The Tennessee Titans signed wide receiver Calvin Ridley on Wednesday, removing the top NFL free agent pass catcher from the open market. With Ridley no longer available, the list of available WRs is quickly dwindling.
While some teams may be waiting on a deep class of pass catchers to arrive via the 2024 NFL Draft, others might want to add a veteran presence in the coming days or weeks. Who are the top remaining free agent receivers, and where are their best fits around the league?
Best Fits for Remaining Free Agent WRs After Calvin Ridley Signs
1) Hollywood Brown
Best fit: Arizona Cardinals
Hollywood Brown didn’t generate any known interest during the legal tampering period but remains the best free agent option on the board now that Ridley is spoken for. An average 2022-23 line of 59-642-4 isn’t the best platform for Brown’s free agency, but NFL teams are constantly looking for explosive plays in the passing game.
Re-signing with the Cardinals might make the most sense for Brown. Arizona is expected to consider Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 4 pick in the upcoming draft but could trade down if GM Monti Ossenfort receives an offer that’s impossible to refuse.
Brown hasn’t been the receiver the Cards were hoping for when they acquired him from the Baltimore Ravens in 2022. But he’s still only 26 years old and could thrive if healthy next season.
2) Mike Williams
Best fit: New York Jets
Mike Williams is one of the NFL’s newest free agents, having been released by the Los Angeles Chargers on Wednesday. Injuries have been a consistent issue for Williams, who played in only three games last season before tearing his ACL.
At his best, Williams is a legitimate downfield threat who twice crossed 1,000 receiving yards in L.A. He scored double-digit touchdowns in 2018, then followed up that performance by leading the league in yards per reception the following year.
While there’s a ton of risk here, the Jets need a complement for Garrett Wilson.
3) Curtis Samuel
Best fit: Kansas City Chiefs
At this point, a significant wide receiver addition looks unlikely for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, but Kansas City could do worse than Curtis Samuel.
Samuel flashed during his time in Washington (just as he did with the Panthers), but he probably hasn’t lived up to the three-year, $34.5 million deal he signed with the Washington Commanders before the 2021 season.
Injury issues will always be a problem for Samuel, who missed 10 games from 2017-18, 12 more games in 2021, and was banged up last year.
4) Odell Beckham Jr.
Best fit: Dallas Cowboys
Odell Beckham Jr. flashed when healthy and still offers juice in the passing game. But his age and injury concerns mean he’s unlikely to make even half the $15 million salary he earned with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023.
The Cowboys will likely move on from Michael Gallup this offseason and will need a WR3 if they don’t trust Jalen Tolbert to enter the starting lineup. OBJ was constantly linked to Dallas the last time he was a free agent. Will Jerry Jones take the plunge this time around?
5) Tyler Boyd
Best fit: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers moved on from Diontae Johnson on Tuesday, trading the veteran WR to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for CB Donte Jackson and a pick swap.
With a host of question marks behind George Pickens on its receiver depth chart, Pittsburgh could consider a familiar face in Tyler Boyd, who’s spent the past eight years with the AFC North-rival Bengals.
Boyd, a Pittsburgh native, said in January that he “loves” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
6) K.J. Osborn
Best fit: Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have been busy re-signing their internal free agents, including wide receiver Micahel Pittman Jr. But general manager Chris Ballard might consider going outside the organization to add another element to Indy’s passing game.
K.J. Osborn was a consistent option for the Minnesota Vikings over the last three years, posting at least 45 catches and 500 yards every season since 2021. He offers inside/outside flexibility, making him a perfect WR4 who could fill in for incumbent Colts WRs Alec Pierce and Josh Downs.
7) Josh Reynolds
Best fit: Baltimore Ravens
While Baltimore signed Beckham last offseason, its tight salary cap situation could lead the club to target more affordable veterans this year. That strategy could lead Ravens GM Eric DeCosta to Josh Reynolds, who earned $3 million annually on his last deal with the Detroit Lions.
At 6’3″, 194 pounds, Reynolds would add an explosive vertical dimension, a role he played for Detroit while former first-round pick Jameson Williams was suspended to begin the 2023 season. Reynolds, 29, set a career-high in snaps (832) last year while hauling in 40 catches for 608 yards and five touchdowns.
8) Michael Thomas
Best fit: Denver Broncos
The Broncos traded WR Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns earlier this week, moving on from the 2020 first-rounder in exchange for a pair of late-round picks. Although Denver still has Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., and a recovering Tim Patrick, Sean Payton could afford to take a chance on an old friend.
MORE: NFL World Reacts to Jerry Jeudy Trade to the Browns
Michael Thomas was dominant as Payton’s top WR in the New Orleans Saints offense, setting an NFL record with 149 catches in 2019. But injuries have destroyed the better part of four seasons; the 31-year-old missed the final seven games of the 2023 campaign with a knee injury.
9) Hunter Renfrow
Best fit: New Orleans Saints
Assuming Thomas leaves town, New Orleans will need more pass catchers around holdovers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.
Hunter Renfrow is hardly a world-beater, but he posted several productive seasons under Jon Gruden with the Las Vegas Raiders. Gruden was a consultant for the Saints in 2023 and is expected to take on a more significant role next year.
10) Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Best fit: Buffalo Bills
The Bills need a receiver capable of taking the top off the opposing defense after losing Gabe Davis to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Davis was as inconsistent as they come, but he regularly dusted defensive backs for long touchdown connections from Josh Allen.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Free Agents by Position
Marquez Valdes-Scantling can play a similar role, and he shouldn’t land anything close to the $13 million salary Davis received from the Jags. That’s important for Buffalo, which is still up against the salary cap as the new league year officially begins.
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