Get Ready for the Free Agent Frenzy!
1. DeAngelo Williams - Williams looks to be the most sought-after free agent on the market. The two early leaders for his services look to be Carolina and Denver. John Fox would love to reunite with Williams and have him paired with Moreno to form a very dangerous backfield. Carolina has said recently that they are definitely going to be in the running for Williams and certainly aren’t going to just let him leave without a fight. However, with Jonathan Stewart and Mike Goodson already on board, I see this as more of a bluff by Carolina. My feeling is that he’s going to Denver.
2. Serious Quarterback Needs - Looking around the league, there’s a large number of teams with really terrible options at quarterback. Arizona has Max Hall or Derek Anderson. Cincinnati has Andy Dalton. Washington has John Beck. Tennessee has Jake Locker. Minnesota has Christian Ponder. There’s going to be an awful lot of movement with veteran quarterbacks, namely Donovan McNabb, Matt Hasselbeck and Carson Palmer. Kevin Kolb is also a player who is almost certain to be traded. Should be interesting to see the final outcome of this mess.
3. Plaxico Burress - The former gun-toting gangsta is out of prison and ready to pick up where he left off. Burress has sparked the interest of several teams, including Philadelphia and the Jets. The 34 year old wideout is certainly past his prime, and I’m sure the time off of football messed up his conditioning and rhythm, but Plax has enough size and natural ability to make an impact with a team.
4. Randy Moss - Moss is currently jobless but will be in high demand after reportedly being in the best shape in years. Moss still has the ability to be a difference-maker, but of course having the ability to do something and actually wanting to do it are two different issues.
5. Nnamdi Asomugha - The pursuit of Nnamdi will be almost LeBron-like and I guarantee there’s already a long list of teams lined up to give the NFL’s premier cornerback a jersey. Dallas has been mentioned as a potential suitor as well as Houston, the Jets, Baltimore, Detroit and New England. As long as they’re willing to pay, Houston is the best fit due to their gaping holes in the secondary. Could Nnamdi be that one player who could finally take Houston to the next level?
6. The Jets Free Agent Pool - The Jets are set to put 16 players on the free agent market, including Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Shaun Ellis and Antonio Cromartie. The Jets could either get lucky and bring back most of their free agents or really get screwed in the frenzy and be forced to have a semi-rebuilding campaign.
7. The Rookie Crash Course - Finally, with training camp shortened and time to prepare for the regular season at a premium, how will teams treat their rookie quarterbacks? Cam Newton (Car), Andy Dalton (Cin), Blaine Gabbart (Jax) and Christian Ponder (Min) are all in the running for starting jobs. Will the shortened training camp cause teams to rethink starting them right away and look for veteran stopgaps in free agency? Will those lucky to get starting jobs be able to learn the offense and adjust to NFL defenses in just a few weeks?
