The free agency period is so easy to get caught up in as a fan. You see players that have been good for other teams for a few years about to hit the market and you start to fantasize about your team signing every one of them. But this is something each team should approach with much trepidation.
I think right now the four franchises that all the others are trying to emulate in one way or another are the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, and the San Francisco 49ers. Each one of those teams has built their core through the draft.
All four of those teams have used free agency to supplement instead of build. Although you’re not building your core through free agency, it is still a critical time for each franchise to make sure they find players at a good price and who also fit what that team is trying to do. Here is a look at the needs during free agency of each NFC West team and some players that would be good fits:
San Francisco 49ers
Cornerback – The ideal move for the 49ers would be to re-sign their own cornerback, Tarell Brown. Getting a deal done with him would keep the continuity in the secondary and it would prevent someone from having to come in and learn the whole scheme. If they can’t get something done with Brown, their next best option at the position is absolutely Charles Tillman.
What he would give them is a veteran who can come in and still play at a high level and plays press man coverage extremely well. It also gives their locker room the current Walter Payton Man of the Year winner and it affords them some cushion in the draft. With Tillman in at corner they won’t feel the pressure of having to draft a corner really high because the need someone to start right away.
Inside Linebacker – This is a position a lot of people automatically assume the 49ers don’t need at all because they have two perennial All-Pros in Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman. With Bowman not expected to come back from his torn ACL and MCL until November, they need someone to fill that role. Michael Wilhoite performed admirably when asked to step in for Willis at the beginning of the 2013 season and the final game of the playoffs against Seattle when Bowman went down. Even if they were set on sticking with him to fill in, they don’t have anyone to speak of behind him. A veteran like Jon Beason might be someone they bring in because they’ll be able to sign him for fairly cheap and he’s a great locker room guy with some gas left in the tank. They will only be looking to sign someone for a year or two because they have Wilhoite and they will most likely draft an inside linebacker in this year’s draft and/or next year’s draft.
Quarterback: If Colin Kaepernick got injured last season the 49ers would’ve had no answer. Their backup was #Colt McCoy#, who is now a free agent. This season they are going to want someone that offers a little more if they should have to put him in. They’ll want a veteran they can sign for cheap and is familiar with their offesne. A veteran that is familiar with the offense doesn’t need attention from coaches at practice, reps at practice, or help studying the playbook. All of which could adversely effect Kaepernick’s development and all of which a young unfamiliar quarterback will need.
Seattle Seahawks
Guard – The Seahawks need interior linemen extremely bad. They will almost certainly address this need in the draft but will probably sign one or two in free agency to at least compete in training camp. PFF (subscription required) ranked their two guards, James Carpenter and J.R. Sweezy, 42nd and 36th, respectively, out of the 50 guards who played at least 60 percent of their teams’ snaps. Some guys that would benefit them a great deal would be Travelle Wharton, Geoff Schwartz, or Richie Incognito.
Wide Receiver – Right now the Seahawks have Percy Harvin and Doug Baldwin at wide receiver. They cut Sidney Rice and Golden Tate is set to hit the market on March 11th. This leaves them a little thin at the position. This is another position they will most likely look to draft with one of their early picks but maybe bring in a guy or two to help the unit out until the guy they draft is ready to step in on a full time basis and carry his weight. Ideally they would like to re-sign Tate, but if they can’t get that done they’ll be looking at some guys that are available. A few guys they might take a look at are Hakeem Nicks on a one-year “prove it” deal, Kenny Britt on the same kind of deal, or Jason Avant. All of these guys could come at a bargain and fit what Seattle is trying to do on offense.
Tackle – Although the interior of their offensive line was the real problem this past season, they will only have two serviceable starters at tackle with Breno Giacomini’s contract expiring. One of those guys, Russell Okung, was injured much of last season and the other, #Michael Bowie#, is a seventh-round draft pick going into his second season. They might want a veteran backup as insurance. Eric Winston is a guy they might look at to come in and compete with Bowie to get the best out of him. If they end up bringing in a tackle, don’t expect it to be a big contract. My guess is they only bring one in to give the appearance of a competition and as an insurance policy. They are pretty happy with Bowie.
Defensive End – Seattle has Cliff Avril and Chris Clemons coming back at defensive end. They cut Red Bryant for salary cap reasons and they’ve made an offer to bring Michael Bennett back but he has said he wants to test the market before accepting the offer. So to say the least, this position is up in the air for them.
The first player that comes to mind when thinking about someone they can get at a good value and who can get a good pass rush is Jared Allen. He is someone they would love to plug in on passing downs so he could just pin his ears back and get after the quarterback. He might also be willing to take a little less for a shot at a ring. If they bring Allen in they also need someone younger in there. #Michael Johnson# and #Arthur Jones# might be guys Seattle looks at.
Arizona Cardinals
Wide Receiver – With Andre Roberts likely not coming back, they will need that third receiver. Even if they decide to address this need during the draft, I still think they’ll end up signing one in free agency. Behind Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, they really don’t have anyone, so bringing in two new receivers wouldn’t be too much. James Jones would probably be their first choice in free agency. He would be able to come right in and the offense wouldn’t skip a beat. Another guy they could bring in is Dexter McCluster. He would make that offense into something pretty special. He lines up everywhere and can do anything.
Outside Linebacker – With the defense the Cardinals run, the outside linebackers need to get a pass rush. They are the predominant pass rushers in a 3-4. Look for the Cardinals to add a specialist via free agency. This is something more and more teams will start doing after seeing the success the Seahawks have had bringing in pass rush specialist after pass rush specialist. A guy like Shaun Phillips would be a great fit for Arizona.
Kicker - Jay Feely is set to be a free agent so Arizona will need to find his replacement. Even if they decide to draft a kicker this year they’ll still sign a veteran kicker to fight for a job during training camp. There are some very seasoned vets ready to hit the market, so the Cardinals might be in luck. Some of the names to look at are Steven Hauschka, Phil Dawson, and Adam Vinatieri.
St. Louis Rams
Wide Receiver – In case you haven’t noticed, this is not a division stacked with wide receivers. The Rams aren’t any different. Their top receiver this past season was Jared Cook. The only problem with that is he’s their tight end. They have Tavon Austin but they misused him in ways that you didn’t even notice he was on the field at times. They have a lot of young receivers with boat loads of potential but a veteran wide receiver would really help bring that potential to fruition. Expect them to look at guys like Hakeem Nicks and Jason Avant.
Cornerback – After cutting Cortland Finnegan, the Rams are in even more need of a cornerback than before. This will certainly be a position they draft. They will also look to add a player here during free agency. Their ideal signing would have to be Walter Thurmond. He is an exceptional slot corner (increasingly more valuable in today’s NFL) and he is coming from the division rival Seattle Seahawks. That would be a nice feather in their cap. Charles Tillman would be another really good signing for them. A name people haven’t been talking about much because he played in Jacksonville but might be the steal of free agency is Will Blackmon. The Cardinals would be really happy to have him.
Safety – The Rams need a safety to play next to T.J. McDonald badly. I completely expect them to draft one within the first couple of rounds but I also fully expect them to bring in a guy on a fairly cheap contract to help bring up their young pair of safeties. Some names they’ll be looking at there are Louis Delmas, Ryan Clark, or Stevie Brown.