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Tim Lelito

Top 2017 NFL Free Agents By Position: Offense

February 23rd, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by Zachary Links

[UPDATE: CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST EDITION OF THE TOP 2017 NFL FREE AGENTS BY POSITION]

NFL free agency will get underway on Thursday, March 9th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. We’ll start today on offense, before getting to defense and special teams later this week.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. The rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts that each player is expected to land in free agency, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account. Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents are not listed here since they are unlikely to actually reach the open market.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some guys than you are, so we encourage you to make your voice heard in our comments section to let us know which free agents we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:

Quarterback:

  1. Kirk Cousins
  2. Mike Glennon
  3. Nick Foles
  4. Brian Hoyer
  5. Ryan Fitzpatrick
  6. Case Keenum
  7. Matt McGloin
  8. Mark Sanchez
  9. Geno Smith
  10. Ryan Mallett
  11. Josh McCown
  12. Christian Ponder
  13. Blaine Gabbert
  14. Matt Schaub
  15. Ryan Nassib

Honorable mention: Shaun Hill

As of this writing, Kirk Cousins is far and away the best potential free agent quarterback in this year’s crop. By the time March gets here, we’re fully expecting Cousins to be spoken for. Ultimately, the Redskins could franchise tag him, work out a long-term deal with him, or swing some type of trade that nets them a massive haul of talent and picks. That will leave a crop of retread quarterbacks that would probably best serve as transitional options for QB-needy teams. Kirk Cousins

Mike Glennon hasn’t done much in his 18 career starts, but talent evaluators are still in love with his size and potential. The 6’7″ quarterback will get more money this spring than you might expect, particularly since there are no surefire QBs in this year’s draft.

Teams looking for stopgap QBs will find a plethora of experienced, though perhaps uninspiring, signal callers. Nick Foles, Brian Hoyer, and Ryan Fitzpatrick all have their best football behind them, but they could hold down the fort for a team in 2017 and maybe even find some success if the defense is strong enough. Of course, the ideal role for those guys would probably be as a backup to a better, younger quarterback.

Running back:

  1. Le’Veon Bell
  2. Eddie Lacy
  3. LeGarrette Blount
  4. Latavius Murray
  5. Darren McFadden
  6. Jacquizz Rodgers
  7. Rashad Jennings
  8. Danny Woodhead
  9. Rex Burkhead
  10. Tim Hightower
  11. DeAngelo Williams
  12. Andre Ellington
  13. Chris Johnson
  14. Christine Michael
  15. Robert Turbin

Consider Le’Veon Bell‘s name written in Etch-A-Sketch, because he is very unlikely to get near the open market. That could leave Eddie Lacy as the best tailback available in March. Lacy has struggled with weight issues in recent years and he lost much of the 2016 season to injury. Still, he is a bruising back that could nicely complement a quicker ball carrier. Before he was shut down for the year, Lacy was averaging 5.07 yards per carry in five games for Green Bay.

LeGarrette Blount (vertical)In the last two years, LeGarrette Blount seems to have put his off-the-field troubles behind him. Whether that’s a sign of his maturity or a product of the Patriots’ culture remains to be seen. Teams can ignore his past indiscretions, but they will be wary of his age. Blount turns 31 in December.

Latavius Murray has shown glimpses of being a special running back, but he has been inconsistent and his 4.0 yards-per-carry average of the last two years isn’t overly impressive. Darren McFadden ran for more than 1,000 yards in 2015, but 2016 was pretty much a lost year for him. Jacquizz Rodgers seemed to break out last year, but he wound up succumbing to the same injury bug that took down a host of other Buccaneers running backs. Speaking of injuries, Rashad Jennings was initially brought to the Giants to be a workhorse back, but two of his three years in New York were marred by ailments. Everyone in this tier has the potential to make a difference, but none should be counted on as anyone’s main guy in 2017.

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Minor NFL Transactions: 4/21/15

April 21st, 2016 at 8:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here are today’s minor moves:

  • Saints restricted free agent center Tim Lelito has signed his tender, and he shared a picture of the transaction on Instagram. Lelito started 13 games at guard for New Orleans last season, and has 47 career appearances under his belt. The 26-year-old garnered interest from the Cowboys earlier this offseason, but opted to stay with the Saints, where he has a better chance of seeing the starting lineup.

FA Rumors: Dolphins, Broncos, Hillman, Bills

April 4th, 2016 at 11:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Dolphins haven’t been linked to cornerback Leon Hall since the league year opened, despite the fact that defensive coordinator Vance Joseph coached Hall in Cincinnati. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald explains that Hall’s asking price has precluded the Dolphins from getting involved so far, but if that price tag eventually comes down, the veteran corner should see his market heat up, and Miami could get involved.

Here are a few more free agency updates from around the NFL:

  • The Broncos have reached out and expressed interest in bringing back free agent running back Ronnie Hillman, writes Mike Klis of 9NEWS. However, according to Klis, Denver is one of a few teams showing interest, and Hillman’s other suitors have more cap room than the Broncos.
  • The Bills continue to weigh their options on defense, bringing in a pair of defensive free agents for visits today. The club announced (via Twitter) that linebacker Zach Brown and defensive back Corey White arrived at One Bills Drive on Monday morning to meet with the team. Brown, who started 33 games for the Titans over the last four years and had 77 tackles in 2015, is one of the more intriguing free agents still available.
  • Tim Lelito, who received a low-end RFA tender from the Saints, garnered some interest from the Cowboys but opted not to sign an offer sheet with Dallas and sounds prepared to return to New Orleans for 2016, as Lyons Yellin of WWL outlines. Lelito technically remains a free agent until he formally signs his one-year, $1.671MM RFA tender.
  • Veteran guard Chris Chester, who underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, likely won’t be ready to go until sometime in June, which is why he remains unsigned, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The free agent lineman, who spent last season in Atlanta, has a decent chance to start somewhere once he eventually gets healthy and signs.
  • Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune provides the details on a handful of recently-signed Bears contracts, reporting that offensive lineman Manny Ramirez, linebacker Sam Acho, wide receiver Deonte Thompson, and safety Chris Prosinski all received one-year, minimum salary benefit deals, with $80K signing bonuses.

RFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/16

March 9th, 2016 at 9:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted free agents. We’ll round up those decisions here:

Tendered

Non-Tendered

Saints Notes: Roster Moves, Goodwin, Griffin

August 25th, 2014 at 9:52pm CST by Rory Parks

There are a few Saints-related items to pass along this evening:

Roster Moves

  • The team has released LB Victor Butler, tweets Kristian Garic of WWL 870am., thereby saving $1.5MM in cap space. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com was trying to confirm the release as of the time of this post.
  • The Saints have informed OL Manase Foketi that he will be waived, tweets Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune.

Other notes

  • Woodbery writes that the team’s kicking competition between Shayne Graham and Derek Dimke has not been decided, and head coach Sean Payton said that the battle will go down to the wire.
  • In a separate piece, Woodbery breaks down how the new practice squad rules affect different members of the Saints’ roster.
  • Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune believes the Saints’ center battle is over and that Jonathan Goodwin has earned the starting job over Tim Lelito.
  • In the same piece, Holder writes that it is “increasingly evident” that the Saints will open the season with three quarterbacks. Even though Ryan Griffin has outperformed Luke McCown, the team does not appear ready to part with McCown, who has worked with the first-team offense in every preseason game thus far. Payton said that Griffin will see “plenty of action” in Thursday’s preseason finale against the Ravens.

NFC Notes: Eagles, Giants, Packers, Saints

April 26th, 2014 at 10:15am CST by Matt Feminis

In an attempt to narrow down the wide range of players the Eagles could select at No. 22, Philly.com’s Jeff McLane focuses on 11 prospects who could pique the team’s interest and be available. Three receivers top the list.

In other NFC news and notes. . .

  • We know the Giants are “livid” at Will Hill over his most recent transgression, but in a mailbag piece, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano writes the team doesn’t know whether Hill will be suspended (because he can appeal), doesn’t know how long the suspension will be or if he’ll be released. “As for a replacement,” writes Graziano, “Stevie Brown was slated to be a starting safety for the Giants this time last year, and assuming he’s fully recovered from his ACL surgery in time for the season, they’d just make him the starter opposite Antrel Rolle.”
  • “The most important Giants player on the defensive side of the ball is Jason Pierre-Paul,” opines Paul Schwartz in the New York Post. “And no one is a close second.” After a breakout season in 2011 with 16.5 sacks, Pierre-Paul “got derailed by physical issues and, perhaps, motivational lapses.” The 25-year-old pass rusher is making his optimism for the upcoming season known, however, saying he’s healthy, in better shape (reportedly a lean 270) and ready for a leadership role. Perhaps most important, he’s motivated entering the final year of his rookie deal knowing he stands to make a fortune if he shows improved production, consistency, durability and stability.
  • Free agent defensive linemen Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly, who started 16 and eight games, respectively, for the Packers last season, remain on the team’s radar. However, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky describes their situation as a “holding pattern,” saying the Packers “will wait to see what comes of the draft and then reassess their needs.”
  • “The last time the Saints promoted two less-experienced starters into their starting o-line (Zach Strief and Brian De La Puente in 2011), they wound up setting the NFL record for yards gained in a season,” writes ESPN’s Mike Triplett. Three years later, the team is preparing for another pair of second-year players to step into starting roles: left tackle Terron Armstead and center Tim Lelito.
  • The 49ers have done their homework on San Jose State quarterback prospect David Fales, seeing him live during the season and working him out at the team’s pro day for local prospects. Head coach Jim Harbaugh thinks Fales is a top-five QB in the draft, according to ESPN’s Bill Williamson.

NFC Rumors: Saints, Rams, Cardinals

March 9th, 2014 at 11:01pm CST by Ben Levine

As the Saints continue to cut players, fans are attributing the moves to the team trying to free up cap space for Jimmy Graham. Mike Triplett of ESPN.com doesn’t directly attribute the cuts to New Orleans trying to afford the All-Pro tight end, pointing out that most of the players (Darren Sproles, Lance Moore, Will Smith) have become part-timers at this point of their careers. He also adds that the team won’t use all of their savings on Graham and will likely pursue one or two free agents.

A couple of more notes from the NFC South…

  • In the same article, Triplett mentions the possibility that the Saints might let center Brian de la Puente go. If that’s the case, Triplett believes Tim Lelito would be next in line at the position.
  • Saints running back Mark Ingram wasn’t necessarily happy with all of the teams cuts, especially fellow back Sproles, writes Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Still, Ingram understands that this means a bigger role in the team’s offense.
  • The Rams are expecting to be less active than other teams in free agency, writes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Of course, the team has said that previously, resulting in them spending potentially $175MM in 2012 and 2013.
  • The Cardinals have reportedly offered Karlos Dansby a two-year contract worth between $10MM and $12MM, reports Kent Somers of AZCentral.com. Somers adds that Dansby is likely to test free agency.
  • The Vikings are making cornerback their priority in free agency, sources tell Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter).