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Ranking the Top 10 Values Left in Free Agency
These 10 free agents promise to provide the most bang for your team’s buck.
The free-agent frenzy has started to slow (someone tell Chip Kelly!) but there are still plenty of veterans available on the open market. There are free-agent rankings everywhere, so we won’t bore you by listing the best players available. Instead, we’re serving up a list of the 10 best values remaining on the market. These are players who won’t break the bank, yet still have a chance to provide their next employer with significant returns.
Without further ado, here are the top-10 values left on the open market. This list is subject to change, of course. Especially if Chip Kelly has anything to say about it.
1. Jermaine Gresham, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Gresham is one of the most consistent skill players on the market. He has posted at least 45 receptions, 450 yards and four touchdowns in each of his five seasons. He is durable as well, having never missed more than two games in a season. While he is not as dynamic as some of the other tight ends who have moved around this offseason — such as Julius Thomas and Jimmy Graham — he is a strong two-way player. He likely won’t be back in Cincinnati, as the Bengals are ready to ride with Zach Eifert, but he will provide great value for his future employer.
2. B.J. Raji, NT, Green Bay Packers
Raji is an elite run defender when healthy and in shape, but it has been a couple of years since since he has produced any quality game film. He disappointed in 2013 when he played defensive end in Green Bay’s three-man front. The plan was to move him back to nose tackle in 2014, but a biceps injury in the preseason landed him on injured-reserve. The good news for Raji is he is expected to be fully healthy in time for training camp. The Packers want to bring him back on another one-year deal, but so far no agreement has been reached.
3. Knowshon Moreno, RB, Miami Dolphins
Good luck figuring out the running back position in today’s NFL. While some quality players get quickly brushed aside, others are cashing in on $40 million deals. Moreno, who appeared in just three games last season before going on injured-reserve with an ACL injury, falls into the “brushed aside” category. But consider that in his last full season, he racked up over 1,500 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns. And Moreno, 27, averaged a healthy 4.8 yards per carry in 2014 before getting injured. He will be 10 months removed from surgery by the time the 2015 season begins.
4. Louis Delmas, FS, Miami Dolphins
In Delmas we have another Dolphin coming off an ACL injury. Unfortunately for Delmas, his injury occurred two months after Moreno’s, which makes his quest to be ready by Week 1 more challenging. But Delmas, who has dealt with injuries throughout his career, is one of the game’s best safeties when healthy. Over the last two seasons he has posted 127 tackles, four interceptions, 11 pass breakups and three sacks. At 27 years old, there is reason to believe he can recover in time to be an impact player again this season.
5. Kyle Wilson, CB, New York Jets
Too much attention has been paid to the things Wilson can’t do. He can’t take away half the field; he can’t hold up on the outside; and he can’t create enough turnovers (averaging less than one per season). Those are the reasons he will not command top dollar, but the former first-round pick can still contribute. He is an experienced and durable slot cornerback, which is valuable in a league where most teams deploy their nickel defense more than 60 percent of the time. He is also a willing and capable contributor on special teams. A fresh start will do him some good, and with the Jets signing three free-agent cornerbacks this week, that fresh start is now guaranteed.
6. Scott Chandler, TE, Buffalo Bills
Chandler was a major part of Buffalo’s offense over the last four seasons. He scored 12 touchdowns from 2011-2012. While he lost some of his big-play ability following his 2012 ACL injury, he still posted solid numbers in the two years since, including 100 catches, 1,152 yards and five more scores. He was released by the Bills in a cost-saving move and has already drawn some interest on the open market, especially from the Ravens. With the tight end market moving now (with Jordan Cameron being the latest domino to fall), Chandler should find a new home soon.
7. Pierre Thomas, RB, New Orleans Saints
As is the theme with a lot of players on this list, Thomas is coming off an injury-plagued season. He missed five games with a rib injury, but was extremely productive when healthy, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. He has always been an efficient runner, averaging 4.8 ypc or better in five or his eight seasons, and has averaged better than 50 receptions over the last four years. The Saints, who are trying to emerge from salary cap hell, cut ties with the 30-year-old Thomas in a cost-saving maneuver.
8. Christian Ponder, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Some may scratch their heads after seeing Ponder on this list (and by “some,” I mean Vikings fans), But the fact is he is a former first-round pick with athleticism and smarts. He has some experience (36 career starts) and has even led his team to the playoffs (granted, with an insane amount of help from Adrian Peterson). All these qualifiers aside, this is a dreadful quarterback market and Ponder is an intriguing candidate for a backup role. He is well suited to be a veteran mentor, even though he may have some unrealized potential left in his own game.
9. Byron Bell, OT, Carolina Panthers
Bell comes off a rough 2014 season, although the Panthers didn’t exactly set him up to succeed. He was asked to play out of position at left tackle following the unexpected retirement of Jordan Gross, then had to protect the blindside of a quarterback (Cam Newton) who loves to hold the ball. The Panthers, who recently signed Michael Oher to a two-year deal, have already told Bell he will not be retained. Although Bell will not get a movie made about his journey like the man who replaces him, he will get a one- or two-year deal from a team looking for a swing tackle with starting experience.
10. Mathias Kiwanuka, DE, New York Giants
Kiwanuka hits the open market at an inopportune time, as he is coming off a down year (2.5 sacks) that was cut short by a knee injury. That, plus his age (32), will scare off a lot of suitors. However, he played in all 16 games five times in the six-year stretch from 2008 to 2013, racking up 28 sacks during that stretch. He has some versatility, having played linebacker as well as defensive end, and has been a key contributor on two Super Bowl-winning teams. Signing him to a one-year prove-it deal with no guaranteed money is the ultimate low-risk, high-reward transaction.
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