2012 NFL Free Agents: Under the Radar Moves to Dramatically Help Each Team

While the draft is one way to improve the team, free agency is a far more immediate way to do that. Still, it's not always the big name players who make teams better. 

These may not be the biggest names, but they are moves that need to be made during the free agency season. 

One thing to note is that everyone listed would be going to a new team. Where would be the fun in bringing back the same players?

Arizona Cardinals, Mario Manningham, WR (New York Giants)

The Cardinals need to have someone on the other side of Larry Fitzgerald. When they had Anquan Boldin, the team won consecutive division titles. Since then, they have had two disappointing seasons.

With no other receiving option to really worry about, it is too easy to double up on Fitzgerald, limiting his dominance. The addition of a player like Manningham would take that away from the Cardinals' opponents.

There would be another receiver for defenses to contend with, which would allow Fitz to return to his dominant form. 

Atlanta Falcons, Terrell Thomas, CB, (New York Giants)

When you share a division with Drew Brees and Cam Newton, having the 20th best pass defense in the NFL is going to lead to some rough games. 

Brent Grimes is already a free agent and he must be brought back, but it can't stop there. Thomas missed all of the 2011 season, but managed five interceptions in 2009 and 2010. He is also only 27, so age is not a huge concern. 

Baltimore Ravens, Robert Meachem, WR (New Orleans Saints)

You can't look at the yardage numbers too much as it's far too easy to get lost in the shuffle in New Orleans. 

Despite that, Meachem is a nice scoring threat, grabbing at least five touchdowns in each of the last three seasons. In Baltimore, he would be a perfect player to put on the other side of Torrey Smith. 

Baltimore has an extremely small window to win and if they don't improve the offense, that window will close. Meachem would be a significant improvement. 

Buffalo Bills, Jason Jones, DE/DT (Tennessee Titans)

The Bills have to spend their offseason revamping the pass rush that recorded fewer quarterback sacks than any team in 2012. Jones is better on the interior and will eat up defenders, opening up room for defensive ends and outside linebackers. 

He will be 26 next season, so he can anchor that defense for a long time. Playing in a division with Tom Brady, the Bills will have to attack the quarterback better. Jones would bring that element to Buffalo.

Carolina Panthers, Richard Marshall, CB (Arizona Cardinals)

The Panthers know that Marshall is a good player, as he had been on the team before 2011. This year, they need to bring him back. 

Carolina was 24th in the NFL in pass defense last season, which will never get it done in the NFL. Marshall brings a solid element and as we saw in 2011 with the Cardinals, he can play safety in a pinch. 

Chicago Bears, Jared Gaither, OT (San Diego Chargers)

Philip Rivers and the Chargers got immensely better when Gaither took over late in 2011. The Bears will not sustain an offensive punch good enough to compete with teams like the Packers and Lions if they don't protect the quarterback better. 

They allowed more sacks than all but 4 teams in 2011. With Jay Cutler returning from an injury, the protection will need to be better. This situation is too urgent to depend on a rookie. They need to bring in a guy like Gaither to make an immediate impact.

Cincinnati Bengals, Laurent Robinson, WR (Dallas Cowboys)

It is hard to not notice that the Bengals ranked 20th in passing yards in 2011. It is equally hard to ignore the fact that their three division rivals are all in the top four in the NFL in pass defense. 

The Bengals need someone to exploit the favorable matchups that come from having A.J. Green as a teammate, and Robinson is that guy. He had 858 receiving yards in 2011 and 11 touchdowns. 

Cleveland Browns, Andre Carter, DE (New England Patriots)

Playing in the brutal AFC North, the Browns will need to do better than 32 sacks in 2012 if they are seriously going to compete. 

Carter is a fine pass rusher and has been for his entire career. In 2011, he recorded 10 sacks in just 14 games for the Patriots. The Browns have a good defense, but need to bring in a guy to attack the quarterback. Carter is that player. 

Dallas Cowboys, Rashean Mathis, CB (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Mathis is still a reliable cover corner, which the Cowboys lacked all season. If they had that, they would have managed at least a split against the Giants, which would have earned a playoff berth. 

Mathis is a good guy to bring in on a short term basis, which is a good thing for the Cowboys. They are built to win now, so hoping for a rookie would be counter-productive. 

