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Great catches: Analyzing the free-agent WR signings

Peerless Price set career highs with 94 catches, 1,252 yards and nine TDs, despite being Buffalo's No. 2 option. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com

All righty then, folks. You've arrived just in time for the third installment of an ongoing, position-by-position breakdown of this year's top free agent prospects from a Fantasy perspective.

Activity surrounding this year's crop of free agent wideouts has already been brisk and given the overall number of players available at this position -- not to mention the handful of key signings already made. I'm going to spread the receiver analysis over two weeks. This week's focus will be on the top Fantasy prospects signed or spoken for since Feb. 28.

I'll review the remaining (available) players next Thursday. In the meantime, let's get rolling on this year's top signees -- listed alphabetically along with their current status and team:

David Boston (Signed), San Diego Chargers: The Chargers made one of the biggest moves of this year's free agency period by signing Boston to a seven-year deal worth a reported $47 million last Wednesday.

"We believe David Boston is one of the top receivers in the National Football League," head coach Marty Schottenheimer said.

Among the things really impressing Boston, 24, who left Arizona in favor of San Diego, was the Chargers' core of young offensive players.

"LaDainian Tomlinson is a great running back and Drew Brees is an up-and-coming quarterback," Boston said. "There's a lot of talent and adding me to the equation will only put defenses in a tough predicament. I'm glad to be around a team that's ready to win. That's the biggest thing for me right now."

Of course, Boston doesn't come without baggage -- something that limited the former Ohio State's star's options somewhat.

According to Sports Illustrated insider Don Banks, the Chargers, Ravens and Cardinals all made comparable offers to Boston in terms of the size of the overall package, but San Diego was the only team willing to pay Boston a sizable chunk of guaranteed money, perhaps as much as $10 million.

The Ravens and Cardinals both structured their offers with much less bonus money, as a means to protecting themselves from the off-field issues that still loom over Boston. Last offseason, Boston was charged with driving under the influence, and according to Phoenix police also tested positive for cocaine and marijuana.

As Ravens head coach Brian Billick explained early last week: "The key becomes, given where he is at right now, what team is willing to leave themselves vulnerable with the up-front money. That truly is the issue. His ability to play is unquestioned. What it will come down to is what his and our comfort zone look like on paper contractually."

According to an NFL source, Boston doesn't face a four-game league suspension in connection with those incidents, but he will be fined and is one strike away from a suspension as part of the league's substance abuse policy. Boston has appealed to the league regarding the positive tests for cocaine and marijuana, and is expected to have a hearing in the near future.

For what it's worth, Schottenheimer told reporters prior to signing him that he had no concerns about Boston's character issues, and that the team did not believe Boston's recent past posed a potential risk. But there has been speculation that the Chargers would build into any potential contract some means of financial reimbursement in the event that Boston is suspended by the league.

Boston missed half of last season after having surgery to repair a torn patella tendon in his right knee, but he passed the Chargers' physical without difficulty and has reportedly run a sub-4.4 forty in the last month.

As a third-year player in 2001, Boston was one of the league's brightest young rising stars, leading the NFL with 1,598 receiving yards, in addition to a club-record 98 catches and eight touchdowns. But last year's offseason troubles portended a rough 2002, as Boston totaled a career-low 32 receptions for 512 yards and one score while being plagued with both foot and knee injuries.

Despite Schottenheimer's obvious confidence in his maturity, I think anybody seriously considering Boston would be wise to listen to the words of Cardinals defensive line coach "Mean" Joe Greene, who recently told USA Today: "He could have the world by its tail if he lives to the age of 30. ..."

Laveranues Coles (Restricted), New York Jets: It looks like Coles will be among the most notable of Washington's free agent acquisitions after the Redskins signed him to an offer sheet Wednesday. Various published reports say Coles has agreed to a seven-year, $35 million offer sheet that includes a $13 million signing bonus. If New York does not match the offer to Coles, Washington would give the Jets their 2003 first-round draft pick, which is 13th overall.

