NFL Power Rankings 2011: The Top Free Agent WRs and Where They Could Land
As we fly into the NFL postseason and only 11 teams (well 12 if we must be forced to count a team with a losing record) have a legitimate shot at winning the Super Bowl, it means 20 other teams are already looking for what can make them better next season.
The NFL in recent years has proven that wide receivers can come from almost anywhere. First round talents, undrafted rookie free agents, and mid-round picks with chips on their shoulders, all make contributions on NFL offenses.
As we enter 2011, the free agent class of wide receivers provides some of the most intriguing names in recent years and could be the end of the road for some of the better players to ever lineup at the position.
While uncertainty clouds the future of the NFL next season, we will take a look at the rankings of this year's class of free agent wide receivers and where they may call home in 2011.
1. Santonio Holmes, New York Jets
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A former Super Bowl MVP with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Holmes will be looking to replicate his postseason success with the Jets before he gets a chance to see what free agency has in store for him.
If the Jets are smart, they will keep him though.
After missing the first four games of the season, Holmes burst onto the field for the Jets and immediately made his presence felt in big situations, rescuing the Jets from disaster twice in back-to-back weeks against Cleveland and Houston, and accounted for 52 receptions, 746 yards, and six touchdowns on the year.
When the Jets made the trade for Holmes—a steal by all accounts as the Jets would not have made the playoffs without his late game heroics—he only signed on for a one-year deal.
New York has to be the frontrunner, he has become too valuable for Sanchez's development and could be his top target for years to come; it is unlikely he will end up anywhere else.
2. Vincent Jackson, San Diego Chargers
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The embattled Chargers receiver only recorded 14 catches on the season and appeared in only four games.
The Chargers, who have had problems retaining their star players, will need to be smart with VJax this offseason.
While quarterback Phillip Rivers put up big numbers without his top target, the Chargers fell short of the playoffs—in large part due to inefficiencies on defense and special teams—but if San Diego wants to get back on top of the AFC West, Jackson should be part of the equation.
At 6'5, 230 pounds, Jackson would be a welcome addition to any team in the NFL and will have no shortage of suitors if the Chargers balk on re-signing him.
Minnesota, Washington, Denver and maybe even Oakland could be possible landing spots, but San Diego is the frontrunner.
3. Steve Smith, New York Giants
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It was apparent how much Steve Smith was truly missed watching the New York Giants fall short of the playoffs for the second straight season.
As Eli Manning struggled and threw a league-high 25 interceptions, the Giants offense was absolutely horrid on third down throughout the year.
Before Smith went down he recorded 48 receptions, 526 yards, and three touchdowns. His injured knee however, will require intense rehab and his situation going into next season has to be monitored.
A dominant slot receiver with a knack for getting open in the face of any sort of coverage, Smith is as good a weapon on third down as there is in the league.
The Giants, who battled injury problems at the receiver position all year but have talented young players, would be devastated to lose Smith to free agency; he is Manning's go-to guy in the face of pressure and it is hard to envision him going anywhere else.
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4. Randy Moss, Tennessee Titans
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Not much to say about one of the greatest to ever play the position; if he wants to play he can, but only he knows which player will step out onto the field.
At 33 years of age, Moss is running out of time to find a big contract and this season certainly did not help.
His ability, when motivated, is unmatched throughout the league and if he landed in the right situation, there is no telling how good he could be next year.
Yet Moss was already a member of the best team in the league this season and despite his public display of affection for New England, they sent him packing and rolled to a league best 14-2 record without him.
Moss obviously wants to play for a contender as the only thing he has not done in his career is win the Super Bowl.
New England, depending on how the finish the year, would be the top team in many eyes.
Minnesota and Tennessee obviously did not work out and there is little chance he would ever line up in Oakland again.
Most likely Moss will have to play on another one-year deal and it really comes down to if he wants to play or not.
5. Sidney Rice, Minnesota Vikings
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The Vikings are in rebuild mode after the Favre saga and Sidney should be the first piece of the puzzle for new coach Leslie Frazier.
