NFL Free Agency: One Nightmare Contract Scenario for Every NFL Team

One deal can forever change the fate of an NFL franchise. Which deals in the future would be the worst for every team?

We break down the one nightmare contract scenario that each NFL team could face within the next two seasons.

Will Matthew Stafford command Peyton Manning-like money? Could Chris Johnson really force his way out in Tennessee?

Keep reading to find out.

Buffalo Bills: Extending Ryan Fitzpatrick's Contract

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick's contact expires after the 2011 season, making him a free agent and leaving the Bills without an established quarterback next fall.

And that's quite alright, as the Bills need to finally pull the trigger and draft a franchise quarterback.

The worst move Buffalo could possibly make would be re-signing Fitzpatrick to an extension before the end of the 2011 season. Let everyone see what Fitzpatrick can do in an extended role as the starter, and then talk money.

Miami Dolphins: Brandon Marshall Wants a New Deal

The Miami Dolphins have a solid nucleus of talent on offense, centering around left tackle Jake Long and wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Marshall has the talent to be one of the top five receivers in the NFL, but his off-field antics and issues remain a huge question mark for Marshall and the Dolphins.

The worst-case scenario in Miami would be Marshall wanting a new deal after a breakout 2011 season. If that happens, Miami must decide between character and talent.

New England Patriots: Logan Mankins Refuses to Re-Sign

Logan Mankins is no stranger to holding out to get his way. If he does it again, the Patriots could be hurting.

Mankins held out through the first nine weeks of the 2010 season under a contract dispute with the Patriots over the team's use of the franchise tag. Mankins didn't want to be tagged, and he really didn't like it when the Pats cut his tender money when he refused to sign.

The relationship between Mankins and Patriots management is not healthy, to say the least. Without Mankins in the lineup in 2011, New England's record would suffer.

New York Jets: Santonio Holmes Demands Top Receiver Money

The speculation coming out of New York is that the Jets will make re-signing Santonio Holmes their No. 1 priority this offseason.

There are two problems with this.

1. What if Holmes doesn't want to re-sign?

2. What if Holmes asks for top dollar?

If Holmes does come back and demand top money, the Jets may have to say "no thanks." With other free agents to re-sign, namely Braylon Edwards and Antonio Cromartie, the Jets may find it's better to re-sign their second and third priorities.

Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco Demands Highest QB Salary

Joe Flacco is already asking for a new deal in Baltimore after leading the Ravens to three straight playoff appearances. The team seems set to sign him to an extension after the season, but what if Flacco prices himself out of their market?

Flacco will make $4.61 million in 2012, which is his last season under contract. He could be worth much more on the open market, but how much will he ask for?

Tom Brady is scheduled to make around $15 million in 2011, which is probably too little. Peyton Manning, on the other hand, will bring in over $20 million by most estimates.

If Flacco tries to place himself higher than Brady, the Ravens are in big trouble.

Cincinnati Bengals: Re-Signing Cedric Benson

As a life-long fan of the Texas Longhorns, it is hard for me to speak ill of Cedric Benson...but he's an idiot, and he has been since he entered the NFL.

The Bengals may be more liberal in their hiring of convicts than most NFL teams, but at some point they have to step up and say "enough" to Benson, Adam Jones, Chad Ochocinco and the other malcontents on the team.

Re-signing Benson would only further prove the Bengals' enabling of their troubled employees.

Cleveland Browns: Peyton Hillis Wants a New Deal

We really had to reach for something with the Cleveland Browns.

Mike Holmgren has built a roster loaded with young players who are largely paid at market value and are under the radar in terms of star power, so no one is commanding a new deal.

Yet.

Peyton Hillis is the closest thing the Browns have to a star, and while he may not seem like the type of player to demand a new deal, anything can happen.

Hillis may be worthy of a new deal, but not yet. The Browns would be wise to wait until after the 2011 season to see if Hillis deserves the big money.

Pittsburgh Steelers: LaMarr Woodley Wants No. 1 OLB Money

The Pittsburgh Steelers, based on estimates of a $135 million salary cap, are about $4 million and some change under the expected 2011 cap.

That's including the one-year franchise tag hit of $10.091 million for Mr. LaMarr Woodley.

Should Woodley press the Steelers for a long-term deal up front, the team would have to get creative in how to structure Woodley's new deal in a way that relieves the cap hit in 2011 and most likely 2012.

