Premium NFL wide receivers can be inexpensive, despite what agent tells ESPN

ESPN’s Dan Graziano this week traced an exploding marketplace for the top-paid NFL extensive receivers. Equally fascinating is the flip facet of that story.

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t traded for a receiver since 2003, haven’t drafted one within the first spherical since 2006, and haven’t overpaid one in without end. As an alternative, in 11 of the previous 15 years, they’ve taken a second- or third-round WR.

This yr’s cut price is George Pickens, the league-wide rookie sensation of coaching camp, chosen 52nd total within the second spherical. Pickens combines with Chase Claypool (second spherical, 2020) and Diontae Johnson (third spherical, 2019) to present the Steelers a top-5 threesome. They fill out their WR room with fourth-round rookie Calvin Austin III and cheap veterans Gunner Olszewski and Miles Boykin. Mixture cap cost for all six: $15 million.

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Pittsburgh avoids the dangerous $20 million-plus receiver with this philosophy: Huge-open school offenses are producing NFL-ready receivers at a staggering price. Nothing is extra cost-efficient than starters taking part in on rookie contracts. Preserve drafting them, hold churning, don’t fall in love with them. Excellent high quality at nice costs is offered each draft in Rounds 2 and three.

Not Simply The Steelers

What NFL golf equipment agree? Indianapolis QB Matt Ryan is rising snug with three second-round receivers: Parris Campbell (2019), Michael Pittman Jr. (2020) and Alec Pierce (2022). Mixture cap cost for the Colts’ WR room: $9.4 million.

Rashod Bateman #12 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates a landing throughout the first quarter within the sport towards the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on December 26, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. 
(Photograph by Andy Lyons/Getty Photos)

After buying and selling Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Baltimore heard the pundits’ cries to signal a veteran receiver. GM Eric DeCosta declined, bringing to camp a dozen receivers, all of them age 25 or youthful. The group is led by Rashod Bateman (first spherical, 2021), Devin Duvernay (second spherical, 2020) and James Proche II (sixth spherical, 2020). Mixture cap cost for the Ravens’ WR room: $6 million.

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Equally, Kansas Metropolis GM Brett Veach had choices to make after refusing Tyreek Hill’s $30 million-per-year demand and buying and selling him to Miami for 5 draft decisions. Veach used one of many Dolphins’ picks on beginning CB Trent McDuffie. He used one other on WR Skyy Moore, who joins holdover Mecole Hardman and free brokers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Juju Smith-Schuster in a rebuilt WR room that prices solely $15.4 million towards the cap.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling #11, JuJu Smith-Schuster #9, and Patrick Mahomes #15 look on towards the Chicago Bears throughout the first half of the preseason sport at Soldier Discipline on August 13, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. 
(Photograph by Michael Reaves/Getty Photos)

Inexperienced Bay, infamous for not having drafted a first-round receiver since 2002, is sifting amongst 9 receivers whose combination cap cost is $16 million. Chicago and Atlanta, each rebuilding, will every hold their WR cap bills below $10 million.

‘Premium Place’? That’s Simply Agent Discuss

So we have now competing methods to guage and revel in within the coming season. In ESPN’s story, Tory Dandy, agent for A.J. Brown, Deebo Samuel, D.Okay. Metcalf, Mike Williams and Chris Godwin, not surprisingly endorsed the big-ticket method. Dandy stated, “I feel, truthfully, it’s simply turn out to be a premium place.”

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The definition of “premium place” has historically been: gamers who rating factors and instantly stop factors. By that commonplace, NFL extensive receivers have all the time been a premium place.

However premium vs. non-premium could not be the purpose. In as we speak’s NFL, the actual situation is shortage vs. surplus.

Scarce positions, if there was any doubt, had been recognized on the high of this yr’s draft – the primary seven picks had been edge rushers, cornerbacks and offensive tackles. Huge receiver, flooded annually with contemporary school expertise, is not a scarce place.

Terry O’Neil is the previous Govt Producer of CBS Sports activities and NBC Sports activities, and former Senior Vice President of the New Orleans Saints.