Word to the Winners: Fantasy Football Advice

2006 NFL Free Agent Wide Receivers -- By Russ Bliss

This list certainly had more luster before Reggie Wayne re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts. Not that there aren't any good wide receivers in this NFL free agent class, but there is a definite lack of great ones. With the exception of the expected release of Terrell Owens, there are less than a handful of guys who have the capacity to be a team's #1, but there are quite a few good prospects as a second wide receiver.

Even though I've omitted guys who were realistically expected to be released from their teams at other positions (insert links to both QB's and RB's here) in evaluating the free agents, there is no doubt at all that Terrell Owens will be released from the Philadelphia Eagles and therefore I'm including him here as an unrestricted free agent despite his currently having a contract.

1) Terrell Owens (unrestricted, Philadelphia): Malcontent, egomaniac, selfish, whatever adjective you want to assign to Owens, go for it. But one thing that cannot be denied is that he is an elite wide receiver. Suspended and then purposely deactivated last season for "conduct detrimental to the team", it does bear noting that despite his disagreements with almost everyone associated with the Eagles (and especially with his quarterback, Donovan McNabb), Owens caught 47 passes for 763 yards and 6 touchdowns in the 7 games he played in. Averaged out for an entire 16 games and those numbers become 107 receptions, for 1,744 yards, and 14 touchdowns. To put it in perspective, those totals would have led all NFL wide receivers in all 3 categories. There is no doubt at all that the Eagles will let Owens go as he was a cancer to their locker room. But there is also no doubt that an NFL team will take a chance on his disruptive influence to get his on field production.

2) David Givens (unrestricted, New England): Because of the way the ball gets distributed in the Patriots system, Givens hasn't put up big numbers in any single season yet in his 4 year career. But it's anticipated that he may be able to if he were relied upon to be a team's true #1 wide receiver. Givens is a young, gifted wide receiver with the ability to make big plays. Unlikely to get a big money contract from the Patriots, and having already won two Super Bowl rings, it wouldn't be surprising to see Givens go after the cash at this point in his career.

3) Koren Robinson (restricted, Minnesota): While technically not a free agent, the contract K-Rob signed with the Vikings allows him to explore offers from other teams while allowing the Vikings the ability to match any offer he gets this off-season. If they match it, he stays with the Vikings. If they don't, they get nothing in return for him. It's a bit of an odd situation, but one that was dictated by K-Rob's problems with the NFL and his former team, the Seattle Seahawks. Supposedly, K-Rob has put his personal problems behind him, and if that's truly the case, then maybe he can start living up to the hype he received when he was drafted early in the first round by Seattle back in 2001. He's got the ability to be a team's #1 guy.

4) Brandon Lloyd (restricted, San Francisco): Lloyd is an example of a guy with great skills, but has two problems to overcome. The first is that he's on a team with below average quarterbacks. The second is that he's got a reputation for being a selfish player. Lloyd can make acrobatic catches, plays faster then his timed speed, and could develop into a top flight #1 wide receiver for a team. But as a restricted free agent, the 49ers are expected to tender him a contract that will command that if another team signs him, the 49ers get a first round pick as compensation. This makes it unlikely that Lloyd is going anywhere in 2006.

5) Antonio Bryant (unrestricted, Cleveland): Two things prevent Bryant from being able to be a team's #1 guy: he's not that fast, and he tends to get sloppy as a route runner at times. But he has excellent size and a desire for the ball. While he won't command a huge contract, he definitely has the ability to be a great complimentary wide receiver for a team. He'll land somewhere and compete right away for a starting job, if not given one right away.

6) Joe Jurevicius (unrestricted, Seattle): It seems like JJ just doesn't get the respect for his abilities like he should. Whenever he's been called upon to be a starter, he's produced. Tall and strong, JJ is the type of wide receiver who will get a chance to start for a team looking for a good, steady #2. There will be several suitors for him to choose from.