Sure, it could be done, but now is not the time for Pittsburgh to be faced with a linebacker expecting DeMarcus Ware money.

Houston Texans: Arian Foster Refuses to Sign Long Term After 2011

Arian Foster, as a third-year player, will become a restricted free agent after the 2011 season—unless the Texans do something between now and then to lock him up long term.

That makes Foster an unrestricted free agent after the 2012 season.

Houston must start planning now for a big contract for Foster, who led the NFL in rushing last year. The question is, and the worst case scenario would be, what if Foster doesn't want to re-sign?

Indianapolis Colts: Peyton Manning Demands $25 Million Yearly

Peyton Manning is an unrestricted free agent at 35 years old. The Colts slapped the franchise tag on him once the season ended, but there's even a slim chance that as a plaintiff in the Brady vs. NFL case he will be exempt from the franchise tag for the rest of his career.

Once Manning hits the open market, whether it's this season or next, he'll command a huge payout. But what if he asks too much?

The Colts must have a magic number in their heads that they will agree to pay Manning, otherwise he could ask for anything.

If Manning were to ask for, say, $25 million per year; how could the Colts keep him happy and have money to build a team around him?

Jacksonville Jaguars: Maurice Jones-Drew Refuses to Re-Sign

Maurice Jones-Drew is locked up for the next three seasons in Jacksonville, but that doesn't mean the team wouldn't like to extend him on a deal he signed in 2009.

MJD is one of the league's best, and keeping him happy while the Jaguars rebuild is a key to the success of the franchise long term.

Jacksonville should begin approaching Jones-Drew about a deal...but if for some reason he's not interested, the Jaguars are in trouble.

Tennessee Titans: Chris Johnson Holds out for a New Contract

Chris Johnson has said before that he deserves to be the highest paid offensive player in football. He's also rumored to be considering a hold-out if the Titans do not sign him to a monster deal once the lockout ends.

The worst nightmare in Tennessee has to be the thought of losing Johnson. The Titans must make a move immediately to get him locked up.

Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow Wants Starter Money Too Soon

Color me converted, but I'm really starting to believe in Tim Tebow as the long-term starter and franchise quarterback of the Denver Broncos.

Crazy, I know.

The only problem in Denver might come from the fact that Tebow, if he has a good 2011 season, could ask for a new deal.

Tebow was drafted in the last part of the first round, meaning he's making decent money but is not paid anywhere close to what a starting quarterback in the NFL commands.

Should Tebow feel he has outplayed his contract, the Broncos will be faced with a tough decision.

Kansas City Chiefs: Tamba Hali Refuses to Re-Sign

Tamba Hali was designated the franchise player in Kansas City—good news for the Chiefs as they try to retain one of the best pass rushers in the NFL and a player who has really come alive recently.

Hali, however, may want more than his $10 million franchise fee the Chiefs have offered. Should Hali refuses to sign his franchise tender we may see a replay of the Logan Mankins/Vincent Jackson situations from the 2010 season.

Oakland Raiders: The Stanford Routt Contract

The worst contract scenario for the Oakland Raiders isn't a nightmare, it's already happening.

The Raiders, in days after learning Nnamdi Asomugha's contract had been voided, moved to re-sign cornerback Stanford Routt. Seemingly a smart move, right?

Wrong.

The Raiders gave Routt, a corner with six career interceptions, a three-year, $31.5 million contract that has a guarantee of $20 million.

All of this to a cornerback who has at times lost his starting job.

San Diego Chargers: Vincent Jackson Refuses to Sign Franchise Tender

Vincent Jackson has been a problem in the past for the San Diego Chargers, what's to stop him from doing the same again?

Jackson has been in the NFL seven years. During that time he has never been an unrestricted free agent—something he's not happy about.

Jackson was again tendered as the Chargers franchise player, this after the team tagged him last season and Jackson promptly sat out the first nine weeks of the season.

Should Jackson decide to sit again this year the Chargers will have no choice but to release or trade him.

Dallas Cowboys: Dez Bryant Wants More Money Than Roy Williams and Miles Austin

In Dallas, they love their receivers, and they are paying them like kings.

Miles Austin: $8.54 million in 2011.

Roy Williams: $5,109,971 in 2011.

