2014 NFL Free Agents

[ForeverChiefs58]

2014 NFL Free Agents: Safeties

1. Jairus Byrd, S, Bills. Age: 27.
Jairus Byrd is arguably the top safety in the NFL. He's awesome in coverage and is good for collecting a handful of turnovers each season. He won't be 28 until October.


2. T.J. Ward, S, Browns. Age: 27.
Known for knocking out Rob Gronkowski for the year with a torn ACL and MCL, T.J. Ward is a top safety. He thrives in run support and doesn't have any weaknesses. He won't be 28 until December.


3. Donte Whitner, S, 49ers. Age: 29.
Donte Whitner gets into trouble for the occasional illegal hit, but he's still an excellent strong safety. He has missed only one game in the past four seasons.

4. Chris Clemons, S, Dolphins. Age: 28.
Chris Clemons is a very good coverage safety who has missed only three games in the past four seasons. He'll be missed if the Dolphins can't re-sign him.


5. Major Wright, S, Bears. Age: 26.
Major Wright played very well in 2012, but had an awful 2013 campaign. Perhaps he deserves a mulligan, as he battled neck and hamstring injuries all season. He's only 26, so he should be able to rebound.


6. Stevie Brown, S, Giants. Age: 27.
Stevie Brown had an excellent 2012 campaign, but missed all of 2013 with a torn ACL. He'd have a higher ranking if he weren't coming off that knee injury.


7. Antoine Bethea, S, Colts. Age: 30.
Antoine Bethea has been a pretty average starting safety over the past few seasons, but he'll be hitting 30 in July.


8. Brandon Meriweather, S, Redskins. Age: 30.
Brandon Meriweather can sometimes be an effective player when he's not serving suspensions for dirty hits. He just turned 30 though.


9. Husain Abdullah, S, Chiefs. Age: 29.
Husain Abdullah started the final two games of the season, and by watching him, it makes you wonder why Andy Reid didn't play him more earlier. Abdullah picked off Andrew Luck twice in a playoff loss.


10. Michael Mitchell, S, Panthers. Age: 27.
Everyone laughed at Al Davis when he selected Michael Mitchell in the second round, but Mitchell was pretty decent in coverage this past year.


11. Bernard Pollard, S, Titans. Age: 29.
The Patriots' worst nightmare, Bernard Pollard continues to be strong in run support, but somewhat of a liability in coverage.


12. Ryan Mundy, S, Giants. Age: 29.
Ryan Mundy has done well filling in for injured players at the safety position. He's strong against the run, but is somewhat weak in coverage.


13. James Ihedigbo, S, Ravens. Age: 30.
James Ihedigbo, beat out rookie Matt Elam for one of the safety spots to open the 2013 season, but struggled in coverage to close out the year. He's great in run support.


14. Mike Adams, S, Broncos. Age: 33.
Mike Adams has been an average starting safety over the years, but his play could decline soon, given that he'll be 33 in March.


Quintin Mikell, S, Panthers. Age: 34.
Quintin Mikell has been solid at strong safety for Carolina this season, but given that he'll be 34 in mid-September, the Panthers will have to find a new player at that position sometime soon.


16. Kendrick Lewis, S, Chiefs. Age: 26.
Kendrick Lewis got off to a strong start in his career with two solid seasons, but has regressed since. Perhaps he'll be able to recapture what he had in 2010 and 2011.


17. Malcolm Jenkins, S, Saints. Age: 26.
Malcolm Jenkins has never lived up to expectations as a former first-round pick, but he has shown flashes at times. He just turned 26, so there's still plenty of time.


18. Nate Allen, S, Eagles. Age: 26.
Nate Allen has gotten a ton of flak from Philadelphia fans for underachieving as a former second-round pick, but he hasn't been that terrible. He improved a bit in 2013.


Ryan Clark, S, Steelers. Age: 35.
Ryan Clark, 35 in October, is no longer the quality safety he used to be. He has struggled at times this season and has hinted at retirement.


20. Yeremiah Bell, S, Cardinals. Age: 36.
Yeremiah Bell played surprisingly well this past season considering his age (36 in March), but he can't be counted on as a starter anymore going forward.


21. Charles Woodson, S, Raiders. Age: 37.
Charles Woodson is playing on his last legs. He'll be 38 in October.


22. Ed Reed, S, Jets. Age: 35.
Ed Reed should be a 1.5-star player, but I'm giving him two starts so I can post a write-up for him. Reed is done. He can't cover anymore. He should retire.



Cornerbacks

1. Brent Grimes, CB, Dolphins. Age: 31.
It's very difficult to return to form coming off an Achilles tear. Brent Grimes did just that, as he was one of the NFL's top cornerbacks in 2013. He'll be 31 in July and is still recently removed from that Achilles injury, but he's still one of the top free agents this spring.


