2012 NFL Free Agents: Players Who Must Be Re-Signed at All Costs

Several NFL teams will face difficult decisions this offseason when it comes to deciding which players to re-sign and which to let walk away. There are always a couple players who are too valuable to let get away that need to be a franchise's top priority before the free agency deadline.

Here are three players who fall into that category this year.

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

Brees had the best season of his tremendous career in 2011 and has truly become the face of New Orleans since arriving to the Saints. If there's any player who needs to stay with a franchise for more than simply football reasons, it's Brees.

There's no doubt Brees is one of the league's top quarterbacks. If the Saints were ever to let him go, it would be basically impossible to replace him. He's the perfect player to run New Orleans' high-powered, up-tempo offense to optimize its efficiency.

The Chargers are probably still kicking themselves for letting Brees get away in the first place. The Saints don't want to find themselves in the same position in a couple years, so re-signing him is a must.

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more complete back in the NFL than Rice. He can run between the tackles, get to the corner, catch passes out of the backfield and he even blocks well for a player of his size. There's literally nothing he can't do.

That makes him vital to a Ravens offense that lacks other playmakers. Joe Flacco took a step in the wrong direction this season, but Baltimore was still able to have a good season because of its strong defense and Rice's game-changing ability.

Since it's unlikely the Ravens are going to makeover their entire offense in one offseason, keeping Rice is essential if they plan on keeping the AFC North title in Baltimore for another season.

Wes Welker, New England Patriots

Even though Welker has received a lot of heat for dropping the potential game-clinching pass in the Super Bowl, it's important to remember the Patriots likely wouldn't have reached that point without him. He caught 122 passes for nearly 1,600 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season.

Tom Brady relies heavily on Welker to run those precise underneath routes since the Patriots don't have a true deep threat. If you take him away, Brady wouldn't be nearly as productive. Don't think that has been overlooked by the Patriots even after the big drop.

There's no way the team can allow one play to overshadow an entire career of success. Walker must be brought back in New England's offense is going to remain one of the best in football.