Which Players Could Be Best Bargains on the Market?

Everyone is always looking for a good deal.

Free agency is now less than a month away and all 32 NFL teams will be looking to get their books in order, as well as maybe adding some quality to their roster.

The free-agent market (once it is set on March 10) will have its share of standouts. So which of these players could prove to be worth every penny (or million) they receive?

Here is our list of 10 bargains that a team may be able to grab if available on March 10. What constitutes a bargain? It’s getting a player at a reasonable contract and then watching him perform to or above expectations.

We’ve placed them in football order, per se, in terms of offense and defense. All could wind up back with their current teams so this has nothing to do with predictions and new homes. But all should be had for a very reasonable figure and certainly worth the expense.

All free-agent information, 2015 transactions and salary-cap information comes courtesy of Spotrac.

QB Colt McCoy, Washington Redskins

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Yes, we are well aware of the fact that NFL teams don’t basically get their starting quarterbacks via free agency anymore. Franchises would rather opt for the draft, and understandably so.

But this past season, Colt McCoy opened at least a few eyes when he was called upon by the Washington Redskins

In five games, including four starts, the former University of Texas star completed 71.1 percent of his passes (91-of-128) for 1,057 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. McCoy was sacked 17 times and fumbled on six occasions, losing one of those miscues.

In the muck and the mire known as the Redskins’ quarterback situation this past season, McCoy was a positive, not bad for making his first starts since 2011. Is he the definitive answer behind center? Not likely. But he may be able to buy some time for a team looking to groove a young quarterback.

RB Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints

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Despite some injury issues early in the season, 2014 proved to be a career year for New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram.

In 13 games, the one-time Heisman Trophy winner and first-round draft choice in 2011 totaled personal highs for attempts (226), rushing yards (964), receptions (29) and touchdowns (nine). He wound up in the Pro Bowl in Glendale in late January.

Still, it’s safe to say that Ingram hasn’t lived up to his lofty draft status from four years ago. And the Saints do have their share of running backs under contract with the likes of Pierre Thomas, Khiry Robinson and Thomas Cadet.

You could see Ingram signing a two- or three-year contract with another team. If he picks up where he left off in 2014, he’ll certainly be worth the investment.

WR Eddie Royal, San Diego Chargers

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It is potentially a very deep wide receiver market when free agency rolls around on March 10.

Players such as Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys), Randall Cobb (Green Bay Packers), Demaryius Thomas (Denver Broncos) and Jeremy Maclin (Philadelphia Eagles), to name a few, may be available to teams (emphasis on may).

Does Eddie Royal deserve to be on that list? That’s a matter of opinion. But the San Diego Chargers can tell you how productive he’s been since joining the team in 2012. A second-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2008, Royal caught 91 passes, five for scores, in his rookie campaign. But in four years with the team, he totaled just 20 catches, nine for touchdowns. It is worth noting that Royal did score three times on special teams via punt (two) and kickoff returns (one).

Royal signed with the Bolts in 2012 and after a quiet year he has become one of quarterback Philip Rivers’ top scoring targets. Over the last two seasons, he’s totaled 109 catches in 31 contests and scored 15 touchdowns.

This past season, Royal started 11 games, his highest total since 2009. Could he be on the move this offseason?

TE Charles Clay, Miami Dolphins

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In an era where the position has enjoyed a bit of a rebirth, Charles Clay has remained somewhat under the radar.

The Miami Dolphins are no doubt hoping they can retain the underrated performer and by all indications that certainly seems to be in the team’s plans (via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald).

A sixth-round pick out of the University of Tulsa in 2011, Clay has emerged as a total package in terms of the position. Over the last two seasons, his production as a pass-catcher can’t be dismissed.

In his first two years in the league, Clay played in 28 games, totaling 34 receptions for 445 yards and five touchdowns.

Since 2013, he’s played in 30 games and made 29 starts. Clay has caught 127 passes for 1,364 yards and nine touchdowns. Again, it’s hard to believe that he’ll be headed elsewhere, but in any case, Clay has emerged as a very complete player and one that the Dolphins may not be able to afford to lose.

T Joe Barksdale, St. Louis Rams

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Say it is so, Joe.

