NFL Free Agents 2012: Unsigned Players Teams Must Pass on

The 2012 NFL draft has come and gone, leaving only undrafted free agents and veteran free agents as potential adds for teams before training camp begins. 

While a number of names remain attractive for some teams, several others should be avoided.

Here's five free agents that teams should pass on over the next couple of months:

T Barry Richardson

A 16-game starter at RT for the Kansas City Chiefs, Richardson rated as one of the worst starting tackles during the 2011 season. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), only Marshall Newhouse of the Green Bay Packers graded out worse at the position last year.

Instead of throwing away another season with Richardson on the right side, Kansas City made no effort to re-sign the 25-year-old and later paid up for former Houston Texans right tackle Eric Winston. Richardson now sits on the free-agent market with little coming before the draft. 

Given that most of the tackle-needy teams used picks on developmental players at the position, Richardson could find it very difficult to make a roster.

LB Ernie Sims

Once a first-round pick of the Detroit Lions with three straight 100-tackle seasons to start his NFL career, Sims is now nothing more than an undersized 4-3 linebacker that struggles against both the pass and run.

According to PFF, Sims was the second worst 4-3 linebacker in the NFL last season despite playing just 406 snaps for the Indianapolis Colts. His -19.5 finish is an alarming grade from PFF, especially with bottom-five numbers in coverage (allowed 474 yards, 105.1 passer rating) and against the run. 

Even at just 27 years old, Sims should be avoided as a free agent. 

S Chris Harris

Harris has bounced from the Carolina Panthers to the Chicago Bears to the Detroit Lions over the last three seasons, but he might find it hard to get a fourth team to bite this offseason.

Cut by the Bears last October, Harris caught on with the Lions but added little to a razor thin secondary in Detroit. Over the entire course of the 2011 season, Harris allowed a 127.1 passer rating and five touchdowns, both numbers which ranked near the bottom of NFL safeties. 

A concussion suffered towards the end of the season could also scare off prospective employers. Harris will be lucky to find a 53-man roster to start the 2012 season.

TE Dallas Clark

Clark isn't far removed from a 100-catch season with the Colts, but those days are long behind him. Injuries have wrecked Clark's career, and he didn't look like a usable player last season when he finally got onto the field. 

At 32 years old, with a declining skill set and little in terms of reliability health-wise, Clark might be best suited to hang up the cleats. He was a non-factor as a blocker last season while also registering the highest drop rate of his NFL career. 

The most telling part of Clark's career path likely came soon after Peyton Manning signed in Denver, as the Broncos made little to no effort to sign Manning's former security blanket. If he can't convince a Manning-led team to give him a chance, who else will pull the trigger? 

OLB Joey Porter

The end may be near for Porter, too.

The 35-year-old pass-rusher is coming off a knee surgery that ended his 2011 season, and he was rarely productive when healthy in Arizona. In 20 games with the Cardinals over two seasons, Porter registered just six sacks and two forced fumbles. 

PFF rated Porter as the second worst 3-4 linebacker despite playing on just under 400 snaps. Who knows how bad the grade could have been had Porter played the entire season. 

Players who can get after the quarterback are still gold in the NFL, but Porter looks like a guy that can no longer provide that element. As an old, broken down veteran, Porter offers little to an NFL roster.