NFL Free Agency 2017: Philadelphia Eagles Targeting LA Rams WR Kenny Britt
NFL free agency 2017 is about to really heat up: teams can begin negotiating with players on Tuesday, March 7, so the bidding wars for the top free agents are about to commence. Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Kenny Britt is coming off a career year in 2016 (68 catches for 1,002 yards and five touchdowns), and he is about to cash in on his success of last season. SB Nation reported that the Philadelphia Eagles are planning to make a push to sign Britt when the free agency signing period opens later this week.
The Eagles are looking for help at the wide receiver position, and Kenny Britt is viewed as a player who is just now finding his groove in the NFL after eight seasons in the league with the Titans and the Rams. Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports states that Britt is expected to receive an offer of $6-8 million per year in free agency. With more prominent free agent wide receivers such as the Chicago Bears’ Alshon Jeffrey and Kenny Stills of the Miami Dolphins projected to receive much larger offers, Kenny Britt is seen as a quality option who can be had for a much more affordable price.
There is reason to believe that Britt may be interested in the Philadelphia Eagles as well. Britt has said that he would like to play for a team with a franchise quarterback, or one who has that potential. Carson Wentz certainly cemented his status as an up-and-coming star with his play as a rookie last season, and ESPN shared that Kenny Britt is interested in playing with Carson Wentz.
The other primary reason that Britt is thought to be a very realistic option for the Eagles is receivers coach Mike Groh. Groh was Britt’s position coach with the Los Angeles Rams in 2016 when Britt had a breakout season. Groh is now the receivers coach in Philadelphia, so continuing to work with the man who helped him take his game to the next level is said to be an attractive prospect for the six-foot-three, 215-pound wide receiver out of Rutgers.
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According to NBC Sports, Britt will have other suitors once free agency negotiations begin. The Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks are all expected to pursue Kenny Britt, and if he is not signed quickly, more teams could enter the mix. However, all the buzz is pointing toward a union between Britt and the Philadelphia Eagles, although that won’t be a certainty until Britt signs his name to a contract.
Kenny Britt was the Tennessee Titans’ first-round draft pick in 2009, and he showed early promise as a tall, physical wide receiver. Britt’s ascension to possible NFL stardom was interrupted by several off-the-field incidents while he was with the Titans, and he signed with the Rams in 2014 in an attempt to resurrect his career. After two solid, but unspectacular years, Britt emerged in 2016 with his best statistical season as a pro — setting him up for a nice pay raise in 2017 and beyond.
The Los Angeles Rams are expected to allow Kenny Britt to sign with another team (per the Los Angeles Times), so his days in a Rams uniform appear to be over. The question now is which wide receiver-needy NFL team is going to land the talented 28-year-old from Bayonne, New Jersey. The smart money seems to be on Britt signing with the Eagles and catching passes from Carson Wentz in 2017, but NFL free agency is a competition. There are a few known teams who covet Kenny Britt, and others could surface as the market begins to establish itself over the first few days of the signing period. Buckle your seat belt, because NFL free agency 2017 is about to launch.
[Featured Image by Jae C. Hong/AP Images]
