Setting the Market for Unsigned NFL Free Agents

Tuesday, April 7, marks the start of the fifth week of the 2015 NFL fiscal year, and it has been quite the offseason in terms of trades and free-agent movement. While the pace has slowed down considerably in terms of signings, there are still some notable players out there.

Which begs the question: Who are they and what would each command on the open market at the moment?

Here we will select eight NFL veteran free agents who are still looking for jobs (although there are obviously many more). We will offer a little player analysis, speculate on a few suitors and slap the suggested retail price on each performer. The latter figures are based on recent contracts signed by players at their respective positions.

If you are looking for any of these pros to break the bank, think again. Chances are they won't even dent it. Teams are currently concentrating on the draft, and all that money some teams had available one month ago is already being spent. That also means we may not see any of these players sign with a club until after the draft.

Still, you can't help but wonder how many players on the enclosed list will make a major impact for a team this upcoming season. Inevitably, a few of these pickups will serve a very big purpose.

WR Michael Crabtree (UFA, San Francisco 49ers)

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According to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, the Oakland Raiders were to meet with wide receiver Michael Crabtree on Monday.

Good thing for the six-year pro, because as Bleacher Report colleague Jason Cole stated last week, the market for the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft had "crashed."

Late last week, Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Christopher Hansen broke down what Crabtree could command in terms of a contract these days and projected a one-year, incentive-laden deal worth $3 million to $6 million. With the San Francisco 49ers, he amassed 347 catches for 4,327 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Last week, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the Miami Dolphins were willing to pay Crabtree $3 million per year, but he was looking for something along the lines of $4.5 million. As for now, the Raiders appear to be the only team interested these days, and they may be just intrigued enough to give him a chance to stay in the Bay Area and prove himself all over again.

Suggested Market Price: one year, $2.5 million

WR Greg Jennings (Released by Minnesota Vikings)

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Speaking of the Miami Dolphins, which we did in the case of Michael Crabtree, the team also appeared to be interested in meeting with wideout Greg Jennings, as Aaron Wilson of National Football Post spoke about two weeks ago. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald confirmed that fact early Tuesday morning.

The addition of the veteran pass-catcher would be quite ironic considering Miami dealt Mike Wallace to the Minnesota Vikings in March, which caused Mike Zimmer's club to release Jennings after just two seasons in Minnesota.

Of course, the nine-year pro brings a lot more to the table than Crabtree based on not only experience but production as well. He's totaled 552 receptions for 8,083 yards and 63 scores with both the Green Bay Packers and Vikings, and he caught 127 passes the last two years with the Purple Gang.

According to Spotrac, the St. Louis Rams recently re-signed Kenny Britt to a two-year, $9.15 million deal. The Philadelphia Eagles added Miles Austin, formerly of the Cleveland Browns, to a one-year, $2.3 million contract. The sense here is that Jennings still has quite a lot to offer.

Suggested Market Price: two years, $9.6 million

T Joe Barksdale (UFA, St. Louis Rams)

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While some may be wondering why veteran Jake Long isn't mentioned here, he actually will be.

Unfortunately, injuries have played a big factor in recent seasons for the one-time perennial Pro Bowler.

So how about taking a chance on Joe Barksdale, one of the better run-blockers in the league? With just four seasons under his belt, his best football may be yet to come. The massive blocker who began his career with the Oakland Raiders started all 16 games for the St. Louis Rams this past season.

While a multiyear deal at this stage of free agency may be a bit of a surprise, consider the potential and the possibility that youth could be served here.

Suggested Market Price: two years, $2.8 million

G Justin Blalock (Released by Atlanta Falcons)

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There's a lot to be said for seasoned veterans. That being said, it's somewhat surprising that guard Justin Blalock—cut loose this offseason by the Atlanta Falcons after eight years with the club—has not already latched on to a team.

With 125 career starts out of 128 regular-season contests, he's pretty experienced, yet he appears to have more years remaining in his career. Last week, we talked about recent reports from Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com that stated that the Detroit Lions and Tennessee Titans may be in the mix for his services.

So what does that mean financially for Blalock? He obviously won’t be making Mike Iupati-like money (five years, $40 million with the Arizona Cardinals), but he is in the latter stages of his solid career.

Suggested Market Price: two years, $2.6 million

C Chris Myers (Released by Houston Texans)

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He may be the best player still out on the free-agent market. But unfortunately for two-time Pro Bowl center Chris Myers, he is at the stage of his career where he can't count on getting any really big money.

Still, he's a very solid and durable player with 10 years of experience. Before being released by the Houston Texans this offseason, he started every game for the team over the past seven seasons.

It wouldn't be a big surprise to see him reunited with Gary Kubiak—now the Denver Broncos head coach and Myers' boss for six seasons in Houston—but keep in mind that the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks are looking for a center as well.

Suggested Market Price: one year, $1.2 million

C Stefen Wisniewski (UFA, Oakland Raiders)

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Stop us if you have heard this one before…or very recently.

Due to the fact that center Stefen Wisniewski has only played four NFL seasons, all with the Oakland Raiders, there is a slight chance that a team could try to sign him to a multiyear contract.

Conor Orr of NFL.com summarizes Wisniewski's busy offseason in terms of meeting with teams interested in his services. He states that, according to Ian Rapoport, the 2011 second-round pick was to visit with the Tennessee Titans on Monday.

Here's a case where a team could invest a few more years and a bit more money into a player that could wind up being a long-term solution.

Suggested Market Price: three years, $4 million

DE Red Bryant (Released by Jacksonville Jaguars)

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If you are a team looking to bolster your pass rush, you have come shopping in the wrong place.

If you are a club hoping to shore up your run defense, you will enjoy seeing Red Bryant.

Bryant is arguably the best run-stopping defensive end in the league, but after one season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, they let him go this offseason.

What's the market for a somewhat one-dimensional defensive player? It's probably not great. But we are confident that there are a few teams (New York Giants?) willing to rent the veteran defender for one season.

Suggested Market Price: one year, $1 million

ILB Brandon Spikes (UFA, Buffalo Bills)

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Last offseason, inside linebacker Brandon Spikes signed a one-year deal to play for the Buffalo Bills.

Unfortunately for the five-year pro, it appears to be a one-and-done situation with a team that has changed head coaches since then.

But teams like the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs could certainly use one of the better run-stopping linebackers in the game. He was a top-10 performer against the run with the Bills this past season, according to Pro Football Focus, and he helped the team improve from 28th in the league against the run in 2013 to 11th in the NFL this past year.

There's certainly not a lot of wear and tear when it comes to Spikes, and while the Dallas Cowboys recently re-signed Rolando McClain to a one-year, $3 million deal, we will be far more conservative here.

Suggested Market Price: one year, $950,000

All free-agent information and player signings/transactions are courtesy of Spotrac. Depth chart information comes via Ourlads. Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com.