Anquan Boldin is 35 years old and unemployed, but he says he wants to play another season. With training camps opening in about a month, he could catch on with a team in need of an additional wide receiver. Maybe the Giants?
New York has Odell Beckham Jr. and second-rounder Sterling Shepard. They also have Victor Cruz, but he's still iffy to be healthy after missing all of last season with knee and calf injuries after getting injured in 2014.
This mailbag at NJ.com discusses whether the Giants might have an interest in the veteran. It views Shepard as the likely starter, with Cruz the No. 3. But we'll see.
Boldin wants to play, and would probably find going to a reasonable playoff contender like the Giants more appealing than a return to San Francisco (which apparently hasn't ruled out resigning him).
Despite his age, Boldin was fairly productive a year ago, catching 69 passes for 789 yards in San Francisco's lesser passing offense. Some solid production elsewhere isn't out of the question.
As for Shepard, he will be beating the odds if he has a big season for the Giants. Only eight second-round picks in the last 20 years have reached 800 yards as rookies. Only one has gone over 1,000 yards. Guess who: Anquan Boldin.
Rookie numbers from second-round wideouts since 1997 are shown below.
2ND-ROUND WIDEOUTS, ROOKIE NUMBERS, 1997-2016 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Pick | Player | No | Yards | TD |
2003 | 54 | Anquan Boldin, Ariz. | 101 | 1377 | 8 |
1999 | 32 | Kevin Johnson, Clev. | 66 | 986 | 8 |
2008 | 42 | Eddie Royal, Den. | 91 | 980 | 5 |
2008 | 49 | DeSean Jackson, Phil. | 62 | 912 | 4 |
2001 | 52 | Chris Chambers, Mia. | 48 | 883 | 7 |
2014 | 42 | Jordan Matthews, Phil. | 67 | 872 | 8 |
2011 | 58 | Torrey Smith, Balt. | 50 | 841 | 7 |
2012 | supp | Josh Gordon, Clev. | 50 | 805 | 5 |
2014 | 63 | Jarvis Landry, Mia. | 84 | 758 | 5 |
2004 | 62 | Keary Colbert, Car. | 47 | 754 | 5 |
2002 | 63 | Antonio Bryant, Dall. | 44 | 733 | 6 |
2011 | 59 | Greg Little, Clev. | 61 | 709 | 2 |
2008 | 33 | Donnie Avery, St.L. | 53 | 674 | 3 |
2006 | 52 | Greg Jennings, G.B. | 45 | 632 | 3 |
2009 | 50 | Mohamed Massaquoi, Clev. | 34 | 624 | 3 |
2011 | 44 | Titus Young, Det. | 48 | 607 | 6 |
2013 | 41 | Robert Woods, Buff. | 40 | 587 | 3 |
2005 | 35 | Reggie Brown, Phil. | 43 | 571 | 4 |
2015 | 40 | Dorial Green-Beckham, Tenn. | 32 | 549 | 4 |
2014 | 61 | Allen Robinson, Jac. | 48 | 548 | 2 |
2013 | 59 | Aaron Dobson, N.E. | 37 | 519 | 4 |
2002 | 36 | Josh Reed, Buff. | 37 | 514 | 2 |
1998 | 32 | Jerome Pathon, Ind. | 50 | 511 | 1 |
2002 | 62 | Antwaan Randle El, Pitt. | 47 | 489 | 3 |
2002 | 65 | Deion Branch, N.E. | 43 | 489 | 2 |
2002 | 33 | Jabar Gaffney, Hou. | 41 | 483 | 1 |
1998 | 52 | Tony Simmons, N.E. | 23 | 474 | 3 |
2015 | 41 | Devin Funchess, Car. | 31 | 473 | 5 |
