Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith's career has ended in saddening fashion after he tore his Achilles tendon in the team's 29-26 victory over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. It's with a heavy heart that we look towards the immediate future of the team's wide receiving corps and pick out four potential replacements for Smith on the team's 53-man roster.
4. Daniel Brown
Brown was one of the team's last cuts of the 2015 preseason, which means that he'll likely be the first player they tab to fill the gap left over by Smith's injury. Brown has been turning heads on the practice squad, using all of his 6-5 frame to mimic and approximate some of the bigger receivers Baltimore has faced this year. He's an asset both as a special teams jammer and a red zone threat, and while he doesn't have Smith's straight-line explosiveness, he's still a fantastic interim piece to consider.
3. Terrelle Pryor
The Baltimore Ravens are 2-6 and may be close to punting on this season with their playoff hopes barely flickering right now. Why not take a chance on Pryor? He's still learning how to play the position at the NFL level after a failed stint as a quarterback, but he has the raw athleticism to morph into a big play threat with the right coaching behind him. He's not going to provide the impact of a Steve Smith, but nobody on this list can do that.
2. Randy Moss
Moss still has the itch to play. Yes, he's 38 years old, but Moss is a freak athlete that can still play in the NFL at his age. Moss worked out with the Saints' Brandin Cooks, and Cooks believes Moss can still compete at a high level. The biggest thing Dallas needs without Bryant is a big red zone threat. That is something Moss can still be. It would probably cause a bit of a media circus, but he's at least worth kicking the tires on.
1. Hakeem Nicks
The biggest name still available in free agency right now, Nicks has battled injuries in recent seasons. He was great for the New York Giants early in his career, before undergoing the same surgery foot surgery Cowboys WR Dez Bryant recently had. Nicks hasn't been the same player since, bouncing between the Giants, Colts and Titans to little or no effect. Still, Nicks has the potential to be a starter, something that can't be said for much of the current free agents.
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