2011 NFL Free Agency: 20 Players Who Could End Up in Surprising Places
When it comes to any NFL story in the past month, it is usually one of three things. It is a story about the latest and greatest update on the Collective Bargaining Agreement from the steps outside the courthouse, to what location a team is holding informal workouts to stay in shape, or a quick speculation story on where a potential free agent will land. Outside of that not much else is going on.
Most of the free agent updates focus on the top tier of free agency and usually are restricted to only the upper echelon teams, as if the other NFL teams don't exist.
However, just like the NFL draft is full of surprises, free agency can have its' own degree of surprises and that is what we are going to speculate on. Who are the free agents that could really create a surprise by joining a team that hardly anybody is talking about as a viable option.
Since this is purely speculation, we are going to use some reasonable logic on most, and some may be a gut feeling.
In 2009, I don't think many people would have predicted free agent Terrell Owens joining the Buffalo Bills but it happened anyway. In 2010, it was considered a surprise when free agent LaDainian Tomlinson signed with the New York Jets, when other teams were offering him a bigger role and more money.
What are the likelihood of these 20 surprises happening? Hard to say, just remember they are all long shots.
Sidney Rice
1 of 20
The New York Jets are in need of several wide receivers due to the current labor issues. Sure, they have the potential ability to bring back Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards, but who says that is the direction they have to go in?
Sidney Rice has the potential to be an exciting and dynamic addition to any offense. He will be in demand, but the lure of New York City, a strong offer, and being so close to appearing in the Super Bowl, might be too hard for Rice to say no to.
Darren Sproles
2 of 20
Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network envisions that Darren Sproles would be the Danny Woodhead version of the small, quick back utilized in the Patriots offense. With Josh McDaniels looking to bring that blueprint to the St. Louis Rams, Sproles would be one more weapon for Sam Bradford.
Here is the blog that Lombardi offered his rationale for this move. I think it makes sense.
Terrell Owens
3 of 20
You need a head coach with a reasonably strong personality to get along with Terrell Owens, or somebody that is flexible enough that he can get along with almost anybody.
Enter Pete Carroll. Seattle added Marshawn Lynch to their backfield, but could still use some fire power in the passing game. This move brings Owens back to the West Coast, albeit the Pacific Northwest.
I see Owens and Carroll having a reasonably decent chance to get along or try to co-exist for a year. That seems to be the ideal shelf life for Owens. We will bring this back up one year from now.
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Troy Smith
4 of 20
It appears that Alex Smith will return to the San Francisco 49ers. Of course, that isn't set in stone, but it looks like that will happen. So, where does Troy Smith find employment then?
Buffalo Bills General Manager Buddy Nix stated last week that he is looking to add two quarterbacks to the roster, as right now it is just Ryan Fitzpatrick, and 2010 seventh round draft pick Levi Brown. One of the two figures to be Tyler Thipgen, who Chan Gailey worked with before in Kansas City.
Smith makes sense for the second QB. He has played in 20 games, is fairly mobile, and has thrown more touchdowns than interceptions. The completion percentage career isn't much to get excited about, 51 percent, but for what the Bills want from this role, he should be fine for the job.
Vince Young
5 of 20
Coming back to visit Pete Carroll again. Carroll had experience coaching against Vince Young and he knows first hand what he can do.
If the Titans release Young at the start of free agency, as is expected, I could see Seattle considering a much younger quarterback as opposed to bringing back Matt Hasselbeck for his final hurrah.
Cedrick Benson
6 of 20
Mike Shanahan loves to run the football. The Washington Redskins had the 30th ranked rush offense in the NFL in 2010.
Cedric Benson has seen enough craziness in Cincinnati over the past few years to be ready to listen to any outside offers. Daniel Snyder has deep pockets and the Redskins are looking to be active in free agency.
If you connect the dots, this makes sense.
Jared Gaither
7 of 20
Nobody knows yet for sure if Jared Gaither will be an unrestricted free agent or not. If for the sake of argument we could assume that he is available, who are the teams that really needed a tackle but failed to add one in the draft?
Enter the Buffalo Bills. The right tackle is wide open, as Erik Pears is hardly awe inspiring there. The Bills could let Gaither compete with Demitrius Bell. One of them would be the left tackle, the other gets the right side gig.
That way the Bills are freed up in 2012 to draft their quarterback of the future in the first round.
Carlos Rogers
8 of 20
With the legal issues facing Aqib Talib, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to need to find a strong corner in free agency.
Carlos Rogers has been running his mouth about wanting to stay in the NFC East so that he can play against his former team, the Washington Redskins. However, no teams are able to offer him a job until the free agency ban is lifted.
Tampa Bay is a young team on the upswing. They have a clear need, and Rogers is convinced that he wants to move on. This one could come together.
Paul Posluszny
9 of 20
Paul Posluszny has been a fan favorite in Buffalo for years. He was tendered by the Bills, but right now we still await word on if the tenders will stand or not.
Buddy Nix wanted to get bigger at inside linebacker, and did that by drafting two inside linebackers in Kelvin Sheppard and Chris White.
The Bills had the worst rushing defense in the NFL so you could say that Posluszny's first experience at working with new defensive coordinator George Edwards didn't go over so great.
The New York Giants are looking for a linebacker. Their defensive coordinator is Perry Fewell, who used to be the coordinator for Posluszny in Buffalo. If anybody knows what he can do, it is Perry Fewell. Expect the Giants to make a play to give Posluszny an instant shot at trying to get a taste of the playoffs.
Ray Edwards
10 of 20
It sounds like Ray Edwards wants to move on from the Minnesota Vikings, and with the offer that the Vikings made to Brian Robison, they pretty much told Edwards that they place more value on Edwards' backup.
