Two talented wide receivers in Jeremy Maclin and Eric Decker are up for grabs, making receiver-needy clubs around the league smack their lips in anticipation. Given that Maclin is a free agent, has visited two clubs, and has been hypothetically linked to others, it’s a little easier to project where he might wind up, and yesterday, we asked our readers to weigh in on that very topic (which you can still do).
Decker, though, is still under contract with the Jets, which makes it a little more difficult to guess where he will be playing in 2017. New York and Baltimore have engaged in trade discussions concerning Decker, but it is unclear where the two teams stand at this point. It could be that the Ravens, who are one of the two teams that Maclin has visited, prefer Maclin and are waiting on him to make a decision. If he should choose to sign somewhere other than Baltimore, the Ravens could pursue a Decker swap with a little more urgency (although the Ravens would need to restructure Decker’s contract or release/restructure one of their own players in order to fit Decker under the salary cap).
The Jets, too, are probably waiting on Maclin to make a decision, because when Maclin is off the table, Decker becomes the undisputed top wideout available, thereby increasing New York’s leverage in trade talks (although Rich Cimini of ESPN.com believes the Jets are unlikely to get more than a late-round draft choice for Decker regardless of what happens with Maclin).
Decker, a 2010 third-round pick who broke out in Denver from 2012-13, carried his strong production from the Mile High City to New York in his first two years with the Jets. The 6-3, 206-pounder combined for 154 catches, 1,989 yards and 17 touchdowns (including 12 in 2015) over 28 games during those seasons. And before injuries derailed him last September, Decker again looked on track for a big year, catching nine passes for a whopping 194 yards and two scores.
His physical presence, strong hands, and red-zone capabilities would make him an excellent complement to Mike Wallace and Breshad Perriman in an otherwise thin receiving corps in Baltimore, and the Lions were also mentioned as a possible destination for Decker last week (although that was more speculation than anything else). Outside of those two clubs, though, we have not heard who else might be interested in Decker’s services.
So we will put the question to you. Where do you think Decker will wind up this year, and why? Let us know in the comment section below.
His contract and injury concerns are holding his value down, but Decker is a really talented receiver. In the end, I think Maclin will go to Buffalo and Decker to Baltimore.
As the article stated though, the Ravens will have to get pretty creative with cap room. With the Dennis Pitta injury, they’re finally realizing that they’ve infused way too much cap space on defensive free agents over the last two offseasons and have left the offensive cupboard dry. At least they have Flacco to lead that elite offense
Ithink the Bears should make a play on Decker, he would add a nice compliment and add a bigger, more reliable name to the reciving corps
Flacco… Elite Offense? The offense in Baltimore is far from elite. I hope that was a typo. The Ravens r maybe a 7 win team at most
Definitely not elite. After he said the offensive cupboard was dry. Flaccid has a big arm, and should most definitely have more WR’s with more talent. Wallace is talented but underachieves perennially.
The always reliable Ozzie Newsome failed to draft a WR in a deep group this year. That will haunt him.
Ha Flacco, not Flaccid
Sorry guys, I was being completely sarcastic about the elite offense. Hence the dry cupboard and tying up cap space on defense…