WR Rumors: Metcalf, Brown, Hamler, Higgins

While Deebo Samuel trade winds continue to blow, the Seahawks‘ situation with D.K. Metcalf appears calm. The fourth-year wideout is not expected to be traded, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler noting “strong indications” point to Metcalf staying put. Prior to Samuel’s trade request, it was Metcalf being linked to the Jets. The receiving-chasing team spoke with the Seahawks about Metcalf, but that conversation did not progress too far. The Jets might be willing to trade the No. 10 overall pick for Metcalf, who was 2019’s No. 64 choice, but that might still not be enough for the Seahawks. Metcalf has not yet revealed he will skip offseason work, putting this saga on steadier terrain than the other notable negotiations between fourth-year wideouts and their respective teams.

Here is the latest from the receiver scene:

• Continuing to paint a picture of a long-term A.J. Brown–Titans partnership, Fowler adds the fourth-year Tennessee wideout has been in touch with the coaching staff this offseason and that the sides’ relationship is fine. Mike Vrabel and Jon Robinson have said they want Brown in the fold long term. The Samuel and Metcalf situations have produced a few more early departure alerts than the ones involving Brown and Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin.
• Suffering an ACL tear in late September, K.J. Hamler is back at work. The third-year Broncos wideout is running routes with new quarterback Russell Wilson, and GM George Paton called Hamler “well ahead of schedule” in his rehab. The Broncos managed to hang onto their top four receivers this offseason, despite parting with three players and five picks for Wilson, and Hamler has shown flashes in 16 career games. The recently extended Tim Patrick has effectively leapfrogged the Penn State product on Denver’s depth chart, however, leaving the 2020 second-rounder as an intriguing wild card as the team begins its Wilson era.
• The shoulder surgery Tee Higgins underwent will shelve him for the entirety of the Bengals‘ offseason program, Zac Taylor said (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby). The third-year receiver went under the knife to repair his left shoulder in March. This injury caused Higgins to miss two early-season games last year, but the Clemson product returned to make a big impact on Cincinnati’s Super Bowl LVI road.
• Shifting to the draft, Georgia wideout George Pickens has emerged as a polarizing prospect. Some teams have the SEC-produced talent off their board altogether, citing character concerns, via SI.com’s Albert Breer. Others, however, have done extensive work on him. Pickens said the Cardinals, Chiefs and Packers have been the teams who have come in contact with him most, Fowler notes. Arizona and Kansas City have been linked to first-round wideouts, with the Chiefs connected to a Round 1 trade-up, while the Packers have famously not taken a first-round receiver since Javon Walker in 2002. Although the 6-foot-3 wideout referred to himself as the draft’s best wideout, he views his likely draft slot in the 25-45 range. Pickens, who posted 1,240 yards and 14 touchdowns between his freshman and sophomore seasons, is coming off a slate he largely missed due to a March 2021 ACL tear.