7) Kevin Curtis (restricted, St. Louis): While I'm still not totally sold on whether Curtis can flourish in a system that is less pass-happy than what the prior coaching staff ran in St. Louis, Curtis is an intriguing prospect. Blazing fast with excellent hands, Curtis can make big plays. The knock on him is a lack of size. Considering that he's young (only entering his 4th season) and has time to refine his overall skills, and Curtis could be a gem if another team were to make him an offer the Rams couldn't match. There's been no word on what type of contract the team has offered him, so the level of compensation hasn't been set yet. If the Rams low-ball him, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he ends up somewhere else.

8) Nate Burleson (restricted, Minnesota): Burleson certainly had a forgettable 2005. I would have liked to have seen what would have happened with him if not for the sprained knee he suffered early in the season. When he came back from it, he certainly looked to lack confidence in it holding up. Because of the poor numbers he put up, it's unlikely another team will sign him away as they'd likely have to give up some compensation for him. Most likely he returns to the Vikings on a one year deal and plays for a new contract next season.

9) Antwaan Randle El (unrestricted, Pittsburgh): Randle El is a good football player, but only a mediocre wide receiver. I know that won't be a popular stance with many, but I've just never seen him come out and show the ability to step up and be a dominant wide receiver. He makes plays, but only a handful, and even then it's just as likely to be a play he makes throwing, running, or returning a ball as it is catching one. And while it's good for an NFL team to have a versatile guy like Randle El for trick plays, as a starting wide receiver, he just doesn't distinguish himself. The Steelers are a great fit for him as their balance on offense allows him to make more from his abilities as an overall weapon than he would on another team that anticipates him being just a starting wide receiver. If he goes elsewhere, and is used like he is in Pittsburgh, he could help. But strictly as a wide receiver, there are better.

10) Brian Finneran (unrestricted, Atlanta): Finneran managed to activate an incentive clause in his contract that allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent. Although the Falcons have tried to find someone else to start at WR over the past few years, they've really made a mistake by not just developing this kid. He reminds me a lot of Ed McCaffrey in terms of size and style of game. Someone will sign him for more than a minimum contract as all he's done with every opportunity he's received with the Falcons over the past several years is produce and be reliable.

Here is a list of some guys available who could possibly become starting wide receivers and help a team but aren't likely to command much more than a minimum contract:

*- Andre Davis (unrestricted, New England): Just a couple of years ago Davis was a promising WR with the Cleveland Browns. Good size and excellent speed, Davis's problem has been staying healthy. Coming into his 5th NFL season, Davis is a guy likely to be gotten cheap on the NFL free agent market for a team but could blossom into a solid starting wide receiver.
*-David Boston (unrestricted, Miami): Boston was poised to become an elite WR several years ago, but attitude, a lack of discipline, and a desire to work more for sculpted physique as opposed to refining his skills as a WR has seriously set him back from where he was once poised to ascend to. His inability to stay healthy has cut short several seasons and although the talent is there, it's likely to never be realized.
*-Justin Gage (unrestricted, Chicago): Gage has managed to squander his opportunities in WR starved Chicago the past 4 years. While very tall and fast, he hasn't played to his timed speed and has disappeared whenever given a chance to stand out. Still, young and gifted will get you looks by teams in free agency.
*-Quincy Morgan (unrestricted, Pittsburgh): Much like Andre Davis, Morgan was a promising Cleveland WR for a few years. But when he developed an ego, he stopped furthering his development as a WR and it cost him.
*-Rod Gardner (unrestricted, Carolina): After being told to not show up for any of the Washington Redskins camp functions, Gardner was acquired by the Panthers just before the 2005 season started. Gardner either never caught onto the Panthers offense, or it was simply discovered that he wasn't nearly as good as many thought. A big, physical WR, Gardner will get a chance to go through an entire training camp with whoever he signs with and that should help him a lot in a push to become a starter somewhere else.
*-Peerless Price (unrestricted; Dallas): Actually, Price wasn't even on anyone's team at the end of 2005 as the Cowboys cut him before the end of the season. Hopefully the humbling experience of the last couple of years will mean Price dedicates himself to getting back to being the only thing he was ever really good at: being a #2 WR and not a star.
*-Reche Caldwell (unrestricted, San Diego): Injuries and inconsistencies plagued Caldwell and while he has shown flashes of being a good WR, he hasn't been able to put it together enough to become a serious contender for a starting job.
*-Jabar Gaffney (unrestricted, Houston): Gaffney's never lived up to expectations in Houston. Originally drafted to be a #1 WR, it was quickly discovered that he lacked the speed to be a deep threat and the focus to be consistent. He'll get a chance to compete with someone.

