Like every team, the Eagles will be looking at wide receivers at the NFL Scouting Combine, which begins Wednesday.
But the Eagles also have another purpose at the Combine, and that’s where Eagles general manager Howie Roseman will be especially busy talking to agents of star wide receivers who are eligible for free agency beginning March 16.
That’s because the Eagles need an upgrade at a position in which their top three – DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins and Jalen Reagor – were all in their first or second seasons in 2021.
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Sure, the Eagles can get a wide receiver with one of their three first-round picks. But that would mark three straight drafts in which they used a first-round pick on a wide receiver.
The better route would be getting a proven veteran via free agency, and it just so happens that this could be a great chance to get a star. And the Eagles, who are currently $21 million under the salary cap, can create enough room to add one.
That player would be a nice complement to the young receivers the Eagles currently have.
Smith set an Eagles record for receiving yards by a rookie with 916. Watkins, the Eagles’ sixth-round pick in 2020, had 647 yards. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said in January that Watkins can become one of the better No. 2 receivers that he has worked with.
But Reagor, the first-round pick in 2020, had a second straight disappointing season. So the Eagles clearly need another go-to receiver in addition to Smith, Watkins and tight end Dallas Goedert (830 yards in 2021).
Here, then, are the top free agent wide receivers, ranked in reverse order of those the Eagles should prioritize:
8. Will Fuller, Miami
Fuller was a major bust after signing a one-year, $10.6 million deal with the Dolphins. But the Eagles can probably get Fuller for much less than that given that he played just 2 games last season before going on IR with what turned out to be a season-ending finger injury.
Fuller might be willing to sign a one-year, prove-it deal with the Eagles. After all, he’s a Philly native and a former first-round pick. And he did have a career-high 879 yards receiving in 2020 with Houston.
7. D.J. Chark, Jacksonville
Chark could be an interesting candidate in that he had 1,008 yards receiving in 2019 with Gardner Minshew, who’s now the Eagles’ backup quarterback, as the Jaguars’ starting QB.
Jalen Hurts, however, is the Eagles’ starter, or at least projected to be. And Chark hasn’t duplicated that season since. He played in only four games last season after breaking his ankle.
At 6-foot-4, 198 pounds, Chark would be a big target on the outside, something the Eagles could definitely use.
6. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis
Hilton spent three seasons with Sirianni when Sirianni was the Colts’ offensive coordinator from 2018-20. And Hilton does have five seasons with at least 1,000 yards receiving.
The problem is none of them have occurred since 2018. And Hilton is 32 years old and hasn’t played a full season since 2017.
But if the Eagles wanted someone on a short one-year type of deal, Hilton might enjoy reuniting with his former OC, while serving as a mentor to the Eagles’ young receivers.
5. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh
Like Fuller, Smith-Schuster is coming off a season cut woefully short by injury as he played in only five games after suffering a shoulder injury.
But Smith-Schuster is only one season removed from a 97-catch season primarily as a slot receiver, although he averaged just 8.6 yards per reception.
Still, Smith-Schuster is just 25 years old, and he did have 111 receptions for 1,426 yards in 2018. He would be a significant upgrade from Greg Ward or Reagor in the slot.
4. Allen Robinson, Chicago
Robinson is coming off a disappointing season with the Bears as he had just 38 receptions in 12 games and averaged a career-low 10.3 yards per catch. But in the two seasons before that, Robinson averaged 100 receptions for 1,299 yards per season.
So it’s more likely that last season was an aberration.
Besides, the last time the Eagles went after a Bears receiver who was coming off a subpar season was in 2017. They signed Alshon Jeffery, who helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl.
3. Mike Williams, L.A. Chargers
Williams had by far the best season of his career in 2021 with 76 receptions for 1,146 yards. At 6-foot-4, 218 pounds, he would be the biggest wide receiver on the roster, and someone who can come down with those 50-50 balls, like Jeffery did in 2017.
Williams also has a Sirianni connection as Sirianni was the Chargers’ wide receivers coach in Williams’ rookie season in 2017.
Either way, the Eagles would have to spend big to get Williams.
2. Davante Adams, Green Bay
The Eagles would be hard-pressed to find anyone more talented than Adams. But there’s a good chance the Packers will place the franchise tag on Adams, especially if Aaron Rodgers returns for one more season.
Adams had 123 catches for 1,553 yards in 2021. The season before, he had 115 catches for 1,374 yards.
Imagine that kind of production next to Smith and Goedert. Obviously, if the Packers allow Adams to become a free agent, then many other teams will be after him, too, and it would likely cost north of $20 million a season over 4 or 5 years to sign Adams.
But there’s also some risk in that Adams will turn 30 late next season.
1. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay
Could the Delaware native end up playing for his hometown team?
It’s possible.
For one, the Buccaneers might not place the franchise tag on Godwin for a second straight year after Godwin tore his ACL in December. Godwin could end up missing the first part of the 2022 season.
Secondly, you might have heard that Tom Brady is retiring, and the Bucs are right up against the salary cap.
For the Bucs to remain a Super Bowl contender, they will have to get creative in order to trade for a top quarterback while inking Godwin to a long-term deal. So it’s possible that Godwin could reach free agency.
If the Eagles are willing to take the chance on Godwin recovering in time to play most of next season, he could be the answer to all their needs – as a slot receiver, on the outside, as an elite blocker for his position, and someone who can run the jet sweeps.
It won’t be cheap. Even coming off a major injury, Godwin will command top dollar for a receiver. Think Kenny Golladay’s 4-year, $72 million with the Giants as a starting point.
But Godwin, who had 98 receptions for 1,103 yards in 14 games, could be worth the gamble.
Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.
