NFL Free Agency Preview: ESPN Top 50 Has 5 Wide Receivers for Titans to Consider
NASHVILLE — Outside of DeAndre Hopkins, the Tennessee Titans struggled to find consistent pass-catching options during a 6-11 season.
After Hopkins' 75 receptions, 1,057 yards, and seven touchdowns, the falloff was steep. The other four Titans receivers together caught six more passes than Hopkins.
The Tennessee Titans have more than $73 million in cap space to invest in free agents, according to Spotrac — or enough to invest in one of the five wide receivers on ESPN's Top 50 free agent list. Players such as Mike Evans, Michael Pittman Jr., and Tee Higgins, whose former offensive coordinator in Cincinnati happens to be Brian Callahan, the Titans' new coach.
NFL teams can begin to sign free agents on March 13.
Here are the statistical profiles of the five wide receivers, with the data provided by Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
Brian Callahan won't need to invest much time in scouting Higgins, whom he coached in Cincinnati. Higgins had back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons before injuries limited his production in 2023 to 42 receptions, 656 yards, and five touchdowns.
Higgins, a big target at 6-feet-4 and 218 pounds, will be 25 next season. He is the top receiver and the overall No. 7 free agent available in ESPN's Top 50.
"Higgins was a top-15 wide receiver according to PFF in 2021 and 2022 before this down season in 2023, and when using his efficiency metrics across his career, including 2023, he still ranks among the best in the league at just 25 years old," PFF writer Jonathan Macri said. "Whether he re-signs with the Cincinnati Bengals or finds a new home, Higgins should be considered among the very best the 2024 free agency class has to offer."
All of which sounds great, but there's a chance the Bengals could use the franchise tag on Higgins, which would bind Higgins to Cincinnati for a year.
PFF projects his contract under the franchise tag at $20.7 million for one season.
Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
At age 30 in NFL year 10, Evans showed that he still has plenty of game left, with 1,255 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. He is the 12th-ranked free agent available in ESPN's Top 50.
Evans is a model of consistency: 10 consecutive seasons of 1,000-plus yards. Pairing him with Hopkins would give the Titans one of the oldest WR rooms in the league, but both players have shown little or no regression.
In 2023, Evans received his highest PFF receiving grade (83.2) since 2019. He tied for the league lead with 13 receiving touchdowns, accounting for 65% of the Buccaneers' passing touchdowns.
"Mike, obviously being the size that he is, his ability to be able to track the football down the field, but also his ability to be able to get in and out of cuts at that size,” New Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen said. “To be able to put him inside a little bit more. To be able to run some of those option routes and choice routes on the inside. Man, I think that’s a winning edge, and something that we’d like to be able to utilize.”
PFF projects that Evans could command a 3-year contract with an average salary of $23 million.
Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts
Pittman, the 17th-ranked free agent in ESPN's Top 50, face significant change in 2023 and totaled career highs in receptions (109) and yards (1,152).
In 2023, first-year head coach Shane Steichen arrived and called the plays. There was a midseason QB switch. Neverrtheless, Pittman was the top performer among all Colts pass-catchers in terms of targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns.
Pittman had a 77.7 overall PFF grade, 27th among NFL receivers. His drop rate was 1.9%, sixth among all wideouts, and 20 of his 109 receptions went for 20 yards or more.
If the Colts use their franchise tag on Pittman, PFF projects his one-year contract at $20.71 million.
Calvin Ridley, Jacksonville Jaguars
Ridley, the 23rd-ranked free agent in ESPN's Top 50, resurrected his career in 2023.
Before last season, Ridley had not played in an NFL game since October 2021, when he took a self-described mental health break. Then in March 2022, the league suspended him for a season for gambling. Picking up the pieces in Jacksonville, Ridley caught 76 passes for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns.
"Obviously, [he's] a player that we've all liked on offense, and he's got a lot of talent," Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said at his end-of-season press conference. "He made us better as a team and you hope that things potentially work out, [but] you never know how things go. It's a crazy business, but Calvin was definitely a bright spot for us offensively."
If the Jags extend Ridley's contract, they would owe the Atlanta Falcons a draft pick as compensation.
PFF projects Ridley's next contract at two years with an average salary of $16.25 million.
Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals
Brown's time in Arizona has been a mixed bag.
He was a 1,000-yard receiver in 2021, when the Baltimore Ravens sold high and traded Brown and a third-round pick to the Arizona Cardinals for a 2022 first-round pick.
Brown, 26, missed eight games during his two seasons in Arizona and has not completed an entire NFL season since 2020.
Brown had 51 receptions, 574 yards, and four touchdowns in 14 games this season, with a PFF ranking 67.1 — or 67th among the NFL's 128 receivers.
PFF projects that Brown will sign a one-year deal at $12 million.
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