Cooper Kupp had a short stint in free agency. For plenty of other big-name receivers on the wrong side of 30, the wait continues.
Our list of top 100 free agents has three of them — Amari Cooper, Stefon Diggs, and Keenan Allen. Others still available include Brandin Cooks and Tyler Lockett.
There are plenty of pass-catchers without objectively big names (and not necessarily over 3o), too. That list includes the likes of Diontae Johnson, Robert Woods, Nelson Agholor, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyler Boyd, and Mecole Hardman.
The fact that so many receivers are available at this point is a sign that the position is becoming in some respects like running back. Every year, young, cheap, healthy, and productive options are available in the draft class.
It’s also likely that plenty of the names listed above (especially the biggest ones) need to have their expectations softened by the phone not ringing.
Really, has there been any buzz about Cooper or Diggs or Allen or Cooks or Lockett? And it’s not for lack of interest in veteran receivers; a lot of them have been signed this week.
Cupp, Davante Adams, and Chris Godwin are the biggest names to get significant deals this week. Others who landed fairly quick contracts include Darius Slayton, Josh Palmer, Dyami Brown, Demarcus Robinson, Mack Hollins, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Ashton Dulin, Mike Williams, Trent Sherfield, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Sterling Shepard, Tim Patrick, Braxton Berrios, Dante Pettis, and more.
Even DeAndre Hopkins has gotten signed. Yes, it was a one-year, $5 million deal. But he pounced on the opportunity when it emerged.
That might be the biggest reason why some of the biggest names at the position are still out there. They possibly have had interest, but the numbers might be much lower than they’d like.
The numbers likely won’t get much better. At this point, the risk is that there simply won’t be roster spots by the time they decide to take whatever they can get.
