Michael Vick and 32 NFL Players Who Deserve Extensions
Week 16 of the NFL season is nearly underway, which of course means that the playoffs are just around the corner, but only for 12 of the league's 32 teams.
For the other 20, New Year's Day will mark the beginning of the 2011 offseason, a time to clean house, re-evaluate everyone from players to coaches to janitorial staff and figure out how to improve for next season.
Assuming, of course, that there is a next season, with a new collective bargaining agreement far from certain to get done in time.
Once the Super Bowl is past, every team in the league will have to make tough decisions regarding which potential free agents to keep, which to let go, and which other players under contract to cut.
How to judge who gets the extension and who gets the axe? Is it on-field performance? Is it need at a certain position?
Regardless of how general managers will actually look at their rosters this upcoming offseason, let's have a look at the 32 impending free agents most deserving of extensions with their current teams, featuring the most deserving from each team in alphabetical order.
Arizona Cardinals: Tim Hightower
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Leading off the list is Tim Hightower of the Arizona Cardinals.
At 4-10, the Redbirds have had something of a miserable season, punctuated last week with a loss to the now 2-12 Carolina Panthers. The departure of key players in the offseason, including Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin and Karlos Dansby, have clearly had a tremendous negative impact on the performance of a team coming off consecutive trips to the NFL postseason.
However, those that have stuck around, like Hightower and wide-out Larry Fitzgerald, have continued to perform at a high level.
Hightower, in particular, has done well for Ken Whisenhunt's club this season, leading the team in just about every ground game category, including carries (135), yards (683) and touchdowns (five).
And, at merely 24 years of age, Hightower still has some of his best football ahead of him, which makes him a no-brainer for Cardinals management to keep from escaping the desert in free agency in 2011.
Atlanta Falcons: Tony Gonzalez
2 of 32
Atlanta entered the 2010 NFL season with a supposed deficit at the tight end position.
After all, their top guy for the spot, Tony Gonzalez, was 34 years old and entering his 14th season in the pros, so his body had already accumulated a fair amount of wear and tear, to say the least. Never mind the fact that Gonzalez was a 10-time Pro Bowler, a member of the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 2000s and the first and only tight end to ever catch 1,000 passes in his career.
Well, Gonzo has proven this season that he still has plenty of quality football left in him, catching 62 balls for 591 yards and five touchdowns as Matt Ryan's safety valve for the 12-2 Falcons.
The long-time Chief may be up there in years, but his performance in 2010 certainly merits at least a short-term extension from Falcons brass.
Baltimore Ravens: Haloti Ngata
3 of 32
What was that about the Baltimore Ravens' defense finally softening and taking a backseat to the team's offense?
Oh right, Ray Lewis isn't done, neither are Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs, and Haloti Ngata is just getting started.
At 6'4" and 350 pounds, the former Oregon Duck has become an absolute monster in the middle of the Ravens defensive line, accounting for 60 tackles, four passes defensed and a career-best six sacks with two games left to go.
Such a dominant season performance likely has Ngata, a free agent in 2011, well on his way to his second Pro Bowl selection along with a lengthy contract extension.
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Buffalo Bills: Paul Posluszny
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The Buffalo Bills have toiled in AFC East anonymity in recent years, which has limited the exposure of those who have starred in upstate New York.
Chief among those players is linebacker Paul Posluszny, the former Penn State Nittany Lion who leads the Bills in tackles with 126 thus far, good for fourth-most in the NFL.
"Poz," as he's known by his teammates, is due to hit the free agent market in 2011, but Buffalo general manager Buddy Nix would be wise to re-up with the undisputed leader of his team's defense.
Carolina Panthers: Charles Johnson
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It's tough to think that anyone from a 2-12 team should be welcome back after such a season, much less given a long-term contract extension.
Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson is certainly an exception to that notion. The 6'2", 275 pound former Georgia Bulldog is currently among the league's top 10 sack masters with 10 quarterback take-downs among his 57 tackles this season.
Carolina may be in bad shape now, but the team's straights will undoubtedly be even more dire if the front office lets Johnson walk after the season.
Chicago Bears: Danieal Manning
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Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher have earned their share of credit for the success of Chicago's defense this season, and rightfully so, as both have played at an extremely high level for the NFC North division champs.
That being said, let's not forget about the Bears secondary, where free safety Danieal Manning is having yet another solid year for Lovie Smith, with 63 tackles, seven passes defended and an interception thus far.