The fact that team officials in New York elected Thursday morning to match the Redskins' offer for another players -- running back/return man Chad Morton -- the chance Coles will remain with a Jet are slim indeed.

All of which means Redskins head coach Steve Spurrier appears to be closing in on precisely the kind of deep threat his "Fun 'n Gun" offense lacked last season. If everything goes as planned, look for Coles to line up as the starter opposite Rod Gardner -- a role that should give him all the opportunity necessary to post Fantasy totals matching or even exceeding last year's impressive totals.

And just so there's no doubt regarding my grasp of the obvious, I'll go ahead and point out that Coles' departure from New York would have to be viewed as a less-than-positive development for Chad Pennington fans.

Bobby Engram (Re-signed), Seattle Seahawks: According to Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Clare Farnsworth, re-signing Engram was vital to the team because of his ability to return punts and knack for making first-down catches.

Engram, who reportedly agreed to a four-year deal worth $6 million, is not a big-play threat, but he is sure-handed. As the team's third receiving option, Engram had 50 receptions, with 43 going for first downs, including 25 that came on third downs.

Farnsworth went on to note that besides moving the chains, Engram's work ethic and meticulous preparation are a positive example for younger starting wide receivers Koren Robinson and Darrell Jackson -- a restricted free agent who will be of interest to the Jets should Coles wind up in Washington.

Ike Hilliard (Re-signed), New York Giants: As reported by the Sports Xchange, when the Giants re-signed wide receiver Ike Hilliard last Thursday, he said that this was what he had hoped for from the start. Yeah, right. Hilliard has always been just this side of unhappy, since the other wideout, Amani Toomer, was awarded a monstrous contract three years ago; clearly defining him not only as the featured wide receiver but the one the team had "chosen" instead of him.

Last year, when Hilliard's former college coach, Spurrier, was finally lured out of the NCAA ranks to take over the Redskins, Hilliard wondered -- privately, of course -- how it would be to re-join the "master of the passing game" as a pro. But he denied even considering that at his signing conference, saying, rather, that he never even considered it. "My focus was on the Giants and on getting this thing done," he said. "I never even thought about visiting with [Spurrier]."

There is another take on this, which holds that the oft-injured Hilliard was no longer considered prime NFL material and had too much baggage to be signed to a major contract. As a rookie in 1997, he suffered a spinal injury in his second game and missed that season.

Subsequently, he has had to have two surgeries on a problematic big toe and last fall he was viciously hit while up in the air for a pass by Eagles' safety Brian Dawkins. The injuries included a torn pectoral muscle and a dislocated shoulder. Hilliard missed the rest of the season.

"I have had people tell me that I can't play any more after all my injuries," Hilliard said. "That just makes me more determined. All I had to find out was if the competitive fires still burned within me. They do, and I know I'll have a good season."

The Hilliard signing takes some pressure off the offense, since there had been no reliable wideout to complement Toomer once Hilliard was out of action. At this point, the third receiver seems to be Ron Dixon while last year's rookie Tim Carter (ruptured Achilles tendon) will challenge for that spot.

Patrick Johnson (Signed), Washington Redskins: The Skins signed Johnson, who spent most of the 2002 season watching from Jacksonville's sidelines due to a series of nagging injures, to a one-year contract on Monday. The deal will pay Johnson around $530,000.

"I haven't really fit into the offenses I've been in," Johnson told the Washington Post. "This is a great offense for me to be in at this point in my career. ... I'm quick and fast. I can make big plays. I wanted to be here. I'm familiar with the area from being in Baltimore, and this was a good opportunity for me."

As Washington Post staffer Mark Maske noted on Monday, Johnson, 26, is a former sprinter who gives the Redskins the sort of deep pass-catching threat Spurrier's offense demands. The Redskins thought they had that player last year when they drafted Utah wideout Cliff Russell in the third round, but Russell suffered a knee injury in training camp and missed the entire season. Now he can measure the progress of rehabilitation by comparing his speed with Johnson's.

