2014 NFL Top Free Agents

By Tyler Lurkins

Here is a list of the NFL’s top free agents, by position, and their possible destinations.

Michael Vick-Vick should end up in Jacksonville. His ego won’t let him be a backup for another season, and the Jags will have a system set up for him.
Shaun Hill-Houston should actively pursue Hill. Though not largely discussed, Hill has been a strong armed, consistent backup in Detroit, and will garner several looks around the NFL as a bridge QB.
Josh Freeman-If Freeman signs anywhere but Oakland, he should be institutionalized. Given multiple chances, Freeman has only succeeded under Oakland’s OC, Greg Olson.

Maurice Jones-Drew-MJD should be courted hard by the Dolphins. He will be given the keys to the ignition, with little sharing of the load.
Darren McFadden-Dallas will probably throw the most cash at McFadden. Jerry Jones has been a longtime supporter of McFadden and will toss injury concerns out of the window.
Ben Tate-Every team will take a look at Tate, who saw success in Houston. Ultimately, he must realize he is a product of a system currently ran by Kyle Shanahan in Cleveland.

Anquan Boldin-Boldin isn’t leaving San Francisco
Eric Decker-Carolina needs a set of steady, durable hands. They should realize the value of Decker versus that of a later round rookie receiver. If Smith is cut from the roster, Decker is almost a must have.
Hakeem Nicks-Nicks will be at the top of most teams’ wish lists. Indy should throw the most at him, and he will be in a situation to be a team leader and winner.

Brandon Albert-This will be a tight race for Albert, and I’m sure many teams will be in the mix. Ultimately, Miami has the scheme for Albert, and really must improve line play to win.
Eugene Monroe-Monroe will stir a bidding war, and the team with the most space, wins. Carolina will be the team in the end with the success, and talent, to get Monroe on board.
Marshall Newhouse-Newhouse only makes the list because of the need for quality LT’s. Newhouse is not elite, but has played the position with success. I feel Arizona fits best for Newhouse, who won’t demand a ton of money.
Michael Oher-Oher played poorly last season, but his versatility will be highly sought after. If a team can convince Oher to play guard, I’m positive he will be a perennial pro bowler. The obvious play is Indy. The coach, the scheme, and the need is there for Oher.
Roger Saffold-The issue with Saffold is he wants so badly to be a LT. He is a pro bowl caliber guard, albeit with injury concerns. Cleveland should be his landing spot. Saffold will go to his hometown, be given a little more money, and handed the LG spot.
Jared Veldheer-Veldheer is a young, growing talent. Oakland will never let him go.

Defensive Ends

Jared Allen-Allen winds up in Denver. It’s a locale no expert thinks of, but the aging, slower, Allen doesn’t need to be the dominant pass rusher in Denver. Denver also gives the best chance for Allen to sniff a super bowl.
Michael Bennett-The Seahawks are actively pursuing Bennett.
Red Bryant-Houston needs a talented nose tackle. Bryant is a big man who is hitting north of 30 years old, and end, even in a 34 scheme, is out of the question.
Lamarr Houston-New England will be the only competitor to Oakland. In the end, Oakland has the tag to keep Houston.
Michael Johnson-Though Atlanta is putting the heat on Johnson, he’ll end up in Minnesota. Minnesota offers more money, and Johnson owes much of his success to Zimmer.
Arthur Jones-I really see Baltimore letting Jones, who will want a significant pay hike, go. Green Bay has the cap room, and really needs to get back into “win now” mode.
Justin Tuck-Tuck will be gone from the Giants, they just won’t pay him. Philadelphia is a good fit for Tuck, who will be more of a situational rusher from the 5 technique.

Defensive Tackles

B.J. Raji-There are a ton of good DT’s hitting the market, but Raji will command the most attention. I can really see Baltimore pushing for him. Ngata really needs to be on the edge, and he can replace Jones. The team has looked for a big NT for some time, and Raji won’t be too expensive.

Linebackers

D’Qwell Jackson-The Jets really need two new ILB’s. Jackson could be one of them, as there will be plenty of traditional run stuffers in the draft.
Brian Orakpo-Washington won’t let Orakpo go without a huge bounty.
Shaun Phillips-Arizona needs more from their LB’s. Phillips won’t cost a bunch, and Arizona needs to spend some money for improvement.
Jason Worilds-Worilds isn’t going to garner a ton of attention, but the NFL network keeps hyping him up. I can see Philly making a huge run on Worilds, as he is very knowledgeable on a working NFL 3-4 scheme, as Cole may be cut and Graham/Barwin haven’t been elite either.

Cornerbacks

Vontae Davis-San Francisco may be in a market for a bigger corner, they have a bit of room under the cap, and they have Vontae Davis’ better brother.
Brent Grimes-Grimes played well in Miami, but is still isn’t very far removed from a serious injury. He’s well liked in Miami, and they will pay him what he asks.
Captain Munnerlyn-Munnerlyn shouldn’t be allowed to leave Carolina. They should be able to resign him for under the amount of a tag.
Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie-Not sure why anyone would be willing to pay DRC much. Again, he’s a media favorite, not a star by any means. If DRC leaves Denver, New England may be the only team willing to take him.
Asante Samuel-Once a star, Samuel is aging. Kansas City would love to have him, and it wouldn’t cost them an arm and a leg.
Sam Shields-With so many teams in cap disarray, Shields may not see the money he wants. Carolina would be a great place for Shields, who would look amazing across from Munnerlyn.
Charles Tillman-Tillman would be best suited in Chicago or Tampa. With name recognition alone, Buffalo would probably throw the money at Tillman until he signed.
Alterraun Verner-Verner is a top name in the market, I’m sure Tennessee won’t let him leave.

Safety