I posted the Factoid the other day, showing the high miss ran on transplanted wide receivers. When a 1,000-yard receiver switches teams (via trade or free agency) only about a third of those receivers then go over 1,000 with their new club.
Bill Rehor pointed out that rather he’d rather see not 1,000-yard receivers but players that we’re perceived as being valuable. Kenny Britt, for example, moved to the Browns, but nobody was selecting him in fantasy leagues counting on him being a top-20 receiver.
Fair enough point. I’ve had time to go back and re-pull the numbers.
I catalog all of the free agent movers, and I attach a grade to each player – 1 thru 5. A 5-star player is one everyone is excited about. One who everyone agrees is going to be a top-15 receiver – an every-week starter. In the past 20 years, there have been 27 of these receivers (I think).
Their numbers are as follows. If a player’s production (using standard scoring) was better in his first year with his new team, I tagged him with a black dot.
FREE AGENT RECEIVERS -- 5-STAR RECRUITS | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player (Tm Rec-Yds-TD) | Tm | No | Yards | TD |
2007 | • Randy Moss (Oak 42-553-3) | NE | 98 | 1,493 | 23 |
2015 | • Brandon Marshall (Chi. 61-721-8) | NYJ | 109 | 1,502 | 14 |
2012 | • Brandon Marshall (Mia. 81-1214-6) | Chi. | 118 | 1,508 | 11 |
2004 | • Terrell Owens (SF 80-1102-9) | Phil | 77 | 1,200 | 14 |
2006 | • Terrell Owens (Phil 47-763-6) | Dall | 85 | 1,180 | 13 |
2012 | • Vincent Jackson (SD 60-1106-9) | T.B. | 72 | 1,384 | 8 |
2003 | • Laveranues Coles (NYJ 89-1264-5) | Was | 82 | 1,204 | 6 |
2014 | DeSean Jackson (Phil 82-1332-9) | Was | 56 | 1,169 | 6 |
2005 | Randy Moss (Min 49-767-13) | Oak | 60 | 1,005 | 8 |
2013 | Wes Welker (NE 118-1354-6) | Den | 73 | 778 | 10 |
2000 | Keyshawn Johnson (NYJ 89-1170-8) | TB | 71 | 874 | 8 |
2003 | • David Boston (Ari 32-512-1) | SD | 70 | 880 | 7 |
2014 | Eric Decker (Den 87-1288-11) | NYJ | 74 | 962 | 5 |
2010 | Anquan Boldin (Ariz 84-1024-5) | Balt | 64 | 837 | 7 |
1998 | Derrick Alexander (Bal 65-1009-9) | KC | 54 | 992 | 4 |
2013 | Mike Wallace (Pitt 64-836-8) | Mia | 73 | 930 | 5 |
2010 | Brandon Marshall (Den 101-1120-10) | Mia | 86 | 1,014 | 3 |
2009 | Terrell Owens (Dall 69-1052-10) | Buf | 55 | 829 | 6 |
2009 | T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Cin 92-904-4) | Sea | 79 | 911 | 3 |
2003 | Peerless Price (Buf 94-1252-9) | Atl | 64 | 838 | 3 |
2001 | • Terry Glenn (NE 14-204-1) | GB | 56 | 817 | 2 |
2013 | Danny Amendola (StL 63-666-3) | NE | 54 | 633 | 2 |
1998 | Yancey Thigpen (Pit 79-1398-7) | Ten | 38 | 493 | 3 |
2011 | • Sidney Rice (Min 17-280-2) | Sea | 32 | 484 | 2 |
2000 | Carl Pickens (Cin 57-737-6) | Ten | 10 | 242 | 0 |
2000 | Joey Galloway (Sea 22-335-1) | Dal | 4 | 62 | 1 |
2013 | Percy Harvin (Min 62-677-5) | Sea | 1 | 17 | 0 |
A notch below those elite players, you’ve got the 4-star recruits. These are guy who were definitely going to be drafted in every 12-team fantasy league. Some in each league would definitely think there was some starter potential. But not the sizzling hot guys like the 5-star recruits.
