2011 NFL Free Agency: 6 Teams Primed To Pounce in Free Agency When Lockout Ends

Excitement is building. The lockout's life is fading to final climax. Whether it be days or weeks, it looks like free agency is imminent.

The excitement of the fans is obvious; however, there are a few teams that will be just as excited to scrap for the players awaiting offers.

Here are a few teams that should act fast to fix the holes in their respective ships.

Atlanta Falcons

The reigning NFC South champions made the most aggressive move of the offseason with the Julio Jones trade. That attitude will need to continue if their hopes of appearing in a Super Bowl are to come true this season.

Thomas Dimitroff wasn't afraid to give up so much for what he saw as the final piece of the Falcons' offense. Now he will need to show the same vigor in free agency to fill one fatal flaw on the defense.

The Jones trade cost the team two rookies from this season's class, including their second-round choice. Those choices could have potentially landed the team another pass rusher to complement John Abraham. Abraham's solo effort to keep the pass rush in Atlanta respectable was notable last year.

Abraham's 13 sacks made him the only double-digit sack getter on the team. This is not a major problem, save for the fact that Jonathan Babineaux ranked second on the team with only four.

The Falcons will now look to add a proven defensive end—after Kroy Biermann failed to transition to a starting role last year—such as Ray Edwards, once free agency begins. Edwards is a proven NFL player, which makes him more appealing to a team like the Falcons who believe they are ready to win right now.

Should they not be able to land Edwards, expect the Falcons to make a play for Charles Johnson.

Oakland Raiders

No matter what, the Oakland Raiders will be making a big move or two in free agency. They are a team who sat at 8-8 last season and are potentially one or two additions away from being a playoff team.

Without a first-round pick from this year's draft to add to the roster, as well as the loss of Nnamdi Asomugha's huge contract from the wage bill, the Raiders should be active early and often in free agency.

Their first priorities will be their own players, as guys like Michael Huff, Zach Miller and Michael Bush are important pieces for the AFC West side. The Raiders will face a fight to sign Huff, while Miller's return will be important for the offense.

The Raiders didn't add a first-round pick to their roster, but they did add Stefan Wisniewski in the second round. Wisniewski will be looked to to replace Robert Gallery on the interior of the offensive line. Nonetheless, the Raiders could still be in play to improve the offensive line with another veteran or two.

The Raiders also brought in Demarcus Van Dyke in the third round for cornerback help. Van Dyke won't be ready to start in his rookie season, therefore the Raiders could be looking for an Asomugha replacement. Moving Chris Johnson back into the starting lineup across from Stanford Routt wouldn't be a proactive move, but adding a proven starter in free agency would make sense.

Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins offense is the least talented offense I have seen since the 2008 Detroit Lions. Outside of Ryan Torrain and Chris Cooley, there is little worth shouting about as far as skilled position players go for Skins' fans.

Torrain is a tough runner who will take over from the departed Clinton Portis with the bulk of the carries. Despite the presence of Keiland Williams and the drafting of Roy Helu, expect the Redskins to try to bring in a second bell cow to make life as easy as possible for John Beck.

The team's best receiver from last season is a free agent and it is unclear whether Santana Moss will return or find greener pastures elsewhere. Anthony Armstrong was the only other relevant receiver for the Redskins last year, but he is not yet ready to be a first option.

The Redskins need to add depth and talent to their wide receiving corp, so expect them to make moves for multiple free-agent receivers; they cannot expect to run a competitive offense with late-round rookies.

Defensively, the Redskins also have to add some pieces. The defensive line could use fortifying, while the secondary will need to be upgraded after ranking 31st in the league last year. Re-signing Carlos Rodgers may or may not be a priority, but adding another cornerback definitely will be.

Daniel Snyder has always been an aggressive player in free agency and isn't scared to make plays for players with high reputations. The quality of the roster, coupled with Snyder's large bank balance, makes for an active few weeks ahead in Washington.

New York Jets

The AFC Championship runner-up Jets have a lot of players hitting free agency. There are many potential players leaving New York, including a host of starters.

After locking up David Harris with the franchise tag, the Jets face the dilemma of deciding between Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Antonio Cromartie. It is unlikely that they will be able to re-sign all of those players, while Brad Smith is also set to test the free-agent market.

Holmes would be the team's biggest loss and he has already reportedly stated that he has no loyalty to return. This should not turn the Jets away; I expect them to make a big offer to the former Super Bowl MVP. With Mark Sanchez entering his third year, putting the pieces around him to allow him to succeed will be the Jets' biggest priority.

Antonio Cromartie was a star in New York last season, especially when Darrelle Revis missed time through injury. Cromartie will probably be offered more money elsewhere, but the Jets will definitely be a big player for him.

Re-signing David Harris to a long-term deal and bringing back Shaun Ellis will be done immediately in order to solidify the defense and create more cap room to sign other free agents.

St. Louis Rams

With Josh MacDaniels as the team's new offensive coordinator, the St. Louis Rams are attempting to give Sam Bradford every chance to excel in his second NFL season.

The Rams drafted a couple of receivers—Austin Pettis and Greg Salas—in the NFL draft, but don't rule out them making a play to bring back Mark Clayton. Depending on the health of Donnie Avery, the Rams may need to look to one of the elite receivers available.

What is definitely a need in St. Louis is another running back. With the transition to a pass-based offense, the Rams would do well to bring in Darren Sproles. Sproles would be the ideal third-down back for the Rams, while also giving them another option outside of Stephen Jackson. Jackson's backup last season was Kenneth Darby, who was solid, but not spectacular.

The Rams will also need to upgrade their secondary play, as O.J. Atogwe is now a Redskin. Bringing in a free safety to play alongside Craig Dahl will be one of the Rams' most important additions in free agency.

Steve Spagnuolo may be tempted to bring in Barry Cofield from the Giants after the success of Fred Robbins last year. Robbins is 34 years of age, so doesn't fit with the team long term. Spagnuolo is already familiar with Cofield from his time in New York.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles look set to have a lot of cap room available heading into next season. There have been repeated reports of the Eagles trying to land Nnamdi Asomugha, so expect them to figure heavily in the early bidding war.

The Eagles will need to sign a new cornerback, whether it is Asomugha or not, while they will also have to act fast to rebuild their line-backing corp. Omar Gaither, Akeem Jordan, Ernie Sims and Stewart Bradley are all scheduled to be free agents.

The Eagles also have to sort out the quarterback position. Michael Vick will have to be signed to an extension rather than playing for his franchise tender. The expected trade of Kevin Kolb will highlight the need for a veteran backup quarterback. With a quarterback like Vick, a backup quarterback is vital.

The Eagles could also look quickly to improve the right tackle position and bring in insurance for Brandon Graham, who is coming off a serious injury from last season.

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