On the streets and in the NFL, green means "go." The free agency period has begun, and unrestricted players now have the green light to sign with whichever team they choose.
Money is certainly a primary consideration. From quarterbacks to cornerbacks, they all want greenbacks. With everyone trying to get their fair share, the winning contract offers are generally those that provide the most financial security. On the pigskin pyramid, it is clear that cold, hard cash ranks right up there in importance with Cold, Hard Football Facts.
Many also view free agency as an opportunity to move to greener pastures. They can find a better situation where their talents will be maximized. For wide receivers in particular, it may represent a chance to play in a high-powered offense that showcases the passing game. It could also mean moving from a complementary role to being the main target.
Two wideouts fitting those descriptions are Antwaan Randle El (pictured here) and 
David Givens. The Redskins signed Randle El to a seven-year contract worth $31 million. He will be part of a three-receiver set that features Pro Bowler Santana Moss and the newly acquired Brandon Lloyd. Givens, meanwhile, agreed to terms with the Titans on a five-year deal for $24 million. He will likely become the No. 1 receiver opposite Drew Bennett.
Besides their lucrative contracts with new teams, there are many other similarities between Randle El and Givens. Both were drafted in 2002 out of schools in the Hoosier State, and both were a bit green as receivers. Randle El, a second-round selection of the Steelers (No. 62 overall), had to learn the position after being a quarterback at Indiana. Givens, taken by the Patriots in the seventh round (No. 244 overall), needed to prove that he belonged, having played in a run-oriented offense at Notre Dame.
Here's a look at their numbers through four seasons:
|
Player |
Season |
Rec. |
Yards |
Avg. |
TDs |
|
Antwaan Randle El
|
2002
2003
2004
2005
TOTALS |
47
37
43
35
162 |
489
364
601
558
2,012 |
10.4
9.8
14.0
15.9
12.4 |
2
1
3
1
7 |
|
David Givens
|
2002
2003
2004
2005
TOTALS |
9
34
56
59
158 |
92
510
874
738
2,214 |
10.2
15.0
15.6
12.5
14.0 |
1
6
3
2
12 |
Their production has been solid but far from spectacular. Both men worked their way up to being starters and helped their teams win Super Bowls. It was the go-to receivers on the opposite side, however, who claimed the MVP awards in those title games. Pittsburgh's Hines Ward and New England's Deion Branch have always overshadowed Randle El and Givens, a fact that probably contributed to their departures.
Athletes are competitive by nature, and some players can become green with envy over the money and attention that is accorded their peers. Free agency thus becomes an equalizer, allowing them to seek top dollar on the open market and to 
occupy the limelight in a different city.
So how are Randle El and Givens (pictured here) likely to fare at their new addresses? It is extremely difficult to predict.
Among all the players switching teams via free agency, highly successful receivers have been as elusive as leprechauns. The Redskins and Titans know full well that promising wideouts can quickly become washouts. With the exception of Laveranues Coles, who gave Washington two good seasons before being dealt back to the Jets for Moss, few free-agent receivers have panned out for either team. Here is a refresher on some of their notorious busts in recent years:
Reidel Anthony and Jacquez Green joined the Redskins in the 2002 offseason, when Steve Spurrier was vainly trying to duplicate the superior offensive system he had run at the University of Florida. The Ol' Ball Coach reunited three key components from the Gators' 1996 national championship team by trading with Chicago for quarterback Danny Wuerffel and signing Anthony and Green as free agents. The results were disastrous.
Anthony was cut at the end of training camp and never played in the NFL again. Green at least made the opening-day roster, but he didn't last long. He caught just five passes for 94 yards through 10 games before being released. After finishing the season with Detroit, where he was active for only one game and had no receptions, Green was likewise out of football.
In retrospect, the two former Florida standouts followed remarkably similar pro paths:
- Anthony was taken by Tampa Bay as the No. 10 overall pick in the '97 draft
- Green was the taken by Tampa Bay as the No. 34 overall pick in the '98 draft.
- Anthony's best season was his second one (1998), when he had 51 receptions for 708 yards and seven touchdowns.
- Green's best season was his second one (1999), when he had 56 receptions for 791 yards and three touchdowns.
- Both players had disappointing five-year careers that died in Washington.
Yancey Thigpen was a two-time Pro Bowler for Pittsburgh. He twice had seasons when he exceeded 1,300 yards receiving, including his free-agent year of 1997. Coming off a career-high 7 touchdowns, he and Tennessee agreed on a five-year contract.
Thigpen only lasted three seasons, however, and injuries prevented him from ever playing more than 12 games in any of them. He averaged just 30 receptions for 477 yards during his tenure with the Oilers/Titans.
Carl Pickens was once a dominant receiver for Cincinnati, earning multiple trips to the Pro Bowl. For a three-year stretch between '94 and '96, he averaged 90 receptions for 1,180 yards and 12 touchdowns. After a falling-out with the Bengals over being designated the franchise player, he eventually signed a five-year deal with the Titans.
Pickens joined Thigpen on the Tennessee receiving corps in 2000, but it would be the final NFL season for both of them. Pickens had a mere 10 catches for 242 yards in his only year with the Titans.
In 2006, despite their poor track records with free-agent wide receivers, both the Redskins and Titans were aggressive in pursuing new players for the position. Each team was willing to pay an annual salary of over $4 million to a wideout that they feel has unrealized potential. Time will tell the wisdom of those investments.
For their part, the players are equally optimistic about the change. Randle El assumes the grass is greener at FedEx Field than it was at Heinz. And Givens, the former Golden Domer, hopes he still possesses the luck of the Irish.
