NFL Free Agency 2009: Who Is Going Where?

With the Patriots putting the franchise tag on Matt Cassel, the 2009 free-agency period has officially begun.

Here are some of the more interesting story lines that I think are going to play out over the next few weeks.

Matt Cassel, New England Patriots

The tag has already been placed.  With the Patriots having to give Matt almost $15 million in guaranteed money, either Tom Brady is not as well as the Patriots are letting on, or they plan on trading him to get something for him.

I can see former GM Scott Pioli, now with the Chiefs, giving up a first or maybe two - second round picks for him.  With the aging defense of the Pats, this could be a win-win for both teams.

Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee Titans

When Haynesworth was set to be a free agent at the end of the 2008 season, the Titans placed the Franchise Tag, with the agreement that if Haynesworth met certain limits, they would not use the tag on him again.

Well, all of the limits have been reached, and the Titans can not use any form of the tag on him.  Reports say that the two sides are nowhere near a deal.

Those same reports, courtesy of profootballtalk.com, say Haynesworth is looking for a six-year deal that will make him the highest paid player in the NFL. He will never make THAT kind of money playing in Tennessee.

The place I see Haynesworth going is the Washington Redskins. Daniel Snyder has shown over the years he is not afraid to spend big money on big-time players, and the Redskins' D-line is their biggest weakness. Haynesworth could be his next target.

Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are in a bit of a situation this offseason.  With one of the best LB corps for the last few years, almost ALL of them are set to be free agents.

Terrell Suggs has said that Ray Lewis, Bart Scott, and himself should give the Ravens a hometown discount to stay. Easy for him to say, he made almost $9 million last year with the Franchise Tag.

Lewis has said he is not interested in that, which means he has more than likely played his last game for the Ravens. 

Most reports have him going to either the Jets or the Cowboys. With his former coordinator running the show in NY, that would probably be where he would want to go first.  But with Brett Favre taking up nearly $13 million, and the Jets being over the cap by about $12 million, there may not be enough green to get Lewis in Green.

So, more than likely, Lewis will end up with a Cowboy star on his helmet. 

The Favre watch is underway. The "will he stay, wont he stay game" has officially begun. How happy do you think the Packers are that they don't have to deal with that distraction this year?

The issue is that there is no other QB on the Jets' roster that has any potential to lead this team into the playoffs. If Favre returns, the Jets are going to have to clear some serious cap space. If Favre decides to retire, the Jets, who cut Chad Pennington last year, will have no one with any real experience leading the team.

Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals

Warner showed in the Super Bowl that he has a LOT of gas left in the tank. If somehow the Cardinals have the ability not only to convince Warner to stick around, but also find a way to make Anquan Bolden happy, this could again be the team to beat in the NFC.

Warner said after the Super Bowl that the only team he would be interested in playing for next year is the Arizona Cardinals. The only question is, is he interested in still playing?

How do you think Matt Leinart is feeling right about now?

Kerry Collins/Vince Young, Tennessee Titans

From the same class as Matt Leinart, Vince Young has found himself in a back up role to another older quarterback.

Jeff Fischer has said he wants Collins back to be the starting QB, but how is this going to sit with Vince Young?  Bud Adams, owner of the Titans, is a big Young fan. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

Larry Johnson/Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City Chiefs

Both men say they want out.  Johnson feels disrespected, and Gonzalez does not want to be a part of a re-building process. These two men are a HUGE part of the Kansas City offense, and without them, it probably wont matter much if the Chiefs can swing a trade for Matt Cassel.

There will probably be more of a market for Gonzalez than there will be for Johnson, due to his off-field issues, but neither one will be worth more than a second round pick at best.

Scott Pioli is going to have to show quickly how good he can be as a GM with everything going on in KC.