2. Vontae Davis, CB, Colts. Age: 26.
It could be argued that Vontae Davis is the No. 1 free agent cornerback. He's coming off a great 2013 campaign and will be only 26 in May, compared to Brent Grimes, who's in his 30s already and is also recently removed from a torn Achilles. Davis struggled in a playoff victory against the Chiefs, but wasn't healthy.


3. Captain Munnerlyn, CB, Panthers. Age: 26.
Captain Munnerlyn wasn't even starting at the beginning of the 2012 season, yet he's turned into a terrific corner for the Panthers. He'll only be 26 in April.

4. Sam Shields, CB, Packers. Age: 26.
The Packers have struggled to cover this year as a team, but Sam Shields hasn't been responsible for that. Shields was terrific in 2012 and solid this past season. He's an excellent starting cornerback.


5. Alterraun Verner, CB, Titans. Age: 25.
A former fourth-round pick, Alterraun Verner had an excellent 2013 campaign, though he faded down the stretch. A solid No. 2 corner going forward, Verner won't be 26 until December.


6. Aqib Talib, CB, Patriots. Age: 28.
Aqib Talib is awesome when he's on, but he can have meltdowns when he's struggling, which is what happened against the Panthers in a Monday night loss. He's a legitimate No. 1 corner though, provided he stays out of trouble.


7. Tarell Brown, CB, 49ers. Age: 29.
Tarell Brown has been an excellent cornerback for the 49ers over the past few years. However, he missed some time with a rib injury this past season and lost his job to the emerging Tramaine Brock.


8. Chris Harris (RFA), CB, Broncos. Age: 25.
Chris Harris entered the 2013 season as the team's nickel, but he officially entered the starting lineup halfway through and never looked back. He put together a great third year in the NFL.


9. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Broncos. Age: 28.
"DRC" stands for Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, but it could just as easily mean "Doesn't Really Care." The former Cardinal and Eagle had a stellar 2013 campaign, but he plays hard only when he feels like it. He can't be counted on to give maximum effort, though he's a stud when he actually does.


10. DeAngelo Hall, CB, Redskins. Age: 30.
DeAngelo Hall has been overrated throughout his entire career. He's just an average No. 2 corner at this point of his career, but some team will likely overpay him.


11. Charles Tillman, CB, Bears. Age: 33.
Charles Tillman used to be known as one of the NFL's top cornerbacks, but he struggled mightily in 2013 before tearing his triceps. Perhaps he'll be able to rebound, but given that he'll turn 33 in February, there's a chance he has completely fallen off.


12. Corey Graham, CB, Ravens. Age: 29.
Corey Graham has been solid for the Ravens the past year and a half. He should be viewed as an average starter going forward.


13. Nolan Carroll, CB, Dolphins. Age: 27.
Nolan Carroll sustained a number of injuries (knee, concussion, rib) throughout his 2013 campaign. Despite this, he didn't miss a single game.


14. Walter Thurmond III, CB, Seahawks. Age: 27.
Walter Thurmond had a quality 2013 campaign, minus a four-game suspension for marijuana. Thurmond would be higher on this list, but he's one more violation away from being gone for the season.


15. Brandon Browner (RFA), CB, Seahawks. Age: 30.
Brandon Browner is more talented than 2.5 stars, but he's in danger of missing a lot of time with a suspension relating to violating the league's substance abuse policy.


16. Chris Cook, CB, Vikings. Age: 27.
Chris Cook is a skilled cornerback, but has never lived up to his talent level. He also has some off-the-field baggage.


17. Josh Wilson, CB, Redskins. Age: 30.
Josh Wilson is one of the few Redskin defenders who didn't play terribly this past season. He's a mediocre starting cornerback.


http://walterfootball.com/freeagents2014S.php

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by O.city

Admittedly, I'm a huge Hageman fan, but his upside is JJ Watt. Even in the 3-4 defense, where DE's are devalued, a guy that good is an asset.

C'mon...

JJ Watt is a top five defensive player in the league, and even JJ Watt coming out of college wasn't the JJ Watt that he is today.

I like Hageman, but let's not go bat shit crazy.

The guy had 10 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, 57 tackles total, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception and 10 passes defensed over his four year college career.

Tyson Jackson, by comparison, in college, had 18.5 sacks, 27 tackles for loss, 122 total tackles, 2 forced fumble, 1 interception and 18 passes defensed.

I know everyone gets all jacked up on the Senior Bowl and Hageman blew it up and said the right shit about being big, mean and violent, but the guy is a work in progress and has a reputation for disappearing in games and not producing on a consistent basis.

If he's lucky, he's almost as good as Jackson was at the same stage. Personally, I don't think he is, but he's got a pretty high ceiling IMO.

