“Scary” Terry McLaurin, one of the NFL’s speediest playmakers, is absent from Washington’s minicamp while he pushes for a new contract. If Ron Rivera and Co. can’t get the deal done, they may have no choice but to trade the budding superstar. If that’s the case, what colors could we see McLaurin suit up in for 2022?
Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore shipped their own flashy speedster Hollywood Brown to Arizona earlier this off-season, leaving Lamar Jackson’s notoriously weak receiving corps without the de facto leader. Rashad Bateman, taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, is entering his second year with lofty expectations but there is buzz around the Ravens trying to shore up the position before training camp if possible.
Green Bay Packers
Green Bay jumps out as a team that could use pretty much anyone in the wide receiver room after the blockbuster trade that sent their perennial Pro-Bowler Davante Adams to Las Vegas. They brought in Sammy Watkins in free agency and Allen Lazard is still rostered, but currently the Packers are putting a ton of faith in second-round rookie Christian Watson out of NDSU. Adding a proven veteran like McLaurin makes a lot of sense for the paper-thin Packers receiving room.
Dallas Cowboys
Dallas lost veteran Amari Cooper in a trade to Cleveland and didn’t try especially hard to replace him. Third year wideout CeeDee Lamb is the clear WR1 entering 2022, but after that it’s hard to believe Michael Gallup and James Washington are the plan to handle one of the highest passing volumes in the league with Dak Prescott under center.
New England Patriots
Bill Belichick has brought on some flashy receivers in his day (Randy Moss, T.O., Ocho Cinco) and now might be prime time to do so again. McLaurin is more Brandin Cooks than Terrell Owens, but Cooks was an important part of the 2017 Patriots Super Bowl run. New England added DeVante Parker from Miami in the off-season and drafted one of the fastest receivers in the draft with Tyquan Thornton, but overall the Mac Jones-led offense could use an established presence downfield to aide in boosting the production out of Foxborough.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts made do with Carson Wentz last year, but that experiment is over and Matt Ryan was brought in to helm the team with high expectations. Surprisingly Indianapolis missed out on acquiring a top wideout in the free-agency frenzy earlier this year, leaving Michael Pittman as their WR1 and drafting solid (but unknown) receiver Alec Pierce in the second round. Ultimately this can’t be their plan for 2022 and swooping McLaurin in a trade would cover a lot of the inadequacy they currently are staring down.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons traded their quarterback and drafted a receiver in the top 10 of the 2022 draft, but this still leaves them parched at wideout heading into camp. Adding a veteran presence opposite Drake London will only help his development, and perhaps that of their rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder once he gets on the field.
Stay tuned for the next episode of ”Excessive Celebration”, the SportsLeaf Podcast, dropping later this week.
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