With free agency only a few days away, teams are making difficult decisions on who could help their team on the free agent market.
The majority of the talent available this year is definitely on the defensive side of the ball, but there are probably some excellent bargains to be had on the offensive side. Unless you’re looking for a quarterback, and then you’re out of luck.
Here are our top 10 offensive free agents, based on what they could bring to the team that signs them for the price they would cost. This rules out players like Terell Owens who will surely want top money, without the production to back it up:
#10 – Mike Gandy, T
Gandy has been a starting tackle for 5 straight years now, and is still only 31 years old. Every offensive line needs a veteran player with starting experience and Gandy will probably come for a reasonable price.
Possible Destinations:
San Fran, Seattle and Cincy all have playoff aspirations and were in the bottom third of Adjusted Line Yards last year.
#9 – Casey Rabach, C
A veteran center who has started at least 15 games for the past 6 seasons. At 32 years old he would still be a valuable member of any team hoping to make the playoffs next year.
Possible Destinations:
San Fran, Seattle and Cincy all have playoff aspirations and were in the bottom third of Adjusted Line Yards last year.
#8 – Brian Westbrook, RB
He is definitely past his prime, but Westbrook would be an excellent third down back with great play-off experience and the ability to fill in for he starter in case of injury.
Possible Destinations:
If the Vikings lose Chester Taylor, Westbrook would be a great fit for a team making a play-off run. He might also be able to mentor Adrian Peterson on ball security.
#7– Ben Watson, TE
Watson has never quite lived up to his potential. That said, he provides a deep threat down the middle, averaged 14 yds per catch last year and has played deep into the playoffs several times. He should also come at the price of a 2nd tier TE.
Possible Destinations:
Both the Titans and Bengals could use a more vertical threat in the passing game.
#6– Chester Taylor, RB
Taylor is now 30 years old but only has a fraction of the miles on his odometer that most starting backs his age do. He’s an excellent receiver, pass blocker and had 1200 yards rushing his only year as a full-time starter. He’s the perfect all-purpose #2 back, especially for a team with a young starter.
Possible Destinations:
Given that he would be a best fit with a playoff team just trying to add some depth to their offense, he could easily wind up in New England or San Diego for the right price. Both are pass-oriented offenses which is a great fit for Taylor’s skill set.
#5– Kevin Mawae, C
Mawae is a veteran player who has started 14 games or more in 15 of his 16 seasons in the NFL. He’s been a Pro-Bowler 8 times and an All-Pro three times. He’s definitely on the downside of his career at 39 years old, but could give a team who needs leadership on the line a few solid years.
Possible Destinations:
As I stated above, the 49ers, Seahawks and Bengals all have play-off hopes and could use someone of Mawae’s pedigree.
#4– Nate Burleson, WR
Burleson is more of a #2 receiver, but brings ability in the return game as well. He is only 28 years old and would provide spark to a team that needs a solid complementary or slot receiver. Last year he caught 63 balls despite playing a large part of the season with Seneca Wallace as his quarterback.
Possible Destinations:
Burleson is best as a complementary receiver so could fit well in Carolina next to Steve Smith or Kansas City alongside Dwayne Bowe.
#3– Antonio Bryant, WR
It’s hard to believe that Bryant is only 28 years old given the number of times his career has been up and down. It’s a clear indicator of this year’s free agency class that he’s our #4 pick on offense. That said, he shouldn’t command a top salary, yet still has the ability to be a go-to player on offense. Even on a terrible Tampa team, he averaged 15 yards a catch. He’s very capable of catching 70 balls and topping 1000 yards when he’s healthy.
Possible Destinations:
Bryant is a good fit for receiver-needy teams who can’t wait for a draft pick to develop. The Ravens, Bears and Titans could all consider him to give their passing offense some teeth.
#2– Thomas Jones, RB
While most running backs show signs of slipping as they hit 30, Jones is still going strong at age 31. His high bonus and the emergence of Shonn Greene caused the Jet to cut him, but he could be very valuable to the right team. Jones is best used as a back who gets 20 carries a game and grinds out the tough yards on the ground. He’s not going to break many long runs, but will his tough running style ensures steady gains.
Possible Destinations:
Jones would be a good fit in an offense that could use some toughness in the running game. San Diego might be a good fit if paired with another back from the draft. He would also be an extremely good complement to Justin Forsett in Seattle.
#1– Darren Sproles, RB
It may seem odd to have a running back who’s career highs are 343 rushing yards and 497 receiving yards in a season as the best offensive free agent available. We disagree. Sproles is an extremely explosive offensive weapon who managed 7 touchdowns on only 138 offensive touches last year. If he was used as a complementary back with 15 touches per game, it’s easy to imagine him contributing over 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s only 26 years old, has very little mileage and was the most dangerous receiver out of the backfield in the entire NFL last year.
Possible Destinations:
Sproles needs to be integrated into an offense that already has a feature back, but could use a versatile home-run threat. New England’s pass-happy offense would be a good fit. He would be a huge upgrade to the 3rd down package in Cincinnati and would probably be a Mike Martz favorite in Chicago.
Tomorrow, we’ll feature the Top 10 Unrestricted Free Agents on Defense.
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