Here are the rest worth noting:

*-Az-zahir Hakim (unrestricted, New Orleans): Still has enough game to be a fill in starter and a decent #3.
*-Randy Hymes (unrestricted, Baltimore): Big WR, but very inconsistent.
*-Troy Brown (unrestricted, New England): After 13 seasons you just wonder if he has much left or would be comfortable anywhere else but New England.
*-Corey Bradford (unrestricted, Houston): Speedy, but not consistent enough to stay as a starter in previous stops in the NFL.
*-Shaun McDonald (restricted, St. Louis): Just too small to ever be more than a 3rd or 4th WR on a team.
*-Josh Reed (unrestricted, Buffalo): Just wasn't special in any aspect of his game despite having opportunities to be a starter.
*-Kelley Washington (restricted, Cincinnati): Never developed the way expected in Cincinnati. Has the physical size, but the drive is questionable.
*-Tim Dwight (unrestricted, New England): The Patriots seem to have a monopoly on smurf-sized WR's, but almost all their contracts are up. Dwight's more valuable as a return man and a #4 WR.
*-Antonio Chatman (restricted, Green Bay): If not for the abundance of injuries the Packers suffered at the WR position in 2005, Chatman wouldn't even be a footnote. But he did show himself well and with another year of experience who knows?

I could continue to go over the remaining guys (there are plenty left), but realistically, they have little chance to be more than 4th or 5th WR's wherever they go. So I'd rather focus on teams who are likely to be actively looking for WR's in free agency.

Arizona Cardinals: With Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Bryant Johnson, WR is the one area they DON'T need to address.

Atlanta Falcons: Might be looking, but would be better served seeing if Roddy White and Michael Jenkins can develop. Re-signing Brian Finneran would be a smart move to give them a reliable 3rd guy who knows their offense already.

Baltimore Ravens: Not likely to be active for anything more than a 3rd WR to team with Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton.

Buffalo Bills: Are likely to release Eric Moulds, leaving them with Lee Evans as their only firm starter. Inexperienced Roscoe Parrish will likely be penciled in as the other one, but the Bills will look to sign someone with starting experience so Parrish can move to the #3.

Carolina Panthers: They won't make noise at this position. They have Steve Smith, Keary Colbert, and Drew Carter. They're set.

Chicago Bears: Muhsin Muhammed is their #1 guy. But they may bring in a veteran to compete with Mark Bradley and Bernard Berrian for their #2 spot.

Cincinnati Bengals: Possibly the deepest and best WR corps in the entire NFL belongs to Cincinnati. They won't be looking to this year's free agent class at WR.

Cleveland Browns: This team needs to actively be looking. Braylon Edwards was showing flashes of being a #1 before getting injured. They might try to bring back Antonio Bryant as their #2, but he's an unrestricted free agent. Dennis Northcutt and Frisman Jackson aren't reliable #2's. It's very questionable that Edwards will be ready to come back by the start of the season so this is an area the Browns should look to address in a big way.

Dallas Cowboys: Keyshawn Johnson and Terry Glenn are a solid starting tandem and they like Patrick Crayton. They may bring someone in to possibly compete with Crayton for the #3 job, but that's about it.