Carolina Panthers are in need of a defensive end. Carolina is a young team, and they could use a veteran along the defensive line. Most people were aware that Edwards recently won his first boxing match, albeit not in the most convincing fashion. Still, he is someone that would give the Panthers a physical presence on the line of scrimmage.
Cullen Jenkins
11 of 20
Most people seem to think that Green Bay Packers free agent Cullen Jenkins is headed to the Washington Redskins. While that could happen, I am thinking more along the lines of the Chicago Bears.
My rationale is that Jenkins knows the NFC North like the back of his hand. He has adapted to playing in frigid weather conditions. He has intimate knowledge of the Packers defense, which would give the Bears an edge in their meetings with Green Bay this year.
The more I think about this, the more it makes sense to me.
Mathias Kiwanuka
12 of 20
The Dallas Cowboys have been known to spend money for players that they really like. Mathias Kiwanuka is a free agent, and the Cowboys have a need for a defensive end.
Plucking a free agent away from an NFC East rival just makes tremendous sense to me. You strengthen your team, and hurt your division foe at the same time.
Of course, Kiwanuka would need to make Cowboys team doctors okay with his neck or disc injury from 2010, but assuming that he is over that, this is a deal that could happen.
Marc Bulger
13 of 20
While many reports are stating that Marc Bulger does not have an interest in going to the Arizona Cardinals, where will he go? He may be headed to Miami, but I have something else in mind for him.
The Minnesota Vikings may make sense. The Vikings have a good ground game to offer with Adrian Peterson to take some pressure off of Bulger. As long as the lockout continues, the chances of Christian Ponder having enough practice time with the team and the coaching staff to be ready to start in week one grows slimmer and slimmer.
So, the Vikings bring in Bulger to start, and when the team decides that Ponder is ready, the focus then shifts to Bulger becoming a mentor, where his years of experience make him an excellent teacher.
Ike Taylor
14 of 20
Ike Taylor is in his 30's. He has plenty of playoff experience so at this juncture he appears to be motivated for a big pay day. While many people believe he will re-sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I am somehow convinced that all Steelers fans will think that it is preposterous to think that he could sign somewhere else, let's assume that he has an open mind when free agency begins.
There is a team that is on the rise and they have a need for a top corner. They are on the verge of turning the corner in their rebuilding effort, and to help push them over the top, might be the extra appeal that allows Ike Taylor to leave Pittsburgh and sign a deal with the Detroit Lions.
Aubrayo Franklin
15 of 20
As weak as the Denver Broncos defense was in 2010, many people assumed that they would try to take advantage of the exceptional depth of defensive linemen in the draft to shore up their holes. However, the draft came and went, and the Broncos are still looking for a defensive tackle.
They probably assumed as they weighed their options at the draft, that they would have to address the position via free agency.
They will have to shell out some serious bucks to get him, but one of the best defensive tackle free agents out there is Aubrayo Franklin of the San Francisco 49ers. If the Broncos are serious about improving their defense, they need a strong presence inside at tackle. Franklin does that and much more.
Matt Hasselbeck
16 of 20
Despite all his claims of being ready to assume the starting job for the Washington Redskins, I somehow am not convinced that John Beck is the answer for head coach Mike Shanahan.
Every free agent signing will have some sort of ripple effect over the free agency landscape. As we mentioned earlier in the presentation, we speculated that Vince Young lands in Seattle. When he signs that deal, that leaves Matt Hasselbeck unemployed and seeking a new employer.
Daniel Snyder can afford him. The Redskins could use a veteran with strong experience. Hasselbeck demonstrated in the playoff game last year that he still has some game left in him. Until the Redskins can identify their quarterback of the future, they can employ Hasselbeck to bridge the gap.
Stephen Tulloch
17 of 20
How good is Stephen Tulloch at reading the tea leaves? When the Tennessee Titans drafted two linebackers in the 2011 NFL draft, Tulloch probably felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
The free agent linebacker is bound to test the waters when free agency begins. A team that has a need at linebacker, and somebody that already knows him well, is his ex-defensive coordinator at Tennessee, Lions head coach Jim Schwartz.
Maybe this one isn't a total surprise, but it makes sense to me.
Barrett Ruud
18 of 20
When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Mason Foster, Barrett Ruud probably figured it was time to look for a new employer. There are a number of teams that need help at linebacker, but why does he have to move out of state?
The Jacksonville Jaguars need help on defense, and could use a solid linebacker. Ruud has been a steady guy, and can still call the state of Florida home.
Harvey Dahl
19 of 20
Harvey Dahl is one of the best guards in the free agent market this year. You would expect that the Atlanta Falcons will try to bring him back, but Dahl would be wise to at least listen to what other teams have to offer.
One team that is in need of a strong guard is the Miami Dolphins. They drafted Mike Pouncey to play center, so lining up Dahl next to him at guard, would give the Dolphins a much better interior line to go up against their AFC East rivals.
Randy Moss
20 of 20
Randy Moss to the Carolina Panthers? Not probable, right? Well, if the Panthers are able to move Steve Smith in the off-season, there will suddenly be a major void at wide receiver.
Let's face it. This is not an elite passing attack we are talking about. Every team in the NFL gained more passing yards than Carolina did in 2010. So why not add Randy Moss, to see what he can still do?
Cam Newton is going to need somebody to throw the ball to, so Moss offers a big target. He is not the same Randy Moss of old, but once Steve Smith is gone, Newton will need somebody to throw to in order to keep defenses honest, or they will playing him to run the ball, which reduces his effectiveness.
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