Make no bones about it. When NFL free agency kicks off on midnight Friday, it will be one of the most intriguing couple of days we’ve seen from an NFL offseason in a long time.
What makes this year so unique to others in the past is that this season is uncapped. Teams won’t have a floor or ceiling when it comes to spending money. This isn’t something that will change the way Daniel Snyder operates the Washington Redskins or Jerry Jones runs the Dallas Cowboys. As always, they’ll spend money.
This year, teams that usually never join the race might feel compelled to open up their wallets to pay some quality players. A fiscally responsible team like the Chicago Bears is reportedly ready to spend up to $25 million in free agency.
There won’t be a shortage on quality players this offseason. So, it’s tough to say who should be on the top of anyone’s list.
Since, we’re less than two days away from day one of free agency, here are my top five defensive free agents.
Kampman is coming off a rough 2009 season. After thriving for seven seasons at defensive end with the Green Bay Packers, he was moved to outside linebacker in Dom Capers’ 3-4 scheme, only managing 3.5 sacks in nine games.
To make matters worse, Kampman tore his ACL and finished the season on injured reserve.
Now at age 30, he’ll try and catch on with a team who best suits his ability as a pass rushing defensive end in a traditional 4-3 scheme. While 2010 could be a bounce back year for Kampman, there is some concern over his injury. This may be a case of buyer beware.
At age 34, Sharper enters his 13th year in the NFL next season. While age is always a concern, he still seems like a more than viable option at free safety.
During the 2009 season, Sharper proved to be a major factor in the New Orleans Saints run to a Super Bowl championship. In 14 games, he picked off nine passes, returning three of them for touchdowns.
Sharper will probably get a quick fix deal at one or two years max. But as history has shown us, whoever gets his services will get their money’s worth.
Rolle (left) is viewed as a long term option at free safety. Sharper (right) is more of a quick fix.
3. Antrel Rolle
Technically, Rolle is not a free agent yet. But numerous reports indicate the Arizona Cardinals will cut the 27-year old free safety due to salary implications.
Rolle might be the best safety on the market because he is both a good ball-hawker and still fairly young. There is a good chance he could command around $8 million a season.
He’s also intriguing for a team that likes to create wildcat packages on offense. Rolle has quite a cannon arm to launch the ball deep down field.
A lot of teams will apparently be in the running for an elite inside linebacker. Fortunately for Dansby, he’s the best option out there and should get a nice pay day.
He has great speed and range, which makes him a threat in both run and pass defense. It’s safe to say that you can always pencil-in Dansby to at least get around 100 tackles every year.
However, there is one concern. Last season, Dansby only managed to get one sack, one interception, and one forced fumble for the Cardinals. Sure, it might be just one bad season. But does that make him worth top dollar?
Peppers hopes to hit the jackpot by Friday morning.
Peppers is hands down the cream of the entire free agency crop on both sides of the ball. His resume speaks for itself: 81 sacks in eight seasons, six seasons registering double-digit sacks, and a member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.
He’s expected to get a deal similar to the bank-breaking contract Albert Haynesworth got from the Washington Redskins. Peppers’ contract should pay him an annual salary of at least $12 million. But the $12 million question begs to be answered: is a 30-year old defensive end with questionable motivation worth it?
The biggest knock on Peppers is that he takes plays off and only goes all out when he feels like it. So, does a player like that lose any slight motivation he has when banking on a huge deal? Perhaps. But Peppers’ resume alone will make it too hard for any teams willing to spend the cash to pass him up.
(Thursday, I’ll be listing the top five NFL offensive free agents.)
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