2015 NFL Free Agents: Wide Receivers

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2015 NFL Free Agency: Star rating is out of five. Age listing as of Sept. 1, 2015.
Follow me @walterfootball for updates.

Dez Bryant, WR, Cowboys. Age: 26.
Franchised by Cowboys

Dez Bryant is one of the top 3-5 wide receivers in the NFL. He has been unstoppable, accumulating 1,200-plus yards and at least 12 touchdowns in each of his previous three seasons. The only issue with him is his attitude, which has backfired in some games. Still, the Cowboys must re-sign him.
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Broncos. Age: 27.
Franchised by Broncos

Demaryius Thomas showed flashes even before Peyton Manning arrived in Denver, but Manning’s presence allowed Thomas to play on an otherworldly level. He just had his best season, catching 111 passes for 1,619 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Randall Cobb, WR, Packers. Age: 25.
Re-signed with Packers (4 years, $40 million)

Aaron Rodgers has begged Ted Thompson to re-sign Randall Cobb. Rodgers, of course, knows how great and versatile Cobb is. Cobb didn’t get a chance to do much in 2013 because injuries limited him to just six games. He exploded this past season, catching 91 balls for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s just 25, so there’s still plenty of room for growth.
Jeremy Maclin, WR, Eagles. Age: 27.
Signed with Chiefs

Jeremy Maclin just had the best season of his career. He went over 1,000 yards for the first time, accumulating 85 catches, 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. The one concern with Maclin is his previous injury history. He was healthy this past season, but that may not happen again.
Torrey Smith, WR, Ravens. Age: 26.
Signed with 49ers (5 years, $40M; $22M guaranteed)

Torrey Smith caught 11 touchdowns in 2014, but saw his yardage drop from 1,128 to 767. Smith was just a decoy in several games this year because of a lingering knee issue.
Percy Harvin, WR, Jets. Age: 27.
Signed with Bills (1 year)

Percy Harvin has loads of talent, but it’s no coincidence that when he signs with someone, he’ll be on four teams since 2012. Harvin is not a team player, as he often causes major problems in the locker room. On the bright side, he’s just 27 (in May), so perhaps he’ll be able to mature and become a better teammate soon.
Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers. Age: 27.
Signed with Raiders (1 year)

Michael Crabtree had a disappointing season, as he never recovered from the Achilles tear he suffered in 2013. Perhaps he’ll regain some explosion next year, but that won’t fix his negative attitude.
Andre Johnson, WR, Texans. Age: 34.
Signed with Colts (3 years, $21 million)

Andre Johnson gave the Texans so many great years of service, but he was dumped for financial reasons, as he was due $21.5 million over the next two seasons. Johnson, 34 in July, can still play, though obviously not as well as he was capable of in the past. He caught 85 passes for 936 yards and three touchdowns in 2014, just one year after accumulating 1,407 receiving yards. Johnson might have one or two more solid years left in the tank, though he’s definitely not a No. 1 receiver anymore.
Cecil Shorts, WR, Jaguars. Age: 27.
Signed with Texans

Cecil Shorts, the King of Garbage Time Receiving Yardage, would be rated higher on this list, but he just can’t stay healthy. If he were more reliable, he’d be a decent No. 2 option.
Kenny Britt, WR, Rams. Age: 26.
Re-signed with Rams (2 years, $14 million)

It’s hard to believe that Kenny Britt is still just 26 years old; it feels like he’s been around forever. Britt played well at times this past season, averaging 15.6 yards per reception, but was limited because of the quarterbacking situation.
Eddie Royal, WR, Chargers. Age: 29.
Signed with Bears (3 years)

Eddie Royal has served as a solid slot option for Philip Rivers, catching a combined 15 touchdowns over the past couple of seasons.
Dwayne Bowe, WR, Chiefs. Age: 30.
Signed with Browns

Dwayne Bowe has been overrated for quite some time. He has never been reliable on the field, making too many mistakes. Now, he appears to have lost some of his talent. It’s not entirely his fault, but he hasn’t eclipsed 801 receiving yards since 2011. He’ll turn 31 in September, so the odds of him bouncing back are low.
Hakeem Nicks, WR, Colts. Age: 27.
What happened to the receiver who caught 79 passes for 1,052 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2014? Nicks hasn’t done crap since the season after that. He’s still just 27 though, so perhaps he can turn his career around.
Rod Streater (RFA), WR, Raiders. Age: 27.
Tendered by Raiders

The Raiders missed Rod Streater this past year, as the 27-year-old wideout played just one full game because of hip and foot injuries. He had 60 catches for 888 yards in 2013.
Andre Holmes (RFA), WR, Raiders. Age: 27.
Tendered by Raiders

Andre Holmes has a good amount of talent, but is prone to mental errors. Perhaps he’ll eventually be able to get it and emerge as a reliable starter.
Cole Beasley (RFA), WR, Cowboys. Age: 26.
Re-signed with Cowboys (4 years)

Cole Beasley has emerged as a solid slot option for Tony Romo; he caught four or more passes in three of his final five regular-season games.
Jacoby Jones, WR/KR, Ravens. Age: 31.
Signed with Chargers (2 years, $5.5 million)

Jacoby Jones was cut for financial purposes, as the move saved the Ravens $2.5 million in cap space. Jones simply was too expensive because he’s solely a return specialist at this point in his career. He’s a talented returner – he scored a touchdown last year, and he handles both kickoffs and punts – but that’s all he is.
Greg Jennings, WR, Vikings. Age: 31.
Signed with Dolphins