With at least three games left until he hits free agency, Manning has plenty of opportunity to prove beyond a doubt that he deserves a new deal to stay in Chi-town.
Cincinnati Bengals: Cedric Benson
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At 3-11, there's little doubt that the Cincinnati Bengals will be cleaning house throughout the winter and spring of 2011.
Recent franchise stalwarts like head coach Marvin Lewis and quarterback Carson Palmer will likely be gone, but one guy who deserves to stay is running back Cedric Benson.
The former fourth-overall pick of the Chicago Bears in the 2005 NFL Draft has transformed himself into a productive player in Ohio, as he's currently in the midst of his second consecutive 1,000-yard season.
And, despite a career-high four fumbles lost this season, the Bengals would be wise to bring Benson back for at least a few more seasons as a steadying presence for a franchise in disarray.
Cleveland Browns: Matt Roth
8 of 32
Elsewhere in the state of Ohio, the Browns are having a pretty rough season of their own, though a 5-9 record is something of an improvement for a Cleveland team that went 5-11 in 2009.
The Browns haven't exactly been a defensive juggernaut, but linebacker Matt Roth has certainly done his part, as an impending free agent, to keep Cleveland's defense afloat.
The former Iowa Hawkeye is second on the team in tackles with 74 to go along with four sacks and two passes defended, which is certainly extension-worthy for a franchise that is seemingly always in flux.
Dallas Cowboys: Gerald Sensabaugh
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Speaking of teams having disappointing seasons, perhaps no franchise has underachieved more this season than the 5-9 Dallas Cowboys.
As such, owner Jerry Jones is bound to make some sweeping changes in the offseason, though letting go of free-agent-to-be Gerald Sensabaugh should not be one of them.
In his sixth season out of North Carolina, the Cowboys safety has performed admirably for what is by and large a porous defense, leading the team with four interceptions and nine passes defended to go along with 66 tackles and two sacks.
Whether that's enough to convince Jones that Sensabaugh is worth keeping around remains to be seen.
Denver Broncos: Champ Bailey
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It's tough to argue that anyone from the NFL's second-worst defense deserves a new deal, but that's exactly what Denver's Champ Bailey should get.
The veteran corner has had yet another shutdown season, defending 13 passes and intercepting two others while piling up 45 tackles and a sack.
Those numbers may not be enough to land Bailey his 10th Pro Bowl selection, but it should be enough to demonstrate that he can still cover with the best of them into his early 30s.
Detroit Lions: Chris Houston
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Like Champ Bailey in Denver, Chris Houston has performed admirably for a lower-tier defense in Detroit this season.
The fourth-year corner out of Arkansas has been solid on the outside for Jim Schwartz's defense, accounting for 53 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and 12 passes defended in his first season with the Lions.
Judging by those numbers, Detroit would do well to bring him back for a few more years rather than let Houston strike out on his own in free agency.
Green Bay Packers: Desmond Bishop
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Word out of Green Bay is that the Packers are working on a contract extension for Desmond Bishop, but it's still worth mentioning why he's so deserving, even in brief.
Bishop has been a boon to the Packers top-10 defense this season, with 88 tackles, three sacks, five passes defended and an interception returned for a touchdown.
And, at 26 years of age, Bishop has many more good years of football in his future.
Houston Texans: Arian Foster
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Perhaps no contract decision is more of a no-brainer than Houston granting Arian Foster a hefty extension.
Foster, who is in his second NFL season after going undrafted out of Tennessee, is leading the league in rushing with 1,345 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, along with 550 yards and two touchdowns receiving, for one of the top five offenses in football.
Unfortunately for Foster and the Texans, they will once again be left home in January after losing seven of their last eight games.
Indianapolis Colts: Robert Mathis
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The Indianapolis Colts have some big free agents of their own to take care of in 2011, with none bigger than defensive end Robert Mathis.
Mathis is having yet another fantastic season with 50 tackles, 10 sacks and a forced fumble opposite Dwight Freeney, who gets all the pub in Indy.
Without Mathis on the end, the Colts defense would likely be a lot worse than it has fared so far in 2010.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Marcedes Lewis
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Keeping things in the AFC South, the Jacksonville Jaguars will need to do something about Marcedes Lewis, whether the team makes the playoffs or not.
