2011 Predictions: Top 25 NFL Players Who Could Be on Different Teams Next Year
2011 predictions are here and it's never too early to look forward to the offseason, and we're looking at players who could be changing uniforms next season.
We've ranked the top 25 players who could do so and if you agree or disagree or think someone should be added to the list, be sure to make it known. One disclaimer. No, Peyton Manning is not on this list, just for the sheer fact the chances of him leaving the Colts are slim to none.
Other than that, everyone was fair game and be sure to let your thoughts known in the comments.
No. 25: Richard Seymour
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Richard Seymour has always had a solid, consistent career and despite some controversy around his trade to Oakland, he played well for the Raiders.
Now he has a chance to test the free market and if someone with the right system is looking for a pass rusher, Seymour would be a decent option and could probably be had for the right price. He's also a guy who knows what it takes to win and would be great in the locker room.
There isn't much downside to Seymour besides his age.
No. 24: Matt Hasselbeck
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Matt Hasselbeck isn't what he used to be, and I think his future in Seattle is non-existant.
Pete Carroll doesn't seem to be high on the quarterback, and I think that we could see Hasselbeck somewhere else in 2011. He's had a good career, but it's clear he's on the downside of his career and is able to sign with anyone next year.
Look to see him in another uniform next year.
No. 23: BenJarvis Green-Ellis
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Who would think that BenJarvis Green-Ellis would become such a huge part of what the Patriots do?
The Lawfirm is a restricted free agent after the season, and you know that the Patriots will want to keep him. He's probably the best running back Tom Brady has ever had, and he's part of that two-headed monster with Danny Woodhead.
Keeping him should be priority No. 1, but who knows what can happen on the open market.
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No. 22: Stewart Bradley
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Stewart Bradley is a good, young linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles who happens to be a restricted free agent this year.
Bradley has had some injury issues in his career, and that's a bit concerning, but he is a good player who is still getting into the prime of his career and has a lot of upside. I think that's why the Eagles will make every effort to keep him, so it will be hard to snag him away.
He's worth looking at though.
No. 21: Antonio Cromartie
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Antonio Cromartie is a guy who had a monster year in San Diego, but has fallen under the radar in recent years.
Cromartie is no Darrelle Revis, but he's a good corner who can give you decent production out of the position. He's a restricted free agent, and while there are some great free agent secondary players to look at, he's a fallback option.
However, I think the best odds are he stays with New York.
No. 20: Braylon Edwards
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Braylon Edwards has had an up and down career and now he's a free agent after the season, able to sign with anyone.
Edwards has caused some trouble in his career, which should scare some teams off, not to mention how frequently he drops the ball when it's thrown to him. However, I think the Jets will push to keep him and some teams will be in the mix.
He's still very talented and can make plays down the field.
No. 19: Darren Sharper
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Darren Sharper is one of the leaders of the New Orleans Saints and happens to be a free agent after the season.
Sharper is a guy a lot of teams would love to have. He always seems to be around the ball and he's a playmaker. Not only that, he's a great guy to have in the locker room and he's one of the reasons for New Orleans' success last year.
I think there will be a few teams, including the Saints, in on Sharper.
No. 18: Steve Breaston
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Just because Steve Breaston has suffered because he has no quarterback, doesn't mean he's not talented.
He's a restricted free agent and if you're a team that remembers how good he was as a slot wideout with Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, he'd be a great pickup who could possibly be had for a really good price.
I could see him somewhere else next year.
No. 17: Cedric Benson
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Cedric Benson had a monster season in Cincinnati last year, but this year, not so much.
Benson struggled and didn't look like the same player, and maybe that happened because of the reliance the Bengals put into Carson Palmer and the passing game since they had Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco.
Either way, Benson should get some suitors. He's a big guy who can grind out yards.
No. 16: Carlos Rogers
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After this year, Carlos Rogers is eligible to sign with any team he chooses.
He has become a solid player in Washington and should draw plenty of attention on the open market. Rogers has become a hard-hitter in the secondary, and that threat will be very valuable to teams who need to up the intimidation factor.
I expect him to get a lot of offers.
No. 15: Ronnie Brown
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Ronnie Brown used to be the master of the Wildcat, but this year, he's just been a non-factor.
Brown may be over the hill. It could have to do with his offensive line, or the lack of a passing game, or a little bit of all three, but it doesn't mean that a team looking for a running back won't be interested in bringing him in.
I don't think he's washed up, so I'm sure he'll bounce back in the right situation.
No. 14: LaMarr Woodley
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LaMarr Woodley is a big piece of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, and he's another player who is a restricted free agent at the end of the year.
Woodley is a beast who is a big, strong, fast player who has great instincts and would improve any defense he is a part of. Pittsburgh knows how to keep the players it covets, and it's going to be hard to get Woodley away from the Steelers, but any team with a need should try and throw him an offer.
You'd be foolish not to.