Greg Jennings derailed his career by leaving Aaron Rodgers for the money. Perhaps he can still play, but he may have to take a short-term “prove it” contract. Jennings turns 32 in September, so time is running out for him.
Reggie Wayne, WR, Patriots. Age: 36.
Reggie Wayne has been outstanding for so many years, so I’m giving him a write-up despite the fact that he looked done in 2014. He was nursing multiple injuries, however, so if he comes back, he’ll be better if he’s healthy. Wayne turns 37 in November, however.
Stevie Johnson, WR, 49ers. Age: 29.
Signed with Chargers (3 years)

Stevie Johnson struggled in his new home this past season after being acquired from Buffalo for a fourth-round pick. However, that could have been because of the combination of Colin Kaepernick’s ineptitude and Jim Harbaugh’s indifference, thanks to his stupid front office undermining him. I could see Johnson bouncing back, but then again, he could be done, too.
Brian Hartline, WR, Dolphins. Age: 28.
Signed with Browns (2 years, $6 million)

Brian Hartline has shown that he can post No. 2-receiver numbers if given the chance, but he’s a very sub-par second option. On the bright side, he’ll be just 28 well into the 2015 season.
Harry Douglas, WR, Falcons. Age: 30.
Signed with Titans (3 years)

Harry Douglas has posted some solid numbers when either Julio Jones or Roddy White has been out of the lineup, but he’ll turn 31 in September. He doesn’t have much time left in this league.
Ted Ginn, WR/PR, Cardinals. Age: 30.
Signed with Panthers

I’m biased against Ted Ginn because he has a habit of costing me money when I wager on or against him, but he still deserves to be rated as a two-star free agent. He’s not much of a receiver, but he’s still a dynamic punt returner; he took a touchdown to the house in 2014 and averaged more than 10 yards per return.
James Jones, WR, Raiders. Age: 32. — Signed with Packers
Jermaine Kearse (RFA), WR, Seahawks. Age: 25. — Tendered by Seahawks (2nd round)
Denarius Moore, WR, Raiders. Age: 26. — Signed with Bengals (1 year)
Mike Williams, WR, Bills. Age: 28.
Nate Washington, WR, Titans. Age: 32. — Signed with Texans
Greg “Mr. Reliable” Little, WR, Bengals. Age: 26.
Vincent Brown, WR, Raiders. Age: 26. — Signed with Colts
Wes Welker, WR, Broncos. Age: 34.
Brandon Gibson, WR, Dolphins. Age: 28. — Signed with Patriots (1 year)
Dwayne Harris, WR/KR, Cowboys. Age: 27. — Signed with Giants (5 years, $17.5 million)
Jeremy Ross (RFA), WR/KR, Lions. Age: 27.
Brandon Tate, WR/KR, Bengals. Age: 27. — Re-signed with Bengals
Jarrett Boykin (RFA), WR, Packers. Age: 25. — Signed with Panthers
Lance Moore, WR, Steelers. Age: 32. — Signed with Lions
Marcus Thigpen (RFA), WR/KR, Bills. Age: 29.
Kamar Aiken (RFA), WR, Ravens. Age: 26. — Re-signed with Ravens
Derek Hagan, WR, Titans. Age: 30.
Drew Davis (RFA), WR, Falcons. Age: 26.
Eric Weems, WR, Falcons. Age: 30. — Re-signed with Falcons (2 years)
Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Giants. Age: 26.
Miles Austin, WR, Browns. Age: 31. — Signed with Eagles (1 year)
Donnie Avery, WR, Chiefs. Age: 31.
Deonte Thompson (RFA), WR, Bills. Age: 26.
Ricardo Lockette (RFA), WR, Seahawks. Age: 29.
Damaris Johnson (RFA), WR, Texans. Age: 25. — Re-signed with Texans
Jason Avant, WR, Chiefs. Age: 32. — Re-signed with Chiefs
Kris Durham (RFA), WR, Titans. Age: 27.
Robert Meachem, WR, Saints. Age: 30.
Josh Morgan, WR, Bears. Age: 30.
Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Steelers. Age: 28. — Re-signed with Steelers (1 year)
Brandon Lloyd, WR, 49ers. Age: 34.
Kevin Ogletree, WR, Giants. Age: 28. — Re-signed with Giants (1 year)
Greg Salas, WR, Jets. Age: 27. — Signed with Lions
Leonard Hankerson, WR, Redskins. Age: 26. — Signed with Falcons (1 year)
Santana Moss, WR, Redskins. Age: 36.
Dane Sanzenbacher, WR, Bengals. Age: 26.
Kyle Williams, WR, Broncos. Age: 28.
Brad Smith, WR/KR, Eagles. Age: 31.
Marcus Easley, WR, Bills. Age: 27. Re-signed with Bills (4 years, $7 million)
Jeff Maehl (RFA), WR, Eagles. Age: 26.
Seyi Ajirotutu, WR, Chargers. Age: 28. — Signed with Eagles
Bryan Walters (RFA), WR, Seahawks. Age: 27. — Signed with Jaguars
Marlon Moore, WR, Browns. Age: 27. — Re-signed with Browns
Kassim Osgood, WR/ST, 49ers. Age: 35.