Johnson was an all-America sprinter in the 100 and 200 meters in college at Oregon, where he started 20 games for the football team after playing only one year of high school football. He finished ahead of Carl Lewis in the 100 meters at the 1995 Drake Relays.

He spent his first four NFL seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, and had 29 catches for 526 yards and three touchdowns in 1999. But he's had only 26 receptions in three seasons since then, including nine for Jacksonville last season.

At this point, Johnson appears likely to line up as Washington's third receiver behind Gardner and Coles. That could change if Coles remains with New York.

Kevin Lockett (Re-signed), Jacksonville Jaguars: As reported by Florida Times-Union beat man Bart Hubbuch, Jacksonville's new regime apparently liked what it saw from Lockett in less than two months as a Jaguar last season. Claimed off waivers from the Redskins, Lockett quickly impressed the former coaching staff with his reliable hands, precision route-running and playmaking ability.

New head coach Jack Del Rio and personnel chief James Harris agreed, because Lockett re-signed with the Jags last Tuesday.

In a related note, the Jags also added Donald Hayes, who was cut by the New England Patriots on Feb. 28, to their roster Tuesday. Terms were not disclosed.

Hayes, 27, signed as a free agent with the Patriots last season but was a major disappointment, catching just 12 passes. At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Hayes was expected to provide the Pats with a big target over the middle, but struggled to learn the offense. He had 118 receptions for 1,523 yards and seven touchdowns over his previous two seasons with the Carolina Panthers.

It's worth noting that Hayes, who admittedly struggled when it came to picking up New England's offensive system, played under new Jacksonville offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave when the two men were in Carolina.

Hayes will compete with Lockett for a starting receiver spot alongside Jimmy Smith. Last year, Bobby Shaw and Johnson provided little production in that role.

Peerless Price (Traded), Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons acquired Price in a trade with the Buffalo Bills last Friday. In exchange for Price, the Falcons gave Buffalo their first-round pick in the 2003 draft (23rd pick overall).

Price, 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, is a four-year NFL veteran who has played his entire pro career with the Buffalo Bills after joining the team as a second-round pick out of Tennessee in 1999. During his four NFL seasons, Price has accumulated 232 receptions for 3,302 yards and 22 touchdowns. He will enter the 2003 season with a streak of 55-straight games with at least one reception. Price was also utilized as a punt returner during his tenure in Buffalo.

Last year, Price started all 16 games and finished with a career-high 94 receptions, 1,252 yards and nine touchdowns. Price caught a career-high 13 passes for 185 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown pass in overtime, at Minnesota last Sept. 15 to lift the Bills to a 45-39 victory. Price also finished with a career-high five 100-yard receiving games during the 2002 campaign. He was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate.

Price moved into the starting lineup during his second season in 2000 and has started all 48 games for Buffalo since. He has finished second on the Bills in receiving in each of the last three seasons.

Price finished his collegiate career at Tennessee third on the school’s all-time receiving charts with 147 catches for 2,298 yards and 19 touchdowns. He capped his collegiate career with four receptions for a bowl-record 199 yards and a 71-yard touchdown in the Volunteers Fiesta Bowl win over Florida State that gave Tennessee the national title.

While complete details of the contract Price will sign with the Falcons were not yet available, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli reported it as a seven-year deal and includes a $10 million signing bonus.

The contract includes stipulations that will allow the seventh year to void if Price achieves predetermined playing time levels.

The Falcons desperately needed a deep threat for quarterback Mike Vick, and the emerging Buffalo star was a player the club targeted months ago. The Falcons haven't had a true burner since Tony Martin in the team's 1998 Super Bowl season.

Until last Friday morning, however, the Falcons had declined to meet the asking price of Buffalo general manager Tom Donahoe, who would not have made the trade unless he got a first-round choice in return.

Buffalo did not have a pick in the first round of this year's draft, having dealt it to New England last spring for quarterback Drew Bledsoe. The Bills adamantly wanted to recoup that first-round choice and used Price as the bait for doing so.

