Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones is expected to get a “huge” deal in free agency, according to Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com, who tweets that Jones is the top wideout on most NFL free agent boards. While that may come as a surprise for those who haven’t been paying close attention to the available players at the position, it makes sense when considering the alternatives.
When Alshon Jeffery received the franchise tag this week from the Bears, the top free agent wide receiver was removed from the equation (unless a team is willing to part with two first-round picks to land him). That leaves Jones, Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Anquan Boldin, and Rueben Randle among the receivers in line for the biggest deals. And don’t forget Jones’ teammate, Mohamed Sanu — Russini tweets that he’s also in line for a nice payday.
As we wait to see how the wide receiver market plays out, let’s check in on a few other free agent notes and rumors from around the NFL….
- Although he was cut by the Rams after another injury-plagued season, veteran defensive end Chris Long is “100% healthy,” per Russini, who tweets that Long only wants to sign with a Super Bowl contender.
- Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who technically remains a free agent until his franchise tender is signed, may come off the market very soon. Peter Schrager of FOX Sports tweets that Johnson is expected to accept his tender later today.
- The Texans are expected to try to re-sign defensive end Jared Crick, whose rookie contract is expiring, writes Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Crick, who operates primarily as a run-stopper, will likely draw interest from other teams when the legal tampering period begins on Monday, but he has indicated he “would love to be back” in Houston.
- Cornerback Sterling Moore will almost certainly hit the open market next week, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, who tweets that the Buccaneers could still re-sign Moore, but will let him gauge his value.
Just because he’s one of the only WR available that means he’ll get a huge deal? He’s a 2nd on some and 3rd WR on most teams.
Any player that makes it to the open market and is the best at his position is going to get overpaid — Byron Maxwell last year is a good example. Jones won’t get Calvin Johnson money or anything, but I expect he’ll do better than most people think he should.
Jones would be a 2 on several teams, but his free agency year’s well-timed. Had he ventured into the market last season, it might not have produced the same kind of value. But with Jeffery off the market and a cadre of other 2s out there, it’s easy to see Jones being highly coveted.