Let the Feeding Frenzy Commence

Shortly after midnight, Peppers will be a very happy, and rich, man.

Midnight stands just about an hour away and as soon as the clock strikes 12, expect a fast and furious free agency period to begin. With an uncapped year being ushered in simultaneously, this year’s class is a watered-down version of what it could have been had we not run into the labor strife that has now befallen us. But that doesn’t mean that there still aren’t some worthwhile guys on the market and as soon as the midnight hour is upon us expect them to be off the market very quickly. But then, who knows. John Clayton said that he expects a lull after the initial storm with teams trying to get a feel for the market and their financial situations, which have just gotten a bit more tenuous. But as I anxiously await the witching hour, let’s take a look at the key guys on the market and where I expect them to land. A quick note: I only included unrestricted guys because almost all of the restricted guys received tenders that will scare away most teams and it is very hard to predict which teams will be crazy enough to try and outbid said player’s current team and give away said compensation as well.

Chester Taylor, RB, Vikings. I’ll start with the hardest one to decipher. The Vikings want to keep him but he wants to start. He may be over 30 but has only started on full season in the league and can probably give a team two solid years of starting production. But if he was to stay with the Vikings he could elongate his career even more and be in the Kevin Faulk mold. I think his desire to start will override the Vikings offer and my shot in the dark is he’ll sign with the Texans who need running back badly to get over the 8-8 funk they’ve been in the last few years.

Terrell Owens, WR, Bills. As much as I’d love to see him in Cincinnati with Chad Johnson (and no, his ridiculous explanation for not changing his name back doesn’t hold water with me), I think he’s needed more in Baltimore where he can help the contending Ravens make a run in the final few years he has left.

Antonio Bryant, WR, Buccaneers. Bryant was spectacular in 2008 but had been troubled in the past, which is why the Bucs laced the franchise tag on him last year to see if his ’08 season was fluke. According to them it was, but he doesn’t think so. He has boatloads of talent but has been a problem in the locker room and off the field so naturally he would be a match for the Bengals who desperately need someone to pair with Chad Johnson.

Brian Westbrook, RB, Eagles. Westbrook doesn’t have nearly what Taylor has left but once Taylor bolts for Houston, look for the Vikings and former Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress to peg him to fill Taylor’s vacated spot. He could be effective spelling Adrian Peterson and the Vikings love versatile playmakers, regardless of if their best days happen to be behind them.

Julius Peppers, DE, Panthers. The Eagles make a ton of sense and I’ve also heard about 10 other teams floated around as possibilities (one of which had the Giants dishing out %100 million over 7 years, which would be a monumental mistake). But I think the Bears will somehow find a way to get it done. Their pass rush has been nonexistent and without a pick in the first two rounds the only way they can get better immediately is through a trade or a big FA signing. Enter Peppers who could reenergize a fan-base still reeling over the Cutler fiasco.

The underrated Kampman would provide a boost to the Eagles front line.

Aaron Kampman, DE, Packers. Kampman is severely underrated and has been one of the league’s most productive players over the last decade. He was forced to move to OLB when the Packers switched schemes last year and he was visibly unhappy and the missed the last few weeks of the season with an injury. But when healthy he is a beast and will upgrade any defensive line. This is where I see the Eagles going, pairing him opposite Trent Cole and forming one of the better tandems in the league.

Karlos Dansby, LB, Cardinals. I would love to see Dansby sign with the Giants, but after shelling out so much money last year in free agency and getting very little in return, I see them being a bit more conservative. That will allow the Dolphins to swoop in on the playmaking linebacker.

Dunta Robinson, CB, Texans. Robinson will take advantage of a weak cornerback class and get paid way more than he should, but he is still a productive player. The Titans and Cardinals would make sense, but I see the Jets flying in to pair with Darrelle Revis and forming the best secondary in football. Well, I did until they just traded for Antonio Cromartie. So with that being the case, I guess I’ll have to go with the Titans. Wow, that totally took me off guard and I am now flustered. Damn.

Leigh Bodden, CB, Patriots. For those of you who don’t know about Bodden, he is a pretty darn good cornerback and might last a little longer than he should on the market. He could definitely help a team that sorely needs help in the secondary and there are a lot of them in a league that is moving more and more towards a passing league as the years go by. One of those teams is the team he played on last year, the Patriots, which is why I don’t understand why they’d let him walk. They might let him fish a little but eventually I think they’ll reel him back him and help bolster a young secondary that gave up too many big plays last year.

Darren Sharper, S, Saints. I know he hasn’t signed yet, but can you see a Sharper leaving the Saints after winning the Super Bowl and at the age of 35? Yeah, me neither. Sharper will remain after exploring the market and finding nothing as appetizing as remaining on Bourbon Street.

Brackett means too much to the Colts for them to let him walk.

Gary Brackett, LB, Colts. The Colts don’t want to lose him because he is the heart of their defense. But someone else might outbid them and lure Brackett away. But if he cares about winning while making decent coin, he’ll resign with Indianapolis and have his best chance at a title.

Jamal Williams, NT, Chargers. The Chargers cut the mammoth nose tackle loose because he’s aging quickly and missed most of last year with an injury. But Williams is still enough of a space-eater that a 3-4 team on the verge and who think they can still compete would be willing to reach for him. That’s why I think even though the Bills are transitioning to the 3-4 this year, the Cardinals make more sense who even without Kurt Warner believe they’ll be right back in the mix.

Antrel Rolle, S, Cardinals. A good and productive player, the Cardinals had to let him go because he was way too expensive for the position he played. He would definitely improve almost any secondary he joined and one that is in dire need of a safety is the Giants. I know I said they’d be conservative, but I think they’ll make a run at him and hope Kenny Phillips returns, giving them the best set of safeties in the league.

Kerry Rhodes, S, Jets. Rhodes would be a great fit, and a much cheaper option than Rolle, for the cross-town Giants, but since I have the Giants opting for Rolle, I see Rhodes signing in Philadelphia where the Eagles could also use safety help since Macho Harris is clearly not the answer and there’s been a hole ever since Bran Dawkins flew the coop.

Keith Bulluck, LB, Titans. Mr. Monday Night has been a playmaker his entire career with the Titans, but injury concerns and advancing age has earned him his ticket out of town. But I don’t think it will take him long to catch on with another team. I know there are a lot of teams that could use linebacker help, but none more than the Lions, who could also use his leadership on defense. It also doesn’t hurt that Lions coach Jim Schwartz was his coordinator in Tennessee. 

Thomas Jones, RB, Jets. Jones had the best two seasons of his career after passing the magic age for running backs of 30. But he still has something left in the tank despite his poor performance in the playoffs when he was hindered by injuries. He can still be productive in a time share. It is painfully obvious that nobody like former Jets more than Eric Mangini and I think he can convince Mike Holmgren to bring Jones to the Browns to team up with Jerome Harrison, especially since he should come rather cheap.

LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, Chargers. One of the greatest running backs in the history of the game, Tomlinson is clearly out of gas at this point in his career. But Mike Shanahan loves him after getting burned by him during his stint in Denver and since they will reportedly release Clinton Portis, I guess it makes sense for the Redskins to replace an aging back with a little left in the tank for one with absolutely none. Only in Washington, where the more things change, the more they remain the same.