Denver Broncos: The Broncos have starters set up in Rod Smith and Ashley Lelie, but the depth behind them is suspect. There's a chance the Broncos look for a reliable #3.

Detroit Lions: There's an abundance of talent at the WR position in Detroit with Roy Williams, Mike Williams, and Charles Rogers. It's up to Mike Martz to get more out of them though. I wouldn't be surprised if the Lions brought in a WR familiar with Martz's style of offense, but it won't be anyone who challenges for any of the top 3 spots.

Green Bay Packers: With Javon Walker, Donald Driver, and Robert Ferguson all under contract it's unlikely the Packers look for anyone who will cost more than the minimum.

Houston Texans: Corey Bradford and Jabar Gaffney are both unrestricted free agents and while the team likes the potential of Jerome Mathis, it's not likely he's ready to step up and be the #2 opposite Andre Johnson. The Texans need someone good to be their #2, and while there are plenty of guys who could fit that bill, Peerless Price or Brian Finneran would like good here.

Indianapolis Colts: After re-signing Reggie Wayne 2 weeks ago, the Colts have their top 3 (Wayne, Marvin Harrison, and Brandon Stokley) all back for 2006. They might look for a 4th guy to replace Troy Walters (who also handled return duties) and it might be someone like Antonio Chatman.

Jacksonville Jaguars: While Jimmy Smith continues to inch closer to mandatory retirement, he is still there and the Jags have some solid young talent to compliment him in Ernest Wilford, Matt Jones, and maybe even former 1st round disappointment Reggie Williams. The Jags won't be a player for anyone except maybe Terrell Owens (who would do wonders for the development of Byron Leftwich) if they decide to let Smith go.

Kansas City Chiefs: The one glaring weakness of this team is at WR. And as much as Terrell Owens would be the guy who possibly makes this team a legitimate Super Bowl contender, it's just hard to see the Chiefs signing TO. The Chiefs have Eddie Kennison and Sammie Parker starting at the present time, but they wouldn't mind finding someone who could push Kennison into the #2 spot, or a solid #2 WR who could push Parker into the #3.

Miami Dolphins: Chris Chambers is solidly entrenched as their primary guy and Marty Booker is a nice compliment, but Miami could go after someone to push Booker as a starter. Given their cap status though, it's more likely they look for someone cheap to be their #3.

Minnesota Vikings: Once upon a time you never thought about the Vikings needing WR's, now they possibly do depending on what happens with their own free agents. Koren Robinson and Nate Burleson are both free agents and although not likely to go elsewhere, they could. If that happens then the Vikings would have Troy Williamson, Marcus Robinson, and Travis Taylor. While these are serviceable, they bring back the same problem the Vikings had in 2005: is there a clear cut #1 guy amongst them? The Vikings likely bring back both Burleson and K-Rob and hope one of them emerges as a legit #1.

New England Patriots: The Patriots have 4 unrestricted free agent WR's this free agent period and it's likely that at least two of them won't be back. They have Deion Branch and their system seems more predicated on having several smaller, faster WR's who each seem to rotate in and out of the offense rather than having one big star at the position. Az-zahir Hakim would seem to fit this group, but don't look for any big splashes by the Pats in the WR free agent market.

New Orleans Saints: Joe Horn and Donte Stallworth are there and the Saints have a couple of talented young guys backing them up. The Saints have a bigger need at QB (insert link to the QB article here) than at WR.

New York Giants: This team will only be looking at this position if they decide they can't afford Amani Toomer, the Giants are set with him and Plaxico Burress as their starters. They could likely use a couple of WR's to be more reliable backups to them, but unless Toomer is released, I doubt if the Giants make any noticeable noise at the WR position.

