Many of the top free agents have found new homes in the NFL. There has been excitement, intrigue and plain craziness. However, free agency is not done yet. There are still many players left on the market for a variety of reasons. Some have priced themselves too high. Others have baggage that teams are wary of; while some do not know that it is there time to retire yet.
Let’s take a look at the remaining top free agent names.
1.Sebastian Vollmer, Offensive Tackle, New England Patriots
Sebastian Vollmer is a great offensive tackle. It amazes me that the Patriots have not resigned him yet. He was thought to be one of the three big names that Pats had to offer; the other two being Welker and Talib. Now Vollmer is the last man standing. Teams paid out big money for right tackle players and the market may have thinned. While this may be bad for Vollmer, it is good for the Pats. They could scoop him up for cheap. Vollmer’s only real option at this point is to take a one year deal and set himself up for bigger money in 2014 in a hopefully stronger market.
2. Ed Reed, Safety, Baltimore Ravens
Ed Reed is a powerful name in free agency. The Ravens appear to be clearing house this free agency and Reed is just another man on the move. He visited the Houston Texans last week and reported that he had a very nice meeting with everyone from the owners to the intern trainer. However, he left without a deal. This is being partially blamed on the Pitbull concert that was happening at the stadium, as it cut the negotiations short. The Ravens are also desperate to try and hold onto him. Reed is thirty-four and is most likely looking for a longer-term contract.
3. Nnamdi Asomugha, Cornerback, Philadelphia Eagles
Nnamdi is definitely not going back to the Eagles. The San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints are both interested in signing the cornerback. Nnamdi has faded a bit in his last two years, but teams still see his potential. Nnamdi met Rob Ryan in New Orleans on Sunday but the owners and Payton were not present. This may mean that the Saints are not serious about signing him. The 49ers are very serious about signing him and I am betting this is where he ends up.
4. Dwight Freeney, Defensive End, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts released Freeney early this month. He was a treasured Colts player but was not adjusting well to the new defensive scheme. He is better suited to work in a 4-3, rather than the 3-4 that the Colts switched to. His stats have also declined in the last several seasons. It is now expected the Patriots will sign Freeney as they still see some potential in him.
5. Ahmad Bradshaw, Running Back, New York Giants
The Giants released Bradshaw back in February. They already had two healthy running backs and Bradshaw had had injuries. At first I figured that teams would not jump to sign him until he was fully healthy. However, both the Packers and the Steelers are interested in scooping up the twenty-six year old. The Steelers released Mendenall and the Packers lost Cedric Benson to a Lisfranc sprain in his foot. Bradshaw can be a great presence for a team but unless the team’s believe in his durability he won’t sign yet.
6. Brian Urlacher, Linebacker, Chicago Bears
Brian won’t go anywhere. There has been some mild interest from the Vikings and Cowboys, but let’s not kid ourselves. He will return to the Bears and have to take less money. He is not as good as he used to be and the Bears know this. The bargaining phase will really began and Urlacher will have to come back to reality.
7. Victor Cruz, Wide Receiver, New York Giants
Perhaps Cruz isn’t seen as the biggest free agent, but I love this guy. The Giants want to keep him, but there will be interest on the market. The issue is that Cruz will demand big money. He is most likely looking to match Welker’s $6 million; or get something slightly more. The Vikings and the Colts may want the slot receiver, but I am guessing they would have to pay more than the Giants for him to leave.
Keep your browser open to the NFL network kiddies-the rides not over yet!
