NFL.com: Arizona Cardinals a potential landing spot for Jeremy Maclin
Jun 5, 2017, 9:41 AM | Updated: 2:19 pm
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (19) reaches for a first down against Tennessee Titans linebacker Brian Orakpo (98) during the second half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
(AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
It was a little more than two years ago when Jeremy Maclin signed a five-year, $55 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.
He was coming off a season with the Philadelphia Eagles in which he caught 85 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns, and at the time was viewed as one of the better wideouts in the game.
His first year in Kansas City was a good one, as he caught 87 passes for 1,088 yards and eight scores, but in 2016 he battled through injuries to haul in just 44 passes for 536 yards and two touchdowns.
With that as the backdrop, perhaps it was not a surprise the Chiefs released the 29-year-old last week.
Now a free agent, the former 2009 first-round pick has the potential to be a late-offseason pickup who can really help a team, which has many wondering just where he will end up. NFL.com’s Nick Shook put together a list of potential landing spots for the receiver and, interestingly, the Arizona Cardinals are on it.
Michael Floyd’s departure created a void in the receiving corps that is going overlooked this offseason. Currently, the Cardinals have future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown (who may or may not be back to old form this season) and then a sharp dropoff in J.J. Nelson, Brittan Golden and Jaron Brown. Maclin might fit better here than almost anywhere else (other than Baltimore) opposite Fitzgerald. With a quarterback like Carson Palmer running the offense, this could be one of the more enticing destinations for the veteran, if he wants to compete for a division title immediately.
While Maclin is still an effective player when healthy and could probably help the Cardinals, it’s fair to wonder just how much the team thinks it could use a player like him.
Already this offseason Cardinals coach Bruce Arians has praised his team’s depth at receiver, saying they have 12 players who could all make the team. Now, that could be coachspeak, and if not Maclin is still a better option than many of the team’s less-experienced players.
In seven seasons, the 6-foot wideout has caught 474 passes for 6,395 yards and 46 touchdowns, and he would give the Cardinals and their veteran QB Palmer another reliable option in the passing game.
Maclin likely will not come cheap, though according to OvertheCap.com the Cardinals have just more than $15 million of cap space available, so they probably could squeeze him in if they wanted.
Which, it looks like they might:
Cardinals are interested in recently released wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) June 5, 2017
Along with the Cardinals, Shook lists the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers as potential landing spots for the receiver.
