by DONNIE VAPHIDES Section Editor
With the NFL season at a close, players and owners begin the long process to the start of next year. The first step is where players with expiring contracts either resign with their current team or hit the road and start fresh on a new team.
Each free agency period is unique from year to year. Some years are filled with superstars and some only include one or two impact players. This year, there are stars everywhere you look. From offense game changers to defensive leaders, if a team has the money to spend, they will get new raw talent.
“This year in free agency will be one of the best in a while. The amount of good players out there are very high and I would love for the Giants to get a few of them, assuming they have enough salary cap to get them,” said junior Brian Hansen.
Arguably, the best free agent of all is defensive tackle (DT) Ndamukong Suh from the Detroit Lions. He has all the tools to be the one of the best defensive players in football and, in his five years in the league, has made a total of 180 tackles, 36 sacks, one interception, and one touchdown.
On the offensive side of the ball is wide receiver Demaryius Thomas who has been Peyton Manning’s number one target the three seasons he has been there. The 27-year-old has had a great career making it to the Pro Bowl the past three seasons, and totaling 351 catches for 5,317 and 41 touchdowns. He joins a crowded group of wide receivers in free agency this year. Of the wide receivers, three were playing in the Pro Bowl this season.
Some players will not have an option in whether they stay this year, such as cornerback Darelle Revis, who is arguably the best corner in the league. Coming off his Super Bowl winning season with the New England Patriots, he could be on the move or staying in the organization based on the ownership of the team.
In his contract, he has an option year for the final year of the contract. If the Patriots puck up that option, he will be on the team for another year making 20 million dollars total. If he is declined the contract extension, he is free to decide where he wants to play, even with the Patriots again.
“I think it would be smart to pick up Darelle Revis’ contract. He has proven time and time again that he is a great player and should be treated as one,” said junior Paul Perschilli.
In a free agent class so deep, you would think that every position would be stacked. That is not the case for the quarterback position. Led by Philadelphia Eagles backup Mark Sanchez and Tennesee Titans quarterback Jake Locker, the search for a new starting QB might not come until the NFL Draft.
The demand for a strong quarterback is the number one priority of an NFL team. The available people are “not the answer,” according to many QB needy team owners.
Who would you want your team to sign from this years free agents?
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