The NFL is still in the midst of training camps, and veteran free agents are beginning to sign with teams that need help at various positions.
Earlier in the week, we took a look at some pass rushers who might latch onto various teams. One of them, Yannick Ngakoue, signed with the team we felt like they’d be a good fit for in the Chicago Bears.
Next, we’ll turn our attention to the NFL’s veteran wide receivers who haven’t yet signed with a new team.
While these guys might not be quite the players they were in their primes, we feel like they’d still be able to get on the field and help offenses succeed.
Let’s take a look at five of these guys and where they could sign.
Jarvis Landry: Buffalo Bills
The Bills have an impressive offense as it stands, but the team could use some veteran depth in the receiving core. Enter Landry, one of the more reliable slot receivers in the NFL over the course of his career.
Landry had a down season in New Orleans with the Saints last fall, but he could definitely be a factor for the Bills and help out quarterback Josh Allen in the middle of the field. It feels like a layup signing to further strengthen Buffalo’s Super Bowl chances and get a good veteran for the offense.
Kenny Golladay: Detroit Lions
Golladay showed that he can be an elite wide receiver in 2019 with the Lions, but a combination of injuries and a disastrous two-season stint with the New York Giants has pushed him to reserve status.
The wide receiver needs to rehabilitate his career, and taking a team-friendly deal to head back to the Lions and help them with depth while Jameson Williams serves his six-game gambling suspension.
It’d be a fascinating reunion with an ascending Lions team, and it’d be an awesome comeback story for Golladay to head back to where he got his start.
Julio Jones: San Francisco 49ers
Jones is a future Hall of Fame-caliber talent that has struggled mightily with injuries in the past couple of seasons. However, when he’s healthy, he’s still a factor for opposing defenses to deal with on Sundays.
It’d be a delight to see him reunite with coach Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco and help the 49ers reach a Super Bowl.
Shanahan worked magic with Jones with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016, and it’d be fun to see what he’d do coming off the bench in a limited role with Shanahan calling the plays.
T.Y. Hilton: Philadelphia Eagles
Hilton didn’t play a ton in 2022 after joining the Dallas Cowboys late in the season for a playoff run, but he still had a discernible impact on the field. He hauled in 10 catches for 159 yards in six games, including two in January.
If a team wants a reliable veteran receiver who can still stretch the field, Hilton would be their guy. It’d be really neat to see him join the Philadelphia Eagles and give quarterback Jalen Hurts another home run option in the passing game.
The Eagles could use another downfield threat, and Hilton still has the wheels to break free for a big play every now and again.
Sammy Watkins: Minnesota Vikings
Watkins still plays at a respectable level in the NFL as a reliable depth receiver, and he could join a team that needs veteran options to supplant the receiving room.
The Vikings are a team that feel perfect for Watkins, as he could slot right in on the depth chart and give quarterback Kirk Cousins the kind of second-or-third option he needs when people are bunching up guys like Jordan Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson.
Watkins still has a place in the NFL, and Minnesota might not be a bad fit.
