NFL News and Rumors: Top 10 Free Agents Who Will Take Pay Cut or Retire in 2011

While we wait with bated breath for the NFL’s new CBA—assuming it gets one before a work stoppage—the free agency period before the draft is getting shorter, making it that much more interesting as the hours and days tick by.

There is a lot of talent out there this year and a lot of players and teams with differing opinions on their value.

Some free agents are no-brainers for some teams; they fill holes and are worth their asking price or sometimes more. Case in point is Peyton Manning.

However, there are some players who think they deserve more than they really do or who just aren’t ready to accept that they need to hang it up. In either case, the 10 players on this list all fall into this category. When and if the CBA ever gets agreed upon, they will need to take a pay cut if they expect to stay in the league.

Today, on the first day of the NFL’s new 2011 league year, we at Bleacher Report bring you not the top 10 free agents out there, but the top 10 who will either take a pay cut or retire in 2011. We really wonder if some of them know it yet.

10. Matt Light, OT

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HONOLULU - JANUARY 30: Matt Light #72 of the New England Patriots stands on the field during the 2011 NFL Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium on January 30, 2011 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

Matt Light had a very strong 2010 on the line for New England. He started all 16 games and held strong to keep Tom Brady—and his glass knee—from being hit too often.

However, he will be 33 before the season starts this year, and there are plenty of young OTs in this year’s draft and even more aging linemen out there in the league.

That being said, a team like the Chicago Bears could look his direction for the right price in a one-year deal to help shore up the sieve that they call their O-line. Whether or not he thinks another season is worth their or any team’s offer is yet to be seen, though.

9. Ricky Williams, RB

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MIAMI - DECEMBER 26: Running back Ricky Williams #34 of the Miami Dolphins breaks away from linebacker DeAndre Levy #54 of the Detroit Lions at Sun Life Stadium on December 26, 2010 in Miami, Florida. The Lions defeated the Dolphins 34-27. (Photo by Mar

At 33, the former Heisman Trophy winner is still not ready to hang up the cleats just yet.

He is only one season removed from an 1,100-plus-yard season and did average 4.2 yards per carry last year for the Dolphins. However, he has already seen his best days and is over the hill as far as running backs are concerned. Don’t forget that he’ll be 34 before he even sees a snap in 2011.

Other teams could look at him for an experienced back who can back up a rising star, but he shouldn’t look to earn much money in 2011 if he earns any at all.

8. Matt Hasselbeck, QB

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 16: Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck #8 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts while taking on the Chicago Bears in the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field on January 16, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Image

35-year-old Matt Hasselbeck can’t have much more left in the tank. He has played a strong 13-year career and has only suffered one major injury-shortened season.

That being said, his numbers have declined since he played only seven games in 2008 and don’t seem to be returning to their previous luster.

Teams like Arizona could be looking to pick him up on the cheap, but expect Seattle to be going after a young QB in the middle rounds of the draft to build their team around. Hasselbeck has been the de facto starter for years, but the Seahawks should know that it is time for someone new.

7. Ronnie Brown, RB

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MIAMI - DECEMBER 19: Running back Ronnie Brown #23 of the Miami Dolphins is upended by the Buffalo Bills at Sun Life Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Miami has a thing for aging running backs, doesn't it? It is true that Brown will only be 29 throughout this season, but his yards and yards per carry were both lackluster last year and at his age aren’t likely to return to much higher levels.

The second overall pick has never really been the star RB the Dolphins had hoped for, but he has been solid in the Wildcat and out of the backfield.

There are plenty of teams who could be looking for a speed back to complement a power or third down back they already have on their roster, and they might offer a cheap one-year deal to see if Brown has any big runs left in him.

6. Mike Peterson, LB

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ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 15: Mike Peterson #53 of the Atlanta Falcons looks on dejected on the sideline against the Green Bay Packers during their 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Georgia Dome on January 15, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Streeter

Mike Peterson is only one of two defensive players on this list, and he is also the younger of the two at 34. However, the six-time 100-plus tackler has seen the last of his explosive sack and run-stopping days and is in the twilight of his career.

Atlanta could be interested in him to give continuity to their front seven going into 2011, but don’t expect him to be signed for much more than a few million dollars for one year only.