1998 | 50 | Germane Crowell, Det. | 25 | 464 | 3 |
1998 | 59 | Mikhael Ricks, S.D. | 30 | 450 | 2 |
2014 | 53 | Davante Adams, G.B. | 38 | 446 | 3 |
2001 | 33 | Quincy Morgan, Clev. | 30 | 432 | 2 |
2014 | 39 | Marqise Lee, Jac. | 37 | 422 | 1 |
2000 | 32 | Dennis Northcutt, Clev. | 39 | 422 | 0 |
2002 | 47 | Andre Davis, Clev. | 37 | 420 | 7 |
2007 | 44 | Sidney Rice, Minn. | 31 | 396 | 4 |
2010 | 39 | Arrelious Benn, T.B. | 25 | 395 | 2 |
1999 | 53 | Peerless Price, Buff. | 31 | 393 | 3 |
2004 | 54 | Darius Watts, Den. | 31 | 385 | 1 |
2011 | 64 | Randall Cobb, G.B. | 25 | 375 | 1 |
2012 | 45 | Alshon Jeffery, Chi. | 24 | 367 | 3 |
2008 | 36 | Jordy Nelson, G.B. | 33 | 366 | 2 |
2013 | 34 | Justin Hunter, Tenn. | 18 | 354 | 4 |
2001 | 36 | Chad Johnson, Cin. | 28 | 329 | 1 |
2012 | 54 | Ryan Broyles, Det. | 22 | 310 | 2 |
2012 | 63 | Rueben Randle, NYG | 19 | 298 | 3 |
2003 | 60 | Tyrone Calico, Tenn. | 18 | 297 | 4 |
2014 | 45 | Paul Richardson, Sea. | 29 | 271 | 1 |
2012 | 43 | Stephen Hill, NYJ | 21 | 252 | 3 |
1998 | 34 | Jacquez Green, T.B. | 14 | 251 | 3 |
2005 | 39 | Mark Bradley, Chi. | 18 | 230 | 0 |
2010 | 60 | Golden Tate, Sea. | 21 | 227 | 0 |
2010 | 36 | Dexter McCluster, K.C. | 21 | 209 | 1 |
2003 | 45 | Bethel Johnson, N.E. | 16 | 209 | 3 |
2002 | 48 | Reche Caldwell, S.D. | 22 | 208 | 3 |
2000 | 36 | Todd Pinkston, Phil. | 10 | 181 | 0 |
1998 | 42 | Patrick Johnson, Balt. | 12 | 159 | 2 |
2012 | 33 | Brian Quick, St.L. | 11 | 156 | 2 |
2006 | 36 | Chad Jackson, N.E. | 13 | 152 | 3 |
2005 | 55 | Roscoe Parrish, Buff. | 15 | 148 | 1 |
1998 | 55 | Joe Jurevicius, NYG | 9 | 146 | 0 |
2008 | 34 | Devin Thomas, Wash. | 15 | 120 | 1 |
2015 | 37 | Devin Smith, NYJ | 9 | 115 | 1 |
2009 | 36 | Brian Robiskie, Clev. | 7 | 106 | 0 |
2008 | 41 | James Hardy, Buff. | 9 | 87 | 2 |
2007 | 45 | Dwayne Jarrett, Car. | 6 | 73 | 0 |
2008 | 53 | Limas Sweed, Pitt. | 6 | 64 | 0 |
2007 | 51 | Steve Smith, NYG | 8 | 63 | 0 |
2005 | 61 | Vincent Jackson, S.D. | 3 | 59 | 0 |
1997 | 46 | Joey Kent, Hou. | 6 | 55 | 1 |
2003 | 44 | Taylor Jacobs, Wash. | 3 | 37 | 1 |
2002 | 46 | Tim Carter, NYG | 2 | 37 | 0 |
2005 | 58 | Terrence Murphy, G.B. | 5 | 36 | 0 |
1997 | 47 | Kevin Lockett, K.C. | 1 | 35 | 0 |
2006 | 44 | Sinorice Moss, NYG | 5 | 25 | 0 |
2014 | 56 | Cody Latimer, Den. | 2 | 23 | 0 |
2008 | 51 | Malcolm Kelly, Wash. | 3 | 18 | 0 |
2000 | 47 | Jerry Porter, Oak. | 1 | 6 | 0 |
2008 | 46 | Jerome Simpson, Cin. | 1 | 2 | 0 |
2004 | 50 | Devery Henderson, N.O. | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2001 | 41 | Robert Ferguson, G.B. | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2016 | 40 | Sterling Shepard, NYG | ? | ? | ? |
2016 | 47 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | ? | ? | ? |
2016 | 55 | Tyler Boyd, Cin. | ? | ? | ? |
--Andy Richardson