A Look Into the Upcoming 2010 Free Agency Pool

With the 2009 season in the books, and the Free Agency market set to open up on Friday, this year's selections of free agents are going to make the 2010 season an interesting one to say the least.

The elimination of the Leon Washington Collective Bargaining Agreement and no actual salary cap on teams will show which teams are trying to win right now and which are trying to build for the future. There are gonna be some guys who will come in and make an immediate impact, and then of course you'll have the guys who get signed and disappear into the roster.

Here's an idea of who you can expect to see make a big impact, and who will just keep the seat warm.

Game Changers:

Julius Peppers, Carolina - No question, he's gonna make an impact wherever he ends up. This guy can rush the passer, stop the run, pretty much can encompass an entire side of your defensive line. Whoever ends up with him will get more production out of their defensive line the day they sign the papers. Watch for him to be the first signing of the Free Agency period, I wouldn't be surprised to see the deal done in the first couple hours of Friday.

Darren Sharper, New Orleans - Hearing the Saints announce they're going to let this guy test the Free Agency waters amazed me. This was arguably the best free agent acquisition of the 2009 offseason and was the heart and soul of a takeaway-happy defense. Finishing the season with 9 takeaways and 71 tackles, this guy will probably be the top DB to be chased after in free agency. If New Orleans is smart (and hopefully not complacent with just 1 Lombardi Trophy), they will lock this guy up in contract as soon as possible. If they don't, there will be a fanbase sleeping better at night knowing they just got one of the best safeties in the game today.

Brandon Marshall, Denver - Brandon was only tendered at the first round level, meaning he might play somewhere else next year, especially if someone is willing to give him the contract he's been looking for. Marshall's play is easily worth a 1st round pick, so it will just be depending on the team that is willing to give it up, plus sign him to the money he'd like. I believe some teams will be deterred from trying to go after him due to the higher tender, but receiver starved teams (I.E. - Baltimore) would be more than willing to pay the price for someone who can stretch the field the way Brandon Marshall does.

Aaron Kampman, Green Bay - With Green Bay handing out their tenders today and Kampman's name not on that list, I believe he'll no longer be supporting Green and Yellow next season. I believe he can be an impact player if he goes back to being a defensive end. His experiment as an OLB didn't exactly showcase his better talents, so look to see him go back to a team running a 4-3 alignment and get him back to his comfort zone.

Dunta Robinson, Houston - The Texans are going to miss this guy if he walks. A very active pass defender and good closing speed to the play, Dunta will help whichever team offers him the contract he's been looking for since 2008. Upset with the Texans that they placed the franchise tag on him, I would expect it would take a little more for Houston to keep him than what they're willing to offer. I feel he'll be suiting up somewhere else come 2010, hopefully with the contract he's been playing for.

Gary Brackett, Indiannapolis - Indy has already announced they are going to let him walk this year. Brackett, 29, will be looking for a long term deal to hopefully finish the majority of his career out with. A fast and intelligent MLB who's averaged 112 combined tackles for the past 5 years consecutively, Brackett will be looked for by teams wearing thin in the LB department and wanting a defensive leader in the locker room.

Karlos Dansby, Arizona - Another speedy LB who can give you a pass rushing threat, Dansby will be looking for a payday as well. Although this year is a very deep defensive draft, proven NFL Talent will always pay over a gamble in the draft. His price will not come cheap to any team wanting him, but given his performance over the past few years, teams will be willing to give him it. Look for him to be moved early, I wouldn't expect to see him on the Free Agency market past saturday latest, more than likely signed by Friday

Antrel Rolle, Arizona - Will anyone be playing in Arizona next year? Rolle's gameplay was a good part of the Arizona defense that helped make them playoff contenders the past couple years, including that Superbowl run in '08. He has come out and said he's looking for a contract in the range of 8 million per year, which will be a steep price for him. Considering the lack of true effective safety play in the NFL as of recent though, he'll probably get what he's asking for.

They won't change the game, but help move it:.

Thomas Jones, New York Jets - He's coming off an impressive 1,400 yard season and hasn't accrued less than 1,000 rushing yards in a season since 2004. Although he's 31 which can scare potential suitors for him, he's been consistently performing for the past 5 years, averaging 4.1 yds/carry through 2 different teams. He won't be the lone feature back to whoever signs him, but matching him with another decent back will help keep his production numbers good in the later years of his career.

Leigh Bodden, New England - a good corner in a very thin pass defensive core. I would almost expect New England to try and retain his services, moreso because they need to expand at that part of the defense, not let people walk. As of now, nothing stating they're offering a tender to him, so I guess New England is going to let him walk in hopes of landing a couple gems in the draft. Bill B seems to always have a couple aces up his sleeve, we'll see if this turns out to be a good move when next season starts.

Darren Sproles, San Diego - Another good complimentary back, Sproles was the more productive of the 2 feature backs in a not-so-effective San Diego run game. Sproles has youth on his side, plus can benefit in multiple facets, not just the run game. He seems more dangerous on screen plays and in special teams so any suitors to him will not be looking at him solely for the run performance. He won't move immediately, but has too many upsides to not end up getting picked up.

Leon Washington, New York Jets - He's a versatile back like Sproles who plays in multiple faccets of the game. He can spark any return game and give you multiple options for running direct snap plays, screen plays, or even just a speedier back. His leg break last year was vicious, and teams will want to see him in action before offering up a 2nd rounder to the Jets for him. I don't necessarily think he'll sign back with the Jets since they weren't willing to give him top tender, plus the emergence of Shonn Greene.

Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay - At 28, Bryant still has some quality playing years left in him. Given the right QB, he can be a very productive receiver who will lay out for a catch. There's no doubt he'll get picked up, its just going to depend on where. He does have some issues with wanting to show up on every snap, so he needs to be coached effectively. He's only had 2 1,000 yard seasons, but then again, he's not exactly had a QB during these times that can really stretch the ball. Best option he had was Jeff Garcia, and that was for a year. Give him a QB with a decent arm, and I can see him being a very productive player. I wouldn't be surprised to hear Baltimore in the mix for this guy. they can get good production outta him and Flacco has the arm that Bryant would love to have taking the snap.

Chester Taylor, Minnesota - The other half of the 2 headed monster that has made Minnesota a running nightmare the past few years will not be coming back. His best year was prior to the arrival of Adrian Peterson, but this was also before he reached his 30's. He can be another back who can contribute if you already have the beginnings of a running game, but I don't believe teams will be signing him to be their primary threat in the backfield. Maybe a 2 -3 year deal at most, but he won't be a blockbuster move.

Ryan Clark, Pittsburgh - When watching Clark in 2008 when Pittsburgh brought home the Lombardi Trophy for a record 6th time, I thought his gameplay was very good and that he was a deep impact safety. When Polamalu went down from injury last year though, you saw Ryan Clark have to take over as the primary safety in that defense. There were times last season that he looked a little over his head, and the pass defense definitely was not the same when Troy was out of the games. Pittsburgh didn't offer a tender to him, basically stating his time in SteelerTown is done. he can fill a void at safety, but any team looking at him will be looking for him to be a role player with others, not necessarily the top safety in the defense.

Kevin Walter, Houston - A good dependable receiver with some years left under his belt, he'll be picked up to help give some teams diversity in their passing game. He played opposite one of the best receivers in the game today, Andre Johnson. He's averaged almost 800 yards over the past 3 seasons, showing he can be a dependable #2 receiver. He is another supporting cast player, not someone you'd structure your entire offense around. If you have a primary #1 who gets too much attention by opposing teams' DBs, this would be the guy to help shed that safety over the top.

Chad Pennington, Miami - One of the NFL's more accurate and "safe" QB's, Pennington is a good role model for up and coming QB's who need to learn the best mechanics to avoid turnovers. While Pennington doesn't have the arm to make any team a deep threat passing team, he make an offense alot more productive and alot less error prone, while helping to groom those behind him on the best mechanics on ball control, accuracy, and ball protection. He's not going to put a franchise over the top and make them a lock for the title, but he can make a run-first team alot more confident in their throwing game if they aren't having their best game on the ground. Every team will be leary though, that shoulder has seen better years...

Just Killin Time Before the Clock Runs Out:

Ladainian Tomlinson, San Diego - I was torn on where to place him, because like alot of LT fans, you don't want to say its over. Unfortunately, the facts are, he's not the LT of 2006, or even 2007. Arguably the most electric runner for the past decade, Tomlinson can't fight father time. With him turning 31 before the start of next season, teams will be interested in him. But at what cost? His price will be high, even at the veteran minimum. The question will remain, is his limited production role going to be worth the premium that teams will have to pay for him? He won't be a feature back, and is comfortable with that. He has records upon records to speak for his decorated and future Hall of Fame career. He would love to add a ring to this list, but it won't be on his legs that they would get it.

Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia - This guy was the hardest working man for the Eagles that they might have ever seen. The Eagles got everything they can out of him, and he was the center point of Philadelphia's offense for years. Having an estimated 53% of the plays touch his hands, its going to be hard for Philly fans to get used to not seeing #36 in the backfield. Like L.T., you can't fight age. In addition, the concussion problems are a scary situation for any team to want to deal with. To make matters worse, the NFL is cracking down very heavily on anyone who has concussion-like symptoms. He would get veteran minimum pay, but his days on the field are numbered.

Terrell Owens, Buffalo - Voted the best player of the 2000's, Terrell Owens is a sure-fire Hall of Famer. His little stint with Buffalo really didn't help his cause because of very poor production, but that could be said about the entire Buffalo offense. I'm sure someone will take a chance on him, just because his name brings fans in the door. He only has a few years left, and maybe in the right scheme, he could produce another 1,000 yard/8 TD season. Known for being a controversial player, it seems like he's finally settled down in his final years of play. If he was to ever have a reason to lose it, Buffalo would have been a prime situation. He held his composure and handled things the best way he could, and that might have given him another season to play somewhere else.

Kevin Mawae, Tennessee - He's been a rock in the center of the Tennessee offensive line for the past decade, and was the only remaining member of the '99 Titans team that reached the Superbowl. His gameplay has dropped some, but not really too much. He could provide a year or two boost for a team lacking real quality in the offensive line. Most teams will want to fill this position with someone dependable who will be there for years since continuity at the O-Line is so heavily underrated. His work with the NFL Players' Association is paramount, and when he finally bows out of the game, I know many players will hope he'll continue to fight for the players like he has in the past.

Derek Mason, Baltimore - This guy has the heart of a true fighter. He's been riddled with injuries and won't quit. He has played every single game since 2003. A true iron-man, alot like Brett Favre in that "I refuse to give up" sense. An admirable trait and speaks volumes of his character, but it will only take you so far. He's been dancing the line with retirement for a couple years now. I believe he'll be back in Baltimore for one last season, hoping that he can help get the pieces in place for Baltimore to win another Superbowl.