Tackle Joe Barksdale was a third-round pick by the Oakland Raiders in 2011 out of LSU. Late in September 2012, he was out of a job, released by the team after playing 16 games as a rookie and never making a start.

He would be picked up by the St. Louis Rams later in 2012 and wound up making a couple of starts for the club. Barksdale has played all 32 games for the team these past two seasons. This past year, he made 16 starts for the first time in his brief career.

While Barksdale’s pass-protection skills certainly need work, he graded out (according to Pro Football Focus) as one of the better run-blocking tackles in the league this past season.

He could be a solid pickup for a team looking for a little more oomph when it comes to the ground game.

DT Tom Johnson, Minnesota Vikings

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In some ways, there was a changing of the guard in the Twin Cities this past season.

Actually, it was more like the changing of the defensive end and defensive tackle.

During the 2014 offseason, the Minnesota Vikings did not re-sign veterans such as Jared Allen and Kevin Williams and they moved on to Chicago and Seattle, respectively.

After three seasons and a total of five sacks with the New Orleans Saints from 2011-13, Johnson played in all 16 games for Mike Zimmer’s Vikings this past season and finished second on the team with 6.5 sacks. He also totaled 22 tackles for a defense that finished 14th in the NFL in total yards allowed—one season after the Vikings had allowed the second-most yards in the league.

Teams are always looking for an inside pass rush, and Johnson may just be coming into his own.

OLB Brooks Reed, Houston Texans

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Yes, we still don’t know what the future holds for Jadeveon Clowney, who the Houston Texans made the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft.

But could current starting outside linebacker Brooks Reed be looking for a full-time job elsewhere if last year’s top selection is healthy and ready to live up to expectations?

In four seasons, Reed has totaled 14.5 sacks, six of those coming in his rookie campaign. In 2014, he finished the year with 41 tackles, three sacks and four passes knocked down.

He could be a nice addition for a team looking to bolster its pass rush. With modest career statistics (including one interception in four seasons), you get the sense a team would not have to break the bank to sign the one-time second-round pick from the University of Arizona.

That’s also not to say Reed could go elsewhere and benefit in a big way from a simple change of scenery.

ILB David Harris, New York Jets

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It is somewhat hard to believe that a player as consistent as inside linebacker David Harris has yet to be named to a Pro Bowl.

After all, it’s been only eight seasons.

Will his ninth year in the league be with the New York Jets? That’s a different question for another time, but in any case Harris is one of the most productive players at his position in the league. First, he has started 100 consecutive games, tops among linebackers in the NFL these days.

In 2014, the eight-year pro totaled a team-high 124 tackles for a Jets team that ranked sixth in the NFL in total defense, including fifth against the run. Harris also amassed six sacks and forced two fumbles.

The reliable defender will certainly draw plenty of interest if the Jets opt not to bring him back. Can you say Rex Ryan?

MLB Mason Foster, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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During his first three seasons in the league, Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Mason Foster was not only reliable but highly productive.

The one-time third-round selection missed only one game in three years and totaled at least 80 tackles each season. Foster accumulated six sacks and five interceptions over that stretch.

But last season, injuries were a major factor as the fourth-year performer missed six games. Still, Foster managed to finish fifth on the team with 62 tackles.

The Bucs were a somewhat-respectable 19th in the NFL against the run in 2014 and could look at a change at the position if they feel Foster is unable to stay healthy. In any case, he’s a player that when healthy gives you a decent bang for the buck (pun intended).

FS Da'Norris Searcy, Buffalo Bills

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Only four teams in the league allowed fewer yards than the Buffalo Bills this past season.

The clubs also finished third in the NFL when it came to pass defense.

There’s no doubt that the club’s potent pass rush had a lot to do with that. But free safety Da’Norris Searcy did his share as well.

Taking over for free-agent defector Jairus Byrd was not going to be easy. But Searcy finished fifth on the team with 65 tackles and tied for second on the team with three interceptions. A fourth-round draft choice in 2011, Searcy also knocked down five passes, forced a pair of fumbles and recovered a fumble as well.

While division rival Devin McCourty of the New England Patriots will perhaps draw more interest on the market, Searcy could be a solid addition for a team in need.