Hageman is not JJ Watt. In actuality, he's not even Tyson Jackson.

[OldSchool]

Originally Posted by Wilson8

I thought Kansas City would have no trouble re-signing Husain Abdullah, Dexter McCluster, and Geoff Schwartz, but if Abdullah is truly the 9th ranked free agent safety, McCluster the 8th ranked WR, and Schwartz the 2nd ranked guard, their required money may be too expensive for the Chiefs.

Abdullah may be the hardest to retain because the Safety position in the draft is weak and he is in his prime at 28. Some team is going to pay him starting money and give him the job based on his playoff game alone.

[Wilson8]

I liked what we saw of Abdullah in the last 2 games for the Chiefs but I would not give him a big contract and expect him to be the Chiefs starting FS. Coming out of college at Washington State he was not fast, running the 40 yard dash in 4.63. KC needs a FS that is good enough and fast enough to cover sideline to sideline and to get back deep.

KC's coaching staff did not have Husain in there to replace Kendrick Lewis during the season, so for Kansas City anyway, he should only be worth backup (3rd or 4th safety) money.

Geoff Schwartz is who I would give starter money. He strengthened KC's line.

McCluster I'd like to keep, but I think we will look for a cheaper version for the slot and punt return man.

[Easy 6]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

[Sorter]

You start off with sensible things such as this:

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

C'mon...

JJ Watt is a top five defensive player in the league, and even JJ Watt coming out of college wasn't the JJ Watt that he is today.

I like Hageman, but let's not go bat shit crazy.

Then you decide to go full Clayton in posting bland statistics without context that only support your view while failing to go in-depth about how those numbers were achieved.

The guy had 10 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, 57 tackles total, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception and 10 passes defensed over his four year college career.

Tyson Jackson, by comparison, in college, had 18.5 sacks, 27 tackles for loss, 122 total tackles, 2 forced fumble, 1 interception and 18 passes defensed.

If he's lucky, he's almost as good as Jackson was at the same stage. Personally, I don't think he is, but he's got a pretty high ceiling IMO.

In actuality, he's not even Tyson Jackson.

While your opinion may indeed be correct, posting bland stats without any sort of context is laughable.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Sorter

You start off with sensible things such as this:

Then you decide to go full Clayton in posting bland statistics without context that only support your view while failing to go in-depth about how those numbers were achieved.

While your opinion may indeed be correct, posting bland stats without any sort of context is laughable.

Yeah, I'm sure it's practically side splitting, gut busting laughable.

And I'm pretty sure those numbers were achieved on a football field sometime during the games.

What "context" are you looking for, other than they both played defensive tackle at the D1 level of college? There is no possible way that you can do an objective side by side comparison of them other than their individual production. Let's see...context...hmmm...okay:

Both are roughly the same size.
Both played DT and DE.
Both played DT and DE in a base 43 scheme.
Jackson was drafted to play a five tech 34 DE.
Hageman is hoped by some to be drafted to be a five tech 34 DE.

Other than that, I'm not really sure what you are looking for "contextually."

[O.city]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

C'mon...

JJ Watt is a top five defensive player in the league, and even JJ Watt coming out of college wasn't the JJ Watt that he is today.

I like Hageman, but let's not go bat shit crazy.

The guy had 10 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, 57 tackles total, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception and 10 passes defensed over his four year college career.

Tyson Jackson, by comparison, in college, had 18.5 sacks, 27 tackles for loss, 122 total tackles, 2 forced fumble, 1 interception and 18 passes defensed.

I know everyone gets all jacked up on the Senior Bowl and Hageman blew it up and said the right shit about being big, mean and violent, but the guy is a work in progress and has a reputation for disappearing in games and not producing on a consistent basis.

If he's lucky, he's almost as good as Jackson was at the same stage. Personally, I don't think he is, but he's got a pretty high ceiling IMO.

Hageman is not JJ Watt. In actuality, he's not even Tyson Jackson.

It doesn't matter what Jackson did in college. He may as well had 1000 sacks, it didn't translate to the Nfl.

We don't yet know if Hageman will but I'd say there's a better chance of him becoming an every down player than Jackson ever doing that.

He's not JJWatt, but like I said, that's his absolute ceiling. With his measurables that's what he could become.

[BossChief]

To be fair to Tyson Jackson, he wasnt allowed to rush the passer at all until last year and he produced 4 sacks in his first year in a scheme that his job wasnt to just hold his ground.

That said, I think Bailey and Catapano offer us more in terms of upside at the position. Both showed the ability to be disruptive as pass rushers when given the opportunity.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

C'mon...

JJ Watt is a top five defensive player in the league, and even JJ Watt coming out of college wasn't the JJ Watt that he is today.

I like Hageman, but let's not go bat shit crazy.

