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Teams Eyeing 2009?
by Sam Monson
12/5/2008
There were teams that were unusually quiet this off-season. Expected to be clamouring for the top free agents, some teams instead sat back and did very little. It’s widely accepted that this was not a strong free agent crop of players, with guys like Bernard Berrian topping the chart for wide receivers, but maybe these teams knew something most never checked.
These teams might have taken a look at who might be available in 2009. Obviously some of these guys will be locked down to long-term deals before the off-season, but perhaps not as many as you might assume. Whilst most of these guys are real marquee names, it’s fair to assume that more than one of two of them will be suiting up for different teams by the start of the 2009 season.
Those teams that were quiet in 2008, might have had an eye on 2009, and been planning their shopping list a year in advance.
So let’s take a look at the potential marquee names that are scheduled to be available next off-season, and see where they’re at as things stand:
1. Nnamdi Asomugha CB Oakland
– Oakland brought in DeAngelo Hall, and might not be able to afford to keep Asomugha around. The word is they’re going to franchise him if they can’t get a deal done long-term, but Jared Allen showed this year that doesn’t stop anybody from moving if the intent is there.
2. Steven Jackson RB St Louis
– Jackson is one of the Rams’ few remaining stars, and it’s tough to imagine the Rams letting him go, but he has got some mileage under those tires, and the Rams have got some options behind him.
 3. Julius Peppers DE Carolina
– Pass rushers get paid in the NFL, but Peppers has been a big disappointment of late, and Carolina don’t seem to be bending over backwards to get him signed to a new long term contract. It’s likely Peppers could be the first, big name player to hit the open market, and with his reputation he’ll be looking for dollars!
4. Albert Haynesworth DT Tennessee
– Haynesworth didn’t get the long-term deal he wanted from Tennessee, who wouldn’t let him go this year. The worry is that as soon as he gets paid, Haynesworth will return to the lazy but talented player he was before his contract years. How he plays this year will be interesting to watch, but the Titans are unlikely to let him leave whatever happens.
5. Marion Barber RB Dallas
– Barber is going to want big money. He’s a back who plays as well as any RB in the NFL, but isn’t trusted by anybody to carry the load, including the Cowboys, who drafted a pair of runners in this draft, including Felix Jones in the first round. Most assume the Cowboys won’t let Barber anywhere near free agency, and they’re probably right, but in Tashard Choice, they have a runner who could be capable of filling Barber’s role if he does manage to leave.
 6. Dunta Robinson CB Houston
– Robinson was well on his way to being one of the NFL’s elite corners before his injury. He’s likely not going to be back in full swing until half way through the season, and might be allowed to leave by the Texans. If he gets healthy, he could wind up being a massive upgrade for somebody’s secondary.
7. Tommie Harris DT Chicago
– Tommie Harris might be the best 3-technique defensive tackle in the NFL when he’s healthy. The trouble is, that’s becoming a rare thing. Harris can be dominant, and probably wants to be paid to reflect that, but the contract talks have hit a standstill with the notoriously tight-fisted Bears, and he could be a prime candidate to hit free agency next season.
8. Terrell Owens WR Dallas
– TO is well into his 30s now, but is playing the best football of his career. He came to Dallas looking to win a ring, but the Cowboys can’t seem to win a playoff game. Will he be happy playing for a team that clearly has the talent to win the big time, or will he prefer to try his luck one last time on a team that has shown they can win?
9. T.J. Houshmandzadeh WR Cincinnati
– The Bengals drafted a trio of WRs in this draft, and it’s not all because of Chad Johnson and Chris Henry. Once owners of the best WR trio in the NFL, the Bengals now find themselves needing to replace all of them. Housh has lived his career in Chad Johnson’s shadow, and has yet to hit a big payday, 2009 is likely to be his year.
 10. Terence Newman CB Dallas
– Newman is one of the league’s best corners, but rarely gets the publicity of the other guys touted in that class. Cornerbacks have been getting the big dollars in recent years, and the Cowboys will need to pay Newman handsomely if they want to retain his services.
11. Roy Williams WR Detroit
– Roy Williams has been rumoured to have been on the block all off-season, which is likely to make negotiations for a new contract pretty tricky, and certainly undermine any assertion that the Lions want to retain him. With Calvin Johnson, the Lions could create one of the league’s most dominant WR pairings, but after years of picking #1 WRs, somehow it seems they just don’t want to.
Other notable free agents to be include: Giants Guard Chris Snee, Saints Defensive End Will Smith, Bills wide receiver Lee Evans, Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin, Falcons linebacker Keith Brooking, Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby, Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia and Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer, and a certain linebacker, Ray Lewis.
How many of those names appear on a shopping list in Dan Snyder’s pocket for 2009?
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