2009 NFL Free Agency: Wide Receivers

Will Housh help the Eagles "put it on the board" in '09?

Eagles fan’s favorite topic over the past few off-seasons has been complaining about the perceived lack of talent at Wide Receiver.  I would argue that last year’s WR core was the second best of the Andy Reid era, behind the ’04 squad that featured T.O(verdose).

Heading into the ’09 season, DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis are our starting WRs. Avant has shown promise recently in the slot, and beyond that Reggie Brown, Hank Baskett, and Greg Lewis rotate in.  Although I like “Touchdown” Reggie Brown, “Baskett” Catch, and “G-Lew” for their nicknames, they haven’t added much (or anything) to the mix.

This year is no different that others, except now not only are the fans complaining, but so is the Quarterback.

There are quite a few interesting options at Wide Receiver available in Free Agency this year

Impact Players

• T.J. Houshmandzadeh – 31 – Cincinnati – Everyone seems to be clamoring for T.J., and the Eagles appear to be interested.  Housh’s interview in which he stated his interest in the Birds only helped fuel the fire.  However, the Eagles aren’t the only NFC East team who will chase T.J. on Friday, and it looks like a bidding war may break out between the Giants and the Eagles for Housh.
• Laveranues Coles – 31 – New Jersey B – Cut 2/25 from the Jets, this has been a long time coming.  Coles never approved of the move the bring Brett Farve in and bounce Chad Pennington.  In another situation, he may prove to be more focused and play with passion.  At 31, Coles still has a few good years of football ahead of him, and if the Eagles primary targets fall through he could turn out to be a nice addition.
• Torry Holt – 32 – St. Louis – Although he hasn’t been cut yet, he may very well end up on the market come Friday at 12:00 am.  If he does, Torry represents one of the best WRs in Free Agency and the Eagles would have to consider him seriously.  Personally, I’d rather go for a more youthful option.
• Antonio Bryant (Franchised) – 27 – Tampa Bay – After being out of the NFL in 2007, Bryant was the SOB pick for Comeback Player of the Year last season.  The Bucs took the gamble and franchised Bryant, and there is no way a team will trade two 1st round picks to pry him away from them.
• Lance Moore (Restricted / 2nd Round Tender) – 25 – New Orleans – Had a career year in 2008, posting 928 yards and 10TDs.  He was helped by an injury to Marques Colston as well as Drew Brees’s ridiculous accuracy, but he seems like an up-and-coming player.  From the Eagles perspective, a 2nd round pick is a lot to give up for a guy like that, especially if Tony Gonzalez isn’t worth a 2nd rounder.
• Marvin Harrison – 36 – Indianapolis –Philadelphia native and McNabb teammate at Syracuse could potentially join the Birds on their quest for a Super Bowl.  Just don’t shoot anybody Marvin!
• Devery Henderson – 26 – New Orleans – An interesting option for the Birds, as Henderson has shown some promise in his early career.  The emergence of Lance Moore has made Henderson expendable, and he could turn into this year’s Bernard Berrian.
• Bobby Engram – 36 – Seattle – The timeless slot receiver is one of the few Seahawks who can hang onto the ball with any consistency.  Too bad the Eagles don’t need another slot receiver.
• Joey Galloway – 37 – Tampa Bay – Cut as part of the Bucs youth movement, and was injured for much of the ’08 season.  Galloway has been the only serviceable target in Tampa for the past few years, and even with their horrible QB play, he put up 1,000 yard seasons in 2006 and 2007.  Age may be catching up with Galloway, and I don’t expect the Eagles to gamble on him.

The Best of the Rest

• Brandon Lloyd – 27 – Chicago – Circus catches are nice, but they don’t make the receiver.  Another soft, inconsistent WR is the last thing the Birds need.
• Ashley Lelie – 29 – Oakland – Soft shell taco, mild sauce.  He’ll probably re-sign with the Raiders, as their WR corps is horrible right now.
• Bryant Johnson – 27 – San Francisco – The Penn State alum and former 1st round pick showed promise during his years in Arizona, but last year’s experiment in San Francisco didn’t turn out well for Johnson.  He is a 4th WR on the Eagles at best, although I don’t see much difference between him and Reggie Brown.
• Drew Bennett – 30 – St. Louis – Like many of the lower tier FA Wide Receivers, Drew Bennett showed promise in his Tennessee days, but hit the wall when he signed with the Rams.  Nothing surprising there.  He is game is a lot like Kevin Curtis’, I guess White Lightning does strike twice.
• Darrell Jackson – 30 – Denver – Aging receiver doesn’t have much to offer the Birds, but could help round out a young receiving corp somewhere in the NFL.  He’s actually younger than I thought he was, which is never a good sign.
• Jabar Gaffney – 28 – New England – Signed with the Eagles in ’06 only to be cut before the season started.  We didn’t want Lito’s cousin then, and we sure don’t want him now.
• Nate Washington – Provided Roethlisberger with a nice option deep down the field as well as down the depth chart.  Could fill the role that Greg Lewis currently holds (special teams gunner/6th WR), without sucking.
• Michael Clayton – 26 – Tampa Bay – The former 1st round pick had a strong rookie year, and has been horrible since.  He has the size (6’4”) to and speed to be a playmaker, and a change of scenery and a real QB would help him greatly.  If he hits on the market for a bit I may be tempted to scoop him up.
• Justin McCareins – 30 – Tennessee – Signed by Tennessee to help their anemic passing attack in ’08, but the emergence of Justin Gauge makes McCareins expendable.
• Hank Baskett (Restricted) – 26 – Philadelphia – The 6’4” receiver has flashed potential throughout his three year career.  However, Baskett’s been underutilized thus far in his career as an Eagle.  You’ve got to think there is a reason Andy hasn’t incorporated Mr. Kendra in the offense more consistently, and the ’09 season may be his last shot.

There are a ton of serviceable WRs available for the Eagles to sign, but the truly elite players are limited.  Anquan Boldin was not included in this list, as he is not a Free Agent.  However, he is the #1 target for me.  Housh is a close second.

Although I am a little concerned about Housh’s opinionated style, he’s a tough receiver with solid speed, hands and toughness to go over the middle.  I’m sure contract negotiations are already underway, and T.J. is going to be paid well this year.

If the Eagles are hesitant to pull the trigger and lose the Houshmandzadeh sweepstakes, players like Coles, Holt and Henderson will become the Eagles top priorities.

One way or another, the Birds will sign a Free Agent WR in the next few days.