Sando: Sifting through the rubble at wide receiver

[Nick]

Sifting through the rubble at wide receiver
March, 15, 2012 11:43PM ET
By Mike Sando

Wide receivers Vincent Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne, Robert Meachem, Eddie Royal, Laurent Robinson, Josh Morgan, Eric Weems and Harry Douglas have found new homes after hitting the NFL's free-agent market.

Franchise tags essentially removed from consideration Dwayne Bowe, Wes Welker and DeSean Jackson.

Others, such as Marques Colston, re-signed before free agency.

Teams still searching for help at the position -- that would be pretty much everyone but Seattle in the NFC West -- are left with a picked-over group of free agents.

Jerome Simpson, Plaxico Burress, Brandon Lloyd, Legedu Naanee, Devin Aromashodu, Roy Williams, Mario Manningham and Early Doucet are the only ones remaining to have played at least half of their team's offensive snaps during the 2011 season.

As the chart shows, Burress was particularly effective in the red zone for the New York Jets. He converted first downs 38 times in 45 receptions for the third-highest percentage among wide receivers with at least 40 receptions, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Burress is also up there in age. He's among 12 available wideouts already in their 30s: Hines Ward (36), Burress (34), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (34), Kevin Curtis (33), Patrick Crayton (32), Deion Branch (32), Rashied Davis (32), Donte Stallworth (31), Jerheme Urban (31), Bryant Johnson (31), Lloyd (30) and Williams (30).

Of them, Lloyd has visited the San Francisco *****.

Nine more are 29 years old: Greg Camarillo, Keary Colbert, Mark Clayton, Jerricho Cotchery, Roscoe Parrish, Michael Clayton, Courtney Roby, Michael Spurlock and Braylon Edwards.

Still interested?

OK, let's check out 18 others, all younger than 29: David Anderson, Legedu Naanee, Devin Aroshamodu, Donnie Avery, Anthony Gonzalez, Maurice Stovall, Derek Hagan, Mike Sims-Walker, Ted Ginn Jr., Andre Caldwell, Steve Smith, Doucet, Brett Swain, Chaz Schilens, Simpson, Manningham, Devin Thomas and Kevin Ogletree.

Schilens visited Arizona and San Francisco. Manningham visited the ***** and the St. Louis Rams.

I've also broken down the available wideouts by drafted round:

First: Williams, Burress, Ginn, Stallworth, both Claytons, Johnson, Gonzalez and Edwards
Second: Avery, Thomas, Simpson, Smith, Parrish, Branch, Colbert
Third: Roby, Doucet, Hagan, Stovall, Manningham, Caldwell, Curtis, Sims-Walker, Ward
Fourth: Cotchery, Lloyd
Fifth: Legedu Naanee
Sixth: none
Seventh: Houshmandzadeh, Crayton, Schilens, Aromashodu, Anderson, Swain
Undrafted: Davis, Urban, Camarillo, Spurlock, Ogletree


Only a handful of the available receivers project as starters. None would qualify as an outright game-breaker.

The Rams in particular need playmakers, but in looking at what is available, how many would qualify as dramatically better than what they already have? Austin Pettis, Brandon Gibson, Danario Alexander, Dominique Curry, Greg Salas and restricted free agent Danny Amendola are their current wideouts.

[AvengerRam]

My mind keeps wandering to the same question... would the Steelers accept a second round pick for Mike Wallace if the Rams offered?

[Tampa_Ram]

My mind keeps wandering to the same question... would the Steelers accept a second round pick for Mike Wallace if the Rams offered?

I'd give up our #33 in a heart beat for Wallace. I hope Snead gave them a call and threw the offer out there.

[RebelYell]

My mind keeps wandering to the same question... would the Steelers accept a second round pick for Mike Wallace if the Rams offered?

Would you exchange 1st round picks with the Steelers for Wallace? Go from #6 to #24.

For the #2 pick the Rams would have acquired Wallace, the #24 and a 2nd rounder
And a first rounder in 2013 and 2014.

If you were / are willing to pick Blackmon with the #2 pick the choice is:
Wallace and the #24 pick
or Blackmon

[THOLTFAN81]

Would you exchange 1st round picks with the Steelers for Wallace? Go from #6 to #24.

For the #2 pick the Rams would have acquired Wallace, the #24 and a 2nd rounder
And a first rounder in 2013 and 2014.

If you were / are willing to pick Blackmon with the #2 pick the choice is:
Wallace and the #24 pick
or Blackmon

Hands down Wallace and the #24.

