The NFL offseason is almost here, and the first major part of the team-building process is free agency. Right now, several big-name wide receivers are set to hit the open market, and while some free agents will re-sign with their current teams, a decent chunk will make it to unrestricted free agency. As of this posting, none of the impending stars have signed an extension, and that’s not likely to change any time soon. Receivers have never been so important in today’s pass-happy NFL, and these five players will receive a major raise in the coming months.
Before we begin, a quick disclaimer. There are quite a few wide receiver cap casualties that will likely hit the open market in the coming weeks. However, since those players are currently under contract, they are not eligible for this list. Also, all of the proposed landing spots will be new teams, as having players re-sign in free agency isn’t what this article is about.
5 Best Free Agent Wide Receivers With Landing Spots
5. Odell Beckham Jr.
After missing the entirety of the 2022 season, the Baltimore Ravens bet on Odell Beckham being able to find his pre-injury form. After a slow start to the year, the former first-round pick has justified that confidence in the second half of the season. While nobody would confuse the current-day version of Beckham with the guy who terrorized defenses with the New York Giants, he is playing like the guy who helped the Rams win the Super Bowl back in 2021. Odell Beckham is the best free agent wide receiver, but he’d be a great fit on a young team in need of a seasoned veteran.
Best Landing Spot: Green Bay Packers
4. Marquise Brown
Marquise Brown is not the type of guy who can run a full route tree. However, he can get open deep, and that big-play ability is invaluable in today’s NFL. Speed kills in today’s game, and every team needs a player with the ability to take it to the house every single time they touch the ball. Nobody should expect the free agent wide receiver to be a 100-catch possession receiver, but he’s a perfect signing for any team that needs more explosion in their passing attack.
Best Landing Spot: New England Patriots
3. Mike Evans
Father Time comes for us all, but Mike Evans might be the exception to the rule. The former first-round pick is one of the most consistent receivers in NFL history, recording over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his 10 seasons in the league. Evans was arguably the second-most important player on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year, and the team would not have made a deep postseason run without him. Even though he is on the older side and drops a few too many passes, he’s still a great fit for a big-armed quarterback who can push the ball downfield.
Best Landing Spot: Los Angeles Chargers (assuming they cut Mike Williams and/or Keenan Allen)
2. Tee Higgins
Can the Cincinnati Bengals afford to pay Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins? That question will be answered in the next couple months, but for the sake of this article, we’ll assume they can’t. There is a very real chance Higgins is the best free agent wide receiver available when March rolls around, and every team in the league should be interested in a 25-year-old big-bodied receiver with multiple 1,000-yard seasons under his belt.
Best Landing Spot: Kansas City Chiefs
1. Michael Pittman
Michael Pittman and Tee Higgins should be 1A and 1B, as both players are some of the best young receivers in the game. The biggest difference is that Pittman has continuously proved that he can be the top option in a passing attack without an elite quarterback, while Higgins has always had Joe Burrow and spent most of his career with Ja’Marr Chase. No matter how you rank them, there is no denying that both players are great and can do just about anything you could ask of a receiver. Pittman would be great anywhere, but the free agent wide receiver will likely land with a team that needs to find someone to support a young quarterback.
Best Landing Spot: Carolina Panthers
Main Photo: Kareem Elgazzar – USA Today Sports
