Former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne is searching for a new town to play football in heading into the 2015 NFL season and by the looks of it, he just might find his destination as soon as this week. Jettisoned by the Colts, the only team he’s ever know, Wayne is still seeking to land with a team he can make an impact with at 36 years old. With some big injuries going down recently, the door is very much open for the veteran receiver to continue his playing career. But where will he sign?
Let’s take a look at Wayne’s five most realistic potential suitors:
New England Patriots
Wayne isn’t explosive or particularly fast anymore, but it seems the Pats have interest in adding another reliable set of hands to a team that is fresh off of a Super Bowl win. Wayne hasn’t signed yet, but did undergo a physical with the team and could end up latching on with Tom Brady and co. The match makes sense for Wayne, who is seeking just his second Super Bowl ring. The needs isn’t overly great for the Pats, though, so this deal is still no lock.
Green Bay Packers
Jordy Nelson went down with a knee injury in Green Bay’s second preseason game on Sunday, which could have the Packers looking for help outside of the organization. An argument could be made that Green Bay doesn’t need Wayne, as a combination of Davante Adams, Jeff Janis and Ty Montgomery could very well fill in for the big loss. Green Bay may be just covering all the bases, though, while a savvy vet like Wayne could easily end up being a menace with Aaron Rodgers tossing him the ball.
Carolina Panthers
Green Bay isn’t the only team to get bit hard by the injury bug, as Kelvin Benjamin also went down last week with a knee injury. An already shaky wide receiver corps got much worse for the Carolina Panthers, who are suddenly counting on raw rookie Devin Funchess to be their #1 target. Wayne might not deem the Panthers to be a Super Bowl contender, but they could really use his talents and have at least won their division in the past two years.
Cleveland Browns
Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline are Cleveland’s top two wide receivers, to I should probably stop the selling. Cleveland isn’t even a legit playoff contender at first glance, but Wayne would probably be a starter by default if he joined the Browns. There has been chatter about Wayne’s skill-set regressing aggressively fast, but he’s been banged up in each of the last two years. A healthy Reggie Wayne could help give the Browns some bite on offense.
Denver Broncos
Why not? Wayne can reunite with the quarterback he spent the majority of his career with – Peyton Manning – and try to help the Broncos nab a title. Cody Latimer hasn’t exactly taken over as Denver’s #3 wide receiver, while the offense has to find a way to make up for key losses to the passing game in Julius Thomas and Wes Welker.
Think there’s a better landing spot for Reggie Wayne? Tell us in the comments below!
