NFL Free Agency 2024: Top wide receivers available, Colts needs
NFL free agency is upon us, ushering in a dizzying number of players changing teams or staying put with new deals. Here are key dates:
March 5: Teams can designate franchise or transition players.
March 11: Teams and player agents can negotiate.
March 13: Free agent signings begin.
NFL free agent wide receivers
Here are the most notable wide receivers on the market, including 2023 performance and salary, and profiles.
Players listed in alphabetical order
∎ Odell Beckham Jr., Ravens
2023: The 31-year-old had 35 catches, 16.1 yards per, 3 touchdowns. Salary cap hit: $4.93 million. Profile by 33rd Team: There were times when he looked like the player of old making big plays out of slants, but his burst to turn those slants into touchdowns was no longer there. Beckham faded down the stretch, but he can still flash high-level play from all over the field.
∎ Kendrick Bourne, Patriots
2023: The 28-year-old had 37 catches, 11 yards per, and 4 TDs in 8 games before suffering an ACL tear in late October. Salary cap hit: $6.87 million. Profile by Pro Football Focus: Bourne makes up for his lack of elite athleticism with suddenness to his game, including crisp breaks out of routes and late hands to avoid as many contested targets by catching defensive backs off guard.
2023: The 29-year-old had 67 catches, 10 yards per, and 2 TDs. Salary cap hit: $10.3 million. Profile by Pro Football Focus: Boyd is a big slot receiver with solid blocking chops in the run game. He rarely ever drops a target and does well to sit down in soft spots of zones on key passing downs. However, Boyd posted several career-low marks in 2023, and with so many big financial decisions facing Cincinnati, the Bengals may not be willing to offer him as much as other teams looking to upgrade their unit over the middle.
∎ Marquise Brown, Cardinals
2023: The 26-year-old had 51 catches, 11.3 yards per, and 4 TDs. Salary cap hit: $13.4 million. Profile by Pro Football Focus: It’s hard to come up with a solid comparable player for a 5-foot-9, 180-pound outside wide receiver — although now the NFL is adding more of this archetype each year — and it’s also fair to wonder how badly Arizona wants to extend anyone.
∎ Noah Brown, Texans
2023: The 28-year-old had 33 catches, 17.2 yards per, and 2 TDs in 10 games. Salary cap hit: $2.6 million.
∎ D.J. Chark, Panthers
2023: The 27-year-old had 35 catches, 15.0 yards per, and 5 TDs. Salary cap hit: $5 million.
∎ Gabe Davis, Bills
(March 11 report: Davis joins Jaguars on a three-year deal)
2023: The 24-year-old had 45 catches, 16.6 yards per, and 7 TDs. Salary cap hit: $2.91 million in the final year of his rookie contract. Profile by 33rd Team: He’s an outside vertical receiver who can make big plays and had 23 receptions of 20 or more yards over the past two seasons. There are times when Davis can disappear, but any team needing a field-stretching element without needing Davis to be a high-volume No. 2 could benefit from his addition.
∎ Mike Evans, stays with Buccaneers
(Report on March 4: Evans agrees to a 2-year, $52 million deal)
2023: The 30-year-old had 79 catches, 15.9 yards per, and an NFL-leading 13 receiving TDs. Salary cap hit: $14.5 million. Profile by Pro Football Focus: Evans’ free agency will be tricky and has a wide range of outcomes, with nagging soft-tissue injuries seemingly bothering him for years now. There could also be sticker shock with recent outcomes on 30-plus-year-old receivers.
∎ Tee Higgins, Bengals
(Report on Feb. 26: Bengals place franchise tag on Higgins; March 11 report: Higgins requests trade)
2023: The 25-year-old 42 catches, 15.6 yards per, 5 TDs in 12 games. He had rib and hamstring injuries through the season. Salary cap hit: $2.99 million in the final year of his rookie contract. Profile from 33rd Team: Injuries to Higgins and QB Joe Burrow limited the wide receiver's production in his contract year. ... He's highly regarded for his production and how he handles himself off the field.
