were almost but not quite there in 2012. If, of course, their current teams dare to let them walk.

Here's a look at some of the free-agent wide receivers that will be on the market this offseason and could make an impact.

Brandon Stokley

Brandon Stokley ended up in Denver in 2012 because of Peyton Manning. While the two of them were together in Indianapolis for four years, Stokley had some of the best years of his career, including in 2004, when he had 1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Stokley's numbers have never been the gaudiest, but Manning has always trusted him, and the relationship between these two has consistently ended up paying off for their team. In 2012, Stokley had his best season since 2007, playing in 15 games but starting just nine and finishing with 544 yards and five touchdowns.

This year, the Broncos were able to build an offense that had a perfect blend of veteran talent and young, exciting talent. Stokley was one of the guys who helped to set the tone, and he was one of the guys who got Manning comfortable being back on the field after missing all of 2011. With the right quarterback, he can pan out, and Denver should definitely consider bringing him back.

Josh Cribbs

Josh Cribbs has had his off-the-field/on-the-computer issues in 2012, but Cleveland fans will be sad to see him go if the Browns opt not to bring him back in 2013. He's colorful, he's hardworking and he gave this team a tremendous special teams weapon this season.

Cribbs finished 2012 with 1,740 yards on kick and punt returns, marking his eighth consecutive season of registering 1,000 yards or more—and he's spent all of those seasons with the Browns. The team obviously still has plenty of work to do on both sides of the ball, but Cribbs, at least, gives them some stability.

And if they don't want him back, there will be plenty of teams that could use his impact.

Brandon Tate

Brandon Tate has never gotten a vast amount of playing time over his four years in the league, and he's never been a full-time starter, but he's still managed to accumulate over 1,000 yards in each of the last three seasons. He was especially useful as a kick returner with New England back in 2010, when he contributed 1,057 yards and two touchdowns on special teams.

Tate has proven to be a weapon on special teams, and the impact of a player like him shouldn't be understated. Though fumbles were a big problem for him this year—he had three more fumbles than touchdowns—he could still be an asset for a team that decides the overall body of his return work outweighs his problems.