FREE AGENT RECEIVERS -- 4-STAR RECRUITS | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player (Tm Rec-Yds-TD) | Tm | No | Yards | TD |
2005 | • Santana Moss (NYJ 45-838-5) | Was | 84 | 1,483 | 9 |
2014 | • Emmanuel Sanders (Pitt 67-740-6) | Den | 101 | 1,404 | 9 |
2000 | • Joe Horn (KC 35-586-6) | NO | 94 | 1,340 | 8 |
2001 | • Jerry Rice (SF 75-805-7) | Oak | 83 | 1,139 | 9 |
2005 | • Plaxico Burress (Pit 35-698-5) | NYG | 76 | 1,214 | 7 |
2006 | • Javon Walker (GB 4-27-0) | Den | 69 | 1,084 | 9 |
2013 | • Anquan Boldin (Balt 65-921-4) | SF | 85 | 1,179 | 7 |
2007 | • Kevin Curtis (StL 40-479-4) | Phi | 77 | 1,110 | 8 |
2015 | Jeremy Maclin (Phil. 85-1318-10) | K.C. | 87 | 1,088 | 8 |
1999 | • Rocket Ismail (Car 69-1024-8) | Dal | 80 | 1,097 | 7 |
1997 | • Andre Rison (J-GB 47-593-3) | KC | 72 | 1,092 | 7 |
2008 | • Bernard Berrian (Chi 71-951-5) | Min | 48 | 964 | 8 |
2004 | • Keyshawn Johnson (TB 45-600-3) | Dall | 70 | 981 | 6 |
1999 | Tony Martin (Atl 66-1181-6) | Mia | 67 | 1,037 | 5 |
2001 | • James Thrash (Was 50-653-2) | Phi | 63 | 833 | 8 |
2008 | • Isaac Bruce (StL 55-733-4) | SF | 61 | 835 | 7 |
2005 | Derrick Mason (Ten 96-1168-7) | Bal | 86 | 1,073 | 3 |
2011 | • Jabar Gaffney (Den 65-875-2) | Was | 68 | 947 | 5 |
2012 | Brandon Lloyd (StL 70-966-5) | N.E. | 74 | 911 | 5 |
2016 | • Marvin Jones (Cin. 65-816-4) | Det. | 55 | 930 | 4 |
2005 | • Laveranues Coles (Was 90-950-1) | NYJ | 73 | 845 | 5 |
2004 | • Marcus Robinson (Bal 31-451-6) | Minn | 47 | 657 | 8 |
2006 | Keyshawn Johnson (Dall 71-839-6) | Car | 70 | 815 | 5 |
2010 | Santonio Holmes (Pitt 79-1248-5) | NYJ | 52 | 746 | 6 |
2011 | • Plaxico Burress (UFA 0-0-0) | NYJ | 45 | 612 | 8 |
2013 | • Greg Jennings (GB 36-366-4) | Min | 68 | 804 | 4 |
2002 | Keenan McCardell (Jac 93-1110-6) | TB | 61 | 670 | 6 |
2006 | Donte Stallworth (NO 70-945-7) | Phi | 38 | 725 | 5 |
2000 | • Curtis Conway (Chi 44-426-4) | SD | 53 | 712 | 5 |
2004 | Justin McCareins (Ten 47-813-8) | NYJ | 56 | 770 | 4 |
2005 | Muhsin Muhammad (Car 93-1405-16) | Chi | 64 | 750 | 4 |
2006 | Deion Branch (NE 78-998-5) | Sea | 53 | 725 | 4 |
2016 | Travis Benjamin (Clev. 68-966-6) | S.D. | 47 | 677 | 4 |
2006 | Antonio Bryant (Cle 69-1009-4) | SF | 40 | 733 | 3 |
2009 | Laveranues Coles (NYJ 70-850-7) | Cin | 43 | 514 | 5 |
2004 | Joey Galloway (Dall 34-672-2) | TB | 33 | 416 | 6 |
1998 | Bert Emanuel (Atl 65-991-9) | TB | 41 | 636 | 2 |
2008 | • Bryant Johnson (Ari 46-528-2) | SF | 45 | 546 | 3 |
2009 | Torry Holt (StL 64-796-3) | Jac | 51 | 722 | 0 |
2006 | Joe Jurevicius (Sea 55-694-10) | Cle | 40 | 495 | 3 |
2002 | Qadry Ismail (Bal 74-1059-7) | Ind | 44 | 462 | 3 |
2006 | Antwaan Randle El (Pit 35-558-3) | Was | 32 | 351 | 4 |
1999 | Charles Johnson (Pit 65-815-7) | Phi | 34 | 414 | 1 |
2002 | Johnnie Morton (Det 77-1154-4) | KC | 29 | 397 | 1 |
2006 | Nate Burleson (Min 30-328-1) | Sea | 18 | 192 | 3 |
2006 | Brandon Lloyd (SF 48-733-5) | Was | 23 | 365 | 0 |
2011 | Chad Ochocinco (Cin 67-831-4) | NE | 15 | 276 | 1 |
2012 | Robert Meachem (NO 40-620-6) | S.D. | 14 | 207 | 2 |
2001 | Albert Connell (Was 39-762-3) | NO | 12 | 191 | 2 |
2008 | Javon Walker (Den 26-287-0) | Oak | 15 | 196 | 1 |
2011 | Braylon Edwards (NYJ 53-904-7) | SF | 15 | 181 | 0 |
2006 | David Givens (NE 59-738-2) | Ten | 8 | 104 | 0 |
2011 | Lee Evans (Buf 37-578-4) | Balt | 4 | 74 | 0 |
2004 | David Boston (SD 70-880-7) | Mia | 0 | 0 | 0 |
—Ian Allan