2011 NFL Lockout: The Free Agents Taking the Biggest Hit from Lockout
With the NFL lockout still full in full effect, fans have had the misfortune of suffering countless days not knowing what will become of their favorite team.
They sit idly at their computers, pining over that best possible trade or free agent signing, then they remember their team can’t make a move until the lockout ends. It’s like a desperate high school male waiting for his long time crush to break up with her jerk of a boyfriend so he can ask her to prom. Only in this case, the lockout seems to be sticking around longer than we thought, and the prom that is the 2011 NFL season is fast approaching.
While the fans aren’t the only ones out of luck, the players are perhaps even more distraught over the lockout. Imagine working your tail off day in and day out in the offseason knowing in the back of your mind you may not have a chance to reap the benefits. For me, it’d be like someone taking legal action to stop people from writing bleacher report articles, or in your case, commenting on them.
I’d be chomping at the bit to get back in the mix, and I am sure the players are feeling the same way. But, aside from passion for the game, how else is the lockout hurting the players. Here’s a list of guys who need the lockout to end more than anybody.
Randy Moss
1 of 8
Perhaps no receiver, other than maybe Chad Ocho Cinco, saw their stock drop more than Randy Moss last season. After being traded to a mess of Vikings team, Moss made it even messier, as he trashed a food vending service that provided dinner to the players one night, which led to the team and coaches hating him and his departure from Minnesota in just over a month’s time.
After being picked up by the Titans following the Viking disaster, Moss made little impact, catching for no more than 30 receiving yards and no touchdowns in eight games. Maybe Moss is getting old? Maybe he doesn’t care? But he will have a lot of distrust coming from whatever locker room he enters next season. If Moss wants one last shot at a ring, he needs to rebuild his reputation as a valuable deep threat and build a rapport with players and the lockout is only hurting those opportunities.
Marc Bulger
2 of 8
At age 34, Bulger sat the bench for an entire season last year as he backed up Joe Flacco in Baltimore. Now in his 11th season, Bulger is looking like he might be on the move to some other team, possibly challenging for a starting role if possible. There’s some likely candidates in need of his services, the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings to name a few.
People tend to forget Bulger once posted a 4,000 yard season on an average Rams team in 2006. That was five years ago, sure, but the guy is a proven pocket passer with playoff experience who could have somewhat of a Kurt Warner-like resurgence if put in the right situation. But with the lockout curbing his ability to sign with another team, Bulger may see his last shot at a comeback dwindle in the process.
Cam Newton
3 of 8
After signing a record amount of endorsement contracts, one of the most controversial first overall picks is about to take over our television screen. But he hasn’t taken over our trust. Newton had about as much bad press in one year than any college athlete in the last decade, and he seemed to revel in it all the way to a his school’s national championship victory.
Now, with high expectations increasing due to media hype combined with the cloud of controversy, Newton hasn’t been able to learn one of the most difficult positions in sports as well as learn how the system of the NFL works. He has yet to take his medicine as a rookie, and all the attention his reputation brings can’t be erased.
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Desean Jackson
4 of 8
After three electrifying seasons as a Philadelphia Eagle, including two pro bowls, Jackson’s salary is chump change compared to his production on the field. Jackson is still playing under his rookie contract, and is due to make just $565,000 next season, and the CBA prevents teams from offering more than a 20 percent raise.. Since the Eagles can’t sign any free agents, it’s unclear whether or not they will be willing to pay Jackson depending on whom they sign.
Chad Ochocinco
5 of 8
First it was soccer, now it’s bull riding. Idle time is clearly the devil’s playground for Ocho Cinco. I understand he’s trying to make a buck, but he may miss out on a whole lot more money if his antics lead to a serious injury. With players locked out, NFL teams can void their contracts at any time, meaning if that bull fractures Ocho Cinco’s knee, it’s likely his days as an NFL player are over. Ocho Cinco, like Moss, is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, and although it may be too late for him, this kind of attention isn’t helping his chances for a rebound year.
Troy Bergeron
6 of 8
Bergeron represents a group of players largely unseen not talked about, the ones on the practice squad who don’t make enough money to provide for their families. The Cowboys wide receiver joined the arena football league because he didn’t have enough NFL Service time to qualify for the $60,000 paycheck from the Associations lockout fund.
Matt Hasselback
7 of 8
Another veteran quarterback but unlike Bulger, Hasselback started and had a seriously good playoff performance against New Orleans. There’s a few teams out there that could use him, with the 49ers being the best option as of right now, but for the same reasons as Bulger, his chances at landing on another contender must wait. Hasselback has the tools to make the talented offense like San Francisco into one of the NFL’s elite.
Mark Herzlich
8 of 8
Teams were unwilling to take a chance on Herzlich in the 2011 Draft. A former ACC defensive player of the year Herzlich before he was diagnosed with cancer but survived, Herzlich represents a portion of NFL players that may be hurt the most by the lockout, the undrafted free agent category.
No matter how many different safety regulations the NFL can come up with, football is a violent sport and injuries happen on a near constant basis. Teams rely heavily on undrafted free agents later on in the season players start to get banged up. With the NFL lockout, the odds of these guys getting signed decreases all the more. Like when the CEO’s of the bailed-out banks got pay raises, it seems the little guy always gets the worst when times are tough.
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