With the Super Bowl behind us, the NFL offseason is in full swing. Next on the agenda for the Las Vegas Raiders? Free agency. When that time comes, these will be the best wide receivers available, chief among them Davante Adams.
Davante Adams (Green Bay Packers)
Davante Adams is the best wide receiver available in the 2022 free-agent class. Better yet, he is one of the best players in the entire NFL. Aaron Rodgers’ number one man in Green Bay, Adams, posted impressive stats last season: 123 receptions for 1,553 yards and eleven touchdowns in 2021. This was his third career 1,000-plus yard season and his fifth season with double-digit touchdown receptions. Simply put, he is a problem that no defense can solve.
While it is likely that Green Bay does everything that they can to keep him in town by way of the franchise tag, there is a chance that they are unable to. With a dreadful salary cap situation, things will be difficult. In the event that he does hit the open market, nearly every team in the league, including the Raiders, will be bidding for his services. Adams, who is still only 29 years old, is expected to earn a contract worth more than $25 million per year. A massive contract for a wideout is necessary for a player of his magnitude. He instantly changes the outlook of whatever team he joins.
Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
One of the most unfortunate stories of the 2021 season was Chris Godwin suffering a torn ACL and MCL in Week 15. Of course, this will cause him to miss time at the start of the 2022 season. Make no mistake, however, Godwin is one of the most valuable wide receivers in the NFL when healthy. An absolute weapon from the slot, he is still more than capable of getting downfield. He makes his mark on the outside, as well as on his skill set, which is well-rounded.
As expected, a player with this skill set does not come cheap. After a year on the franchise tag in 2021, Godwin is going to cash in this offseason. Godwin is expected to net a contract that includes about eighteen million dollars annually. He will be paid like a WR1. While he hasn’t quite reached that level, much of the Tampa Bay offense was built around him. There are a few questions about his ability to be “the guy” going forward.
Allen Robinson (Chicago Bears)
It was a rough 2021 season for Allen Robinson. In another year spent under Matt Nagy with a revolving door of quarterbacks, Robinson had just 38 catches for 410 yards and one touchdown. While the play of the team around him certainly takes a lot of the blame, it is also likely that Robinson just wanted to be somewhere else. After all he’s been through quarterback-wise in the Windy City, who can blame him?
A free agent in 2022, his contract projection is as murky as ever. A fantastic route runner with some of the best hands in the NFL, he is still just 28 years old. Barring injury, Robinson should have three or four productive seasons ahead of him. As such, expect him to net a contract similar to the four-year, $60 million contract signed by Courtland Sutton in 2021. At around $15 million annually, Robinson is well worth the money when he is at his best.
[pickup_prop id=”19118″]
*Top Photo: Dylan Buell/Getty Images