The franchise's need to find the quarterback of the future only makes Rice more important.
Rice is big, 6'4, athletic and capable of taking over a game in the clutch.
Coming off a serious hip injury, the fourth year pro showed he still has the ability to be every bit as effective as he was during the Vikes run to the NFC title game one year ago.
Minnesota is the only team that should in the running for Rice's services, but if for some reason he is not wearing purple next season, he would be sought after by almost any team with a need for a big receiver, most notably Washington or Cincinnati.
If no deal is reached he will likely be franchised.
6. Braylon Edwards, New York Jets
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The second receiver featured from the New York Jets on this list, Edwards is highest receiver here that will probably end up in a different color.
A big play-action deep threat for the Jets this season, Edwards has put up solid numbers (53 recs, 904 yards, seven touchdowns), but still faces his issues with drops here and there.
The Jets have to make some tough decisions on some of their playmakers and it will start with the wide receiver position.
As discussed earlier, Santonio Holmes seems the more likely candidate to grab a long term deal with the team and Edwards may be heading for a new city.
Cincinnati will be in desperate need for a playmaking wide receiver if Owens and Ochocinco are gone, Denver needs help outside as does Carolina and Buffalo.
Washington, who would be a likely candidate to overpay for a player like Edwards, seems like a good fit if he indeed is not in Green next season and would continue the fun connection of Jets-Redskins players swapping jerseys.
7. Terrell Owens, Cincinnati Bengals
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Owens showed again this season how successful he can still be at the NFL level but it will likely not be enough for the Bengals to bring him back next season.
72 receptions, 983 yards, and nine touchdowns is a heck of season for a four-win Bengal team with wide receiver problems on the mind heading into next season.
At 37 years old, Owens is a fantastic athlete to still be playing at this level, but there is no telling how long it will last and he is unlikely to find a contending team willing to give him a shot.
Washington, as always, is a potential spot for a big name player such as Owens and they certainly could use the help on the outside.
Denver and Oakland seem unlikely as they go through coaching changes and despite Owens' desire to want to compete for a contender, he will likely have to settle for any team willing to give him a chance to play.
8. James Jones, Green Bay Packers
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Jones has become such a known weapon for the Packers that they will now have to pay him as such.
While Donald Driver continues to fend off father time and play at a high level, it will eventually come to an end and Jones would be a great young player to keep paired up with Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the next few years.
It will be interesting to see how things shake out with the Pack throughout this postseason and the way he has been playing he could certainly make himself indispensable with some big plays this January.
He is a complete receiver with big play ability with the slightest bit of a drop here and there.
If he hits the open market, he will likely make starting wide receiver money from any number of teams including the Broncos, Redskins, Rams, and Bengals, as well as looks from other teams like the Browns, Chiefs, Panthers and Buccaneers.
9. Malcolm Floyd, San Diego Chargers
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The Chargers top receiver this season made a lot of plays before getting injured and may have played his way into a No. 1 role in another uniform.
With Jackson and Floyd both looking for new contracts the Chargers will likely have to choose and it would be fairly simple in the minds of many that VJax would stay over Floyd.
An athletic, rangy receiver with ability to make plays downfield, Floyd has showcased the talents to warrant a chance at No. 1 receiver money.
Any team looking for receiver help could be in contact with Floyd.
Washington, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Denver and Carolina jump off the page first and teams such as Kansas City, Chicago and Cleveland certainly wouldn't mind a player of his caliber either.
10. Steve Breaston, Arizona Cardinals
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An athletic receiver, with experience in the return game as well, could make Steve Breaston a hot commodity on the open market.
The Cardinals have a lot of issues, including who will be playing quarterback for them next season, and Breaston will be looking for a pay raise in 2011.
As noted throughout this column the wide receiver class of 2011 has a lot of talent and while a fair few of the aforementioned players may be settling back with their respective teams there is a lot of talent in this class; the Cardinals may be willing to let Breaston go.
