The regular season has come to a close, and most teams have already begun the complicated process of preparing for the 2023 season. As the new league year approaches, we'll be covering the impending free agents most capable of shifting the balance of power in the NFL.
The Player: Robert Woods
Wide receiver Robert Woods has had an unlucky couple of years. After three years as one of the league's most underrated pass catchers with the Los Angeles Rams (3289 receiving yards at 8.3 yards per target from 2018-2020), Woods suffered an ACL tear in 2021 that cost him the Rams' Super Bowl run and expedited his exit from the team. He latched on with the Titans in 2022 but clearly wasn't the same: he compiled 527 yards, but his 5.8 yards per target were a career worst. Now, another year older but also another year removed from his injury, he'll try to prove to teams he still has something to offer.
The Fit:
Woods is a savvy wide receiver willing to do all the dirty, thankless work that tends to fly under the radar. At the peak of his powers, he was an incredibly valuable player for elite offenses, contributing explosive plays, yards after catch, and crucial blocks in the run game. He was never an elite athlete at the position and certainly isn't now, but he can be a smart, reliable set of hands for a team as a WR3 or WR4, particularly if they want to mimic the Rams' successful rushing scheme from 2017 to 2018.
The Contract:
Woods just wrapped up a four-year, $65 million deal, and he's never getting anywhere near that money again. He'll be 31 years old before training camp and is coming off consecutive disappointing seasons. He's a respected leader and veteran, so he probably won't have to settle for the minimum. A deal like the one-year, $3 million plus incentives pact Jarvis Landry signed last year with the New Orleans Saints would make sense.
Photo Credit: © George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
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