If Atlanta doesn’t keep him around, he might find a hard time getting a contract from a team for a price he’s willing to take with too many other, younger linebackers out there in the NFL.

5. Cadillac Williams, RB

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NEW ORLEANS - DECEMBER 27: Cadillac Williams #24 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers runs past Jonathan Casillas #52 of the New Orleans Saints at the Louisiana Superdome on December 27, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

I must be the only person in the world who thinks that Cadillac Williams has been overrated for the last, I don’t know, seven years or so.

Seems like every year he has been in the league the fans of the NFL have had him shoved down their throat by every Tampa Bay supporter out there despite the fact that he has never proved that he was even worth his fifth overall pick.

He has only rushed for over 1,000 yards and 4.0 yards per carry once in his career and is unlikely to ever do so again. How he has survived this long in the league I’m not sure, but he just seems to be hanging around.

I’m sure someone will offer him a tiny contract in a backup role, but the Bucs aren’t likely to bring him back with their new and improved offensive plan not including his lack of production. It might be time for Williams to move farther south in Florida with the other retirees and start driving a Cadillac instead of trying to run like one.

4. Jason Taylor, OLB/DE

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 11: Jason Taylor #99 of the New York Jets reacts after he sacked Brett Favre #4 of the Minnesota Vikings at New Meadowlands Stadium on October 11, 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images)

Throughout his 15-year Hall of Fame career, Jason Taylor has been an unstoppable force for three different defenses. He was a staple in Miami, recording more than 10 sacks in six different seasons.

However, since he was juggled to Washington, back to Miami and then to New York last year, his age has finally caught up to him, and he has only recorded 15.5 sacks in the last three seasons combined.

He could still be a decent pass rusher for a few teams in need, but since he has made it clear that he will only play for the Jets in 2011 and they don’t seem likely to re-sign him, look for his retirement notice on the wires any day.

3. Terrell Owens, WR

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CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 05: Terrell Owens #81 of the Cincinnati Bengals runs with the ball during the NFL game against the New Orleans Saints at Paul Brown Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Saints won 34-30. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Ge

I think that most anyone would be happier if T.O. would retire from talking instead of football, but he simply refuses to stop doing either.

He did put up good numbers for the Bengals last year, but he is 37 years old and has been playing on borrowed time for the last few seasons as it is.

Fact is, even if a team wants him and his distraction factor, he may not be willing to accept the “peanuts” they offer him. Don’t expect him to put aside his greed or ego to play one more season for the love of the game.

2. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB

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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 23: Running back LaDainian Tomlinson #21 of the New York Jets runs the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2011 AFC Championship game at Heinz Field on January 23, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers won 24

Being a prolific running back in the NFL must be the best drug in the world—or maybe it just has the worst withdrawals of any drug in the world.

Either way, LaDainian isn’t the first running back to keep coming back for one more year, year after year. The Jets have expressed interest in giving him another year in the Big Apple, but if those plans fall through, don’t expect anyone to be picking up the aging record-breaker for much more than the minimum salary allowed.

He might be valuable as a big name on the roster who can boost interest in the team and jersey sales, but don’t expect him to be much of a factor on the field if he even makes it that far in 2011.

1. Randy Moss, WR

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NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 05: Randy Moss #84 of the Tennessee Titans maks a catch as Don Carey #22 of the Jacksonville Jaguars defends at LP Field on December 5, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Jaguars won 17-6. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

C’mon. You all knew it was coming.

Moss has a laundry list of records in the NFL and is likely a Hall of Famer even without a Super Bowl ring. He did have the game-winning touchdown catch for more than two minutes in Super Bowl XLII, but the Patriots defense bent too far, and Plaxico Burress stole that honor from him in the last 35 seconds of the game.

Moss has played very well up until last year, when his whining and trade requests landed him in Tennessee by way of Minnesota, and he managed an anemic 28 catches for 393 yards and only five touchdowns.

Surely some overconfident GM will pick him up in the hope of reclaiming his glory days, but Moss should stop before he goes the way of Brett Favre and ruins what is left of his legacy as an elite receiver in the NFL.