[Shan the Ram Man]

Out of all those free agents remaining out there, Doucet and Manningham are the only WR's I would try to sign.
Build through the draft. The WR class is second only to DT in this years draft.
If no Blackmon trade down for more picks. Move down to eight for a #2 and two #3s and keep bumping down just a little at a time. The Rams still get a stud with a 15 through 20 selection spot. I wouldn't care if Rams traded down two or three more times in the first round for more picks (ala Bill Walsh). One of the great drafts of all time. Sure could do alot with five second and four third round picks. How many good players could you get in the draft then.
Right now Rams have four picks in the first three rounds. Rams hit with 1/2 or 50% , thats two players.
My thinking is eight to ten players in first three rounds. Rams hit with 40% thats four players. Who builds a team faster. What if you hit on six players.

Draft two DT's
Draft two WR's
Draft two OLB's
RB, G, C, & CB. and still have rounds 4 - 7.

[FestusRam]

My mind keeps wandering to the same question... would the Steelers accept a second round pick for Mike Wallace if the Rams offered?

If we did this. How would a contract with him work in terms of signing a long term deal?

[39WillRunYaOva]

My mind keeps wandering to the same question... would the Steelers accept a second round pick for Mike Wallace if the Rams offered?

Wallace is tendered with a 1st rounder so its gonna take a 1st to snatch him from them.Which i think we should totally do with the Redskins 2014 1st it makes perfect sense and ill explain.WHen you draft a WR what do you want them to become??Productive at a high level.Wallace is a product WR and already plays at a high level and has the speed and skills to be a game changer which our offense desperately needs.WHy draft some1 in the 2nd or 3rd round and hope they become a good WR in a couple years or so when u can trade 1 of our multiple 1st round picks to get 1 thats already good and learned how to play at a high level.Basically skip the waiting and hoping they pan out process,Wallace will walk in day 1 and be our best WR and help Sam out tremendously.Not to mention if we do this and somehow land Blackmon at #6 we go from no WR's last year to Wallace and Blackmon,our offense would have the potential to be a top offense pretty fast.Just my thoughts

[PacFish]

Braylon Edwards put up reasonable enough numbers in Schottenheimers offense in 2010. Surprised we haven't made a run at him with an incentive based deal. The guy has talent it's just all down to attitude with him.

[clarasDK]

I think we should give the Steelers one of the skins first rounders (the 2014 one if possible) and the get Wallace.

And if blackmon is still there when we pick in the first round I would still take him. Blackmon and Wallace! Go cover them if you can

[Rammed]

First you need an agreement with Wallace and he wants to get paid then it goes back to the Steelers. If they don't match you give up this years pick at the the level of the tender, which would be our 6th.

Now I'm not completely sure but you can negotiate the pick with the other team, but I don't know that within the rules you can offer next years pick. As he's been tendered only for this year.

[Nick]

First you need an agreement with Wallace and he wants to get paid then it goes back to the Steelers. If they don't match you give up this years pick at the the level of the tender, which would be our 6th.

Now I'm not completely sure but you can negotiate the pick with the other team, but I don't know that within the rules you can offer next years pick. As he's been tendered only for this year.

The Rams could do it one of two ways.

1) Negotiate a deal with Wallace and sign him to an offer sheet. The Steelers then get the opportunity to match. If they do, they keep Wallace under the terms of that deal. If they don't, then the Rams get Wallace and give up their first round pick (6th overall).

OR

2) Negotiate a deal with Wallace in principle, then go to the Steelers and try to work out a trade agreement. If I'm the Steelers, no way am I taking the 2013 or 2014 first round pick some Rams fans are offering. Wallace is an impact player now, so if I'm the Steelers, I want compensation I can use now. Regardless, if the Rams worked out a trade with the Steelers, they could execute that and then sign Wallace to the negotiated deal themselves.

[Fortuninerhater]

The Rams could do it one of two ways.

1) Negotiate a deal with Wallace and sign him to an offer sheet. The Steelers then get the opportunity to match. If they do, they keep Wallace under the terms of that deal. If they don't, then the Rams get Wallace and give up their first round pick (6th overall).

OR

2) Negotiate a deal with Wallace in principle, then go to the Steelers and try to work out a trade agreement. If I'm the Steelers, no way am I taking the 2013 or 2014 first round pick some Rams fans are offering. Wallace is an impact player now, so if I'm the Steelers, I want compensation I can use now. Regardless, if the Rams worked out a trade with the Steelers, they could execute that and then sign Wallace to the negotiated deal themselves.

Only problem is, the Steelers would likely take the 6th pick from us in either scenario.

If we could sign Manningham, I guess it would work. That would give us a legitimate number 1 and number 2 reciever.

But I'd much rather be able to pair Wallace with Blackmon, which couldn't happen if we gave up the 6th pick.

[Shan the Ram Man]

How much money do Rams have to be able to sign WR Wallace?

What would happen if Rams traded down a couple of times. Maybe around the twentieth pick. Then give up first round pick for Wallace.
Could that work?

[ManofGod]

If we make this move, I say wait until draft day. If it appears that we can not land Blackmon, and we don't want Richardson then we trade the pick to the Steelers for an impact player that we can use this year. Of course this well take a bit of work behind the scenes provided that the Steelers are willing to work with us.