The Jags' star tight end, in his fifth season out of UCLA, is looking like a sure-fire Pro Bowler, with a team-high nine touchdowns to go along with 51 catches and 637 yards.
Expect the front office brass in Jacksonville to reward Lewis with a new deal so that he continues his improvement in northern Florida.
Kansas City Chiefs: Tamba Hali
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Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali has absolutely thrived since Todd Haley and his staff took over in Kansas City two years ago.
Hali has been a star in the defensive midfield this season, contributing in just about every way statistically possible with 43 tackles, a team-high 11 sacks, four forced fumbles and three passes defended.
It'd be a shame for Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli to let Hali go in free agency now that the native of Liberia has finally come into his own.
Miami Dolphins: Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams
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The Miami Dolphins essentially use Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams in combination to constitute a single feature back, so they might as well grant new contracts to those two as such.
The duo of Brown and Williams has run for a total of 1,280 yards and six touchdowns while accumulating an additional 289 yards and a touchdown in the passing game.
Unless Bill Parcells has other plans for the Dolphins running game, he'd do well to bring back Brown and Williams for another go.
Minnesota Vikings: Chad Greenway
18 of 32
The 2010 season has been a surprisingly trying one in Minnesota, from Brett Favre's trials and tribulations to the firing of Brad Childress to the roof collapsing at the Metrodome.
Amidst the darkness of the impending winter in Minneapolis, Chad Greenway has been a shining beacon for the Vikings.
Greenway, in his fifth year out of Iowa, is among the NFL's most productive linebackers with 128 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass defended.
There has reportedly been some tension between Vikes brass and Greenway regarding his contract situation, though his play should leave no doubt that he deserves a new deal.
New England Patriots: BenJarvus Green-Ellis
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BenJarvus Green-Ellis has been a one-man law firm for the New England Patriots this season, providing Bill Belichick with an eminently reliable young back for seemingly the first time since Boston's dynasty began.
Green-Ellis currently ranks second in the league in rushing touchdowns with 12 to go along with 824 yards amidst the Pats' historically prolific offense, but he will be a restricted free agent once the season is over.
New England has a history of letting guys go before they're past their peaks, but the organization would be smart to keep around a solid back like Green-Ellis.
New Orleans Saints: Lance Moore
20 of 32
Marques Colston tends to dominate the wide receiver spotlight in New Orleans, but Lance Moore deserves some credit for making Drew Brees look good, as well.
The diminutive Moore, who checks in at just 5'9" and 190 pounds, leads the Saints in receiving touchdowns with eight to complement his 662 yards and occasional punt return duty.
Moore has expressed a desire to stay in Nawlins, but might very well be suiting up elsewhere after this season once he hits the free agent market.
New York Giants: Ahmad Bradshaw
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There are plenty of people in the Giants locker room worthy of receiving blame for the team's monumental collapse against the Philadelphia Eagles, but Ahmad Bradshaw isn't one of them.
The 5'9" bowling ball out of Marshall has emerged from a crowded backfield in New York with his performance thus far this season, rumbling for 1,182 yards and eight touchdowns while chipping in another 40 catches and 265 yards in the passing game.
And, at the ripe young age of 24, Bradshaw will be a productive back for years to come at the New Meadowlands, assuming the G-Men keep him out of free agency in 2011.
New York Jets: Braylon Edwards
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Santonio Holmes was supposed to be the new star receiver in New York this season, but because of injuries and games missed, Braylon Edwards has managed to hold on as Mark Sanchez's most productive target.
The former Cleveland Brown has tallied 774 yards receiving and six touchdowns on 46 catches this season for Rex Ryan's 10-4 Jets.
Both Edwards and Holmes are set to enter free agency after the season, though health and productivity would seem to have Edwards as the favorite to earn a stay with Gang Green in New York.
Oakland Raiders: Zach Miller
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It's been a while since the Oakland Raiders have been anything close to playoff contenders, and tight end Zach Miller has emerged as one of the big reasons why they're still in contention with two games to go.
The fourth-year player out of Arizona State is the leading receiver for Tom Cable's Silver and Black, turning 46 receptions into 588 yards and four touchdowns.
Infamous Raiders owner Al Davis would be smart to have his front office folks offer Miller's camp a cushy contract going forward.
Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Vick
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His name is Michael Vick. He's the quarterback for the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles. He's one of the leading MVP candidates in the NFL. He's the most dynamic player in the league and he's having arguably the best season of his electrifying career.
