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Teams aren't allowed to talk to outside players right now, but other players are free to recruit. Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson is doing his best to recruit St. Louis Rams free agent Brandon Gibson.
Johnson made a Wednesday morning appearance on the NFL Network, where he discussed his plans:
"I done tried to get a few guys," Johnson said. "I talked to my boy Brandon Gibson, who is in St. Louis. He's a stud. And Dashon Goldson, I talk to him a lot.
Gibson could be very attractive to a team like the Bills, a team looking for reasonably priced help at the second or third receiver spot with an established No. 1 already in place. In fact, that could fit the bill for other teams in the Bills' AFC East.
A few AFC East teams are interested. RT @bytimgraham: Add Rams WR Brandon Gibson to Stevie Johnson's recruiting list bit.ly/Zc43cn
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 6, 2013
New England often gets mentioned as a Danny Amendola suitor, but Gibson could make some sense as a low-end Julian Edelman replacement if the team manages to hang onto Wes Welker. Remember, Josh McDaniels coached Gibson in that really strange year he was the OC in St. Louis.
Miami might have need at the position if they lose Brian Hartline, or maybe even more so if they manage to re-sign Hartline, which looks to be the case.
The Jets could another receiver to throw into the mix with Santonio Holmes (if he gets healthy) and Stephen Hill.
Free agency starts March 12, next Tuesday, but don't expect Gibson to find a new home too soon after that, in spite of Stevie Johnson's best efforts. Dominoes in the second tier of free agency usual don't start falling until after the big targets get snatched up. That could be even more pronounced this year with more and more teams turning away from mid-level free agents in favor of the draft.