Breaston also has some injury concerns that may scare the Cardinals off of investing more money into him and could be a problem for him on the open market as well.
His numbers, while down in the wake of extremely inconsistent quarterback play, have been decent enough over the past three seasons to warrant more money than what he has made in Arizona.
A team like the Patriots certainly cannot be ruled out for a player with a variety of abilities; Carolina, Kansas City, and Seattle could also be potential landing spots.
11. Santana Moss, Washington Redskins
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At 31 years of age, the playmaking Moss had his best statistical season to date in 2010 with 93 receptions, 1,115 yards, and six touchdowns.
The Redskins are in trouble in a lot of areas, including wide receiver, and they would be wise to try and re-sign Moss.
He has seldom missed any games throughout his career, averages 14.4 yards per catch for his career, and despite getting older he still seems to play the same way he always has.
Again, the Redskins will need to decide who their quarterback will be next season, but Moss can certainly help any transition.
If he hits the open market the Patriots can never have too many playmakers for Tom Brady in that offense, Tampa Bay could use a veteran presence at wide receiver, and other contending teams like Atlanta and Kansas City could use the talents of veteran coming off his best statistical season to date.
The money he commands however, will dictate where he ends up and that could be right back in Washington.
12. Jacoby Jones, Houston Texans
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The fourth-year pro proved he could be an effective third receiver for the Texans this season and he caught a career-high 51 balls this season.
At 6'2, 210 pounds he possess good size, great speed, improvement in route running and catching, and also has added value as a return man.
Houston could look to bring him back at the right price but other teams may look at his improvement and throw more money his way.
Carolina, Atlanta, Kansas City, Cincinnati, and Cleveland all look like teams that could use an athletic, improving threat at the No. 2 or No. 3 receiver spot.
13. Brad Smith, New York Jets
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The former quarterback turned wide receiver only caught four passes this season for the playoff-bound Jets but took over as their Wildcat quarterback and has shown the ability to be an effective weapon any way he is used.
Some believe Smith could be used more effectively as a wide receiver and I can see no argument with that.
The Jets, who have looked great in some games offensively and struggled mightily in others, have been known to have issues in their offensive play calling schemes.
For other teams Smith could be a potential sleeper star waiting to break out.
For the Jets, he may be a player they decide they cannot part with, especially if one of their top two targets (No. 1 and No. 6 on this list) leave for another team.
If New York does not bring Smith back he could end up on almost any team in the league that likes the Wildcat and believes they could use him as receiver, including the Patriots who have already proven they can turn a Jets castoff into a star.
14. Derek Hagan, New York Giants
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The second New York Giant receiver on this list is a guy who was not even playing football early in the season.
When Hagan got the call from the Giants, the team who had him in camp and was familiar with his abilities, and gave him a shot due to a streak of injuries through their receiver corps, Hagan responded with more than expected.
While he only recorded 24 receptions in his seven games with the Giants, it was the way he did it that impressed the most.
On big third downs, broken plays, tough catches, Hagan showcased the ability to get open, make plays on the sideline, and simply catch the football.
He may not be a big player in the free agent market, but he could certainly make an impact on a team next season as a cheap third receiver.
The Falcons, Buccaneers, Bills and Chiefs could all certainly benefit from a player like him.
15. Chad Ochocinco, Cincinnati Bengals
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Chad Ochocinco may not be a free agent yet, but it is highly unlikely the Bengals pick up his $6 million dollar option for next season.
At 32 years of age, Ochocinco has seen his production drop considerably and his antics on and off field will certainly scare some teams away.
The Patriots and coach Belichick have been linked to Ochocinco before and it certainly wouldn't shock anyone for the Pats to take on the big-mouthed playmaker.
Other places with a stable enough environment to handle Ochocinco are thin but the Ravens could be a possible fit as well as the Dolphins, Miami is his hometown.
Wes O'Donnell covers the NFL, NCAA, and NFL Draft on a year-round basis. He also contributes to NFL Draft Bible. He can be followed on twitter.
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