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Around the NFL

Pass catchers for hire

Amari Cooper, Cole Beasley should be available

Free agency is starting in two weeks, and it’s looking like there will be a lot of veteran pass catchers who’ll be available. Not just pending free agents like Mike Williams, Chris Godwin and Allen Robinson, but a host of veterans who’ll be released or traded because for salary cap reasons.

Most recently, reports indicate the Cowboys will be releasing Amari Cooper. He’s a good player, but he has a base salary of $20 million for 2022, and he’s not worth that. And in Buffalo, the Bills are making Cole Beasley available. They’ve got plenty of other capable pass catchers, including Isaiah McKenzie (who’s younger and cheaper and did a good job filling in for Beasley late last year).

If Dallas releases Cooper, it will make it more likely that the team will re-sign Michael Gallup. That looks do-able. Gallup wasn’t much of a factor last year, making it less likely some other team will make a big push to sign him.

Below see the list of the top 40 wide receivers over the last three years. That’s using per-game numbers, and considering only players who’ve started at least half the time. By my estimate, 13 of these 40 likely will be available, and I’ve got those guys in bold. (Cooper, Beasley, Jarvis Landry and Sterling Shepard aren’t free agents at this time, but published reports indicate they’ll be released or traded.)

WIDE RECEIVERS PER GAME (last 3 years)
PlayerStNoYdsRunTDPPR
Davante Adams427.693.4.0.8221.9
Cooper Kupp486.985.01.1.6119.2
Tyreek Hill435.978.45.6.7718.9
Justin Jefferson335.991.4.5.5418.3
Chris Godwin406.281.9.7.5617.8
Stefon Diggs486.181.01.3.5017.3
DeAndre Hopkins416.476.7.5.5417.3
Calvin Ridley335.676.41.1.5716.7
Keenan Allen466.772.4.3.4416.7
Mike Evans454.771.1.2.7916.5
Deebo Samuel384.468.414.5.5616.0
Robert Woods405.665.77.9.4115.4
Tyler Lockett485.368.5.1.5415.4
A.J. Brown424.471.31.6.6215.4
Adam Thielen384.554.4.6.8215.0
Julio Jones345.376.4-.1.2914.7
Diontae Johnson455.660.52.4.4714.7
Amari Cooper475.167.4.4.4514.6
DJ Moore475.275.02.3.2614.5
DK Metcalf494.464.7.3.6014.5
Tee Higgins294.968.91.0.4314.4
CeeDee Lamb324.863.74.9.4214.1
Allen Robinson445.463.8.0.3313.7
Terry McLaurin464.867.2.9.3513.7
DJ Chark314.360.3.6.4913.3
Sterling Shepard295.555.13.9.3013.2
Marvin Jones464.656.3.0.4813.1
Jarvis Landry434.860.11.4.3413.0
Brandin Cooks454.761.61.6.3112.9
DeVante Parker404.462.8.0.3812.9
Tyler Boyd475.057.82.0.3012.8
Chase Claypool313.955.93.6.4212.4
Brandon Aiyuk294.054.33.2.4312.3
Michael Gallup394.161.4.0.3312.2
Mike Williams463.863.1.1.3612.2
Jamison Crowder394.850.3.5.3812.2
Curtis Samuel324.246.810.3.3812.2
Cole Beasley465.053.0.0.2812.0
Christian Kirk444.452.52.4.3311.8
JuJu Smith-Schuster334.745.8.3.4011.7

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index