No. 13: Sidney Rice
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I think Sidney Rice is a guy who can be a big-time playmaker in this league.
Last year he had a monster season with Brett Favre under center, and he missed a large chunk of the year this time because of a hip injury. But with a quality quarterback under center, Rice can be a beast and a big-time target.
He's a restricted free agent and the Vikings will likely try hard to keep him.
No. 12: Randy Moss
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Don't let Randy Moss' year fool you into thinking he's washed up.
His tenure in Tennessee is more about an inept coaching staff that doesn't know how to use him than anything else. Moss still has it. The Titans just don't know what to do with him when he's on the field, not to mention he has scrubs throwing him the ball.
I think he'll end up somewhere and will produce next year.
No. 11: Ronde Barber
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Ronde Barber has been around for a long, long time and is about to hit the open market.
I think it will be hard to pull him away from Tampa Bay, where's been for so, so long, but any team will have a crack at him. Teams with young corners would love to have him there to mentor them on how to play the position.
It would be an uphill battle to get him though.
No. 10: Ahmad Bradshaw
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Ahmad Bradshaw is so important to what the New York Giants do on offense, and as a restricted free agent next year, he could be in another uniform.
He's struggled with fumbles, and that's a little worrisome, but he's a great runner and took the starting job away from Brandon Jacobs. The Giants really need to keep him, but if an offer comes along that is too big for the Giants' wallets, he's a goner.
It should be interesting to see what happens with him.
No. 9: Chad Ochocinco
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Chad Ochocinco's future in Cincinnati isn't as clear as you might think.
Ochocinco has a team option on the table, and even the wideout himself isn't sure that the Bengals will pick it up. It would be cheaper to part ways with the wideout than to keep him around, and it looks like that may be the course of action.
I'm sure he'd find work elsewhere. He's a solid player with a lot of talent.
No. 8: Donovan McNabb
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Donovan McNabb and the Washington Redskins have been a trainwreck of a marriage.
Sure, McNabb signed a contract, but he won't be with the team next year and we all know that. He would make sense with a team like Minnesota, who will likely need a quarterback next season. He's still got life in that arm, and he'll find a job.
Anywhere's better than Washington at this point.
No. 7: DeAngelo Williams
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DeAngelo Williams had a really down year in Carolina and ended up injured. He will be a restricted free agent after the season.
The Panthers have no idea who will be the head coach after the season. It will be interesting to see the direction they take, and if Williams is a part of those plans. It'd be hard to believe that he wouldn't be, and I don't see any team giving up an offer that Carolina couldn't match.
I've seen stranger things happen though.
No. 6: Haloti Ngata
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Haloti Ngata is a mountain of a man who clogs up the middle for the Baltimore Ravens.
He also happens to be a restricted free agent, and teams that could use a nose tackle would be wise to go after him. Ngata is a stud lineman and makes so many plays for that Ravens defense and is one of the better defensive players in the game.
Baltimore will fight hard to keep him though.
No. 5: Terrell Owens
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This is a huge buyer-beware player.
It's not just for his loud mouth or his Twitter account, but the fact that he's coming back off a big knee injury at such an old age for a football player. It's going to be hard for Terrell Owens to produce at the level he did this year with a bum knee, even if he is a physical freak.
I'd be wary to sign him, but I'm sure some team will. There's always one.
No. 4: Logan Mankins
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Logan Mankins is a Pro Bowl lineman and one of the guys who keeps Tom Brady upright.
He held out for a good chunk of the season as he disputed over an new contract with the Patriots, and there was never an agreement. Mankins can sign with any team he wishes in the offseason, and you know he's going to test the market.
I'm sure Brady will push hard for New England to keep him, but this is a bit of a wild card.
No. 3: Champ Bailey
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Champ Bailey is one of the greatest cornerbacks of his generation, but his time in Denver may be up.
Bailey is a free agent at the end of the year, and he could be heading to a new destination. The corner still has plenty left in the tank, and I think some team is going to be very, very grateful to have him when the offseason is through.
I see him going elsewhere and playing at a high level.
No. 2: Vincent Jackson
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Vincent Jackson is another player who had a prolonged holdout because of a contract situation and will be a free agent after the season.
Jackson was Philip Rivers' favorite target, and after the way it all played out in San Diego, there's just no way that he stays with the Chargers after the season. It's open season on Jackson, and he's had some conduct issues, but there will be plenty of teams in the hunt.
He could be one of the crown jewels of the offseason.
No. 1: Michael Vick
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Michael Vick is a free agent at the end of the season, and there's a couple options for the Eagles.
They could franchise Vick and make this whole conversation pointless, or they could ink him to a long-term contract. Vick still owes a lot of money and isn't as wealthy as people would think someone of his stature is, and he could use the payday.
The Eagles have always been a little tight with money, and it should be interesting to see how this plays out. Philadelphia wants him, though, and should be considered the favorites to ink him to a deal one way or another.
In the NFL, you never know what could happen and what the league will look like this time next year.
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