Denver Broncos, John Carlson, TE (Seattle Seahawks)

I would say to go for a receiver, but Tim Tebow's style of quarterbacking would make that move useless. Carlson is a big tight end that would be a nice safety valve for Tebow. 

More importantly, a tight end will thrive in this offense. Linebackers are so focused on Tebow, often leaving large pockets open in the middle of the field. That is where Carlson would thrive. 

Detroit Lions, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, RB (New England Patriots)

The Lions lacked a solid running game all year, which cost them wins and any real chance at beating the Saints in the playoffs. 

Green-Ellis is used to playing in a pass-first offense, and would have no problem making the adjustment to a team that was reliant on Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson. 

Green Bay Packers, Jamaal Anderson, DE (Indianapolis Colts)

In limited time, Anderson did a good job getting to the quarterback in 2011. The Packers were missing that from their defense and it showed in the playoffs. 

Obviously this is a 15-1 team so they don't need a lot, but bringing in help for the defensive line is an absolute must. 

Houston Texans, Tyler Brayton, DE (Indianapolis Colts) 

If this team stays healthy in 2012, they are a Super Bowl threat. They don't need to do a lot other than add depth, which is what Brayton would do. 

When Mario Williams went down, this team's pass rush took a hit. Just a little bit of depth on the defensive side of the ball and this team is a real threat to win the Super Bowl.

Indianapolis Colts, Eric Wright, CB (Detroit Lions)

Let's be nice and say that it was not difficult to pass the ball on this team in 2011. Peyton Manning masked a lot of problems, but even he couldn't have helped that defense. 

Wright is a solid corner. He isn't spectacular, but would be a step in the right direction. This team will have to spend money on the offensive side of the ball, so building depth on defense will be needed. 

Jacksonville Jaguars, Pierre Garcon, WR (Indianapolis Colts) 

If they are going to really see how good Blaine Gabbert is, the Jaguars will have to improve their receiving corps. Their leading receiver in 2011 was Marcedes Lewis, who didn't even the 500-yard mark. 

Even without Manning, Garcon managed nearly 1,000 yards receiving in 2011. The Jaguars have to make this move happen to give Gabbert a chance to succeed. 

Kansas City Chiefs, Max Starks, OT (Pittsburgh Steelers) 

Starks is a massive man and the Chiefs' pass protection was just abysmal in 2011. They will have to get better at that to compete in an AFC West that will be tough division. 

With a better line and returning players, the Chiefs would become a real threat to win the division and make a playoff run. That will not happen without protecting Matt Cassel. 

Miami Dolphins, Josh Morgan, WR (San Francisco 49ers)

Brandon Marshall is the top receiver in Miami, but the Dolphins need someone on the other side of him to burn opponents who key in too much on Marshall. 

Morgan missed most of 2011, but he is that player. He is a big man capable of big plays in favorable matchups. That WR duo would be extremely strong, physical, and nearly impossible to match up against. It would also open the holes up on the line for Daniel Thomas and Reggie Bush to run through. 

Minnesota Vikings, Jackie Battle, RB (Kansas City Chiefs)

There is no guarantee that Adrian Peterson will be back to start the season, or that he will ever return the form that we've seen in the past. Battle filled in admirably when Jamaal Charles was hurt last year and would be a nice insurance policy in Minnesota. 

Even if Peterson does come back, they will need to reduce his workload. Battle is a nice option to step in when Peterson needs a break. He would also help Christian Ponder develop, as a good running game is the best friend of a quarterback. 

New England Patriots, Aaron Ross, CB (New York Giants)

Ross is a nice big play corner that the Patriots need. Allowing the yards isn't a problem, but they have to do a better job making big plays. 

Ross picked off four passes in 2011. If the Patriots are smart, they will spend the offseason retooling the secondary. Ross would be a big part of that project.

New Orleans Saints, Brandon Meriweather, S (Chicago Bears) 

Anyone who doesn't think the Saints need help over the top didn't watch their playoff loss to the 49ers, or even their win against the Lions. That is something that needs to improve in 2012. 

Meriweather is a big hitter that will make the back half of the defense a lot better. With him, they would be more dangerous than they already are. 

New York Giants, London Fletcher, LB (Washington Redskins)

Obviously, the Giants are a team that doesn't need a lot of help, but their linebackers did cost them a little bit. There were times in the Super Bowl when the middle of the field was wide open, and that's not a long term recipe for success. 

Fletcher is still a fine player with good range. He would be a nice player for the Giants to bring in to protect the middle of the field, even if only for a season or two.

