Top free-agent wide receivers

Having long since proved that he's not a product of Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, the durable Garçon had his highest per-catch average in four years last season (13.2 yards) and has more receptions in the last four years than all but six players. Other receivers have more sizzle, but with Garçon, you know what you're going to get: precise routes and steady production. At 30, he's aging well and should have plenty left in the tank.

He's missed 11 games in the last two seasons and got caught up in the Bears' offensive struggles, particularly last year, when he caught 52 passes -- his lowest total since his his rookie season. He's still capable of stretching the field, and if he can stay healthy, should be able to reach his 2013-14 peak production once again.

Four 100-yard games in the last six weeks of the 2016 season pushed him over 1,000 yards for the fifth time in nine seasons and showed that he still has the same explosiveness he's always possessed. You have to accept that he will likely miss at least a bit of time because of injuries; he's only made it through a full 16-game schedule once in the last eight campaigns, and has missed 14 games over the last five seasons, but there are few better speed threats in the NFL.

The Browns' massive cap room means there's no reason why they can't fit Pryor on their roster, even if they have to use the franchise tag. He's still developing as a wide receiver, but he had 1,007 yards on 77 receptions last year in spite of Cleveland's lingering QB issues. What could he do with a strong triggerman?

Quietly productive, the Minnesota State product had a breakthrough season last year, working mostly in the slot to catch 69 passes for 967 yards and five touchdowns. A 12-catch, 202-yard game against the Packers in Week 16 punctuated his season. If the Vikings lowball him on their offer sheet, someone will up the ante on Thielen, who appears ready to break into the ranks of the NFL's perennially productive receivers.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder capitalized off injuries to emerge as a solid target for Philip Rivers last year, notching 810 yards and four touchdowns on 58 receptions. But at 28, he's older than a typical restricted free agent, because he spent two seasons with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts before he made the jump to the Chargers in 2014. So his long-term upside might be limited compared to other three-year veterans.

Britt notched his first career 1,000-yard campaign in his eighth NFL season despite the Rams' issues at quarterback with Case Keenum and Jared Goff splitting the season. Britt played for Jeff Fisher in Tennessee, St. Louis and Los Angeles, and that connection might ensure the Rams decided to move on as they try to remove as much as they can from their struggles of recent years.

A day after the 2016 season, Wright declared that he would not be a part of the Titans going forward, and that's probably just as well. His numbers declined the last two years as the Titans moved toward their run-heavy "exotic smashmouth" attack, which limited opportunities for Wright as a slot receiver. He'll also have to show that the tardiness that made him a healthy scratch from the Titans' Week 14 win over the Broncos is a one-time thing, and not a sign of deeper issues.

A solid bounce-back season after he struggled in 2015 got him on the right track, and offered assurance that his career-worst campaign of 2015 was an aberration. Stills can stretch the field, evidenced by his career average of 16.7 yards per reception. Dropped passes remain a problem, however.

One of the few bright spots in the 49ers' dismal season, Kerley posted 664 yards and three touchdowns on a career-best 64 receptions in his first year starting more than half of the games in the season. Kerley's status is just part of a series of broader questions for the 49ers at wide receiver, as Quinton Patton and Rod Streater join Kerley in being eligible for unrestricted free agency. New GM John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan could opt to overhaul the entire position group.

It's not about his production as a wide receiver, but his explosive capability on special teams. Patterson has yet to reach his potential on offense. Although he grabbed a career-high 52 passes last season, he averaged just 8.7 yards per reception. But his whopping 30.4-yard kickoff average for his career -- with an average of one touchdown every 26.8 returns -- will draw some interest around the league, especially among teams who return kickoffs at a higher rate than others.

His talent is undeniable, reflected by a 17.1-yard career per-catch average and 2,754 yards and 14 touchdowns on 161 receptions over just 35 career games. But he hasn't played a regular-season game since 2014 because of alcohol issues, and his expected return last year was scuttled by a stint in an in-patient rehabilitation facility just as he neared eligibility to return. Only a team with a strong support infrastructure, a mature locker room and depth at receiver will be in position to take a chance on Gordon.

His single season in Cincinnati -- 862 yards and six touchdowns on 64 catches -- was in line with his 2014 production as a Patriot, but those two campaigns sandwiched a disappointing 2015 season that led to his departure from New England. LaFell is a decent complementary receiver, and could represent good value a week or two into the signing period -- even though he should end up getting more than the one-year, $2.5 million deal under which he played last season.

Boldin turned 36 during the season and isn't the downfield threat he once was; last season he averaged just 8.7 yards per reception, but did grab eight touchdown catches in a 67-catch, 584-yard season. His age and lack of speed probably ensures he'll linger on the market, but as a complementary target, he's still viable and capable of adding to career totals that should, at minimum, make him a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Floyd was enduring the most disappointing season of his career prior to a DUI arrest in Arizona that led to his release, and in the past three seasons his performance has not matched his potential. A 1,041-yard season in 2013 remains the only time he's cracked four figures in a single season.

The Falcons aren't likely to let Gabriel loose after he emerged in the second half of the 2016 season; in the 12 games from Week 8 through Super Bowl LI, Gabriel caught 36 passes for 743 yards and six touchdowns, which would put him on nearly a 1,000-yard pace for a 16-game season.

A change of scenery might be the best thing for Woods, who has just three 100-yard performances in 57 career games and has not lived up to his potential in a series of steady, but unspectacular seasons -- all with between 40 and 65 receptions and 550 to 700 yards.

A product of Colorado Springs' Wasson High School and Northern Colorado, the 34-year-old Jackson's production has dipped because of injuries the last two seasons that limited him to just 15 games in that span. Prior to the last two seasons, Jackson notched six 1,000-yard campaigns in a seven-season span with San Diego and Tampa Bay. How capable is he of using his 6-foot-5, 230-pound frame to his advantage given his advancing age and injury issues?

The return of Steve Smith Sr. to the lineup last year cut into Aiken's numbers last year, and after what he called a "very frustrating" season, he appeared ready to move on once the 2016 season ended. Aiken is a good route-runner who can make plays in traffic and enjoys getting physical, having honed his one-on-one combat skills on kickoff and punt coverage early in his career before making his 2015 breakthrough as a wide receiver.

After missing most of the 2014 season and all of the 2015 campaign with a torn patellar tendon, Cruz wasn't the same player in 2016, finishing with just one touchdown and 586 yards on 39 receptions. At 30 and with his explosiveness uncertain, he'll likely have to play on a short-term prove-it contract in trying to get back to his old form.

Ginn's last two seasons as a wide receiver were his best since 2008, his second campaign in the league. But he'll be 32 in April, and he's started showing his age on returns in recent years; his average of 7.0 yards per punt return in 2016 was his worst since 2009 and was 3.5 yards below his career average.

Teammate Brice Butler is also an unrestricted free agent, and is taller (by one inch) and larger (by five pounds) than the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Williams. But Williams is far more productive, he's had steady production of between 594 and 840 yards in each of his four campaigns, and has never missed a regular-season game.

A career-best season last year despite the Rams' quarterback quandary offered evidence of his potential, but he may need a change of scenery to achieve it.

He had some solid production in bursts last year, but also dealt with a pair of concussions during the season. Nevertheless, the vertical threat he poses should earn him a contract somewhere.

After catching just six passes in his first two seasons, Patton had 67 receptions the last two years -- but has just one career touchdown.