Jaguars 2011 NFL Free Agency Potential Targets: Sidney Rice

We still don't know when 2011 NFL free agency is going to start, but we can still look around at which players are set to be free agents. One of the positions I feel like the Jaguars are going to address, either in the draft or in free agency, is the wide receiver position. They've got a group with potential, but not a lot of production. One player the Jaguars might look to target is wide receiver Sidney Rice. Rice had a dominant 2009 season, but missed much of the 2010 season due to a hip injury. Rice had surgery on his hip and came back late in the year and was still somewhat productive. He's a big body receiver who can make plays down the football field and excels at jump balls. While Rice is a tremendous talent, a move like his also comes with substancial risk in my mind. First, the surgery Rice had on his hip left some to wonder if it would be a career damaging type of injury, as some believed it could lead to nagging arthritic problems. The other concern I have is Sidney Rice really only produced for one season and he's likely going to be the number one wide receiver target in free agency, so how much will he cost?

I understand rice was injured for the 2010 season, so looking at his production there won't tell us much. He had 280 yards and 2 touchdowns in only 6 games. Prior to his 2010 season he played with Brett Favre, he pu up only 537 yards in 26 games. While Rice's 2010 season follows the typical pattern of a wide receiver breaking out in their 3rd NFL season or so, Rice's breakout was to the tune of 1,300 yards. I have my doubts of how much was Rice and how much with Favre, coupled with his hip injury. I'm not so sure he would be a prime target for the Jaguars, but he should draw some interest.