The problem is that their most talented receiver slipped in the 2010 NFL Draft and is playing for way below what he would make as a free agent.

Trouble is, he has at least three years left on his original deal.

Dez Bryant has been in trouble with money since signing with Dallas, evident by the fact that was sued three times this offseason for failure to pay on loans. Could this be the fuel Bryant needs to ask Jerry Jones for more money?

Dallas is already treading water to stay below the salary cap ceiling. If Bryant asks for more, someone has to go.

New York Giants: Ahmad Bradshaw Wants $10 Million

Ahmad Bradshaw is the best weapon the New York Giants have on their roster (no pun intended, Plaxico Burress). He's also a free agent.

With the NFL and NFLPA agreeing that players with four years service in the league are unrestricted free agents, Bradshaw will be free to test the market. He's already dropped hints about joining the Miami Dolphins.

The Giants would love to keep Bradshaw, their nightmare would be having Bradshaw ask for top 10 running back money—putting his cap number well above the $10 million mark.

Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Vick Refuses to Sign Long Term

Michael Vick would be insane to leave the good thing he has going in Philadephia, right?

We'll give Vick the benefit of the doubt and say he's probably smart enough to know that Andy Reid is the best bet for his future, but Vick has shown questionable decision making ability in the past.

The worst case scenario in Philadelphia would be Vick signing his franchise tender and telling the Eagles he will not be re-signing with them long-term after the season.

The nightmare would only get worse—think Freddie Krueger bad—if this happened after Philadelphia trades Kevin Kolb.

At least Mike Kafka would be happy.

Washington Redskins: Donovan McNabb Goes Unmoved

When Donovan McNabb signed with the Washington Redskins following his trade from Philadelphia, it was reported the deal was worth $78 million.

If only agents were under oath.

McNabb's actual deal pays him just $3.75 million if he's cut this season, which seems like an easy number for Washington to swallow.

However, there has been speculation that Washington will not cut McNabb, instead holding on to him as trade bait in exchange for players and/or draft picks.

The worst possible move in Washington would be allowing McNabb to stay on the roster as a backup.

Chicago Bears: Gabe Carimi Holds Out

The Chicago Bears chose Gabe Carimi with their first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft with the hope of plugging him in at left tackle in Week 1 and forgetting about the position for the next decade.

A great plan, unless Carimi goes the path of many first-rounders before him and decides to hold out for a better contract.

The idea of a rookie wage scale makes this less possible, since picks will be slotted, but that does not mean a rookie cannot or will not hold out for better incentives or more money up front.

Should Carimi hold out, the Bears plans to take the NFC in 2011 will be put on hold.

Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford Demands Top 5 Money

Matthew Stafford is not hurting for money, especially when you consider he's played in just 13 NFL games over the course of two seasons.

So, how does he play in to the worst case contract nightmare in Detroit?

If Stafford stays healthy in 2011 and leads the Lions to the playoffs, or even close to the playoffs, the team will likely approach him about restructuring his contract to free up cap space.

And what happens if Stafford says "Sure, for $50 million guaranteed"?

It's not out of the question that Stafford, who knows how precious time in the NFL is after two injured-shortened seasons, would ask to be paid up front versus incentives.

And if this were to happen, Lions fans would be screwed.

Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers Wants Peyton Manning Money

You tell me, who was the better quarterback in 2010, Aaron Rodgers or Peyton Manning? It might have been a push, or some would say Rodgers was the better player.

Manning made $15.8 million in 2010, Rodgers pulled in $6 million. Quite a difference.

At some point in the future, the Green Bay Packers must approach Rodgers about an extension. Currently he is signed through the 2014 season at very low salaries for a Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

When the time comes for Green Bay to re-sign No. 12, the worst possible outcome would be Rodgers asking for a Manning-like salary.

In most cities, and you could argue even in Indianapolis, when the quarterback is making an obscene amount of money the talent around him suffers. Tom Brady is well known for taking a smaller salary so the Patriots can afford to build a team around him. Rodgers would be wise to follow Brady's lead.

Minnesota Vikings: Christian Ponder Holds out

As the NFL lockout winds to a close and more information comes out about the proposed rookie wage scale, it seems less likely that any first-round picks will hold out. But, you never know.

