Free Agent WRs Worth Pursuing

These are the WRs who will become unrestricted Free Agents after the Superbowl.

Greg Jennings (GB) - In a season shortened by injury, Jennings played 8 games, and started only 5 of them. He accrued an unimpressive 36 catches for 366 yards and 4 TDs, but he can still be contributor in a rhythm based offense like the Patriots. It was recently reported that Greg Jennings has listed his Wisconsin home as for sale. It is all but a certainty that Jennings will begin a new chapter of his career on a new team. I am not sure how Jennings could fit on The Patriots, and I don't know how much he will be worth coming off an injury. However, he would be a viable outside WR that could come as a bargain.

Mike Wallace (PIT) - Typical deep-threat WR with a limited route tree. He will command top money in the open market, so the likelihood of landing with Brady is slim to none. Also, his stats were representative of a down year, and his 13 yd/rec rate was the lowest of his career. I chalk it up to the injuries to Roethlisberger, but his production could be tied to his limited route-running ability as well.

Dwayne Bowe (KC) - The fact that Bowe was able to rack up 59 receptions and over 800 yards despite being surrounded by laughable mediocrity is a testament to his talent as a #1 WR. Likewise, Dwayne Bowe took it all in stride, never publicly ripping his awful team/QB/etc... I think he could be a big asset as a do-it-all outside WR, but his price tag could be a bit steep. Still, he is worth pursuing if his contract is in the 5-6 Million/year range.

Wes Welker (NE) - We know him well, we love him, but I don't think we can afford to keep him. Welker's numbers command big money, but he is undeniably a system-product. If Welker wants to test the waters of free agency, he will be handsomely rewarded (in $$$). However, if he acknowledges his own mortality, he might choose to take a discount. Still, this would need to be a deep discount. I am thinking that we could afford to keep him at 7.5 Million/year, but that is a definite long-shot. Either way, I think we need to cut Offensive salary, and I think letting Welker walk is the best way to do it.

Danny Amendola (STL) - Amendola is the guy who can fill Welker's shoes for a lot less money. I don't think Amendola will be as good, as durable, or as valuable. However, his contract will be about half as much as Welker, and that will give us a lot of flexibility to spend on Defense. Sure, he only played in 11 games, and he only had 63 receptions, but he did it with Sam Bradford at the helm. The way I see it, it'll be cheaper to resign Edelman and pick up Amendola than it will be to retain Welker. In this way, we can diversify our talent and have a bit of injury insurance. Two birds with one stone.

Brian Hartline (MIA) - Brian Hartline is a very good WR, but he was the only one on a mediocre Dolphins team this year. It seems to me that Miami needs to do whatever they can to hold on to him, but if he slips away, he could be a great pick up. Hartline is an all-around talent that doesn't blow you away in any one category, but given an elite QB, he might be able to make some noise. He is willing to play all over the field, and he's got some size at 6'2".

Overall, the decision on these guys will come down to price. It's hard to know what the price tags might say just yet, but in my opinion, the combined salary of our WRs needs to be less than it was this year. We will be left with a void if Welker cannot be resigned, but it might not be the end of the world. We might be better off investing in an outside WR or even 2 slot WRs to make our passing attack more well-rounded.

Early prediction: Pats sign Amendola to a 3 year contract at about $4 Million per year, and they resign Edelman to a 4 year contract with lots of monetary incentives to stay healthy. Welker walks.