Training camps are three weeks away, and there are still some free agent dominos that need to fall – particularly at wide receiver. Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper, most notably, are still there for anyone who wants to sign them.
Further down in the pecking order are Tyler Boyd, Gabe Davis and Nelson Agholor. Reports indicate the Steelers in recent days have talked to Boyd and Davis; they’re presumably looking to add another pair of hands.
Allen and Cooper look like the best available options. They’re certainly the most accomplished. Both have gone over 1,100 receiving yards five times in their careers. I expect both will wind up being second or third receivers somewhere.
That Allen and Cooper are available is likely a result of them and teams not agreeing on how much they’ve detriorated. Allen is 33, while Cooper is 31. Both come off ho-hum seasons, but neither is perhaps ready to admit that they’re not No. 1 guys anymore.
While both have lost some juice, both are still decent candidates for viable numbers (not great, but fantasy-relevant).
In the last 15 years, 10 wide receivers who were at least 31 switched teams in the offseason, then went on to post top-30 numbers (using PPR scoring). Another 13 at least made the top 50.
OLDER RECEIVERS ON NEW TEAMS (last 15 yrs) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Age | Rec | Yds | TD | PPR | Rk | Previous Yr |
2015 | Brandon Marshall, NYJ | 31 | 109 | 1502 | 14 | 343.2 | 3 | 61-721-8 |
2013 | Anquan Boldin, S.F. | 33 | 85 | 1179 | 7 | 246.0 | 15 | 65-921-4 |
2010 | Terrell Owens, Cin. | 37 | 72 | 983 | 9 | 224.3 | 17 | 55-829-5 |
2023 | Adam Thielen, Car. | 33 | 103 | 1014 | 4 | 231.0 | 17 | 70-716-6 |
2014 | Steve Smith, Balt. | 35 | 79 | 1065 | 6 | 221.5 | 18 | 64-745-4 |
2013 | Wes Welker, Den. | 32 | 73 | 778 | 10 | 210.8 | 21 | 118-1354-6 |
2023 | DeAndre Hopkins, Ten. | 31 | 75 | 1057 | 7 | 223.6 | 22 | 64-717-3 |
2012 | Brandon Lloyd, N.E. | 31 | 74 | 911 | 4 | 195.1 | 25 | 70-966-5 |
2011 | Jabar Gaffney, Was. | 31 | 68 | 947 | 5 | 192.7 | 26 | 65-875-2 |
2015 | James Jones, G.B. | 31 | 50 | 890 | 8 | 191.0 | 30 | 73-666-6 |
2017 | Ted Ginn, N.O. | 32 | 53 | 787 | 4 | 159.6 | 34 | 54-752-4 |
2021 | Marvin Jones, Jac. | 31 | 73 | 832 | 4 | 180.2 | 34 | 76-978-9 |
2024 | Keenan Allen, Chi. | 32 | 70 | 744 | 7 | 186.4 | 34 | 108-1243-7 |
2018 | Jordy Nelson, Oak. | 33 | 63 | 739 | 3 | 156.7 | 38 | 53-482-6 |
2011 | Plaxico Burress, NYJ | 34 | 45 | 612 | 8 | 154.2 | 40 | 35-454-4 |
2020 | Emmanuel Sanders, N.O. | 33 | 61 | 726 | 5 | 164.8 | 41 | 66-869-5 |
2021 | A.J. Green, Ari. | 33 | 54 | 848 | 3 | 156.8 | 41 | 47-523-2 |
2016 | Anquan Boldin, Det. | 36 | 67 | 584 | 8 | 173.4 | 42 | 69-789-4 |
2011 | Deion Branch, N.E. | 32 | 51 | 702 | 5 | 151.2 | 44 | 61-818-6 |
2017 | DeSean Jackson, T.B. | 31 | 50 | 668 | 3 | 138.6 | 45 | 56-1005-4 |
2019 | Golden Tate, NYG | 31 | 49 | 676 | 6 | 154.2 | 45 | 74-795-4 |
2015 | Nate Washington, Hou. | 32 | 47 | 658 | 4 | 136.8 | 49 | 40-647-2 |
2019 | Danny Amendola, Det. | 34 | 62 | 678 | 1 | 140.8 | 49 | 59-575-1 |
2025 | Amari Cooper | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 44-547-4 |
2025 | Keenan Allen | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 70-744-7 |
If we’re trying to play matchmaker, I would identify the following 10 teams as most likely to add a wide receiver: Cardinals, Falcons, Browns, Cowboys, Raiders, Dolphins, Jets, Steelers, 49ers, Titans and Commanders.
For those drafting right now, some sense in throwing a late-round pick at Allen or Cooper.
LEADING RECEIVERS FOR EACH TEAM | |||
---|---|---|---|
Team | WR1 | WR2 | WR3 |
• Arizona | Harrison | M.Wilson | Dortch |
• Atlanta | London | Mooney | McCloud |
Baltimore | Flowers | Bateman | Hopkins |
Buffalo | Shakir | Coleman | J.Palmer |
Carolina | McMillan | Legette | Thielen |
Chicago | D.Moore | Odunze | Burden |
Cincinnati | Chase | Higgins | Iosivas |
• Cleveland | Jeudy | C.Tillman | D.Johnson |
• Dallas | Lamb | Pickens | Tolbert |
Denver | Sutton | Mims | Bryant |
Detroit | St.Brown | J.Williams | Patrick |
Green Bay | Reed | Doubs | Golden |
Houston | Collins | Kirk | Higgins |
Indianapolis | Pittman | Downs | Pierce |
Jacksonville | B.Thomas | T.Hunter | D.Brown |
Kansas City | Worthy | R.Rice | M.Brown |
LA Chargers | McConkey | Johnston | T.Harris |
LA Rams | Nacua | Adams | Atwell |
• Las Vegas | Meyers | Bech | Tucker |
• Miami | T.Hill | Waddle | M.Washington |
Minnesota | Jefferson | Addison | Nailor |
New England | Diggs | Douglas | Hollins |
New Orleans | Olave | Shaheed | Cooks |
NY Giants | Nabers | W.Robinson | Slayton |
• NY Jets | G.Wilson | J.Reynolds | Lazard |
Philadelphia | A.Brown | D.Smith | Dotson |
• Pittsburgh | Metcalf | C.Austin | R.Wilson |
• San Francisco | Jennings | Pearsall | Aiyuk |
Seattle | Smith-Njigba | Kupp | Valdes-Scantling |
Tampa Bay | Evans | Godwin | McMillan |
• Tennessee | Ridley | Lockett | Ayomanor |
• Washington | McLaurin | Samuel | N.Brown |
—Ian Allan