The guy had 10 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, 57 tackles total, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception and 10 passes defensed over his four year college career.

Tyson Jackson, by comparison, in college, had 18.5 sacks, 27 tackles for loss, 122 total tackles, 2 forced fumble, 1 interception and 18 passes defensed.

I know everyone gets all jacked up on the Senior Bowl and Hageman blew it up and said the right shit about being big, mean and violent, but the guy is a work in progress and has a reputation for disappearing in games and not producing on a consistent basis.

If he's lucky, he's almost as good as Jackson was at the same stage. Personally, I don't think he is, but he's got a pretty high ceiling IMO.

Hageman is not JJ Watt. In actuality, he's not even Tyson Jackson.

Yeah, he's neither. But he projects to be neither.

The problem with your comparison is that Hageman was working essentially on his own from the interior, while Jackson was working the edge with tons of NFL-caliber help at LSU.

Hageman doesn't project to be either. He projects to be Muhammad Wilkerson.

[htismaqe]

FWIW, JJ Watt wasn't even JJ Watt coming out of college. He was certainly an ascending player by his senior season but he didn't realize his full potential until after entering the NFL.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Yeah, he's neither. But he projects to be neither.

The problem with your comparison is that Hageman was working essentially on his own from the interior, while Jackson was working the edge with tons of NFL-caliber help at LSU.

Hageman doesn't project to be either. He projects to be Muhammad Wilkerson.

Bravo sir, that, right there, is a very good comparison.

However, again, I think it's a scheme related issue if people start thinking that, by drafting a guy like Hageman, that suddenly we'll start seeing 10+ sacks from the defensive end position.

You won't.

The position itself, while certainly more active under Sutton than it was under Crennel, is still not a edge rush threat by the scheme in and of itself. As noted previously, Jackson's sack numbers went up exponentially this past season under Sutton. However, one should note that Wilkerson's sack numbers also ballooned once Dennis Thurman took over as the Jets' defensive coordinator for the 2013 season.

I believe that people thinking that the sack numbers, or lack thereof, from Tyson Jackson, are specifically related to Tyson Jackson and that by letting him go in free agency and drafting a guy like Ra'shede Hageman will immediately result in 10+ sacks a year from the position. They won't.

As I attempted to imply in a previous post, Tyson Jackson was adept at getting to the quarterback as well as affecting the passing lanes through his length and athleticism. As much or more so than what Hageman has done in his college career.

By drafting Hageman, you are simply replacing a player with a similar player who lacks the experience at the NFL level. We already know that Jackson can play at this level. He's a capable run defender and can get to the quarterback when needed/asked to do so. At this point, we know nothing about Hageman other than, if drafted by the Chiefs, he'll be a rookie playing the five tech defensive end position - a position that is notorious for demanding a long learning/maturation process in being effective dealing with the NFL level offensive guards and tackles.

And don't get me wrong - I like Hageman and feel somewhat responsible for this burgeoning surge of blind favoritism being shown to him around here when I put him on my most recent mock draft. However, attempting to be objective, I feel that re-signing Jackson would result in the most positive and beneficial situation for the team due to his improvements every single year and him just entering what would be considered his NFL prime along with the continuity and synergy being developed with Poe, DeVito, linebackers and defensive backs.

I think it would be a digression for our defense if Jackson is not retained versus letting him walk in free agency and adding an unproven rookie, particularly if he were to sign a reasonable contract, which, after taking an approximate $10 million dollar pay cut this past season, I don't see why that isn't within the realm of possibilities.

However, if Jackson does decide to test the free agent market and gets a bigger contract than what the Chiefs feel comfortable with in terms of matching, then, by all means, I'm all for drafting a guy like Hageman, who is purportedly as fierce in his practice sessions and training as he is on the field.

[The Franchise]

Originally Posted by BossChief

To be fair to Tyson Jackson, he wasnt allowed to rush the passer at all until last year and he produced 4 sacks in his first year in a scheme that his job wasnt to just hold his ground.

That said, I think Bailey and Catapano offer us more in terms of upside at the position. Both showed the ability to be disruptive as pass rushers when given the opportunity.

Wasn't allowed?

[FRCDFED]

I too would welcome a signing of Malcolm Jenkins to start at FS. I would also like to retain Abdullah.

Does anyone know Jenkins' speed numbers? Can he provide the over-the-top safety help that Lewis could not?

Edit: Nevermind. I looked them up. His combine numbers were:

6'1"
214 lbs
4.43

Compared to Kendrick Lewis:

6'0"
173 lbs
4.71

[Easy 6]

Feel sorry for the Vikes if that QB list doesnt change dramatically, the only there who's worth a shot is McCown or maybe Flynn if they install the Packers offense.

[Halfcan]

That Jared Allen guy might look good in red!