Chicago Bears: Top 5 wide receiver targets in 2018 NFL Free Agency
Paul Richardson (6-0, 175 pounds)
The Seattle Seahawks are a team at a crossroads. They’ve won a Super Bowl, almost won another one, and enjoyed watching some great players make great plays. Age and injuries are catching up with them and the team may break up.
Paul Richardson is an integral part of the Seahawks offense but the salary cap hurts them. While they have 33 free agents on their team, they’re still only about $13.75 million under the cap. They have many players on long-term deals that cost them big money if they’re cut.
That differs from the Bulls, who have over $41 million in cap space AND have a number of players they can cut and create even more space. I wrote recently about some cuts they could make to bring their total to over $90 million.
In 2017, Richardson had 44 catches for 703 yards and six touchdowns. He did that despite the fact the Seahawks had offensive line trouble and no running game. Richardson made $1.5 million in 2017. That number will certainly jump. He’ll probably sign for a minimum of $7+ million per year (That Davante Adams contract with the Green Bay Packers skewed everything. Curses to you Packers!).
The Seahawks eased Richardson, a second-round pick, in. His career-high in receptions was in his rookie season when he made 29 catches. They had Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse, so Richardson was a complementary player.
After the Seahawks traded Kearse to the New York Jets, Richardson stepped up and filled the void. He earned quarterback Russell Wilson’s trust and had a pretty good season, per USA Today:
"What Paul Richardson has been able to do this year is a testament to his hard work, and is a testament to everything he’s been doing all offseason, honestly, He had an unbelievable offseason; he was getting tons of work down in L.A., we were getting together throwing a bunch and it’s really proving that he’s really back at a high level."
He had just 21 catches in 2016, but in two playoff games he made 7 catches (on 9 targets) for 131 yards and a touchdown. Now, with a better offensive line and a very good running game, Richardson could thrive in Chicago.