The NFL free agency period starts in March and names like Torrey Smith, Jeremy Maclin and Randall Cobb are top wide receiver targets on the free agent market and teams like the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks could be interested in those names heading into 2015.
Smith comes into the offseason after playing four years with the Baltimore Ravens and while he had a "down season" by his standards, he could cash in on the market. The Ravens likely want to keep Smith, but he could be targeted by a number of teams on the market, with NFL.com reporting that the Oakland Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets and Browns will be most interested. According to CBS' Jason La Canfora, the Ravens previously offered Smith a five-year, $35 million deal before the season. Smith could be looking for a deal slightly higher than that and La Canfora reports that the offer had $19 million in guaranteed money.
The Ravens ranked 13th in the league in passing yards per game last season and they would like to continue pushing things that way for Joe Flacco. Steve Smith was a good signing, but he dropped off after the first half of the season and losing Torrey Smith would be a big hit to replace. Smith has the potential to be a top receiver with his size and he has yet to miss a game in his career. Last season Smith had 49 catches for 767 yards and 11 touchdowns, which was a career high.
Smith had his best season in 2013 with 65 catches for 1128 yards and four touchdowns and that is the type of production the Ravens will want moving forward. According to NFL.com, Smith is likely to at least test the free agent market to see where his price is, but both the Ravens and Smith want to get a deal done. Smith has scored 30 touchdowns in 64 games with the Ravens and he previously played at the University of Maryland and has said he wants to remain in the area despite becoming an unrestricted free agent.
The Ravens cap situation is not great and if they let Smith go, players like Randall Cobb and Maclin are likely out of their price range. The team could look at Cecil Shorts, Eddie Royal or Hakeem Nicks on the free agent market, while Wes Welker also could be an option. The Browns are looking for receivers to help replace Josh Gordon, while the Raiders have money to spend and need playmakers on offense.
Shorts could be a cheaper option for the Ravens, as he is coming off of an injury season with the Jaguars while missing three games. Shorts has been productive when he has been healthy and in the past two seasons he has over 100 catches. Last year Shorts had 53 catches for 557 yards and that came after his 20-13 season when he set a career high with 66 catches. The Ravens also have to consider bringing back Justin Forsett, as he rushed for over 1000 yards and came in and replaced Ray Rice very easily for the team.
