With the NFL’s version of retail therapy set to begin at 4:00 pm this afternoon, G.M.’s and fans alike are beginning to get that jittery feeling in their bellies. Will your team spend their cap room wisely? Here’s a list of my top 30 free agents. The list will be updated to let you know when and where each guy ends up. Let the offseason begin!
Player – Position – Former Team
1) Carl Nicks – Guard – New Orleans Saints
- signed with Tampa Bay – 5 years/$47.5 million
2) Mario Williams – Defensive End – Houston Texans
- signed with Buffalo – 6 years/$100 million
3) Peyton Manning – Quarterback – Indianapolis Colts
- signed with Denver – 5 years/$96 million
4) Vincent Jackson – Wide Receiver – San Diego Chargers
- signed with Tampa Bay – 5 years/$55,555,555
5) Cortland Finnegan – Cornerback – Tennessee Titans
- agreed to terms with St. Louis – 5 years/$50 million
6) Stephen Tulloch – Linebacker – Detroit Lions
7) Mike Wallace – Wide Receiver – Pittsburgh Steelers (RFA)
Matt Flynn – Quarterback – Green Bay Packers
- signed with Seattle – 3 years/$26 million
9) Lardarius Webb – Cornerback – Baltimore Ravens (RFA)
10) Ben Grubbs – Guard – Baltimore Ravens
- signed with New Orleans – 5 years/$36 million
11) Eric Winston – Tackle – Houston Texans
- signed with Kansas City – 4 years/$22 million
12) Brandon Carr – Cornerback – Kansas City Chiefs
- signed with Dallas – 5 years/$51.1 million
13) Scott Wells – Center – Green Bay Packers
- signed with St. Louis – 4 years/$24 million
14) Marques Colston – Wide Receiver – New Orleans Saints
- resigns with New Orleans – 5 year/$40 million
15) Brandon Lloyd – Wide Receiver – St. Louis Rams
- signed with New England – 3 years/$12 million
16) David Hawthorne – Linebacker – Seattle Seahawks
17) Jared Gaither – Tackle – San Diego Chargers
- resigns with San Diego – 4 years/$24.6 million
18) Jeremy Mincey – Defensive End – Jacksonville Jaguars
- resigns with Jacksonville – 4 years/$27.2 million
19) Paul Soliai – Defensive Tackle – Miami Dolphins
- resigns with Miami – 2 years/$18 million
20) Curtis Lofton – Linebacker – Atlanta Falcons
21) Reggie Wayne – Wide Receiver – Indianapolis Colts
- resigns with Indianapolis – 3 years/$17.5 million
22) Steve Hutchinson – Guard – Minnesota Vikings
- signed with Tennessee – 3 years/$16 million
23) Mario Manningham – Wide Receiver – New York Giants
- signed with San Francisco – no terms yet
24) Jarrett Johnson – Defensive End/Linebacker – Baltimore Ravens
- signed with San Diego – 4 years/$19 million
25) Carlos Rogers – Cornerback – San Francisco 49ers
- resigns with San Francisco – 4 years/up to $31.3 million
26) Peyton Hillis – Running Back – Cleveland Browns
- signed with Kansas City – 1 year/$3 million
27) Michael Bush – Running Back – Oakland Raiders
28) LaRon Landry – Safety – Washington Redskins
- signed with NY Jets 1 year/$4 million
29) London Fletcher – Linebacker – Washington Redskins
30) Marcel Reece – Fullback – Oakland Raiders
*Remember to check back as signings will be updated when they happen
Peyton Manning will be released by the Indianapolis Colts tomorrow, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. Almost every team in the NFL is now beginning to discuss the possibility of bringing in the four time league MVP to lead their offense. Word around the league is that Manning’s arm strength has dramatically improved over the past month and that Peyton will be ready to go once training camp begins. Manning’s resume places him among the greatest of all time. The future Hall of Famer now gets to find the best scenario for himself to add to his Super Bowl win and MVP total. Here is a list of the top 5 teams I believe Manning could end up with.
I want you to imagine winning the jackpot on any lottery ticket. It could be a few hundred dollars or several million. Now, I want you to imagine giving it back because they didn’t give you crisp, new bills. Unless you already have a lot of money laying around, that sounds pretty stupid. That is how I feel about any team not willing to take a chance on Peyton Manning’s health. At least any team that hasn’t already hit the jackpot with a Tom Brady, Drew Brees, or Aaron Rodgers.
Peyton Manning and Jim Irsay are trying to dispel “rumors” that there’s a rift between them. Jim Irsay said that he wished Peyton would have kept his issues “within the family.” When the franchise player of a proud organization sits down with Bob Kravitz to air out his problems, I’m sure his attempts to keep it “within the family” went unheard.
Rob Lowe of “Parks and Recreation” tweeted yesterday that he heard from sources that Peyton Manning was going to retire.
First of all, I must admit for the first time on this site that I was wrong. Unfortunately for all of us this is most likely the first of many. So, the Jags didn’t lay down to the Colts yesterday. Silly Maurice Jones-Drew and his quest to crush the competition for AFC rushing supremacy. Jones-Drew out-rushed the nearest competitor, Ray Rice of Baltimore, by 240 yards. He had almost 2000 yards from scrimmage this year. Could you imagine if he had been supported by any sort of a passing attack? Wow, just wow. With 25 carries for 169 yards, the Jags didn’t need anything from Blaine Gabbert (which is good, because the vaunted Jacksonville passing attack gained a whopping 71 total yards for the game). Did I mention it was the Colts too? That team is bad and they showed it again yesterday.