These NFL Free Agents-to-be are playing their way to a big payday.
It seems a little sacrilegious to even start thinking about the offseason, but the 2015 free agent class is ridiculously good, especially on offensive side of the ball.
There could be some major shakeups this offseason, if players start to chase more money with teams that have cap space. The Jets need offensive weapons more than any other team in the league, and they can’t go another season without putting up big bucks in free agency.
Luckily for the teams like the Jets, those players are out there this offseason, just waiting to be stolen from their respective teams.
Because the offseason is so far away and will be broken a gazillion times before free agency begins, I just wanted to give you a little taste of what this free agent class has to offer at the top.
If you’re a big defense guy, you might want to hold off a little longer; all of these players are offensive players. It’s just too hard to quantify how good defensive players are in relation to their team. Fit is so important in any sport, but it’s even more important in football because there’s so many different styles and formations that use specific personnel.
The five players I’ve chosen transcend style and formation, for the most part at least. There’s one guy I’m concerned about, but he’s too good to leave off the list.
Let’s get to it, shall we?
Next: 5. Randall Cobb
5. Randall Cobb
2014 Cap Hit: $1,021,179
While Randall Cobb is the beneficiary of playing with one of the best quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers, and best receivers, Jordy Nelson, he’s become quite the receiver.
Cobb has ten touchdowns this season, which is tied with Dez Bryant for the league lead for receivers.
You just know Cobb is going to re-sign with the Packers, although former Packers James Jones and Greg Jennings have been swayed by big money offers to other teams. If you’re Cobb, it might be in your best interest to take a little bit of a pay cut and stay with the Pack for another season.
I don’t think Cobb is ready to be paid like a number one receiver, but there might be a team that wants to pay him Percy Harvin money in the $12 million per year range. Ultimately, I think Cobb’s a $8 million per year guy.
Next: 4. Julius Thomas
4. Julius Thomas
2014 Cap Hit: $741,000
What a crazy few years it’s been for Julius Thomas, the basketball player from Portland State who only played one year of college football before playing in the NFL.
Thomas is a supreme athlete for the position, at least in terms of catching passes. Thomas hasn’t figured out the blocking game yet, and probably never. That takes years of practice and strengthening different muscle to generate leverage against huge defensive players.
As much as I think Thomas is a good football player, I’m not sure he’d be a good fit on many other teams in the league.
Thomas is a one-dimensional player. He’s a matchup nightmare and he’s leading the NFL with 12 touchdowns, but he’s only great in the passing game. And, right now, he plays for the greatest quarterback, statistically speaking, to ever play the game.
Thomas would be a steal for anyone in the league, but if they have to pay top dollar, which would be close to Jimmy Graham’s $10 million per season, I don’t think Thomas would ever live up to that contract unless he had the next Manning throw him the ball.
Whatever Thomas makes next season, it’s going to be much, much, much higher than this $741,000 that he makes this season.
Next: 3. Demaryius Thomas
3. Demaryius Thomas
2014 Cap Hit: $4,700,000
Like his non-brother Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas is in a very weird situation, as the league’s top receiver in total receiving yards.
Again, is Thomas good? Or, is he good because of Peyton Manning?
Unlike the other Thomas, Demaryius Thomas seems like he would be fine in any offensive system and has been good in other offensive system. Tim Tebow was his quarterback, and Thomas was still good.
Thomas is a ridiculous physical specimen, and there are few corners who can matchup with him one-on-one and stop him for full games. They are out there, though. Thomas has routinely had problems with physical corner who jam him at the line of scrimmage and don’t let him get space until he’s much further down the field.
Thomas’ running mate from last season, Eric Decker, got $7.5 million per season from the New York Jets. Thomas should get an offer around $14 million based on his production this season.
Next: 2. Dez Bryant
2. Dez Bryant
2014 Cap Hit:$3,148,500
The 2015 summer and offseason is going to wild. With DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant both off the hook after this season, Dallas is going to have to come up with some big money deals to stay competitive.
There’s fewer receivers in the league as talented as Bryant. His size and athletic ability make him one of the top receivers, and there’s really no ball he can’t catch. For a team trying to win a Super Bowl, Bryant is a capable number one receiver.
How much is that worth, though? Is it enough to sacrifice a linemen or another piece in a week secondary?
I think so…
Bryant should be paid just short of what Calvin Johnson makes per season, which is $16.2 million per season, but the Cowboys don’t have a lot of room to work with. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens. I’d say it’s like a 99 percent chance Bryant returns to the Cowboys next season.
Next: 1. DeMarco Murray
1. DeMarco Murray
2014 Cap Hit: $1,596,625
I think this one is pretty obvious.
Murray is, by far, the best running back in the NFL this season, and there was a chance back in Week 8 that he was going to rush for 2,000 yards for just the eighth time in NFL history.
Murray’s pace has slowed in recent weeks, but there’s no denying the fact that Murray is the best running back in football and should be paid accordingly, especially with Adrian Peterson’s future in jeopardy.
That’s a nice segue into what I really wanted to talk about: what happens with Murray if the Cowboys get Peterson.
It’s no secret that Peterson wants to play for the Cowboys, and the Cowboys obviously want Peterson to play for them. If the Vikings release Peterson, which may or may not happen, it will be very interesting to see how the Cowboys play it.
The NFL isn’t like the MLB; Jerry Jones doesn’t have infinite money to spend on free agents, like I just mentioned. The Cowboys could not pay top dollar for two of the league’s best running backs.
Maybe the Cowboys would want to just lock up Murray longterm and move forward, but do the Cowboys do anything they SHOULD do? No, they do what Jones WANTS to do. If he wants Peterson, the Cowboys will get Peterson, which also makes Murray available on the open market.
Wouldn’t that be fun?
Next: 5 Week 12 Games With Huge Playoff Implications
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