New York Jets: The Jets are in salary cap Hell and already have a good trio in Laverneus Coles, Justin McCareins, and Jerricho Cotchery. They will be a blip on the radar, if that, at the free agent crop of WR's.

Oakland Raiders: The Raiders have so many other areas to address in free agency that if we hear anything from them at this position I'll be amazed. They have Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, Doug Gabriel, and Ronald Curry. They are plenty deep at this position.

Philadelphia Eagles: If only things hadn't gone sour between them and Terrell Owens. TO was a perfect fit for them and made Donovan McNabb so much better. Now, the Eagles will definitely be looking for someone to come in and compliment Reggie Brown. Todd Pinkston is expected to return from injury, but they need a playmaker to really stand out for them. The Eagles will likely be a major player if any additional big name guys are cut, and even if none are, the Eagles will still be very active at this position in free agency. But really, the best guy they could get is the guy they're letting go.

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers would like re-sign Antwaan Randle El, but it's not as huge a priority as some think. If Randle El goes, there are several guys who could be gotten that would make better WR's, although not as versatile as overall offensive weapons. Cedric Wilson came on and showed he might be able to step in and be a better compliment to Hines Ward, and that would mean the Steelers would just be looking for a #3 guy.

San Diego Chargers: The probable loss of unrestricted free agent Reche Caldwell to another team has minimal impact on the Chargers at the WR position. Keenan McCardell, Eric Parker, Vincent Jackson, and Kassim Osgood make a good (not great, but good) steady corps.

San Francisco 49ers: While the 49ers probably would like to add a wide receiver to compete with Brandon Lloyd and Arnaz Battle, it's unlikely they will spend much money to do it. Lloyd and Battle are decent starters and although Lloyd could go elsewhere (he's a restricted free agent), the 49ers likely won't lose him as they probably will offer him a contract that would demand a 1st round pick if someone else signs him.

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks would be best served bringing back Joe Jurevicius, as he proved very valuable to them in 2005, but they have Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram starting with a good young WR in D.J. Hackett. Don't expect much at all from Seattle at the WR position in this free agent market.

St. Louis Rams: The only way the Rams make any splash in the free agent wide receiver market is if they can't come to an agreeable restructuring of Isaac Bruce's contract. All signs point to them being close to reaching one though so they are set. Restricted free agent Kevin Curtis has been tendered a contract that would demand the Rams get a 1st round pick in return for him signing with another team, so their core group will be back. They might sign a lesser name guy, but that's it.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: While Michael Clayton suffered a severe slump in his second season, the Bucs appear to think that was a fluke. Joey Galloway had an excellent season and both are under contract for 2006. While they might lose free agent Ike Hilliard, they're not going to make any big pushes for a top free agent WR. Not unless they surprise everyone and make a run for Terrell Owens.

Tennessee Titans: With all the problems the Titans have in regards to the salary cap, it's unlikely they make any significant noise in the free agent WR market. They drafted 3 guys at the position in 2005 and while each had injury problems, each also showed they were capable of playing well. They might prefer to get someone more reliable than Tyrone Calico to start opposite Drew Bennett, but unless they clear some big time cap room, it won't be a big name.

Washington Redskins: This team desperately needs someone to be even a mediocre #2 WR opposite Santana Moss. Moss was awesome last season, but the combination of David Paten, James Thrash, and Taylor Jacobs was pitiful opposite him. Unless they can create some cap space, the Redskins will either have to settle for one of these guys again, or get a minimum salary guy in free agency.

See Russ's other 2006 fantasy football picks:

• 2006 Free Agent Running Backs
• 2006 Free Agent Tight Ends and Kickers
• 2006 Free Agent Quarterbacks

Russ Bliss - fantasy football expert and radio host of "The Red Zone with Russ Bliss" on KDUS-AM - went head-to-head with the Line-Up Analyzer last year, and still wishes he had worn a helmet. Russ was so impressed with our predictive analysis engine, he joined the team at FantasyFootballStarters.com.

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