Poll: Where Will Jeremy Maclin Sign?

Just two years ago, Jeremy Maclin was a coveted UFA after putting together a dominant 2014 season with the Eagles. After two years as the Chiefs’ No. 1 wide receiver, Maclin is a rare June free agent in his prime with upper-echelon credentials at his position.

He’s made multiple trips to the Eastern Time Zone this week, visiting the Bills and Ravens. Both summits lasted for two days, and each concluded with the wideout still unattached. So, where will Maclin end up? It’s clear he has options, but will the former Pro Bowler have to make a large financial sacrifice since many teams’ wideout plans have formed and funds are lower?

The Chiefs made the strange decision to release him after June 1 despite the ability to designate the 29-year-old pass-catcher as a post-June 1 cut prior to that date. Maclin went through some of Kansas City’s OTAs, and although he did not have a good 2016 season, the wideout posted 1,000-yard slates in both 2014 and ’15 and had three years left on a five-year, $55MM deal. The Chiefs moving on from Maclin depletes their wideout situation, leaving the explosive but raw Tyreek Hill and a host of auxiliary-type players in the defending AFC West champions’ receiving stable.

Maclin is coming off a season where a groin injury prevented him from playing in four games and affected his ability in others. He finished with just 536 receiving yards — by far a career-low mark. His penultimate Eagles season (2013) did not end up occurring due to an offseason ACL tear. And Maclin sprained his ankle in the Chiefs’ wild-card win over the Texans in January 2016. So, injuries are part of the equation.

But several teams figure to be interested in signing him despite the late juncture of the release.

The Bills use the league’s most run-centric attack but don’t have much for long-term wideouts on the books after declining Sammy Watkins‘ fifth-year option and seeing Robert Woods defect to the Rams. Both LeSean McCoy and Tyrod Taylor spoke out about a desire to see Maclin come to western New York, and the Bills being Maclin’s first visit obviously puts them in the race. But this is not an offense that features the kind of receiving opportunities Maclin could conceivably have elsewhere, and Buffalo used a second-round pick on Zay Jones.

Baltimore would seem in dire need of another receiver. Both Steve Smith and Kamar Aiken are no longer in the picture, and the team did not draft a wideout or sign an outside free agent. The Ravens, though, have even less cap space than the Bills do — at $6.9MM compared to Buffalo’s $12.6MM. With Mike Wallace and injury-prone Breshad Perriman fronting the group, the Ravens could use the ninth-year player.

ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reported the Eagles had interest, and the fit would make some sense given Maclin’s history with Doug Pederson in Philadelphia and Kansas City. But Pederson shot down that rumor to some degree by saying the team has no interest “at this time.” Despite Philly signing Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, the team doesn’t have its receiving corps lined up long-term. Jeffery is due for free agency again in 2018, and Smith’s contract has two option years after 2017. Jordan Matthews is also an ’18 UFA.

Other teams could have openings. The Redskins lost both DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon but have Terrelle Pryor and a recovering Josh Doctson. The Lions were connected to Anquan Boldin earlier this offseason but already have two well-paid wideouts on the books, with Marvin Jones making $8MM annually and Golden Tate earning $6.2MM per year. The Browns, Rams and 49ers have needs here, but if Maclin is keen on joining another winning team right away, these aren’t the best fits.

Which team do you think will be Maclin’s third NFL employer? Will the McCoy recruitment pay off and give the Bills another weapon, or will the Ravens’ need at the position force the team to make a play here? Will the Eagles end up backtracking and consider Maclin for what would then become a star-studded 2017 corps? And what sleeper teams are out there? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments.