2012 NFL Free Agents: Projecting 10 Signings Most Likely to Make the Pro Bowl

The 2012 NFL free-agency period has already seen some signings that are sure to have positive implications for both the players and the teams involved.

Championships aren't usually won or lost in free agency, but some signings will certainly give their teams a fantastic chance at success.

Join me as I take a look at the free agents who will have Pro Bowl seasons after being signed to new deals in free agency.

Steve Hutchinson

The Tennessee Titans likely signed Steve Hutchinson with the hope that he would help to lure Peyton Manning to sign on with the franchise.

Manning went elsewhere, but Hutchinson will still have a major impact on the Titans.

A seven-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection, Hutchinson is a dynamo in the running game. He's not half-bad as a pass protector, either.

The Titans already had a fantastic pass-blocking group of linemen in 2011, ranking second in the league with only 24 sacks surrendered. Adding Hutchinson will only make them stronger.

I also expect to see Hutchinson open up gaping holes for enigmatic running back Chris Johnson in 2012. CJ2K will get back to form and run for 1,500-plus yards next season, sending both himself and Hutch to the Pro Bowl.

Carl Nicks

Carl Nicks was one of the prized possessions of this year's free-agency class.

The Bucs were fortunate enough to land him, and I am positive they won't regret it.

A massive man, Nicks is equally effective as a run blocker and a pass blocker. He will help anchor an offensive line that was atrocious in the second half of last season.

Still only 26 years old, Nicks has started surging as a player in the NFL over the course of the last couple of seasons. His best days are yet to come, and I expect to see the Buccaneers take a huge leap forward in their offensive production with him in the lineup.

Chris Myers

Nick Mangold has had a death-grip on the AFC's center spot in the Pro Bowl for the last few years, but 2012 is the year that Chris Myers takes over as the best center in the AFC.

As far as I'm concerned, the Texans are the favorites to win the AFC South once again, and they will do it on the backs of their defense and their dynamic running game.

Myers anchored the line for them for the last five years in a row, and his stellar play on the offensive line has given the Texans one of the best running games in the entire league.

The Texans were fortunate to keep Myers, and he will continue to shine in the middle of their offensive line for years to come.

Eric Winston

If the Kansas City Chiefs can find themselves some consistent quarterbacking play in 2012, they have a chance to be dangerous on offense.

Signing Eric Winston was a step in the right direction.

The Chiefs were fortunate to land him after a surprising release by the Houston Texans, and he will help out tremendously on a line that struggled in 2011.

Jamaal Charles will be coming back from injury, and Winston will be doing some major road-grading for him and Peyton Hillis next year.

Winston will also keep his quarterback upright. 

The Chiefs will have their hands full chasing after the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos next year, but Winston gives their offense a fighting chance.

LaRon Landry

LaRon Landry with the New York Jets seems like a match made in heaven.

Landry is an exceptional athlete with the ability to make plays anywhere on the field. Sounds like a perfect match for Rex Ryan's version of what a safety is supposed to do.

Landry can sack the quarterback, cover deep, intercept the ball and make devastating hits in the both the running game and the passing game.

As long as he is fully recovered from a snapped Achilles tendon, Landry should put up monster numbers for the Jets in 2012.

Carlos Rogers

The San Francisco 49ers may have missed out on the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, but they are bringing all 11 starters back on defense, and that should make the rest of the league quiver with fear.

Carlos Rogers made it to his first Pro Bowl last year with an inspired six-interception performance in 2011.

I don't expect to see a drop-off in 2012. In fact, I won't be surprised to see Rogers and the 49ers increase their outstanding turnover production with a historically dominant defense next year.

Rogers will be back in Hawaii, and the 49ers will find themselves in the postseason for the second season in a row for the first time in well over a decade.

Robert Meachem

Vincent Jackson went to Tampa Bay for a big contract, and the San Diego Chargers brought in Robert Meachem to take his spot on the roster.

They won't miss a beat. In fact, Meachem might even play better than Jackson.

As a second and sometimes third option for the New Orleans Saints, Meachem has caught 20 passes for touchdowns in the last three seasons.

He will be the new No. 1 option for Philip Rivers, and will have a monster year for the Chargers in 2012.

Brandon Lloyd

This one is a bit of a stretch, I know, but if anyone can turn Brandon Lloyd into a Pro Bowl wide receiver, it's Tom Brady.

Josh McDaniels is back in the fold with Bill Bellichick and the Patriots, and Lloyd followed his master right into Boston.

Lloyd has always thrived in McDaniels' offensive schemes, and with Brady slinging the rock to him and the two-headed, safety-slaying monster at tight end he is sure to have a big season for the Pats in 2012.

Don't be surprised to see both Lloyd and Wes Welker pull down over 100 passes next year, and don't be surprised to see Lloyd come down with double-digit touchdowns, too.

Mario Williams

Mario Williams will have the best year of his career for the Buffalo Bills in 2012. 

After playing outside linebacker for the Texans last year, he will be playing next to Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus, two of the best young defensive tackles in the league, as the Billls switch over to a conventional 4-3 scheme.

Williams has never played next to such talented mates on the defensive line, and teams won't have an easy time trying to stop all three of them.

Who will get the double-team?

Williams will easily amass double-digit sacks for the Bills next season, and you can count on him to be starting in next season's Pro Bowl as a result.

Peyton Manning

Provided he ends up signing the dotted line, Peyton Manning will be in the Pro Bowl in 2013 representing the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos already had many of the pieces in place for a dynamic offense before they convinced Manning to come on board.

Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker are a couple of promising young receivers who will be eager to jump right in with Manning and learn his ways. 

The team could use a reliable pass-catching tight end to pair with their receivers, but that may already be handled.

Per Mike Klis of the Denver Post:

"

Expect the Broncos to sign TE Dallas Clark

"

"— Mike Klis (@MikeKlis) March 19, 2012"

The Broncos should also look into bringing in center Jeff Saturday.

Either way, Manning seems from all accounts to have most of his arm strength back with the promise of more to come. He will have a monster year for the Broncos, and I expect we'll see the "old" Peyton in the not-to-distant future.

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