NFL Free Agency 2011: 15 Free Agents Most Likely to Get Overpaid
NFL Free Agency is floating in the ether, waiting for a new collective bargaining agreement.
Until there's a new agreement, no team even wants to negotiate new deals, with the exception of Peyton Manning.
After March 3, if there's no new CBA, then teams won't be allowed to negotiate new deals and the players will be locked out.
Sooner or later, though, there will be a new CBA and the deals will come fast and furious after that as teams try and get going as soon as possible.
In the rush to get new deals done, guys are going to get overpaid. It happens every year.
Here is this year's list of free agents who probably will see too much money for the production they won't give their team.
15. Caleb Hanie
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Jay Cutler is now seen as a quitter who refuses to play through injuries and the debate over whether he COULD have kept playing in the third quarter of the NFC Championship Game now is likely to be his legacy in the NFL.
The Bears have to know that Cutler isn't reliable at this point and that he may lose the "it" factor you need to be a starting quarterback in the NFL where it really counts, between the ears.
Caleb Hanie really showed some guts and determination, along with some flashes of real talent and leadership, in relief of Cutler and Todd Collins.
While Hanie certainly deserves a better contract than what he's playing on now, his agent will use the leverage of his potential to get Hanie a bigger contract than is necessary.
14. Santonio Holmes
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Santonio Holmes is going to demand big money. He's helped one team win a Super Bowl, and almost got his current team to another.
However, Holmes does have issues off the field. While the current ones either already are resolved or won't impact his ability to play, Holmes still has questions surrounding just how "good" he'll be in the future.
The Jets may pay him a ton of money, but there's a good chance he'll never live up to that contract.
13. Terrell Owens
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Terrell Owens is 37 years old, but he still thinks he has a few years left in him. Granted he had some good production this year and he's still pretty fast, so it comes down to his attitude.
Owens may get work in the league, but whoever signs him will be overpaying him. His production is bound to start dropping off and when that happens, his mouth will kick into high gear. At that point, any money spent on this buffoon is wasted money.
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12. Randy Moss
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Moss is a worse version of Terrell Owens. Owens gets mad when he doesn't have the ball thrown his way, but Moss not only gets upset, he quits.
No one takes plays off like Randy Moss and even a contract worth $50 for the season would be money poorly spent.
Moss not only is one of the greatest wastes of talent to ever wear an NFL uniform, now he's getting old.
But somebody will give this clown a contract and they'll regret it by Week 6.
11. Ahmad Bradshaw
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Ahmad Bradshaw has problems with fumbling, but since he had such a great year for New York in 2010, rushing for 1,235 yards, he'll get a big new contract.
There's no telling how Bradshaw will be in the future, but losing six of seven fumbles this past season isn't a good stat to have moving forward.
10. Logan Mankins
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Because Logan Mankins played for the Patriots and protected Tom Brady, he will become the subject of a bidding war, especially considering he doesn't believe the Patriots will bring him back.
With perception being reality these days, expect Mankins to end up as one of the highest paid offensive linemen in the league.
9. Peyton Manning
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Peyton Manning is going to be the highest paid quarterback in the league. The problem is the Colts still have the same head coach.
Manning makes this list because of his age and the fact that, as long as Jim Caldwell is the Colts head coach, they're not going to win any Super Bowls and therefore won't get the true value of the contract they want to see.
8. Pat Williams
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Pat Williams is getting old, but he'll get a contract. The question is whether he'll actually be able to finish out the contract.
Big and old usually don't add up to very many productive seasons.
7. Nnamdi Asomugha
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Nnamdi Asomugha had a $16.8 million option on his contract voided this year by the Raiders because he didn't reach certain incentives.
You can bet $16.8 million is going to be the starting point on any new contract. Even if Asomugha doesn't get that from any other team, he's still going to be one of the highest paid players in the league at his position.
6. Champ Bailey
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Champ Bailey's production has dropped, and he isn't exactly a spring chicken these days either. That being said, Bailey's agent will make sure he gets one more big contract. It will probably be too much.
5. Cedric Benson
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Cedric Benson is going to want a lot of money and his production will remain about even, at best.
Benson's best days are behind him and whatever contract he gets is going to be too much.
4. Braylon Edwards
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Once Braylon Edwards has his money, he'll lose his focus again and start dropping passes on a more regular basis like he did in Cleveland.
Braylon is all about Braylon, and a fat new contract will go a long way toward making him complacent.
3. Matt Moore
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Matt Moore may convince someone it was the Panthers who were the problem and not his own shortcomings.
Even if it's a backup contract with incentives, Moore is going to get overpaid.
2. Matt Hasselbeck
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Matt Hasselbeck has convinced himself and probably more than one person around the league, that he can be a viable option at age 35.
Expect Hasselbeck to get a two year contract with an option for a third year that never will get picked up because the team already spent too much money on the first two years.
1. Michael Vick
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The Eagles are going to spend a lot of money on Michael Vick, but his playing style tells me he'll be nursing injuries through as many games as he plays healthy, assuming he even can play through said injuries.
Vick has the talent for a top contract, but he'll be overpaid once he spends a chunk of that contract in street clothes on the sidelines.
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