Christian Ponder was drafted to be the next franchise quarterback in Minnesota. The team and the fanbase are relying on his playing immediately as a rookie.

If Ponder were to hold out the Vikings would be left scrambling to either sign a free agent, or prepare Joe Webb for Week 1 of the 2011 season.

Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan Feels Underpaid

It's hard to imagine a man making $11.25 million feeling underpaid, but Matt Ryan may have a good case for that argument.

Ryan has quickly become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but he's definitely not paid like it. Should Ryan lead the Falcons to another NFC best win-total and should he get a playoff win under his belt, Atlanta ownership will be forced to look at the last two years of his contract and attempt to extend his deal.

Ryan is a solid young man, so we're not saying this would ever happen, but if it did and Ryan felt slighted by Arthur Blank and Company, well, that would be the absolute worst nightmare for Atlanta.

Well, actually, Ryan heading a dog fighting ring in Virginia would be the worst nightmare, but we're sticking to contracts here.

Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton Holds out

If you were to take a poll asking football fans which rookie were most likely to hold out, I would be willing to bet my entire Bleacher Report salary the answer would be Cam Newton.

Newton, as likeable as he can be at times, still falls under the stigma of being controlled by his father Cecil. People see him as flashy and selfish, whether that's fair or not.

Newton is expected to step into a major role with the Panthers early on in his rookie season. As we've seen before (Ryan Leaf, JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn), when a rookie quarterback holds out it only kills his chances of becoming a viable quarterback early on in his career.

New Orleans Saints: Reggie Bush Somehow Stays in Town

Please allow this to sink in for a moment: Reggie Bush is due $11.8 million dollars as a member of the New Orleans Saints this year.

It's quite easy to say the worst contract nightmare would be Bush staying on the roster at this astronomical salary.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Freeman Becomes Unhappy with His Deal

Drafted No. 17 overall in the 2009 NFL Draft, quarterback Josh Freeman is still being paid like a mid first-round pick.

That should be changing real soon.

Freeman will make just $940,000 in 2011 before his salary jumps to around $6.5 million in 2012 and $8.5 million in 2013. After that, he's free to test the market.

Tampa Bay should realize the value of Freeman before he realizes how underpaid he is.

Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson Holds out

It has been widely reported that the Arizona Cardinals will consider trading starting cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to the Philadelphia Eagles for quarterback Kevin Kolb—in essence killing two birds (no pun, again) with one stone for the Eagles as they acquire a starting cornerback and move a backup quarterback who has asked to be traded.

The deal makes sense, as Arizona used the No. 5 pick in the 2011 draft to select cornerback Patrick Peterson. It is Peterson who would step in to DRC's role should the trade go down.

That is, unless he holds out. Peterson, as a top five pick, will command the most money of any grouping from the draft under a rookie wage scale. If Peterson hesitates at all it could end a trade that would solidify Arizona's biggest weakness—quarterback.

Seattle Seahawks: Charlie Whitehurst Gets Extended

I like the idea of letting Charlie Whitehurst quarterback the Seattle Seahawks for the 2011 season, and not just because I was raised a 49er fan.

Whitehurst showed a lot of moxie in his two starts with the 'Hawks during the 2010 season. It's from those two starts that he showed me, and management, that he deserves a chance.

That doesn't mean he should be given a new contract, though.

Whitehurst will be a free agent after the 2011 season. As tempting as it might be to go ahead and lock him up, Seattle needs to wait and see what they have in Whitehurst before signing any new deals.

San Francisco 49ers: Vernon Davis Wants out of Town

The San Francisco 49ers' best offensive player, tight end Vernon Davis, would kill the organization if he were ever to tire of losing and decide he wants out.

Davis is signed through the 2014 season, and at salaries that are very team-friendly. That also means he would be easy to trade if he ever did ask to be moved.

Davis is not only the best player on the offense, he's a leader and captain that could not be replaced on offense.

Keep Davis happy, Jim Harbaugh.

St. Louis Rams: Steven Jackson Demands a Trade

Sam Bradford may be the franchise quarterback, but Steven Jackson is the one who players look at to gauge the temperature of the franchise.

Jackson, who has All-Pro talent but has been stuck on horrible teams, might find losing in St. Louis to be a waste of his time. If so, bad things will happen for the Rams.

Jackson is a leader on and off the field. Should he ever ask for a trade the fallout would be huge.