NFL Players Using Remainder of 2015 Season for Free-Agency Audition

The 2015 NFL regular season is quickly winding down. While there are still numerous teams in the playoff hunt, there are a few—like the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers—that are pretty much dead in the water when it comes to the postseason.

For the players on teams realistically out of contention, there isn't a whole lot to play for. That is, if you don't include pride, a sense of camaraderie—and in some cases—the potential of a fat free-agent payday.

For players scheduled to enter the free-agent market in the coming offseason, there are literally millions of reasons to play as hard as physically possible. For the casual NFL fan, these players should provide a real reason to watch as losing teams take the field over the final six weeks of the season.

Today, we're going to take a look at some of the top pending NFL free agents who will spend the final month-and-a-half of the season auditioning for free agency.

These are the top-end NFL players who have no real shot at the postseason but who have a tangible chance at increasing their market value in the final weeks.  

Eric Weddle, S, San Diego Chargers

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The 2-8 San Diego Chargers have been a bit of a disappointment this season, especially on the defensive side of the football. The team is ranked just 31st in scoring defense, allowing an average of 28.2 points per game.

However, this doesn't mean that there aren't some talented players on the San Diego defense. Free safety Eric Weddle is one of the better veterans on the unit, and he just so happens to be headed for free agency in the offseason.

Weddle, who is now in his ninth NFL season, has already racked up 60 tackles, two passes defended and a half a sack. He is currently rated 25th overall among safeties and 19th in pass coverage by Pro Football Focus.

For a team in need of leadership and talent on the back end of the defense, Weddle could well be the guy.

In fact, there was talk earlier in the season that Weddle might have been a trade target for teams needing exactly what he can provide. According to Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jason Cole, the New York Giants were interested in possibly acquiring Weddle before the trade deadline.

The Giants could conceivably be a landing spot for Weddle in the offseason, as could a number of potential contenders. Of course, the veteran safety could choose to stay with the Chargers and hope that the franchise can put forth a better divisional showing in 2016.

Either way, Weddle can continue to ramp up his market value with strong play down the stretch. 

Gary Barnidge, TE, and Travis Benjamin, WR, Cleveland Browns

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The Cleveland Browns are about as far away as a team can get from being a playoff participant. In fact, the Browns would be on the clock for the first overall pick in the 2016 draft if the season were to end today.

However, this doesn't mean that Cleveland doesn't have a few valuable weapons on its roster. Two of them—tight end Gary Barnidge and wide receiver Travis Benjamin—are scheduled to hit the open market when the new calendar year begins.

Barnidge, who had been virtually invisible in his first seven NFL seasons, is currently ranked third in the entire NFL among tight ends with 667 receiving yards. He has also produced seven touchdowns and has done his damage with 48 receptions.

At 30 years of age, Barnidge probably won't be considered a true franchise building block, but teams looking for a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end should certainly look his way.

Benjamin is also a receiver teams needing a pass-catcher should target. The Miami product seems to have finally figured out the pro game this season and has racked up 736 yards and four scores on 48 receptions. He would make a great complementary receiver on a team that already has a true No. 1 option. 

The fact that the Browns have recently revoked starting privileges from second-year quarterback Johnny Manziel should only increase the stock of these two players. Journeyman Josh McCown has been solid this year, when healthy. 

McCown has completed 65.0 percent of his passes, has thrown for 11 touchdowns and just four interceptions, and he holds a passer rating of 95.2.

Alex Boone, G, San Francisco 49ers

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For the most part, the San Francisco 49ers have been a disaster in 2015. With a new coaching staff, plenty of quarterback controversy and a full rebuild taking place, this shouldn't be a massive surprise.

The 49ers already watched a number of longtime veterans depart this past offseason and agreed to trade away former Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis to the Denver Broncos once it became clear that the season was going south. You can probably expect more talented veterans to depart in the coming offseason, as well.

Starting guard Alex Boone is among the veterans who could seek greener pastures once the new league year begins. He is in the final year of his current deal and could realistically set his own path to a contender if not franchise-tagged by the 49ers.

Boone is rated 20th in pass protection among NFL guards by Pro Football Focus and would be a huge asset to any team looking to upgrade the interior of its offensive line.

At just 28 years old, Boone is also just entering what should be the prime of his pro career. He should be one of the hottest commodities on the open market in the 2016 offseason, especially if he can finish the season on an uptick of strong standout play.

Michael Crabtree, WR, Oakland Raiders

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Spending on free-agent wide receivers doesn't always work out. (Just ask the Browns about their recent experience with Dwayne Bowe.) However, the Oakland Raiders may have landed one of the biggest steals of the past few years when the team signed wideout Michael Crabtree to a one-year, $3.2 million deal this past offseason.

The former first-round pick never put up stellar numbers (721.1 yards per year on average) in his six seasons with the 49ers. However, he has emerged as a major piece in Oakland's offense alongside rookie receiver Amari Cooper and second-year quarterback Derek Carr.

