NFL Free Agents 2011: 15 Largely Unknown Players to Be Had for Cheap

Every sports media outlet is raving over Sidney Rice signing a $41 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks, and we all know by now that the Carolina Panthers made defensive end Charles Johnson a very rich man with a new $72 million contract. 

Then of course there's Nnamdi Asomugha, Braylon Edwards, Justin Babin and Johnathan Joseph, who are all searching for new contracts, and we'll see "breaking news" headlines the moment they find them. 

But anyone can ruin their cap space by giving a huge contract to the best player available, while the crafty teams manage to find highly-productive players beneath the radar.

These players can improve your team's roster, but they can also keep teams under the salary cap.

Chris Carr, CB (Baltimore Ravens)

Chris Carr spent the first three seasons of his career as a backup for the Oakland Raiders, but then moved on to the Tennessee Titans in 2008, where he was also a backup.

Things didn't change much when he joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2009, but he did get to start four games that year, which were the most starts in a season for him at that point in his career.

However, last season Carr worked his way toward becoming a 16-game starter for the Ravens, where he recorded 61 tackles, two interceptions and eight deflected passes.

Carr won't be able to dominate for any team that signs him, but he could be a great option for any team that's lacking a starting-caliber corner without much money to spend.  

Dashon Goldson, S (San Francisco 49ers)

Safety Dashon Goldson was a fourth-round pick in 2007 for the San Francisco 49ers, but has developed into a solid contributor on defense. 

Despite starting only two games in the first two seasons of his career, Goldson has been a 16-game starter the past two seasons, and he's been playing at a very solid level. 

His first year as a starter in 2009 was particularly impressive, as he recorded 94 tackles and four interceptions. 

His production in 2010 dropped off a bit with 80 tackles and only one interception, but he was still a capable player nonetheless. 

The 26-year-old Goldson still has his best years ahead of him, and he'll make some team happy as their new starting strong safety. 

Brandon Mebane, DT (Seattle Seahawks)

Brandon Mebane doesn't necessarily fit the bill—reports indicate he has up to four teams interested in him, which will jack up his price tag, and he is possibly the best defensive tackle still available in free agency.

However, before his recent spike in popularity this week, Mebane was not a well-known commodity around the NFL, riding below the radar for the most part.

Mebane is 26 years old and is a rising star at the defensive tackle position, so the team that sign him will be getting a great addition.  

Ryan Harris, OT (Denver Broncos)

When looking at the offensive line for the Denver Broncos, Pro Bowler Ryan Clady steals all the love and attention, while his counterpart Ryan Harris is overlooked. 

Harris has been the starting right tackle for the Broncos the last three years, although he was injured for eight games in 2009. 

Harris is only 26 years old, so he has room for more development, and it's possible he has not hit his ceiling quite yet. 

He would be an ideal option for any team looking for a right tackle who can start immediately. 

Steve Breaston, WR (Arizona Cardinals)

Steve Breaston is not exactly an unknown since he was a 1,000-yard receiver for the famous 2008 Cardinals offense that was led by Kurt Warner and ended in a Super Bowl appearance. 

However, Breaston's not exactly the most talked-about free-agent receiver either. 

Though Breaston is primarily recognized for his success in 2008, he's been a valuable receiver for the Cardinals ever since. 

He has more than 700 receiving yards in both 2009 and 2010, and he finished last season with a 15.3 yards per reception average, which is not bad considering he had Derek Anderson and Max Hall throwing him the football. 

Breaston could be a No.2 receiver for many teams, but more importantly he is an offensive weapon with playoff experience, while still being only 27 years old.

Update: Steve Breaston is reportedly signing a new five-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Bernard Pollard, S (Houston Texans)

Bernard Pollard was a second-round pick in 2006, and he's always been a capable player for both the Kansas City Chiefs and more recently the Houston Texans.

But he has really elevated his game over the past two seasons. 

In 2009, Pollard finished with career-highs in tackles (101) and interceptions (four), and in 2010 he set new career-highs in tackles (111), sacks (2.5) and forced fumbles (four). 

At the age of only 26, it's possible Pollard will continue to grow. He might have a Pro Bowl or two in his future as well. 

Kirk Morrison, LB (Jacksonville Jaguars)

The first thing that comes to mind when discussing linebacker Kirk Morrison is his durability. 

He has started all 16 games for five seasons straight now, and he has only missed one start throughout his six-year career, but that was during his rookie year. 

Morrison had more than 120 tackles in four of his five seasons with the Oakland Raiders, as well as 116 tackles as a rookie in Oakland. 

However, the Raiders traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars prior to the 2010 season, and his production dropped off significantly in Jacksonville with only 89 tackles. 

The drop-off should not be overly concerning. Morrison should be able to rebound, which will make him a solid addition for whatever defense brings him in next season. 

