A player each NFC Team must keep in NFL Free Agency
- •
- 66 reads
- •
- 256 views
- •
- 8 min read
The 2016 NFL Season has finished and we have now hit one of the most testing periods for all 32 of the franchises- Free Agency. Most teams are set to lose at least a dozen players and with the salary cap and roster requirements hot on the mind of General Managers there is a lot to think about. In this slideshow i will go through every NFC team and name a player that absolutely must be kept by the franchise, some are more obvious picks than others.
Washington Redskins: Kirk Cousins (QB)
Every team needs a great quarterback to do well and it looks as if Washington have found their guy in the form of Kirk Cousins. Don’t even debate it, just pay the guy what he wants as long as it isn’t completely ridiculous.
New York Giants: Robert Ayers (DE)
This may seem like a strange choice for some, but Ayers was their best defensive player last year and recorded 9.5 sacks which was really important. His experience could be vital during a rebuild.
Philadelphia Eagles: Walter Thurmond (FS)
Sam Bradford is a free agent, but in honesty Philadelphia can probably do a little bit better than him. Thurmond is one of the better free safeties in the league and it wouldn’t make much sense to break up the safety unit at this point in time. The Panthers in the Super Bowl showed how disastrous playing without good safeties can be.
Dallas Cowboys: Jack Crawford (DT)
Crawford developed nicely last season as an inside pass rusher and this was something the Cowboys desperately needed as their defence is awful at times. All they really need is playmakers and Crawford could potentially become one.
Minnesota Vikings: Mike Harris (OG)
The Vikings O-Line as a whole is a pretty poor unit but Harris is one of the servicable pieces within it. He graded well in both pass blocking and run blocking which is all a guard really needs to do in the modern game. Getting rid of him wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Green Bay Packers: Mike Neal (OLB)
Considering how woeful the Packers offence was this year, their defence was a really nice surprise. Mike Neal was one of many players who had a career year and he was a constant threat in terms of getting to the quarterback. The Von Miller experience means that OLBs in a 3-4 system will now start getting paid- make it happen Ted Thompson.
Detroit Lions: Isa Abdul Quddus (FS)
As mentioned earlier in the slideshow, safeties are a commodity so when you get a half decent one, they need to be tied down as soon as possible. Quddus was a solid performer on a dysfunctional Lions defence and he deserves a new contract.
Chicago Bears: Alshon Jeffery (WR)
This may seem a strange one, but Jeffery is easily the franchise player for this team at the moment. If there is any part of him that wants to remain in Chicago then they should try whatever they can to try and make it happen. He is their best player and their offence would be traumatic to watch without him.
Carolina Panthers: Josh Norman (CB)
This was the easiest choice so far, Josh Norman has developed into a truly elite cornerback in this League and he deserves a big contract. He was excellent in the Super Bowl and actually turned up unlike certain members of his team. Norman could easily get paid elsewhere but Ron Rivera should be trying to persuade this guy to stay as much as possible.
Atlanta Falcons: Ryan Schraeder (OT)
Offensive tackles are becoming really difficult to find but Atlanta seem to have hit the jackpot with Ryan Schraeder. Pro football focus graded him as the 5th best tackle in the whole of the NFL and his performances were overall very impressive. Atlanta need to continue protecting Matt Ryan so this guy needs paying.
New Orleans Saints: Benjamin Watson (TE)
The veteran has been a really reliable guy over the course of his career and this continued in the 2015 NFL Season. He was both a good blocker and a good reciever, he even became Drew Brees’ favourite target down the stretch which was great for his fantasy owners. He won’t ask for much and it makes sense to bring back a reliable offensive option.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Doug Martin (RB)
If Tampa Bay don’t bring back Doug Martin then they are officially the worst franchise in all of football. He was not only a great rusher but he is a great fit for Winston due to his ability to catch and open up the opportunity for play-action. Chris Conte is an honourable mention here, he played well but overall Martin is the guy they need to re-sign.
Arizona Cardinals: Tony Jefferson (SS)
Arizona’s defence was excellent this year and the youngster Tony Jefferson was one of the reasons for this. He proved to be a very reliable safety and he needs a new contract. The strong safety position is weak so Arizona will likely fork out for him.
Seattle Seahawks: Jeremy Lane (CB)
Jeremy Lane is arguably one of the best number two corners in the NFL and he fits the scheme perfectly. DeShawn Shead and Cary Williams made Seattle vulnerable for the first ten weeks but when Lane came back he made the secondary unbeatable at times. He won’t need a huge deal so he needs to return to Seattle.
Los Angeles Rams: William Hayes (DE)
William Hayes was an excellent fit on the Rams defence due to his ability to play both as a run stopper and as a pass rusher. His versatility opened up for more space for Aaron Donald to do what he wanted to and it made the Rams front seven deadly. Hayes may ask for a fair bit of money but it makes sense to pay him.
San Francisco 49ers: Phil Dawson (K)
Frankly the 49ers list of free agents is pretty weak and none really appeal to be brought back to the franchise. Dawson has been the kicker for a long time and it would be a shame if he went out after such a bad and dysfunctional season, why not bring him back?