Crabtree is on pace for a 1,114-yard, eight-touchdown season as Oakland's No. 2 receiver. Pro Football Focus rates him 11th overall among all NFL receivers. 

Crabtree is also just 28 years old, which means he likely has a number of highly productive years still in front of him.

For teams looking for a reliable second option, or even a borderline No. 1, Crabtree could be the answer. Whether it's in Oakland or with another team, Crabtree is likely to land a pretty favorable contract in the offseason. This is especially true if he can continue to rack up numbers down the stretch.

The Raiders aren't completely out of the postseason race at 4-6, but regardless, Crabtree has every reason in the world to keep producing on the football field. 

Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Dolphins

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Unlike some teams on this list, the Miami Dolphins have not always been a complete disaster on the football field this season. However, the team has struggled enough to earn last place in the AFC East and to produce the firing of former head coach Joe Philbin.

At 4-6, the Dolphins are not totally out of the playoff race, but the chances are looking incredibly slim.

Miami may want to spend the final six weeks of the season evaluating young talent like rookie running back Jay Ajayi, who has rushed for 102 yards on just 15 carries in his three appearances in 2015.

Ajayi could be the future at running back for Miami, which means veteran back Lamar Miller could be on his way out. Miller is, at the very least, in the final year of his rookie contract. If he doesn't re-sign with the Dolphins, Miller should be one of the more sought-after players on the market.

Miller has been far from perfect, but he has also rushed for an average of 5.0 yards per carry on the season. He has 565 yards rushing, 330 yards receiving and has scored seven total touchdowns. He'll also be just 25 years old at the start of the 2016 season.

In terms of age, wear (just 558 NFL carries to this point) and ability, Miller is probably the most attractive NFL running back to hit the open market in some time. The former Hurricanes star is rated fifth overall among running backs by Pro Football Focus and has the potential to be even better in a more cohesive offense.

If Miller can finish the season with a strong run, he's going to command a hefty salary on the open market. The only real question is whether Miami will pony up to retain him as part of a killer duo alongside Ajayi or if he'll end up with a different team in 2016.

Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers

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When talking about current-day NFL legends, Chargers tight end Antonio Gates has to be somewhere in the conversation. 

Gates, after all, has already produced 817 receptions, 10,332 yards and 101 touchdowns in his pro career. He also manages to stay incredibly productive, even at 35 years of age.

Though Gates was suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season for violation of the league's performance-enhancing-drugs policy, he has managed to catch 29 passes for 318 yards and two touchdowns. That production has come in just five games, with three starts.

Gates is rated 14th overall among tight ends by Pro Football Focus.

Gates made it fairly clear this past offseason that retirement wasn't an immediate plan.

"To me, it's all about how I feel as a person, how my body feels physically and mentally," he said, per the San Diego Union-Tribune's Michael Gehlken (h/t Shawn Krest of CBSSports.com). "As of right now, I feel great physically. I'm in a great place mentally. So, we'll see how it goes. I have no expectations for how long I'll play or if this is my last year."

If Gates does indeed continue his career in 2016, it won't be under his current contract, which expires after this season.

If he continues to play at a high level, some team—be it San Diego or otherwise—is likely to offer Gates a pretty penny in the offseason.

Haloti Ngata, DT, Detroit Lions

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There hasn't been a whole lot to like about the 2015 season for the Detroit Lions. The team currently sits in lat place in the NFC North and looks nothing like the playoff team of a year ago.

Part of the transformation has been due to the departure of defensive tackles Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, who left in free agency this past offseason. The defensive front—and the defense in general—hasn't been the same since the two former first-rounders departed.

Detroit's defense is allowing 27.4 points per game, 29th in the league. A year ago, Detroit was tied for second in scoring defense, with just 17.6 points per game allowed.

However, this doesn't mean the Lions are completely lacking top-tier defensive linemen. One of them, former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, has been a solid, if only situational, player on the defensive front.

Ngata has only amassed 15 tackles and 1.0 sacks on the season, but he is still rated 59th overall among all defensive tackles by Pro Football Focus. He also seems to be showing steady improvement as he adjusts to Detroit's system.

Lions coach Jim Caldwell recently praised Ngata, along with the rest of the Lions defensive front, after the team's third win of the season.

“I think we’ve got some guys in there that are knocking people back all across the front," Caldwell said while praising the run defense, per Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com. "Haloti’s [Ngata] doing a good job, Khyri [Thornton] was playing well for us, C.J. [Wilson] in there nice and tough in the interior and we see what Ziggy [Ansah] does and Jason [Jones] does."

Ngata will be 32 years old by the time the offseason rolls around, and he's really more of a puzzle piece than a centerpiece at this point of his career. He should, however, still draw plenty of interest in free agency if he can continue to stand out over the next six week.

We are, after all, talking about a five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle here.