2023 NFL free agency: Top 3 most disappointing WR moves feat. Allen Lazard
In the off-season, many wide receivers, including Allen Lazard, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jakobi Meyers, and Adam Thielen, signed new contracts. While the wide receiver market blew up last season with many wideouts signing contracts worth more than $20 million per year, there hasn't been a big market this off-season for the position due to the shallow talent pool.
There are many decent veterans like those mentioned above, but nobody is worth more than an annual $20 million like the last off-season. However, there are still some quality free agent wide receivers such as Odell Beckham Jr., DJ Chark, Nelson Agholor, and others.
Given how the wide receiver market was reset last season, there weren't any terrible signings at all this off-season at the wide receiver position. All of the deals were decent and none were real head-scratchers.
While the moves weren't terrible, here are three of the worst wide receiver moves that have happened in the off-season.
Top-three worst WR moves in the 2023 off-season
#1 - Jakobi Meyers
Jakobi Meyers was given a three-year $33 million contract by the Las Vegas Raiders. Meyers only has $10.5 million in guarantees, so the Raiders could end up cutting him after one season if he underperforms.
Meyers was expected to be one of the highest-paid free agent wideouts as there weren't many great receivers. He's never recorded a season of over 10 touchdown receptions or over 1,000 yards in the four seasons that he's played. He also went the first two seasons of his career without scoring a touchdown. In that span, he caught 85 passes.
The Raiders also have two really good wide receivers in Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow.
#2 - Allen Lazard
Allen Lazard has earned the highest-paid contract of any wide receiver this off-season. Lazard inked a four-year $44 million deal with the New York Jets, of which only half is guaranteed.
𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: #Jets are signing former #Packers WR Allen Lazard, per @Schultz_Report
4-years, $44 million. https://t.co/2pjqGWrfp9
Unlike Meyers, Lazard has never recorded over 1,000 yards in a single season; nor has he registered more than 10 touchdowns. He's a solid receiver, but many people think the Jets made the signing in pursuit of Aaron Rodgers.
While they are expected to acquire Rodgers this off-season, there could be a chance that they don't, which would make the Allen Lazard signing less effective for the team.
#3 - Robert Woods
The Houston Texans signed wide receiver Robert Woods to a two-year $15.2 million deal.
Texans signing WR Robert Woods to two-year, $15.25 million contract, per @RapSheet
nfl.com/news/texans-si… https://t.co/xPGnjTF4Zw
The veteran wide receiver, who will be 31 in a few weeks, hasn't been as productive in the last few seasons. He played the entire season last year and was the Tennessee Titans' leading receiver. He only recorded 53 receptions for 527 yards while scoring two touchdowns.
The season before that, he only played in nine games, recording 556 yards and two touchdowns as his season was cut short due to an ACL tear suffered in practice. Woods hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since 2019, and it would be a shock if he did in 2023.