NFL Free Agents 2012: Stars Who Will Stay Put This Offseason

So which NFL free agents are going to get paid this offseason?

Well, all of them, actually. Some more than others. The NFL may be a salary capped league, but there's more than enough money to go around.

When the time comes, the intriguing part won't be so much which players are going to go where as it will be which players are going to stay put. There are a handful of free agents that fit right in with their current teams, and the odds are good that they're going to re-sign rather than try their luck elsewhere.

In particular, there are five players that I think are locks to stay with their current teams.

5. Brent Grimes, Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons really struck gold when they signed Brent Grimes out of Shippensburg University in 2006. He's gotten better every year, and has developed into a solid cover man. He even made the Pro Bowl last season.

He had to miss a few games this season due to a knee injury, but Grimes is a key cog in Atlanta's defense, and one that the Falcons can't really afford to lose. This is especially true when you consider that replacing Grimes won't be easy, as the Falcons won't have a first-round draft pick or a multitude of free-agent options in 2012.

As such, I see Grimes sticking around. The Falcons will have to pay him fair value, and they may have to crunch some numbers to make that happen, but they would be wise to make it happen. They don't want to see Grimes head elsewhere.

4. Wes Welker, New England Patriots

Wes Welker is leading the NFL in both receptions and receiving yards, and he is Tom Brady's No. 1 go-to guy.

In fact, Welker is the only wide receiver the Patriots have that Brady can rely on. If Welker were to depart for greener pastures, the Pats would have a very hard time finding his replacement.

They shouldn't let it come to that. Signing Welker to an extension would be ideal, but the Pats also have the option of franchise tagging him if they so please. Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald wrote last week that the Patriots are likely to choose the latter route.

That wouldn't be the best thing for Welker, but it would be the safest play for the Pats. They would be okay without Welker, but they need him to maintain their recent offensive greatness. 

3. Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers

Jim Harbaugh hasn't made much of an effort to conceal his love for Alex Smith, and he even went so far as to deem Smith as the 49ers' long-term answer at quarterback (see CSNBayArea.com).

I scoffed at the idea at first, as this just doesn't make much sense seeing as how the 49ers traded up to pick Colin Kaepernick in the second round of the 2011 draft.

But given what has transpired this season, it makes sense for the 49ers to wrap up Smith for the long term. He has proven to be a perfect fit for Harbaugh's style, which basically calls for Smith to do as little as possible. Smith hasn't been great, but it's not like he's killed the 49ers this year either.

If it ain't broke, why fix it? There won't be many other bidders for Smith's services, so locking him up in a multi-year deal should be easy enough for the 49ers.

2. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens

If any running back deserves to get paid this offseason, it's Ray Rice. He's one of the more underappreciated running backs in the NFL, but he's also one of the best.

But Ravens fans shouldn't worry about Rice going anywhere. Per the Carroll County Times, even Rice himself doesn't sound too worried about him leaving.

"I don't think I'll be going anywhere, that I can almost assure," Rice said. "Obviously when you're in this situation, there's nothing that would make me think that I would be anywhere else. I love it here. The city, the team, the organization, they all feel the same way."

The Ravens will have to pay Rice a hefty raise, as he's making just $600,000 this season. They should know as well as anyone that Rice will be worth it.

1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

The Times-Picayune reported not too long ago that Drew Brees and the Saints decided to table contract talks until the end of the season, and Pro Football Talk reported soon after that Brees would not sign a franchise tag if the Saints tried to play that hand.

In other words, Brees' situation with the Saints has become a little dicey.

But if you think Brees is going to be playing anywhere other than New Orleans next season, think again. He's not about to leave the city and the team that he loves so much, and the team isn't about to let their godsend of a quarterback leave. 

Both sides will have to make compromises in order for Brees to stay in New Orleans, but it will get done. Count on it.