2012 NFL Free Agents: The 10 Smartest Bets on the Market

When it comes to free agency, there's no such thing as a sure-fire, great pickup. If there were, then the Philadelphia Eagles would be the team we all witnessed hoisting the Lombardi Trophy on Sunday.

Who could have predicted Darren Sproles being the biggest free-agent signing of 2011 or Nnamdi Asomugha becoming invisible?

Even with that said, here are my picks for the 10 safest potential free-agent acquisitions heading into the 2012 free-agency period.

TE Fred Davis

With all the success the New England Patriots had this year, along with the NFL being a copycat league, teams are sure to add more two tight end formations to their playbooks for 2012.

Fred Davis proved to be capable of handling TE1 duties after Chris Cooley went down to injury. He is a bit undersized and thus not a fierce blocker, but he has great speed and quickness to go with his very reliable hands.

At 26 years old, the arrow is only pointing up for the USC alum.

WR Marques Colston

Colston has been a consistent chain-mover since his breakout rookie season in 2006. He has consistently been the top receiver on an extremely pass-heavy team.

An argument can be made that he has never posted a truly great season, but this year, more than ever, Colston proved to be Drew Brees' most reliable passing option.

Colston might not be a great No. 1 receiver, but he would definitely be an improvement on most of the league's top receivers. 

DE Robert Mathis

Mathis may be constantly overshadowed by fellow defensive end Dwight Freeney, and he has just turned 31 years old but he is still an upper-echelon pass rusher.

In nine seasons, Mathis has racked up 83.5 sacks—good for a average of just more than nine sacks a season.

Yes, he's on the wrong side of 30 and he doesn't fit in every scheme, but if he's is picked up by the right team he will be dynamite.

DT Aubrayo Franklin

Franklin is one of the real unknown treasures in this league. For teams looking for a true talent capable of controlling the line of scrimmage, this is one of the few players capable of doing so.

At 6'1" and 317 pounds, Franklin is capable of fitting into a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme and excels at stuffing opposing teams' running games.

Whatever team manages to pick him up will enjoy a real boon to their defensive line play.

LB Curtis Lofton

Lofton is not a big "name" guy yet in his four-year career, but he has led the Atlanta Falcons in tackles each of the last three seasons.

He doesn't get all the big recognition due to the growing number of linebackers who pick up sacks. The Falcons haven't given the young stud many opportunities to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Instead, Lofton has excelled at stopping the run from sideline to sideline and is continuously improving in his ability to cover. His main flaw is that he struggles in man coverage.

S LaRon Landry

Landry had somewhat of a down year in his first season after suffering an Achilles injury. In 2010, he was off to an incredible pace with 85 tackles in just nine games.

Landry has the ability to be a force both in the box and in coverage. In an increasingly more pass-heavy league, it's vital that a team's strong safety not be a liability on passing downs.

After another offseason of rehabbing, Landry should be back in form and ready to show what kind of a force he can be again.

CB Cortland Finnegan

While Finnegan is more well-known for his feisty—sometimes dirty—style of play, he is an excellent cover corner when he is focused.

Finnegan had a bit of a return to form in 2011 as he took more of a leadership role on a rather young Tennessee Titans team.

He doesn't have the ability to shut down a receiver the way Darrelle Revis does, but he is a top-10 corner who could quickly upgrade a team's pass defense.

DE/LB Mario Williams

For the first time in his career, Williams was asked to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. In the five games he was healthy, he picked up 11 tackles, five sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defensed.

Super Mario would make a welcome addition to any team in the league with versatility like that.

It's quite rare to come across a player with Williams' size and ability in this league, which means teams will have to pay top dollar to acquire his service. But he'll be worth every penny.

OL Carl Nicks

Nicks is arguably the best offensive guard in the league, and the best part is that he's only 26.

He is 6'5", 343 pounds, providing him with the length and size to punish defenders in the running game and hold them at bay in the passing game.

Getting strong play from your guards on offense can be the difference between a top-10 rushing attack and a bottom-10 rushing game—ask Tennessee Titans fans.

WR Stevie Johnson

On a team with no other real threats in the passing game, Johnson has proven himself to be a true talent at receiver.

Unlike the more well-known DeSean Jackson, Johnson has shown the ability to run more than just a nine route.

For teams looking for a receiver with the ability to both stretch the field vertically and still be able to take short routes the distance, Stevie Johnson is the way to go.