2012 NFL Free Agents: Brandon Jacobs and Players Teams Shouldn't Want Back

It's been real, but now you have to go. 

Here are three free agents who have overstayed their welcome. While they may have some gas left in the tank, it's time they took up someone else's time. 

Free agency is more than getting the best talent on the market, it's also a time of renewal, both for players and teams. 

Yes, that is utterly sappy, but it rings true. These three men need a fresh start somewhere else.

Brandon Jacobs

It's clear the Giants have cooled on Brandon Jacobs as their hope that he takes a pay cut shows. 

It's time to cut loose the tandem and give Ahmad Bradshaw a young understudy. It's obvious Bradshaw can carry a great deal of the load as he flourished at the end of the season despite ailing from a fractured foot. 

The fact is, Jacobs heard more boos than applause in a season where he reverted to mediocre levels. Indeed, last season saw Jacobs put together some woefully awful games; 21 yards against the Eagles on November 20 and 16 yards on seven carries in the final game of the regular season. 

It's time the Giants part with their seven-season vet, because the well is running dry. 

Cortland Finnegan

We hate to beat a dead horse—after all, the Titans have already made it quite clear that they are not going to bring corner Cortland Finnegan back.

While Finnegan will make a fine addition elsewhere, this is a great move for a franchise that continues to fill the coffers with young talent on the cheap. 

Finnegan's price tag would have been too exorbitant to take on. That may seem silly considering Finnegan is a workhorse that stays on the field and battles every play. 

However, he is a corner that will only become far more susceptible in a league that is showing far more love to big, bulking tight ends—players even Finnegan can't handle. 

We may be about to see Finnegan on the downside of his career, and the Titans were not about to pay to see it up close. 

Peyton Hillis

He really should be the player you thought of when you read the title. The Browns continue to flirt with bringing Hillis back, but there really is no reason they should. 

The Browns opted not to franchise Hillis, which was a great decision. He will be weighed by the open market which should show grim return. 

The Browns running back went from a marvelous 2010 to an absolute stinker last season. That magical season should signal a blip on his flat-lining career. The outlier should be thrown out, and so should Hillis. 

Follow @gabezal