NFL Free Agency: Wide Receivers
Leading up to the beginning of NFL free agency next week, Naptown’s Finest will be breaking down a few key players that might be a possibility for the Indianapolis Colts. In this article, we will be looking at available wide receivers that Indianapolis may be interested in. The Colts are fairly well stacked at the wide receiver position, but there seems to be an abundance of receivers on the market this year, and it never hurts to look. So here, in no particluar order, are a few interesting wideouts that will be on the market in free agency.
1.) Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs – Even though Bowe did not play against the Colts last season, they are very familiar with his talents, having faced him several times in the last few seasons. Bowe would be another useful large target for Andrew Luck, but it would be hard to think that the Chiefs would let him go without a bidding war. Bowe was the best receiver on the worst team last season, racking up 800 yards and 114 targets.
2.) Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers – Jennings was hurt for much of last season, and the Packers rolled on just fine without him, so he may come at a more reasonable price in free agency. Jennings still had 62 targets in only eight games last season, including eight catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns in week 17. When healthy, Jennings is one of the best at his position, and his Old Spice commercials are pure gold.
3.) Danny Amendola, St. Louis Rams – Amendola has had injury issues as well, but he still has some of the best hands in the game. Amendola is a versatile, speedy receiver that would be a very good second open to Reggie Wayne. In week two last season, Amendola had 15 catches for 160 yards and a score. He will be entering just his fourth year as a pro, and if he can stay on the field, he could easily be a go-to guy for a long time.
4.) Brian Hartline, Miami Dolphins – Hartline is another receiver who could have a long and prosperous career ahead of him. At 6’2”, Hartline is a tall target that could give Luck an option to just chuck the ball up for grabs in the endzone. A four-year pro himself, Hartline may be the kind of under the radar free agent that the Colts seem to find interest in. Last season, while playing with a rookie quarterback, Hartline caught 74 passes for 1,083 yards.
5.) Donny Avery, Indianapolis Colts – If it aint broke, dont’ fix it. The question with Avery is whether it’s broke or not. Last season, his first as a Colt, Avery looked great at times, and not-so-great at others. Avery caught nearly half of his 125 targets from Luck last season, but seemed to have trouble getting in sync with the offense at times. Avery played in every games except one last season, but only broke 100 receiving yards twice. The best thing about keeping Avery in the Colts’ stable, is that he will proably come at a very reasonable price.
Stay tuned to Naptown’s Finest, for our next look at another position in NFL free agency. Feel free to comment with your opinions, or other player options you find interesting for the Indianapolis Colts, that we may not have covered.