I've been thinking about it alot, are the Free Agent Wide Receivers that are currently available worth going after? Initially I thought, No, no their not. Then I actually took a look at who was available and General Manager Bruce Allen ought to pursue one or two of the guys below:
Hear me out. We currently have 36 year old Joey Galloway and 31 year old Ike Hilliard. To me, Stovall and Clayton have done nothing to warrant even worrying about giving another receiver their reps. Donte Stallworth and Bernard Berrian are 27, while Bryant Johnson is 26 years old. Stallworth has been the most consistent Receiver of the bunch since breaking into the league in '02 with the Saints. Bryant has probably had the least amount of opportunities playing along side Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. Berrian has gone over 700 yards two seasons in a row despite having junior league QB's throwing him the ball. Stallworth is a speedy, elusive Wide Receiver. Despite being 6 feet 200 pounds, the guy has a knack for breaking tackles and breaking long runs after the catch. Bernard Berrian also has speed and can stretch the field. Bears fans have complained about his ability to drop the ball, but with a real QB tossing him the ball, that problem could be non-existent in Tampa. Think of Bryant Johnson as a younger more capable version of Ike Hilliard. He could have a breakout season if given the opportunity.
Of the three, I'd like the Bucs to pursue Stallworth to start, because he's played for good teams and already has feel for QB Jeff Garcia. There are talks that the Bears and Berrian are far apart on reaching a deal, Allen should jump in and wow Bernard with a deal he'd be hard pressed to refuse. The Bucs should give attention to WR Randy Moss as well, but its widely speculated that he'll resign with the Patriots and who can blame him after catching 24 touchdowns. I can't fault Allen for holding out if he does. None of the guys on the "Buy-Me" Market are hands down playmakers, but holding out for a trade could be devastating should the Bucs have to Draft upgrades for the Receiving Corps, because their just not there this year in the NFL Draft. I would love and hate to be in Bruce's shoes right now.