The Jacksonville Jaguars made the decision this offseason not to extend the contract of receiver Dede Westbrook, and though he remains a free agent and didn’t receive a deal during the initial free agency rush, there seems to be some interest now.
According to a report from Josina Anderson, players with the Kansas City Chiefs have reached out to Westbrook to gauge his interest in joining the team. Additionally, the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals have shown interest in Westbrook, as well.
Over the weekend some #Chiefs players reached out to free agent WR Dede Westbrook to engage his interest in coming to Kansas City. Meanwhile, both the #Vikings & the #Bengals have had preliminary conversations with Westbrook as well. Westbrook was a 2016 Biletnikoff award winner.
— IG: JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) May 10, 2021
The Jags’ fourth-round pick in 2017, he surpassed 650 yards receiving in 2018 and 2019. But with the emergence of D.J. Chark (and Laviska Shenault in 2020), Westbrook saw his targets decline. He entered the 2020 season fourth on the depth chart, but a torn ACL landed him on the injured reserve list after Week 7. In the seven games he did appear in, he made just one grab for four yards.
Ignoring his injured season, Westbrook was decently productive for Jacksonville, and it’s hard to believe the 27-year-old won’t get another shot. Landing with a contender like the Kansas City Chiefs may just bury him within a deep group when considering their talent, but a team like the Cincinnati Bengals still may have some space for him.
Westbrook was a standout for Oklahoma in college, winning the Biletnikoff Award for the best pass-catcher in college football his final season with the Sooners. Despite being a bit undersized at 6-foot, he’s been too productive in the NFL to not be on a roster at this point.
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