10 wide receivers the Buffalo Bills could sign

The Buffalo Bills were privy to quite a show put on by the 2019 wide receiver NFL Draft class last week at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Players such as D.K. Metcalf, Mecole Hardman, Parris Campbell, and Andy Isabella all ran the 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds or faster, and others such as Myles Boykin, N’Keal Harry, Terry McLaurin and Hakeem Butler impressed in various drills as well.

It seems almost a given that Buffalo is going to pick a wide receiver, the only question that remains to be answered is when. Will they take a big swing at No. 9 in the first round? Will they trade down and grab someone in the middle of the first round? Or will they bide their time and look to pounce in the second or third round because there figure to be worthy options available on the second day?

Their draft strategy may come into clearer focus based on what happens Wednesday when the NFL’s free agent market opens. With approximately $68 million in salary cap currency available — factoring in recent signings and the estimated rookie draft pick pool — the Bills figure to be active in their quest to fill a number of holes on their roster. 

Wide receiver, as we all know, has to be a priority, even in the wake of both Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott saying at the combine that they don’t really believe in the concept of a No. 1 receiver. 

If you have a Julio Jones, Antonio Brown, Odell Beckham or DeAndre Hopkins, good for you, but the Bills’ brass doesn’t think it’s absolutely imperative that you must have one to be successful in the passing game, and there is no one of that ilk in this free agent market.

“At the end of the day I’m looking for a guy who can affect the defense … a guy that people have to be mindful of,” McDermott said. “Other than that, I want them to get open, catch the ball, put it down, and come back and do it again.”

Trying to guess who the Bills are interested in is like throwing darts, but here are 10 possible free agent targets they might pursue.

Adam Humphries, Buccaneers

Height/Weight: 5-11/195

NFL experience/Age: 4 years/26

 2018 cap hit: $2.914 million

Career stats: 60 games, 17 starts, 219 catches, 2,329 yards, 9 TDs

Humphries is exactly the kind of player McDermott is talking about when he says he doesn’t care how it happens, as long as it happens. Production is paramount, and like fellow slot receiver Julian Edelman of the Patriots, what Humphries does best is get open and catch the ball, which he did 76 times last season for the Buccaneers with a catch percentage of 72.4 percent.

Humphries working from the slot would give Josh Allen an ideal safety blanket, someone who can find holes in the coverage and be a viable target. The Bucs just re-signed offensive tackle Donovan Smith to a $41 million deal, so they may not be able to bring back Humphries.

Devin Funchess, Panthers

Height/Weight: 6-4/225

NFL experience/Age: 4 years/24

2018 cap hit: $1.756 million

Career stats: 61 games, 40 starts, 161 catches, 2,233 yards, 21 TDs.

There is no truth to the rumor that the Pegulas’ private jet has a dedicated flight plan from Buffalo to Charlotte, North Carolina, and back, but it sure seems that way given all the transplanted members of the Panthers organization who have come to the Bills. Next on the list could be Funchess.

He had a breakout 2017 season when he caught 63 passes for 840 yards and eight touchdowns, but his other three years in Carolina produced yardage totals of 473, 371 and 549 yards. He does have 21 career TDs, he has the size and speed combination that teams love, and at 24 years old, there’s room to grow and learn. Can he be a true difference-maker in Buffalo is the question McDermott and Beane, who know him well, must consider, because the last time they tried this, they whiffed on Kelvin Benjamin.

Chris Conley, Chiefs

Height/Weight: 6-3/205

NFL experience/Age: 4 years/26

2018 cap hit: $2.085 million

Career stats: 53 games, 34 starts, 104 catches, 1,238 yards, 6 TDs

Conley was part of the Chiefs’ dynamic 2018 offense orchestrated by QB Patrick Mahomes, and while his numbers last season look pedestrian (32 receptions, 334 yards), let’s remember there were a lot of guys fighting for the ball on that team.

He bounced back from a 2017 Achilles’ injury, and one of the attributes the Bills should look at is the way Conley performed when protection broke down and Mahomes needed someone to throw to. Conley was adept at coming back and presenting himself as a target, something that would surely benefit Allen. 

At the 2015 combine, Conley ran a 4.35 in the 40 and had the best broad and vertical jumps in the class, so the athleticism is obvious and a change of scenery might be exactly what Conley needs to bring out his full potential.

Tyrell Williams, Chargers

Height/Weight: 6-4/205

NFL experience/Age: 4 years/27

2018 cap hit: $2.914 million

Career stats: 52 games, 37 starts, 155 catches, 2,530 yards, 17 TDs

Williams has been a productive player the last three years as he averaged more than 50 receptions per season, but his best catch percentage was 63.1 percent in 2018. Keenan Allen has been the Chargers’ top weapon, and this past season, Williams was surpassed by 2017 first-round pick Mike Williams.

