NFL Free Agency: Predicting the Top 5 Landing Spots for Cortland Finnegan

Friday was a lot of fun to follow the Cortland Finnegan saga, as summarized by Pro Football Talk. The Underwear Olympics, aka the NFL combine, are over, so now, it's the lying season as teams try to throw disinformation out on the web to help out as they scout rookies and try to sign free agents.

One way to make a big decision is to list the projected positives and negatives of the decision. Here are some pluses and minuses on one Cortland Temujin Finnegan.

Positives

Hard-nosed defensive back who plays the run well

Vocal leader on the defense

Versatile: Can play the slot

Negatives

Lacks elite size

Feisty to the point of getting penalties and hurting the team 

Leadership in question after walking out of training camp for a day last fall to protest his contract

Where are we now? The Tennessee Titans and Finnegan's agent met at the NFL combine, but no progress was made. 

Now it's time to speculate on his final destination. There are plenty of teams looking for a cornerback of Finnegan's caliber.

Destination 1: Detroit Lions

Jim Schwartz likes ex-Titans. He's already brought in Kyle Vanden Bosch, Stephen Tulloch and former Tennessee secondary coach Marcus Robertson. With that amazing offense, the Detroit Lions really only need to be decent on defense to get another shot at the playoffs.

Finnegan will be a Lion because he's played with Schwartz and is familiar with his defensive scheme. The Lions have far from a imposing CB duo at the moment, with Chris Houston and Eric Wright. The last time we saw the Lions defense, it gave up 35 points to the Saints in the second half of their Wild Card playoff game.

Finnegan won't be a Lion because of the salary cap. Right now, they are over the proposed $120 million salary cap. The team needs to re-sign its own players like Cliff Avril, Jeff Backus and Stephen Tulloch. It makes logical sense for Finnegan to end up in Honolulu blue, but it doesn't make financial sense.

Destination 2: St. Louis Rams

It's another simple link to get Cortland Finnegan back together with his former coach, Jeff Fisher. It's hard to imagine another NFL team that's more cornerback-needy.

The Rams had six cornerbacks go on injured reserve last year. It wasn't the strongest unit of the defense when the season started.

The Rams have about $40 million of cap room, courtesy of Steven Gerwel, who did the fantastic Rams Free Agency Tracker. They have needs practically everywhere. This is why they are likely to trade down from the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft.

Finnegan will be a Ram because of his time with Fisher and the team's deep need for help in the secondary. He's a leader, and the defense needs a veteran who's seen some NFL success. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, assuming he stays with the team after the recent allegations of running a bounty program while he was with the Saints, would love to see Finnegan on his defense. 

Finnegan won't be a Ram because the team has too many needs and may not go on a shopping spree this year as Fisher gets a grip on the roster. If the Rams trade with Cleveland, which is a high possibility, their pick could be LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. The top-five rookie salary cap hit isn't as brutal as it used to be, but it would be a deterrent from spending so much money on one position. 

Destination 3: Dallas Cowboys

Yes, Jerry, the Super Bowl rings are getting quite dusty. After losing a Week 17 game against the Giants that was essentially a playoff game and watching the New York Giants hoist the Lombardi Trophy less than two months later, changes will happen.

The secondary was bad last year, and you can't be bad when having to face Eli Manning and Mike Vick twice each year. Terence Newman has a high salary cap figure and might be released. Finnegan would fit in well, as he's faced elite receivers for years, including Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne. The big stage of Cowboys Stadium and the many prime-time games that being part of the NFC East entail will not be too much for him.

The Dallas Cowboys might shy away from Finnegan because their salary cap room is minimal. While Jerry Jones doesn't like to be outspent, he's going to be well aware of the disaster that was the Newman contract. This could keep him from paying another cornerback big bucks whose best days might be behind him.

Destination 4: San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers reminded their fans of the glory days of the 80s and 90s when they hosted the NFC Championship game last year. The overtime loss to the Giants was painful, but this is a franchise that is built to contend for years.

The front office is dedicated to keeping the defense strong. OLB Ahmad Brooks signed a six-year, $45.5 million extension last week.  Safety Dashon Goldson got the franchise tag, ensuring that he stays for another year. 

One player who might not return is cornerback Carlos Rogers. Rogers is the former first-round pick of the Washington Redskins, who made the Pro Bowl last year after being signed to replace free-agent bust Nate Clemens.

The 49ers could let Rogers sign elsewhere and pick up Finnegan, who is three years younger. Unlike the previous three potential landing stops for Finnegan, San Francisco wouldn't need him to be a cornerstone player. A disciplined unit like the 49ers might be exactly what Finnegan needs, and this would be his best shot at getting to a Super Bowl.

Finnegan might not be the right guy for the 49ers because of his issues in maintaining his cool during games. San Francisco brought in a talented but underachieving guy like Rogers last year, and he was spectacular, so they might decide to find a cheaper option or upgrade the position via the draft.

Destination 5: Tennessee Titans

While the Titans seem willing to let Finnegan go, as they've done with countless defensive free agents over the years, they still have 10 days of negotiating time before free agency begins. Like Lloyd Christmas said in Dumb and Dumber, "So you're saying there's a chance."

It's not a big chance. The Titans offered Finnegan a four-year, $28 million contract extension last summer. Finnegan turned that down, and to date, the team hasn't sweetened the deal.

The team's prepared to go with Alterraun Verner and Jason McCourty as starting cornerbacks in 2012. The two have 39 combined career starts. Finnegan has 79 career starts. 

As the longest tenured player who made the NFL out of Samford, Finnegan's ready for the big time. Unless he budges in his demands to make eight figures a year, he won't be in Titan blue this fall. Until March 13, the opportunity is there for the Tennessee Titans to make one more push.