Notice to Jeff Lurie and the Eagles organization: give Michael Vick a new contract.
Enough said.
Pittsburgh Steelers: LaMarr Woodley
25 of 32
The Pittsburgh Steelers roster is pretty well stacked moving forward from this season, though the loss of linebacker LaMarr Woodley would be a significant loss for an already stacked defense.
Woodley's camp and Steelers brass had some contentious talks before the start of the 2010 season, yielding little other than the fact that Woodley would be playing without job security in Pittsburgh.
Under those circumstances, Woodley has continued to excel, scoring a defensive touchdown for the third season in a row to highlight a resume this year that includes 46 tackles, nine sacks, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and four passes defended.
In short, if the Steelers don't pay Woodley, them someone else surely will.
San Diego Chargers: Mike Tolbert
26 of 32
Mike Tolbert has been one of the most notable and productive breakout performers of the 2010 NFL season, and looks primed to earn a long-term contract extension as a result.
Amidst rookie running back Ryan Mathews' struggles with injury, Tolbert has emerged as a steady option in the offensive backfield, piling up 737 yards and 11 touchdowns on 178 carries so far this season.
At 5'9" and 243 pounds, Tolbert, who went undrafted out of Coastal Carolina, is quite a load to handle despite his lack of height and should be a reliable back for years to come.
San Francisco 49ers: Dashon Goldson
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The San Francisco 49ers may not look like a particularly good team at 5-9 on the season, but there's no shortage of talent on their roster, with safety Dashon Goldson included among San Fran's collection of exceptional defenders.
Goldson has been a force in the defensive backfield for the Niners, posting 74 tackles, five passes defended and a pick-six.
However, the Niners will have to put their money where Goldson's mouth is this offseason if they want him back in the fold going forward.
Seattle Seahawks: Ben Obomanu
28 of 32
Mike Williams has been the big story among Seattle's wide receivers this season, having revived his career by joining forces with former USC coach Pete Carroll, but Ben Obomanu has had quite a season in his own right.
Obomanu is the 'Hawks second-leading receiver, with 437 yards and a team-high four touchdowns through the air. Most impressively, Obomanu is averaging a whopping 19 yards per catch this season, placing him among the league's best.
The former Auburn Tiger must be happy singing War Eagle these days, but there's little doubt he'd much rather get a new deal with Seattle.
St. Louis Rams: John Greco
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No single metric or statistic can describe how valuable John Greco is to the Rams, but he is certainly among St. Louis' most important free agents in 2011.
The third-year guard out of Toledo has been a catalyst for the Rams offense this season, leading the way for yet another 1,000-yard season by Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson.
With St. Louis possibly playoff-bound and Sam Bradford emerging as a quality NFL quarterback, Rams management would be smart to re-sign Greco and keep the Rams offensive line intact for years to come.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Barrett Ruud
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Few players in the NFL have names that evoke the spirit of their respective positions quite like Barrett Ruud.
The sixth-year linebacker out of Nebraska has led Tampa Bay in tackles each of the last four seasons, including his 2010 performance thus far of 104 tackles, a sack, an interception, a forced fumble and four passes defended.
Though Ruud has yet to reach the Pro Bowl, his career as a Buccaneer certainly warrants a new deal, especially as the leader of a young defense under head coach Rahim Morris.
Tennessee Titans: Stephen Tulloch
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Tennessee's Stephen Tulloch may be small for a linebacker, at 5'11" and 240 pounds, but he's no chump when it comes to on-field performance.
The fifth-year 'backer out of North Carolina State is second in the NFL in tackles this year with 145 along with six passes defended and an interception.
Tulloch is up for free agency in 2011 and just might walk since the Titans have yet to offer him a worthwhile extension.
Washington Redskins: Santana Moss
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Ten years into his NFL career, Washington's Santana Moss remains one of the most consistently productive wide receivers in the game.
Now in his sixth season with the Redskins, Moss is leading the team in receptions (79), receiving yards (956) and touchdowns (six), Donovan McNabb or otherwise under center.
So while 'Skins fans everywhere are already calling for Mike Shanahan's head on a silver platter, they should just as quickly, and with as much fervor, push owner Dan Snyder to bring Moss back to catch passes from whomever is the latest craze at quarterback in D.C.
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