Tiki Barber and 7 NFL Free Agents to Shy Away from

As we enter Week 2 of the 2011 NFL preseason, many players still remain un-signed. And given the fact that rosters will eventually be cut from 90 to 53, those who are un-signed could very well remain that way.

Some of those players are long-time veterans who have had extremely productive careers, others are guys who simply have played below expectations.

Age cannot overcome previous stats; nor can off the field troubles or general declines in production. Here are eight guys that NFL front offices would be wise to steer clear of. 

Brett Favre, Quarterback

Why is one of the best quarterbacks of all time on a do not sign list?

We saw in Minnesota that Favre's presence can have a detrimental effect; his legacy and aura can create unnecessary tension in a locker room—let's not forget that a faction of the Vikings' leaders flew to Mississippi to convince Favre to play in 2010, which overwhelmed team chemistry to an extent. 

He can command too much attention, put the current starting quarterback under stress, and his brittle nature offers, at this point, no more than a one-year stopgap.

It's unrealistic to expect a 40-year-old quarterback to learn a new system and play productively. An "ironman" during his career, Favre's end to 2010 was less than ceremonial as he was slammed to the frozen turf. 

Favre's value was shown and used in Minnesota; he gave them one great year and those within the locker room believed he could give them another great year, which fell short.

As Favre is finally out of the spotlight and appears content in "retirement," here's to hoping he has finally hung up the pads. 

Lendale White, Running Back

White had a successful career as a power back in college, but came into the NFL with questions about his work ethic and long-term potential.

His career quickly ascended with a 1000 yard season in his second year—as a 16 game starter—and 15 touchdowns in his third year as part of a successful backfield with Chris Johnson.

However, Johnson quickly took over with his 2000 yard season in 2009, and White potentially was out of a job. However, Pete Carroll and the Seahawks—Carroll his former college coach—traded for him during the 2010 draft; White didn't make the Opening Day roster.

He hurt his knee in Denver Broncos training camp later in 2010 and was released just days ago by Denver.

He's had many chances to succeed and it's somewhat unfortunate that Chris Johnson pushed him out of a job because of an historic season. However, White has shown throughout his career to be a player who struggles with the off the field preparation part of the game, notably his weight.

A knee injury for a heavy running back is one of the few that is the most difficult to recover from. Furthermore, White is a back who shared the spotlight during his college days and came into the NFL perhaps taking his abilities for granted.

For now, White may have to deal with being passed on by NFL front offices as a player who must prove that he is willing to work to get back into the league and play whatever role is asked of him.

Garrett Wolfe, Running Back

Garrett Wolfe was an extremely successful, undersized running back from Northern Illinois University; his quickness and pass catching abilities were signs that he could maybe succeed in the NFL as a special teams player and third-down back.

A third round pick in the 2007 NFL draft, he was a project for the Bears to develop. Unfortunately he has not been as productive as the Bears had hoped. As a contributor on special teams he was tied for second on the team with 18 special teams tackles, but failed to produce enough otherwise. 

Only eight yards rushing in 2010 followed a career-high 120 yards rushing in 2009, with only one career touchdown. He never showed the game breaking abilities he showed in college, which was enough for him to lose his roster spot.

He was a long shot to go back to the Bears, as they failed to extend him a tender offer before the lockout. He had legal issues during the lockout that are being mostly eliminated, but there's reason for teams to shy away from an undersized, underdeveloped running back that has had a rough offseason. 

Brian Williams, Cornerback

The former Falcons cornerback spent two seasons with the team before being released; he was previously released by the Jaguars when he refused to take a pay cut after 2008. 

His play was disappointing considering his previous seven seasons, with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars, were filled with consistent play and durability.

During his previous seven seasons before coming to Atlanta, his least productive seasons; he had only two seasons with one interception and two seasons with only five passes defended. 

On the contrary, he had four passes defended and one interception in his two seasons with the Falcons. He missed 11 games in 2009 after being placed on IR for a knee injury, after never playing fewer than 14 games in a season.

Now a player entering his mid-30s, his recent production doesn't warrant much attention. Recovering from injury, he lost his starting job heading into 2010 and had the worst numbers of his career, playing in all 16 games and taking over as nickel corner halfway through; he finished with no interceptions and only one pass defensed. 

Williams has remained unsigned until this point; and given his decline, age and injury concerns over the past few years, coupled with his prior refusal to take a pay cut, Williams' career could be over. 

