Top Eagles Free Agent WR Targets: What the Data Says

Just a quick post on some remaining free agent wide receiver targets for the Eagles as I was looking at some of the deeper data on the top names being thrown around.

Below are the top names still being discussed (not every WR out there). I included deeper production stats like yards per route run (YRR), separation rate, and DVOA. Also, the far right column is a rough projection on the yards that WR would have had just replacing Reagor’s 486 routes run and keeping their YRR (which does vary throughout a career but is more stable than you would think).

My guys:

We all would have liked some of the bigger names out there but, to me, most of them were not worth their contracts – see my free agent valuation post yesterday for more detail “Positional Value, Free Agency, and the Draft”.

But some good receivers still left and a pick-your-style-you-want with some deep threats, slot guys, versatile, big, small. For me, some thoughts:

  • Zach Pascal will clearly be a target given his history with Sirianni.
  • Cross off the older, injured guys, especially with drops – Will Fuller, Sammy Watkins, and AJ Green to a lesser degree.
  • Scratch off Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who I see a lot of people wanting – I don’t like his drop rate and my preference would not be somebody that is primarily a deep threat.
  • Keelan Cole, Landry, and Jamison Crowder are my top three. Cole is pretty versatile and sneakily one of the better WRs in DVOA last year. Crowder is a pure slot upgrade, good hands. Landry I am guessing stays in Cleveland but would be another really good option that is versatile.