∎ Mack Hollins, Falcons
2023: The 30-year-old had 18 catches, 13.9 yards per. Salary cap hit: $2.38 million.
∎ Darnell Mooney, Bears
2023: The 26-year-old had 31 catches, 13.4 yards per, and 1 TD. Salary cap hit: $3.06 million in the final year of his rookie contract. Profile by Pro Football Focus: Since (2021), Mooney has unfortunately dealt with a few minor injuries and one of the lower-volume passing attacks in the league. Nonetheless, he creates separation on intermediate and deep routes consistently, and he could be the ultimate buy-low for a team that can tap into the potential we saw a few years back.
∎ K.J. Osborn, Vikings
2023: The 26-year-old had 48 catches, 11.3 yards per, and 3 TDs. Salary cap hit: $2.81 million in the final year of his rookie contract.
∎ Donovan Peoples-Jones, Lions
2023: The 25-year-old had 13 catches at 11.9 yards per. Salary cap hit: $1.52 million.
∎ Michael Pittman Jr., Colts
(March 11: Colts keep Pittman with long-term deal)
2023: The 26-year-old had 109 catches, 10.6 yards per, and 4 touchdowns. Colts general manager Chris Ballard said the team will use the franchise tag to retain if necessary. Salary cap hit: $3.95 million in the final year of his rookie contract. Profile by Pro Football Network: Think about the offenses and quarterbacks Pittman has dealt with, and his track record as a reliable receiver becomes even more evident. Pittman was the centerpiece of the Colts’ offense, as his 28.5% target share ranked sixth-best in the NFL.
∎ Josh Reynolds, Lions
2023: The 29-year-old had 40 catches, 15.2 yards per, and 5 TDs. Salary cap hit: $4 million.
∎ Calvin Ridley, Jaguars
(March 13: Ridley, Titans agree on a four-year, $92 million contract)
2023: After missing 2022 to a suspension, the 29-year-old had 76 catches, 13.4 yards per, and 8 TDs. Salary cap hit: $11.12 million. Profile by Pro Football Focus: There were drop issues in 2023 as Ridley returned to full speed, but he still proved capable of taking over a game while breaking off a series of explosive receptions.
∎ Curtis Samuel, Commanders
(March 14: Samuel, Bills agree on a three-year, $24 million contract)
2023: The 27-year-old had 62 catches, 9.9 yards per, and 4 TDs. Salary cap hit: $10.58 million. Profile by 33rd Team: Curtis Samuel has settled in as a slot option who can be used as a traditional receiver or on gadget plays. ... He can be used as a runner from the backfield and could be a Mecole Hardman–type who is better at actual receiver things.
∎ Michael Thomas, Saints
(March 11: Saints release Thomas)
2023: The 30-year-old had 39 catches, 11.5 yards, and 1 TD in 10 games before a knee injury ended his season. Salary cap hit: $14.25 million.
∎ Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Titans
2023: The 28-year-old had 28 catches, 13.2 yards per, and 3 TDs. Salary cap hit: $1.26 million.
Colts wide receiver needs
They want to keep Pittman, knowing that will come with a hefty second-contract mark up. If he signs elsewhere, the Colts will desperately need a WR1. And it wouldn't hurt to pursue another receiver beyond that.
What is a franchise tag?
The non-exclusive franchise tag means the player would receive a one-year contract at the average of the top five salaries at that player's position over the last five years, or 120% of his previous salary, whichever is greater. The player can negotiate with other teams, but his current team can match any offer or receive two first-round draft picks if he signs elsewhere.
This is the most common type of tag.
The exclusive franchise tag means the player's current team is the only team allowed to negotiate with him. The deal a one-year contract at the average of the top five salaries at that player's position over the last five years, or 120% of his previous salary, whichever is greater.
The transition tag is a one-year offer for the average of the top 10 salaries at the position. The original club can match any offer from another team. The tagging team would get no compensation if it does not match an offer from another team.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: NFL Free Agency 2024: Top wide receivers available, Colts needs