Williams has good speed, and nine of his 17 TDs have come from 30 yards or longer, meaning he could blossom with Allen firing him rockets downfield. Chargers GM Tom Telesco, when asked about whether he would re-sign Williams, said recently, “This past year, his game had already been solid, and he kind of took it to the next level this year. He’s certainly earned his second contract.”

Donte Moncrief, Jaguars

Height/Weight: 6-2/220

NFL experience/Age: 5 years/25

2018 cap hit: $9.6 million

Career stats: 69 games, 41 starts, 200 catches, 2,543 yards, 21 TDs

Moncrief hit free agency last season after four decent years with the Colts and the former third-round pick. He signed a one-year, $9.6 million deal with Jacksonville, then went out and caught 48 passes for 668 yards despite Blake Bortles being his QB.

Moncrief’s terrible catch percentage of 53.9 percent is partly due to Bortles’ inaccuracy, and he has not been an efficient run blocker the last two years. He certainly brings speed, but he seems like a poor fit for the Bills because he figures to command a hefty salary and the value simply isn’t there.

Breshad Perriman, Browns

Height/Weight: 6-2/211

NFL experience/Age: 3 years/25

2018 cap hit: $497,647

Career stats: 37 games, 6 starts, 59 catches, 916 yards, 5 TDs

Since being a first-round pick of the Ravens in 2016, Perriman has vastly disappointed, and Baltimore cut ties just halfway through his original rookie deal. He signed with the Browns last year but had minimal impact with 16 catches for 340 yards.

Cleveland GM John Dorsey said at the combine that he’d like to re-sign Perriman, but agent Drew Rosenhaus has not come close to agreeing on the terms, so Perriman could walk. The question is, would the Bills be interested in Perriman’s potential — he, Moncrief and Funchess are the youngest free agents available at WR — or is past performance an indicator of what he truly is?

John Brown, Ravens

Height/Weight: 5-11/178

NFL experience/Age: 5 years/28

2018 cap hit: $5 million

Career stats: 72 games, 42 starts, 215 catches, 3,230 yards, 22 TDs

The Bills considered signing Brown prior to the 2018 season, but he chose to go to Baltimore on a one-year, $5 million bridge deal, and after a season in which he caught 42 passes for 715 yards and five TDs, he’s looking for a long-term contract.

“We love ‘Smoke’ and I think he had a really, really good season for us,” new Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said at the combine. “I think his production dropped off a little bit when we changed the offense to a degree. We became more of a running team (with Lamar Jackson at QB), but he’s a playmaker. He’s got great speed. He’s a humble, great person.”

Brown has a career 15.0 yards per catch average and him lining up opposite Robert Foster would give the Bills two legitimate deep straight-line deep threats, but there figures to be competition for his services, which could drive his price past what Buffalo is willing to pay.

Golden Tate, Eagles

Height/Weight: 5-10/197

NFL experience/Age: 9 years/31

2018 cap hit: $3.705 million

Career stats: 137 games, 101 starts, 611 catches, 7,214 yards, 38 TDs

Tate, Demaryius Thomas and Randall Cobb are the most accomplished wideouts available, but they are 31, 31 and 29 years old respectively and will command big money, probably in the range of $10 million to $12 million per season. 

That wouldn’t be worth it for the Bills unless, in the case of Tate, they value his experience, his toughness and his undeniable production. There is no doubt, if he was open to a shorter deal, he could walk into the inexperienced Buffalo wide receiver room and be the leader that group desperately needs.

Cordarrelle Patterson, Patriots

Height/Weight: 6-2/220

NFL experience/Age: 6 years/28

2018 cap hit: $3.250 million

Career stats: 95 games, 29 starts, 184 catches, 1,872 yards, 10 TDs

Patterson probably isn’t the receiver the Bills need to increase their passing game production, but he’s certainly a versatile player whom coordinator Brian Daboll could use in multiple situations. Last year, he also rushed for 228 yards, and he returned 23 kickoffs while catching 21 passes for 247 yards.

Patterson still has great speed, but he played only 19.2 percent of New England’s offensive snaps last year, so you have to wonder if he’s up to the task of being an every-down wideout.

Jamison Crowder, Redskins

Height/Weight: 5-9/177

NFL experience/Age: 4 years/25

2018 cap hit: $2.043 million

Career stats: 56 games, 28 starts, 221 catches, 2,628 yards, 14 TDs

Crowder has been a reliable slot receiver for four years in Washington after being a fourth-round pick in 2015. Last year he missed seven games with an ankle injury, but in his first three seasons he averaged 64 receptions for 746 yards and his career catch percentage is 72.3 percent.

Like Humphries, Crowder would be a nice asset for Allen to have underneath, a reliable pass catcher who has a similar yards-after-catch career average of 5.7 per reception, basically the same as Humphries.

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