New York Jets, Eddie Royal, WR (Denver Broncos) 

Something about the duo of Mark Sanchez and Santonio Holmes doesn't quite click, although we're going to see it for another year. What makes Royal work is that he is dangerous on short routes, which is what works with Sanchez. 

Royal would be a nice player to come in and help move the chains, giving the defense time to rest. With that addition, it's hard to see the Jets not getting back to the playoffs.

Oakland Raiders, Shaun Ellis, DT (New England Patriots)

The Raiders need to revamp that defense and that has to start up the middle. It was too easy to run on their defense all year, as even the better lineman like Richard Seymour are more focused on pass rush. 

Ellis is a big man in the middle that would change all of that. He would plug the middle and give the linebackers room to run. 

Philadelphia Eagles, Dan Connor, LB (Carolina Panthers) 

The Eagles' linebackers were extremely underwhelming last season, which is why they couldn't hold late game leads. It was too easy to run against them, which is disastrous in the NFL. 

Connor would be a nice, solid linebacker on a unit that needs to be completely changed. When given time on the field, he will be an improvement to the team. 

Pittsburgh Steelers, Steve Slaton, RB (Miami Dolphins)

This may seem underwhelming, but it's a great move. The Steelers don't need a lot, but a change of pace back from Rashard Mendenhall would make life extremely tough on defensive coordinators. 

Slaton still has a big play punch to him, as you don't want to give him any room to run. He would give the offense an element that they don't quite have right now. 

San Diego Chargers, Kelvin Hayden, CB (Atlanta Falcons) 

You could go with the offensive line here, but I watched the Chargers get torched by too many average quarterbacks and wide receivers this year to think that they should do anything but bolster the secondary in free agency. 

With a player like Hayden going against No. 2 receivers, the Chargers would be favorites in the AFC West again. 

San Francisco 49ers, Plaxico Burress, WR (New York Jets)

All year, I watched the 49ers move the ball and settle for field goals. David Akers had a great year, but you never want your kicker setting the NFL record for kicks made. 

Burress is still a good red zone option, as his size is tough to match up against in short yardage situations. This team wasn't far from the Super Bowl this year, and more red zone efficiency could easily put them over the top.

Seattle Seahawks, Aubrayo Franklin, DT (New Orleans Saints)

The Seahawks had a middle of the pack run defense in 2011, and that needs to improve. At 317 pounds, Franklin is the man to make that happen. 

This is not a team that's far from playoff contention. A simple move like Franklin would stabilize the run defense and give them a very good chance to get back to the postseason. 

St. Louis Rams, Demetrius Bell, OT (Buffalo Bills)

Sam Bradford has to be protected for this team to get back to where they were in 2011. While I like the thought of them drafting Matt Kalil at No. 2, that pick is going to have a lot of value, meaning they should trade it and draft a tackle in 2012. 

Bell is the top option and his injury came at the same time the Bills' season went downhill. The offense would look a lot better if Bradford wasn't constantly dealing with two or three men right in his face.  

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Michael Griffin, S (Tennessee Titans)

No team in the NFL allowed more points in the NFL than the Buccaneers, so they need to take a gamble and bolster that secondary. 

Griffin can be a little inconsistent but when he's on, there are only a few safeties in the league that are better. In 2010, he picked four passes off while he had seven in 2008. The Buccaneers have to do this, because that division is too tough to be competitive in with the poor secondary that Tampa has. 

Tennessee Titans, Jameel McClain, LB (Baltimore Ravens)

The Titans had a hard time making up for the loss of Stephen Tulloch. McClain is a fine linebacker, only one who has been a little shielded in Baltimore's big name defense. 

In Tennessee, he would have a chance to succeed and make plays.McClain had 84 tackles in 2011. Playing away from Baltimore, he would be well over 100. 

Washington Redskins, Jerome Simpson, WR (Cincinnati Bengals)

I don't think anyone needs to be reminded how good of an athlete this guy is. 

He lacked a little bit of consistency in Cincinnati, but receivers tend to do well with Mike Shanahan. This would be a nice receiver for the team to bring in to work with a new quarterback like, as a random example, Robert Griffin III.

Simpson would bring the big play factor to the Redskins that they didn't have in 2011. With that, running backs Roy Helu and Tim Hightower, and a better quarterback, this team would be a darkhorse contender next season.

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