2014 NFL Free Agency: Offensive X-factors
By Andrew Long
Dec 8, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers defensive back Darrell Stuckey (25) chases down New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks (88) after a catch in the fourth quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Wide Receivers
The flock of wide receivers that are set to hit the free agent market aren’t half-bad. There are a lot of really good number 2’s on the market and a few players that can potentially be ‘the guy’ for your team.
Eric DeckerIt’s kind of difficult to give Decker a true grade because of the time he spent with Peyton Manning. But it’s actually because of the time he spent with Peyton Manning that I feel comfortable putting him at the number 1 spot. Peyton Manning expects a lot out of his teammates and I think that playing with Manning is something that plays into Decker’s favor.
Decker is an extremely well-rounded wideout and has the proper physical tools to succeed. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Patriots try to pull a reverse-Welker and sign him away from the Broncos.
Golden Tate’s value is probably going to be inflated because of the Super Bowl victory, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a very good wide receiver. What Tate lacks in size, he makes up for in playmaking ability. Tate racked up nearly 900 yards and 5 touchdowns on 64 receptions last season. He was also able to gain 585 yards on punt returns.Here’s my take on Tate: If you sign him expecting him to be your #1 wideout, you’re probably going to be disappointed. But if you sign him as a high-end number 2 and return man, you’ll be very pleased.
It’s evident that Hakeem Nicks hasn’t played to his ability the last couple of seasons. This is mostly due to nagging knee injuries, though. If you really look at the numbers from last season, Nicks didn’t actually do as poorly as people think.Besides the fact that he had zero touchdowns, his season was solid. He neared the 1,000 yard mark (something he has surpassed twice in his career) with just 56 receptions. That’s 16 yards per catch and that’s great.I still believe Nicks has the skills to be a number 1 option in the NFL. As a GM, i’d be willing to shell out a 1-year deal to see if Nicks can revert to his old ways and produce big numbers.
Honorable mention: Julian Edelman