Matt Roth, DE (Cleveland Browns)

Defensive end Matt Roth is a seven-year veteran in the NFL, so while the 28-year-old is not a sack artist by any means, he's capable of bringing experience to his new team. 

At 275 pounds, it's possible Roth could play either defensive end or linebacker, depending on the defensive scheme. 

And while he won't come in and rack up more than 10 sacks for any team, he is capable of being a solid rotational guy who can start in a pinch.  

James Jones, WR (Green Bay Packers)

While the "unknown" tag may not apply to wide receiver James Jones given he was just part of a Super Bowl-winning team, it's certainly fair to say he is an underrated player who has been overlooked for most of his career. 

With receivers like Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, it's easy to ignore Jones, but many feel the 6'1", 208-pound receiver is capable of starting for some NFL teams.

His price tag should be very reasonable, but his recent spike in popularity could cause a team to slightly overpay for him, but not by much, as he has been known to struggle with dropped passes. 

Jared Gaither, OT (Baltimore Ravens)

The Ravens just used their third-round draft pick last April on offensive tackle Jah Reid (University of Central Florida), who is expected to compete for the right tackle job. 

On the other side, they have Mr. Blindside himself, Michael Oher. 

This makes Jared Gaither expendable. 

Gaither missed the entire 2010 season with a back injury, which certainly kills some of his value, and he also missed five games in 2009 with injuries as well. 

However, at 6'9" and 340 pounds, Gaither is an enormous physical specimen. He is only 25 years old, so he has all of the time and talent in the world, which could result in him turning his career around for some lucky team. 

Clifton Ryan, DT (St. Louis Rams)

The 27-year-old Clifton Ryan was a starter at defensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams in both 2008 and 2009. 

He was considered to be the best defensive tackle on the Rams' roster entering the 2010 season since the 33-year-old Fred Robbins was an unknown asset at the time. 

That might not sound like much, but the Rams actually had a solid defensive line in 2010. 

However, Ryan missed much of the 2010 season due to migraines, which eventually led to a falling out between he and head coach Steve Spagnuolo. 

While Spagnuolo is unwilling to retain him, another team could sign him and get a solid defensive tackle for next to nothing. 

Amobi Okoye, DT (Houston Texans)

Amobi Okoye was the 10th overall pick in the 2007 draft, and outside of a promising rookie campaign, he has been mainly viewed as a bust. 

It's not necessarily his fault since he's not really fit for a 3-4 defensive scheme, which is what the Texans run. His lack of production over the past few years has hurt his value though, despite the fact that he's a former top-10 pick. 

But even though his production has been inconsistent, Okoye could make a huge addition for a team that runs a 4-3 defense—of course this is assuming the Texans eventually release him, but it is widely expected to happen.  

Steve Slaton, RB (Houston Texans)

The Houston Texans' 2008 third-round pick, Steven Slaton, came on strong as a rookie in 2008 with more than 1,200 rushing yards, and it appeared as though they found a gem. 

However, Slaton was highly disappointing in 2009—he had seven fumbles on only 131 carries, he finished with only 437 rushing yards and he had an extremely low yards per carry average of only 3.3. 

It's possible 2009 was a fluke for Slaton, but he never had the chance to prove that since Arian Foster burst onto the scenes in 2010 to win the rushing title for the Texans. 

With Foster taking over the run game in Houston, Slaton will be free to find a new team and attempt to return to his 2008 form.

Like Okoye, Slaton needs to be released first, but it's almost guaranteed to happen. 

Eric Wright, CB (Cleveland Browns)

Eric Wright has been a solid starting cornerback for the Browns since 2007, but he is widely overlooked by the entire league. 

His best season came in 2009 with 65 tackles, four interceptions and 14 deflected passes. 

The Browns already have some talented players in their secondary, such as their 2010 first-round pick Joe Haden, as well as their 2010 second-round pick, T.J. Ward. 

Both had impressive rookie campaigns—Haden had six interceptions, while Ward had 123 tackles. 

With two promising players in the secondary, the rebuilding Browns can probably afford to spend money on something other than re-signing Wright, which means some other team will be able to sign a cheap corner capable of starting. 

Richard Marshall, CB (Carolina Panthers)

After re-signing defensive end Charles Johnson to a $72 million contract, as well as linebacker Thomas Davis to a new five-year deal, the Panthers probably don't have any other choice but to let Richard Marshall leave as a free agent. 

Marshall has more than 80 tackles and at least three interceptions in four out of his five seasons in the NFL, despite only being a full-time starter the past two seasons. 

Marshall suffers a bit in pass coverage, but he is a solid tackler capable of contributing in run support. He was one of the Panthers' better defensive players, so he will make a great addition for any team looking to solidify their secondary with better tackling.