The Packers, Browns, Buccaneers, and Cowboys are among the clubs searching for free agent safety help, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes in a wide analysis of what has been a stagnant safety market.
Safeties who still remain unsigned including starting options such as Eric Reid, Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro, Tyvon Branch, and Ron Parker. Mitigating factors could be at play — none of the players listed qualifies as a star, while Reid’s national anthem protests may be limiting his appeal — but it’s still extremely surprising that high-quality players are still available at an important position. Free agent defensive backs have in fact been communicating with one another in an attempt to elucidate the overall lack of interest, per La Canfora.
“We’re barely even getting phone calls, and we’re not the only ones,” an agents tells La Canfora. “You can’t even get (BS) offers. We’re literally getting nothing. I’m not even talking one year, $3 million. Nothing. And it’s not just us.”
The highest-paid free agent safety of 2017 will almost certainly end up being Lamarcus Joyner, whom the Rams will pay $11.287MM under the terms of the franchise tag. While other defensive backs such as Tyrann Mathieu, Kurt Coleman, an Marcus Gilchrist have also signed, Mathieu’s $7MM salary (on a one-year deal) is the most expensive figure in the non-franchise-tender department.
Green Bay and Tampa Bay are both losing free agent safeties in Morgan Burnett and T.J. Ward, respectively, so their interest in adding more defensive backs isn’t a total surprise. Dallas, too, could look to add more depth, especially if it moves Byron Jones to cornerback, but Cleveland has already added Damarious Randall (via trade) to play alongside Jabrill Peppers in the back end.
With so many GB fans threatening to jump ship over Jordy Nelson being let go, signing Eric Reid could put them on the brink of suicide.
But something tells me the plan right now is to go with Dix and Josh Jones at safety, and focus on finding another cb before the draft.
CB or SS in round 1
Still can’t believe The Expos traded Archie Cianfrocco to The Padres for Tim Scott. The CianfrocCrew could have been incepted in Montreal instead of San Diego and millions of Montrealians could be off the streets and not on drugs. Boggles my mind.
Browns should sign Boston
None of these guys are premier players. All have baggage and are lacking in specific areas. Most teams would rather take a flyer in a safety later in the draft then pay millions for anyone of the above.
Seattle could trade Thomas for some draft picks and pick up Reid on a cheap 1-2 year deal.
Not a 1st and 3rd. You can get a 3rd for ET though
Yeah well it’s a strong draft for db’s so it makes sense that teams wont sign depth players until after the draft. You want to be able to draft a player you like if they fall into your lap, and not feel like you need to pass because you already spent $3-$6mil on free agent.
And I bet teams in the National Copycat League are looking at the Jets and their two rookie safeties last year and betting they can get the same results. Of course, those two were taken with the sixth and 39th picks in the draft, and I doubt too many teams are going to replicate that or get the results the Jets got, so the market next year will probably bounce back to normal. This year, a lot of these guys will probably have to wait until training camp or even the season itself to be signed.
Personally, I would love to see Reid in the Vikings’ defensive backfield as their #1 slot corner, shifting positions with Smith and Sendejo and driving QB’s and offensive coordinators nuts.