San Francisco 49ers:
Jeremy Maclin could pair well with FA signee Pierre Garcon.
The 49ers proved they’re not afraid to be spenders in free agency with the signings of Pierre Garçon and Marquise Goodwin. Despite these two signings the 49ers still have room for improvement on offense. With no long-term quarterback in place yet, the team may be looking at plugging up other holes before pursuing one in next year’s loaded quarterback class. One of those solutions could be Jeremy Maclin. A wide receiver corps of Maclin-Garçon-Goodwin is an impressive group and one that an incoming quarterback could do a lot with. If Maclin doesn’t object to waiting on the process and he likes the 49ers’ future under GM John Lynch, we could see Maclin catching passes in the Bay Area.
Buffalo Bills
Maclin is set to meet with the Bills on June 6th and his former teammate LeSean McCoy has reportedly been talking to him about coming to Buffalo. The Bills don’t have a very impressive group of receivers, led by Sammy Watkins and second-round pick Zay Jones. When healthy, Watkins is an elite receiver. The problem is he is rarely healthy. The Bills have indicated they won’t pick up his fifth-year option, opening up the possibility that they may be moving on from Watkins due to his ever-bothersome foot injury. Maclin would fit right into that group and would become Tyrod Taylor’s number one target when Watkins isn’t on the field and his veteran presence would also be an asset to Zay Jones.
Detroit Lions
If Maclin wants to play for a team looking to contend, he should look no further than Detroit. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has blossomed into one of the league’s best. Adding Maclin provides a downfield threat for Stafford, something the team seemed to lack last year. The Lions appear ready to take the next step, and adding Maclin could increase their already great offensive productivity.
Chicago Bears
The Bears have a glaring need at receiver. After Alshon Jeffery signed with the Eagles the team is left with Cameron Meredith, Kevin White, Victor Cruz, Kendall Wright, and Markus Wheaton. While it is a fairly deep group, it’s not very inspiring. Jeremy Maclin would immediately become the team’s number one receiver and would give Mike Glennon and Mitch Trubisky–whoever becomes the guy–a go-to target. The Bears were set to be big spenders in free agency, but they spent little outside of Mike Glennon, leaving them with nearly $30 million in cap space. Maclin could be the splash they need for this team to make big strides in the passing game.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have solid receivers in Breshad Perriman and Mike Wallace, but Joe Flacco is still without a number one receiver. Maclin would be a perfect fit here as he allows Perriman to develop into someone to take over the future number one role. Baltimore has a solid roster and when Joe Flacco is healthy and has a good target, he can play at a very high level. Giving him Maclin would instantly increase his productivity. Unfortunately for the Ravens, they are in a bit of a salary cap squeeze. If they can re-structure the contracts of players and cut Dennis Pitta who has once again suffered an injury, the Ravens may be able to pull off the signing of Maclin. They won’t outbid the Bears or 49ers who have ample cap space, but if Maclin wants to help set up a playoff run, Baltimore could be a good destination for him.
