This off-season has been one of the record books for all Free Agents, but especially wide receivers. No one expected the salary cap to drop as much as it did, and those organizations that already had lots of space were able to capitalize on the Free Agent market. While those who were in bad positions, to begin with, had to work quickly in restructuring current contracts to free up as much space as possible to fit the salary cap at $182.5 million, down 8% from last year.

With it dropping as much as it did, this inevitably played a significant role in the number of short-term contracts we saw play out this year. This can also be a good thing for a lot of these players because it offers them an opportunity to get paid more money in the future when the cap will increase.

So did your favorite wide receivers land where you thought they would? Or were they victims of the salary cap? Who’s the biggest surprise Free Agent signing of the off-season?

Let’s kick things off with the quickest franchise tag signing this off-season!

1. Allen Robinson

• Chicago, Bears one-year, $17.9 million contract, franchise tagged.

To no one’s surprise, star wide receiver Allen Robinson was franchise tagged by the Bears. Even though we were all crossing our fingers, hopeful he’d end up on a new team, with an accurate QB to bring out his dormant fantasy production we all know is there.

In the four seasons, Robinson has played a full 16 games, he’s averaged over 150+ targets a year and in the last two seasons with the Bears, he’s had 1,100+ yards. He gets the volume, in fact, he finished 2020 third in targets, fourth in receptions, and fourth in red-zone targets. The area in which he struggles is touchdown production, he’s only had one year with 10 or more touchdowns in his seven-year career. Hopefully, this will increase with a more accurate QB in 2021, but is Andy Dalton going to be able to do that? And furthermore, is he going to be able to elevate Allen Robinson to that next tier?

If he’s not, maybe, just maybe the Bears might try and trade up to one of the rookie QB’s from this 2021 draft class. Turning Andy Dalton into that mentor and backup QB which we already see him as, and giving Allen Robinson the starting QB he needs.

YEAR:	2020
TEAM:	CHI
TARGETS:	151
RECEPTIONS:	102
YARDS:	1250
CATCH%:	67.5%
TD:	6
EOS RANK:	12

2. Kenny Golladay

• New York, Giants four-year, $72 million contract

I love this signing for the Giants. This team has had an empty void ever since Odell Beckham Jr. left, and they haven’t had a legitimate WR1 to fill that void since. Two seasons ago we saw Kenny Golladay transform into a top-five wide receiver which skyrocketed his ADP in 2020.

Unfortunately, Kenny struggled to stay healthy and one injury after another had him sidelined for the majority of 2020. This is frustrating for any fantasy manager and although his stats won’t show it, Kenny still was extremely efficient with what he was given, and he did not disappoint fantasy managers WHEN we were able to start him.

But, now he’s in the big apple playing with a new franchise, a new QB in Daniel Jones, and a new coaching staff. Of all the wide receivers on this team, I’m expecting Kenny Golladay to become the primary target forming a great connection with Daniel Jones and continue being dominant with the ball in the air while utilizing his physicality to box out defenders. It’s going to be exciting times in New York with the Giants having a fully healthy team and a true WR1.

YEAR:	2020
TEAM:	DET
GAMES:	5
TARGETS:	32
RECEPTIONS:	20
YARDS:	338
CATCH%:	58.1%
TD:	2
EOS RANK:	101

3. Nelson Agholor

• New England, Patriots two-year, $22 million contract.

Yup, you read that right. It’s not the signing itself that’s a headscratcher, it’s how much he got compared to other wide receivers who went after him. So yeah, Nelson Agholor has one hell of a good agent!

But, in saying that Nelson did have a comeback year in 2020. He flashed us some 2017 season Super Bowl Agholor we haven’t seen in a long time. The change of scenery really brought the wide receiver back to life and anyone who picked up him off of waivers or even took him as a late-round flyer was greatly rewarded.

He’s currently the top wideout on the team and will play the role in stretching out the field while newly acquired tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry play the middle. This offense as a whole is one I’m completely fading unless the price is too good to pass up.

YEAR:	2020
TEAM:	LVR
GAMES:	16
TARGETS:	82
RECEPTIONS:	48
YARDS:	896
CATCH%:	58.5%
TD:	8
EOS RANK:	21

4. Will Fuller

• Miami, Dolphins one-year, $10.63 million contract.

Will Fuller is one of those wide receivers who’s been in the league now for five years and has yet to play out a full season. This is a big reason why the Dolphins probably didn’t offer him a long-term contract, even though they could have afforded it.

He’s struggled to stay healthy, battling multiple different injuries throughout the years, but last season he was caught using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and was handed a multi-game suspension which carries over into the 2021 season. This feels like a “prove your worth” contract. There’s a lot of question marks around Fuller but they are justified. If he can stay on the field and stop being a liability using PEDs, he’ll be joining a franchise that’s turning into what’s looking like a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

I’m really excited to witness what Tua Tagovailoa and Will Fuller do together. Fuller is one of the best downfield receivers in the league and Tua showed amazing accuracy and power in College that supports a downfield threat. This overall helps the Dolphins’ offense, opening up the field and forcing defenses to adjust coverage.

YEAR:	2020
TEAM:	HOU
GAMES:	11
TARGETS:	75
RECEPTIONS:	53
YARDS:	879
CATCH%:	70.7%
TD:	8
EOS RANK:	22

5. Marvin Jones

• Jacksonville, Jaguars  two-year, $12.5 million contract.

Let us wrap things up with veteran wide receiver Marvin Jones. He’ll be kicking off his 10th season in the NFL with what may end up being his final team. The Jaguars have had their troubles, but now with a new regime and the 1st overall pick in the 2021 draft, things are finally looking up.

There’s a very good chance that Marvin Jones will be playing with rookie sensation Trevor Lawrence and he’ll line up across from DJ Chark, and continue to be a trustworthy red-zone target, while also offering that veteran trust and stability any rookie QB needs coming into the league. Not only that, he showed he can still get it done, he almost eclipsed 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns in a terribly run offense last year in Detroit. Marvin Jones has consistently been a trustworthy WR2 for years, and there’s no reason to ignore that trend just yet.

YEAR:	2020
TEAM:	DET
GAMES:	16
TARGETS:	115
RECEPTIONS:	76
YARDS:	978
CATCH%:	66.1%
TD:	9
EOS RANK:	14

Belly Up Sports Home – www.bellyupsports.com

Fantasy Sports – other fantasy sports articles

Author:

• Twitter – @FFcoffeebreak
• https://fantasyfootballbreak.com/

Belly Up Football Twitter:

• @BellyUpFantasy
• @BellyUpFootball

Belly Up Podcast Network:

• @BellyUpPodcasts