Ideal NFL Team Fits for Top Free-Agent WRs After Bengals Franchise-Tag Tee Higgins | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Andrew Mccoy Marquise "Hollywood" Brown's tenure with the Arizona Cardinals has been rife with disappointment. After coming over in a draft-day trade during the 2022 offseason, Brown never lived up to the hype and has regressed in each of his two campaigns in the desert.
Brown appeared to be well on his way to becoming a superstar following a 91-catch, 1,008-yard, six-touchdown 2021 season with the Baltimore Ravens. Since joining Arizona, however, the speedy pass-catcher has tallied a pedestrian 1,283 yards and seven touchdowns on 118 receptions over 26 games.
It's clear this partnership won't work at a high level, but at least there's now a chance for both sides to get a fresh start with Brown due to hit free agency in March. Potential suitors will be betting Brown's decline has more to do with quarterback troubles—the Cardinals started six different signal-callers during the two seasons Brown has been on the roster—and injuries than a slip in skill and/or athleticism.
There's some risk in this approach, however, and there's a decent chance that the slender 5'9", 180-pound wideout won't be a fit in many schemes. Regardless, the diminutive speedster possesses special athleticism and could be a massive boon in the right system.
One of those potential strong fits is with the Tennessee Titans. The organization landed one of the top coaching hires of the offseason when it came to terms with former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. Callahan will be tasked with rejuvenating an offense that had overly relied on a Derrick Henry-led rushing attack in years past, but this unit could quickly transform into an exciting passing attack under the new regime.
With Callahan calling the shots and promising signal-caller Will Levis entering a pivotal Year 2, the Titans—who have a whopping $85 million in projected cap space—should be buyers on the receiver market this offseason. Bringing in a playmaker like Brown could add a new dimension to a Tennessee squad that currently lacks proven pass-catching talent outside of veteran wideout DeAndre Hopkins.
Although the Hopkins-Browns pairing didn't work out in Arizona, it could find new life in the Music City thanks to Callahan's creativity and Levis' promise.
Best Fit: Tennessee Titans
Projected Contract: Two years, $27 million