This is not a great crop of Free Agent safeties in 2012. More and more the safety position is becoming one for which you draft. You’re looking for guys who can play dual roles on special teams, too. It’s becoming more rare to find a cheap veteran backup of quality, let alone a starting safety.
The Eagles appear to have an eye out for a veteran safety to upgrade their younger guys and provide some insurance in case the going gets rough back there. The Redskins’ LaRon Landry and the Bengals’ Reggie Nelson are the big names out there. They are both former 1st Round picks. They’re both very good—and very expensive.
Other big names just went by the board. Thomas DeCoud re-signed in Atlanta, and Tennessee and Oakland used the franchise tag on Michael Griffin and Tyvon Branch, respectively, keeping two other safeties of note from becoming free agents.
There’s a bargain to be had with Jim Leonhard if he’s fully recovered from surgey on a torn patellar tendon (which I believe he suffered in the Eagles game on 12/12/11)… Leonhard can play both safety positions, can return kicks and punts, and is a smart and high-morale contributor with a knack for finding the ball. At 5-8, 188, age 29 in his 7th season out of Wisconsin, Leonhard proves good things can come in small packages.
Here is a look at the top free agent safeties on the market and where they could wind up in 2012:
1. LaRon Landry: This strong safety was a franchise tag candidate, but the Washington Redskins tagged tight end Fred Davis instead, leaving Landry unprotected. He has missed 15 games the past two seasons. CAP HIT RISK: $6.2 milz to $8 milz— it’s gonna take franchise-tag type money to get him.
Potential suitors: Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
2. Reggie Nelson: Nelson didn’t live up to his first-round billing in Jacksonville, but he had a solid 2011 season in Cincinnati. His game still needs plenty of refining, but he brings good range to the back end. CAP HIT RISK: probably around $4 milz in 2012. Could go higher…
Potential suitors: Cincinnati Bengals, St. Louis Rams, Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans.
3. Bob Sanders: Sanders, the 2007 Defensive Player of the Year, has played 11 games in four seasons since winning the award. A huge injury risk, he could be a cheap, low-risk, high-reward signing. CAP HIT RISK: probably around $2 milz, a massive reduction from the $6 milz he once cost…
Potential suitors: San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints.
4. Dwight Lowery: After the Jacksonville Jaguars acquired Lowery via trade before the 2011 season, the former Jets defensive back started a career-high 11 games, picking off two passes and defending eight. CAP HIT RISK: possibly $4 to $5 milz (he played for $550,000 last season!)…
Potential suitors: Jacksonville Jaguars, San Diego Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans.
5. Jim Leonhard: Leonhard, once a fan favorite in Baltimore, followed Rex Ryan to the New York Jets in 2009. The 29-year-old has struggled with injuries, missing eight games combined in 2010 and 2011.
CAP HIT RISK: Played for $2 milz in 2011 at end of 3-year contract with Jets— based on physical exam results, probably would sign for $2.5 milz with incentives as a low-risk high-reward trial run….
Potential suitors: New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots.
Other notable free agents (2011 team in parenthesis): Brodney Pool (New York Jets), Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski (Baltimore Ravens), Craig Stelz and Brandon Meriweather (Chicago Bears), Jordan Babineaux and Chris Hope (Tennessee Titans), Mike Adams (Cleveland Browns), Gibril Wilson (Cincinnati Bengals).
BANG!!! Huge update!— Redskins trade up to #2 pick with St. Louis from #6 and throw in three (3) #1 picks and a #2 for the privilege of picking Robert Griffin III as their future Franchise QB… Watta deal! I can’t even imagine yet the implications of this deal for the Redskins’ future or the effect it will have on the NFC East! I plan on taking my time over a breakfast of scrapple and whole wheat toast to sort this one out… My immediate reaction is one of relief that we have the Gold Standard of Evergreen to protect us…
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