Indianapolis Colts' wide receiver Alec Pierce is set to be a free agent this offseason. So where might he end up?
Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus recently selected the "top landing spots" for the top five free agent wideouts, and for Pierce, the Colts were not selected.
Instead, the division rival Tennessee Titans were named a landing spot.
"With Brian Daboll serving as the Titans’ new offensive coordinator, the fit for Pierce is strong," Cameron wrote. "Prior to being relieved of his duties as the Giants' head coach following Week 10, Daboll helped New York lead the NFL in percentage of passes targeted 20-plus yards downfield. Pierce is a threat to take the top off any defense, having tied for the third-most deep receptions (24) over the past two seasons."
Pierce surpassed 1,000 receiving yards this past year for the first time in his career. He's also led the NFL in yards per catch in each of the last two years.
While known for being a vertical threat, Pierce's role expanded this past season, with him being asked to attack other levels of the field more regularly.
Then, going beyond Pierce's production, when a defense has to worry about a legitimate downfield threat, that can help open up opportunities for other pass catchers over the middle or on underneath routes with the spacing that is created. Even the run game can benefit.
Pierce has earned himself a big payday between his production and skill set. However, the Colts would be wise to retain him, and that does seem to be a priority for Chris Ballard -- even if the franchise tag has to be utilized initially.
"From Day 1, from when we worked him out at the University of Cincinnati, we had a great belief in Alec Pierce," Ballard said. "I think he's been a good player every year. ... I thought Reggie (Wayne) did a tremendous job helping him expand his game to all three levels. Alec's a priority."
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: NFL analyst names Titans top landing spot for Colts Alec Pierce