In fact, part of the reason the Bills assigned the "franchise" marker to their talented young wide receiver, rather than permit him to exit in free agency, was to gain something in return for him via a trade.

Pasquarelli noted there is no small degree of irony attached to the acquisition of Price. Had the Falcons made a better call in the second round of the '99 draft, they would have had him then. In that draft, Atlanta dealt its first-round pick in 2000 to Baltimore for the Ravens' second-round choice in 1999. Most felt the trade was being made so that the Falcons could grab Price, who was still on the board at the time.

Instead, the Falcons chose tight end Reggie Kelly, a free agent who signed with Cincinnati on Wednesday.

It's worth noting that Falcons officials had hinted to some other teams in the league that, if they could finish a trade for Price, they might pursue Jets restricted free agent Laveranues Coles. But the Jets made a qualifying offer to Coles at the first-round level. That meant Atlanta would have had to compensate the Jets with a first-rounder if it signed Coles and New York didn't match the offer sheet.

In a related note, the Falcons signed Brian Finneran to a four-year contract extension last Thursday, a day before he would have become a restricted free agent. Finneran was the team's top receiving threat last season, but is almost certain to play second-fiddle to Price in 2003.

Brandon Stokley (Unrestricted), Indianapolis Colts: In an article published Thursday morning, Indianapolis Star-News staff writer Mike Chappell reported that Brandon Stokley is quarterback Peyton Manning's newest receiving option, but introductions won't be necessary.

Stokley, who has agreed to a two-year, $2.9 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts, has been a frequent contributor to the Manning Passing Academy that's held every summer in Hammond, La.

As a standout wide receiver at Southwestern Louisiana and while developing into a viable NFL threat with the Baltimore Ravens, Stokley spent time working as an instructor/counselor for the Manning family's passing camp.

On occasion, Stokley and other established receivers would share on-field work with Manning.

"You run routes for him at his camp and you dream of being able to play for a quarterback like that," Stokley said Wednesday afternoon. "I'm thrilled. I felt like Indy was the place for me."

Stokley, 26, is an unrestricted free agent who spent the past four seasons in Baltimore. The 5-11, 197-pounder, a fourth-round draft pick of the Ravens in 1999, is coming off his best season: 24 receptions, 357 yards, two TDs.

Stokley reinforces a receiving corps that is headed by four-time Pro Bowl selection Marvin Harrison and 2001 first-round draft pick Reggie Wayne.

Considered by some Ravens officials as a potential No. 1 receiver when healthy, Stokley pulled in 24 passes in the eight games last season before a foot injury sidelined him for the final seven games. The Ravens two weeks ago offered Stokley a one-year deal worth the league minimum ($530,000), which prompted the team's fourth-leading receiver from last season to test the free-agent market.

"What it boiled down to was the money," said Stokley, who will miss all the offseason mini-camps as his foot heals, but expects to be fully recovered by training camp. "Indy was able to offer a lot more than the Ravens. It's going to be very difficult to leave, but I look forward to a new beginning."

If he can avoid the kind of injury woes he suffered during his tenure in Baltimore, the underrated Stokley would give Indianapolis a fearless threat over the middle.

Derrius Thompson (Unrestricted), Miami Dolphins: According to Palm Beach Post staffer Todd Archer, Thompson and Oronde Gadsden both stand 6-2 and both are known for their ability to make tough catches.

The major difference? At this point, Thompson has a job with the Dolphins and Gadsden doesn't.

The Dolphins view Thompson, who caught 53 passes while working with three quarterbacks last season in Washington, as a young player on the rise, an ideal complement to Chris Chambers.

Archer went on to note that even though Gadsden's departure is not certain, Thompson, 25, would have big shoes to fill. Gadsden is a well-liked player on the team.

That's it for now. Next week I'll review free-agent receivers who have yet to find new homes.

Bob Harris is Editor and Webmaster of the TFL Report and Senior Editor for Fantasy Sports Publications.

 

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