The NFL lockout is has come to an end and America’s long nightmare is finally over. Both sides have come to a 10 year agreement that will guarantee football through the year 2021.
Starting today, teams can sign their drafted rookies and go after undrafted rookies as well. On Wednesday, the first 10 teams will report to training camp, although no teams can start full contact practices until this weekend. However, the real fun starts Friday at 6 p.m. ET when free agency officially begins. And that is when all hell will break loose.
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Teams will have until 4 p.m. Thursday to cut players in an attempt to make salary cap room in order to go out and sign free agents. So that means you are going to see players dropping like flies over the next two days.
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The league year will start on August 4th, so teams will have only 5 days to sign the players they think will help get them into the playoffs and possibly into the Super Bowl.
With very little time in which to make a decision, the chances of teams making mistakes are very high. Someone will overpay for an aging wide receiver and someone will mortgage their team’s future just to acquire a quarterback with questionable abilities. Where will your team wind up?
Here are some players to watch on the following pages.
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Nnandi Asomugha:
He is without a doubt the biggest prize in free agency and arguably the best cornerback in football. My favorite stat; over the last FOUR SEASONS he has been thrown at only 92 times. That translates to just over one time per game. And you don’t hear him talking about being on “Asomuhga Island” like some other corners in the league. Who would want him on their team? Rumor has it that the Houston Texans are going after him in a big way.
The Dallas Cowboys are clearing out a lot of cap space and they will make a serious run at Asomugha. Expect Philadelphia and Tampa Bay to be in the running as well. Don’t be surprised if Asomugha signs the largest contract in NFL history.
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Santonio Holmes:
Arguably the New York Jets’ best wide receiver and will probably remain with the Jets, but don’t be surprised if the Washington Washington Football Team make a serious run at him and drive up the price for the Jets.
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Kevin Kolb:
I have never seen so much attention paid to a backup quarterback, but that just goes to show you the lack of quality QB’s in the league. Most likely he will end up in Arizona, but Seattle is a possibility, too.
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Plaxico Burress:
After spending 2 years in prison for infamously shooting himself in a New York club, he still has something in the tank and could help any team willing to take a chance on him.
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Kyle Orton:
Another so-so QB that will be put on the trading block by the Denver Broncos as soon as possible. The Miami Dolphins have expressed interest in Orton. Other possibilities include Minnesota and Tennessee.
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Vince Young:
A very talented quarterback but a complete headcase. After his very public meltdown with the Tennessee Titans last year, he is now looking for a team to play for. He might end up in Philadelphia as a back up to Mike Vick.
There are going to be so many transactions in the next few days it’s going to be hard to keep track of them all. With each passing hour the pressure is going to build up on each team’s front office. How they deal with that pressure will determine their team’s future.
One thing is for certain, this will most likely be the most exciting NFL season in a long time.
