Pierre Garcon

Is it better to be the only guy in town and have a heavy workload, or see fewer opportunities but have viable teammates to draw the opposing defense's attention? By signing with the Niners, Garcon might help answer this question. Last year with the Redskins, he had his best season since his volume-driven 2013, with 13.2 YPC, 9.1 YPT and 15 catches of 20-plus yards. He scored only three touchdowns, but the Redskins were loaded with other quality receiving options. This year, Garcon sits atop a depth chart with the likes of Jeremy Kerley and Marquise Goodwin, so the opportunity is there. QB Brian Hoyer has the ability to be a league-average quarterback, and perhaps more under new head coach and offensive wizard Kyle Shanahan. At 6-0, 211, and with decent speed, Garcon has the ability to handle the role, though he is 31.

Garcon's best days were behind him, and that was the case before the Redskins spent the 22nd overall pick on WR Josh Doctson. After averaging a robust 9.4 YPT in 2012, Garcon's per-play efficiency has gone down every year, bottoming out in 2015 (28th among the league's 32 100-target WR). Moreover, Garcon had only seven catches of 20-plus yards and none for 40 on one of the league's more explosive passing offenses. At 6-0, 216, Garcon has decent size, and he was fast (4.42 40 at the 2008 Combine), but he'll be 30 before the season starts, and there's even a chance he is released. Assuming he's not, he'll be in the rotation, but there are suddenly a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game, with tight end Jordan Reed establishing himself as a star, in addition to Doctson and deep-threat DeSean Jackson.

Coming off a largely volume-driven (181 targets) career year in 2013, Garcon crashed back to earth last season when he saw only 105 passes thrown his way. Even so, he was more or less the same player. In 2013, Garcon averaged 11.9 YPC and 7.4 YPT — last year 11.1 and 7.2, respectively. And while he scored only three TDs a year ago, he scored just five on 76 more targets the year before, putting him roughly at the same pace. In short, Garcon is a decent possession receiver and not much more. At 6-0, 216, he's stout and physical and has good speed (4.42 40 at the Combine in 2008), but he's not much of a big-play threat (eight catches of 20-plus and three of 40 or more), and that's DeSean Jackson's job, in any event. While Garcon could benefit from more stability at quarterback if Robert Griffin III stays healthy all year, he's unlikely to see anywhere near the target volume that drove his 2013 success ever again.

Is it better to be the only game in town or have another quality receiver around to draw the defense? If Garcon’s 2013 is any indication, it’s definitely the former. Despite averaging only 7.4 YPT (27th among the league’s 37 100-target WRs), he led the NFL in receptions and was eighth in yards, thanks to a league-high 181 targets. Even so, Garcon had only two receptions of 40-plus yards and 15 of 20 or more. Put differently, 98 of Garcon’s 113 catches went for fewer than 20 yards. At 6-0, 212, and running a 4.48 40, Garcon has decent size and good speed, but his heavy usage was largely due to the Redskins’ poor secondary and tertiary options, especially after emerging tight end Jordan Reed was lost for the year to a concussion. Reed should be back healthy for 2014, and the Redskins signed the game-breaking DeSean Jackson, both of whom will cut into Garcon’s workload. That said, with more receiving options, his efficiency could improve, and quarterback Robert Griffin is likely to bounce back now that he’s another season removed from reconstructive knee surgery. New head coach Jay Gruden will also make changes, but if last year’s use of Andy Dalton (586 attempts, 8th) is any indication, there will be plenty of targets to go around.

Had Garcon stayed healthy all year, 2012 might have been a monster season. Instead Garcon missed six games outright and parts of two others with injuries to his foot and toe, and even when he returned he was playing in pain. He still managed 633 yards on only 67 targets (9.4 YPT, 11th among the league's 71 60-target WR), and had 10 catches of 20 yards or more. At 6-0, 210 and with 4.4 speed, Garcon is the most dangerous WR on the team, and the Redskins did nothing to improve their receiving corps this offseason, so he again figures to be the team’s top option. Of course, quarterback Robert Griffin's status for the start of the season is up in the air at press time, and Garcon himself had shoulder surgery and is still rehabbing his toe. Garcon is expected to be ready for the start of training camp, however.

Garcon’s body of work wasn’t all that impressive last year – 7.1 YPT, 13.5 YPC for the supposed deep threat. But when you consider the quarterback situation – Curtis Painter for most of the year, followed by Dan Orlovsky – and that Garcon still managed four plays for 40 or more yards, it’s perhaps not so bad. Apparently, the Redskins agreed as they signed Garcon to a five-year, $42.5 million deal with $21.5 million guaranteed. At 6-0, 210, Garcon has good size and 4.4 speed, a combination that should make him Robert Griffin III’s big play threat from the start. Garcon also showed good hands last year, dropping just four passes in 134 targets. While Garcon has competition for targets in Santana Moss, Josh Morgan, Leonard Hankerson and tight end Fred Davis, we have to think he’ll be the featured option given his contract. Griffin’s readiness as a pocket passer is probably the biggest variable in Garcon’s value this year – that and how the Redskins distribute the red-zone looks between the receivers and Davis.

With all the injuries to the Colts receiving corps last year, you'd think Garcon – who missed two games himself – might have broken out. He didn't. Garcon managed just 11.7 YPC and 6.6. YPT, despite catching balls from Peyton Manning. Garcon did see 19 red-zone looks and nine from inside the 10, which contributed to six scores, but on 119 Manning targets, we'd expect more. Garcon also had nine drops (6th). At 6-0, 210 with 4.4. speed, Garcon should be the team's big-play threat, but he had just eight catches of 20-plus and only two of 40 or more. Heading into 2011, Austin Collie and Dallas Clark are back, and even Anthony Gonzalez could get more involved. And, of course, top target Reggie Wayne isn't going anywhere.

Reggie Wayne is still the Colts’ most trusted receiver, but he’s not the most physically gifted. That would be Garcon. At 6-0, 210, with 4.4 speed, Garcon is the Indy receiver that’s most likely to burn teams with the big play. Consider that he averaged 16.3 yards per catch to Wayne’s 12.6 and had three receptions of 40 yards or more to Wayne’s one, despite 57 less targets. Of course, Wayne is still likely to lead the team again in targets, and tight end Dallas Clark (132 targets) is also going to get his share of looks. Moreover, Austin Collie earned Peyton Manning’s trust as a solid possession and redzone receiver (six targets from inside the 10), and even Anthony Gonzalez, the team’s firstround pick in 2007, should be healthy again. But Garcon provides an explosive quality the others lack, and paired with Manning, it’s easy to imagine him taking another step forward. With even 100 targets — last year he had 92 — an improved Garcon would be a major factor. And if Wayne were to get hurt — the sky’s the limit in this setup.

Garcon will compete with Roy Hall and rookie Austin Collie for the No. 3 receiver role. He may have the most speed of the trio and could be a deep threat.