Ellis Hobbs, Cornerback

Hobbs spent four seasons in New England and turned into a solid cornerback; Philadelphia gave up two fifth-round picks to acquire Hobbs. He was coming off a decent season in 2008, 11 passes defended and three interceptions.

However, he played with the Eagles for two seasons and played in 16 combined games; he had four passes defended and one interception.

The main issue with Hobbs is his health; he has suffered two serious neck injuries in two seasons. There has been doubt throughout the offseason whether or not he could play football. He is awaiting the word of doctors as to whether or not he can play again. 

It's worth questioning whether or not he can be a legitimate contributor. He is undersized at 5'9" and has shown wear after a quick start to his career.

It's possible Hobbs would only come back for the right price; is the right price one that is enough for Hobbs to "risk" his health? Not a pretty picture for any front office that chooses to get involved.

Ken Hamlin, Safety

Hamlin began his career as a safety in Seattle and quickly earned himself the nickname "the Hammer" due to his enforcement in the secondary.

However, in 2005 he was having a down year before and off the field incident, after the sixth game of the season, landed him in the hospital with a severe head injury.

He regained his form and had a strong year for Seattle in 2006 before signing with Dallas as a free agent in 2007. He had one great year—potentially a career year—before his play started to decline.

For comparison he played 16 games in both 2007 and 2008; but his numbers dropped from five interceptions and 15 passes defended to two breakups and one pick.  In 2009 his number's dropped further, no interceptions and two passes broken up in 12 games.

In 2010, he played seven games for Baltimore before being released and picked up by Indianapolis, appearing in only two games. His peak of production came at the beginning of his second contract in 2007 and the rapid decline in all of his numbers is an alarming sign.

The fact that he has jumped between some good organizations in the past two seasons leads me to believe that his experience is valuable, but he can no longer can play the style he is accustomed to. 

Tiki Barber, Running Back

The potential Hall of Fame running back left the NFL the season before the Giants won the Super Bowl.

He was coming off five straight 1,000 yard seasons, in which he showed remarkable durability for a player of his age; his numbers getting better as his career wore on, in addition to his fumbling problems slipping into the past.

He had only nine fumbles in his last three seasons compared to 26 fumbles in the three previous seasons; with three straight seasons of more than 1500 yards rushing and eight straight seasons of 50-plus catches, you could understand the curiosity that emerged when he retired in pursuit of off the field ventures.

Even though he had helped lead his team to a championship level, he decided to walk away from the NFL—and arguably killed the momentum of the season, declaring he was in his last year before the year ended; unexpectedly, leaving his locker room hanging and somewhat divided.

He created a messy situation with the Giants, but appeared primed and focused on succeeding in his upcoming broadcasting career.

Barber was placed under high expectations with NBC; ultimately, he was unable to fulfill his professional expectations. Additional personal transgressions—in the public eye—led to a less than desirable downfall, if there is such thing.

Barber's last three years have been a struggle, as he has gone through personal issues and admittedly reached personal lows. Now, given his remarkable durability, he believes that he can be an asset to a NFL team—convinced he can be "a big part of a team." 

But, he is currently part of no team and rosters are nearly twice the size than in the regular season. After a less than ceremonious exit when he left the game and his resulting, ugly downfall in the public eye; perhaps Barber will learn that he left the game too soon and now, at age 36, it's time for the former running back to stay away from professional football. 

Kenny Iwebema, Defensive End

I won't pretend to be an expert on Iwebema's game; but what I do know is that he was released by Arizona before his rookie deal expired. He has a resume lacking production and a continuing history of injuries. The following is his current ESPN.com scouting report: 

"Iwebema has been a backup role player who has struggled to live up to his potential.  He has good initial quickness and overall speed but shuts it down too often before the play is over.  He still needs a lot of technique work when it comes to hand use as well as reading blockers and locating the level of the ball."

His career numbers: 31 games played, two sacks, seven solo tackles and an ACL injury to end the 2010 season after only seven games—for a team that won five games last year and was 30th against the run.

Iwebema's college scouting report shows solid athleticism for his size and decent run stopping ability, a versatile player who could get his hands up and use the strength to his advantage. However, he had an injury history. 

Still young and cheap, his versatility and athleticism are two "strengths" that would theoretically give him a shot at a roster spot. However, his injury history, unfulfilled potential and lack of production in the NFL suggests he could spend the season looking for a job.