NFL free agency is nearly upon us, which means there’s blood in the water and the sharks are about to frenzy. It’s one of the most exciting and fast-paced times in American sports, and there’s never any shortages of surprises and letdowns.
Every year, a new crop of players find themselves on the open market and moving to a new location. Some are paid handsomely, while others are barely paid. However, like a treasure hunt, there are diamonds to be found in the rough. With that in mind, let’s take a look at 10 NFL free agents who could come at bargain prices.
10. Tyrell Williams, wide receiver
From Golden Tate to Kelvin Benjamin, there are quite a few talented wide receivers who will be available in 2019. If you were to include possible trades of Odell Beckham Jr. and Antonio Brown, the market becomes even more saturated. As a result, players like Tyrell Williams will fly under-the-radar and eventually turn into a financial steal for some team. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Williams has been a role player for much of his career with the Chargers, but he was able to break out in 2016 to the tune of 1,059 yards and seven touchdowns, which is a good example of what he’s capable of in a more substantial role. Not only does Williams have the size to make him a matchup nightmare, but he also has good speed and can stretch the field. In the right system, don’t be surprised to see Williams back over 1,000 yards in 2019.
9. Bilal Powell, running back
There are a ton of big-name running backs about to hit the market, and therefore the overall price at the position will be driven down. So how does Bilal Powell make this list, you ask? Save for Marshawn Lynch, there is not a harder runner who will become available in 2019 than Powell. While he is more on the smaller side (5-foot-10, 200 pounds), Powell gives 100 percent effort on every run. If you were to turn on his film, there’d be no mistaking it. Prior to his injury-riddled 2018 campaign, Powell excelled as a change-of-pace back for the Jets, running it North-South between the tackles when he had to, cutting it outside if he saw an opportunity, and providing a solid weapon out of the backfield for his quarterback. Powell is also a sound pass protector who can pick up blitzes and serves as a great locker-room presence. He may be getting older (30) and coming off a neck injury, but there’s still a place for him in the NFL.
8. Jason Verrett, cornerback
Verrett’s career has been plagued by injuries. Since being drafted in the first round by the Chargers in 2014, the cornerback has played in just 25 games. He played in four games in 2016 before suffering a torn ACL injury. Then he underwent surgery the following season and was limited to one game, and he missed all of last season after tearing his Achilles’ tendon over the summer. With a year off to recover, Verrett may be ready to go for the start of the season. Richard Sherman proved that a cornerback can successfully return from a torn Achilles, so maybe the same will be the case for Verrett. Someone will be sure to take a chance on him given how good he is when healthy — he made the Pro Bowl in 2015, his only full season. It’s possible that the Chargers will try to re-sign him.
7. Pierre Desir, cornerback
If you were to talk to any Colts reporter or fan, they would tell you that Pierre Desir is one of the most underrated players in the AFC. A fourth-round pick in 2014, it took Desir some time to catch up to the NFL game after spending his college years at Lindenwood University, but over the past two seasons, he’s certainly rounded into shape and is still ascending. The 28-year-old Desir brings the size (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) necessary to the cornerback position, and complements that with good speed, good ball skills and good instincts. Having appeared in 25 games with 18 starts over the previous two years, Desir also now has the invaluable on-field experience to carry with him wherever he goes.
6. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, tight end
Austin Seferian-Jenkins isn’t going to enter free agency with any highlights around his name after hauling in just 11 receptions for 90 yards and one touchdown a season ago before being placed on season-ending injured reserve. However, with a limited tight end market, Seferian-Jenkins may prove to be a quality second-tier option if he finds himself in the right system. Before flailing with the Jaguars, Seferian-Jenkins had a career-best season with the Jets in 2017, proving that there was at least some meat on the bone. And if interested teams want some reassurances before signing him, they need look no further than Eric Ebron, who flashed at times in Detroit before erupting in the right offensive system with the Colts. Seferian-Jenkins may not be on Ebron’s level, but the same sort of turnaround potential exists.
5. Adrian Phillips, safety/linebacker
Adrian Phillips may have gone to the Pro Bowl in 2018 and been named a First Team All-Pro, but with safeties like Earl Thomas, Landon Collins and Tyrann Mathieu likely becoming available, there’s little doubt he will be somewhat overlooked and not command the sort of high-dollar others will. But that’s exactly why he will be a bargain. Phillips isn’t quite at household name level, but he’s rapidly approaching it after a season in which he appeared in 16 games, recorded just shy of 100 tackles graded out above average via Pro Football Focus. Although not much of a ballhawk, Phillips can play the strong safety role to perfection and fill in as a hybrid linebacker when called upon. He’s great along the line of scrimmage and the perfect match for a team that needs a run-stopping player in their secondary.
4. Shane Ray, EDGE rusher
Shane Ray has seen his production and playing time decrease over the past three seasons due to injury, inconsistency and other flux in Denver, but at just 25 years of age, there’s still potential locked away inside the 2015 first-round pick. However, because of how poorly the numbers look, Ray should expect a one-year, prove-it deal in 2019, which could turn out to be a good gamble on himself and, obviously, a big bargain for another team. If Ray is able to find a defense that fits his style of play and a defensive coordinator that knows how to use him correctly, the edge rusher could turn his career back around. His potential flashed in 2016 when he recorded eight sacks and recovered two fumbles, but in his three other seasons combined, he’s recorded just a total of six sacks. Ray is a high-risk, high-reward kind of player that just needs the ideal fit.
3. Justin Coleman, cornerback
Justin Coleman had bounced around the league since signing as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2015, but found himself a home in Seattle over the last two seasons, having appeared in 32 games (10 starts) while recording three interceptions and 19 passes defensed. At 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Coleman isn’t going to be considered a No. 1 cornerback on the outside, but he has carved out a niche for himself as a quality nickel corner — a position far more valuable in today’s NFL. Coleman also finished the 2018 campaign with an above average grade courtesy of Pro Football Focus, which is a testament to how far he’s come over the previous four seasons. At the end of the day, Coleman shouldn’t expect a mega deal, but he’ll get a quality contract on the secondary market and position himself to make more money moving forward if he can continue to improve his game.
2. Adam Humphries, wide receiver
Adam Humphries finds himself in a similar situation to the aforementioned Tyrell Williams, having served mostly as a role player throughout his career despite a few flashes of brilliance. He has seen his production increase over each of his four seasons in the NFL, culminating with a 816-yard, five-touchdown performance in 2018. However, Humphries excels in the slot role, which tends to get underrated a bit as team search for field-stretching outside receivers. Accordingly, Humphries may go a bit overlooked once he hits the open market in March, but as the top tier wide receivers find new homes, his name will become more and more prevalent. Should Humphries land with a good team, in an ideal system and with an offensive coordinator capable of using his skill properly, there’s little doubt he could turn into a game-changing 1,000-yard receiver from the inside and leave all teams that passed him over wondering what could have been.
1. Spencer Ware, running back
Le’Veon Bell, Mark Ingram, Jay Ajayi and several others are the reason Spencer Ware takes the No. 1 spot on this list. In any other year, he may be considered the cream of the free agent running back crop, but here in 2019, he’s at the bottom of the top 10 and therefore isn’t going to command maximum dollars once the new league year begins. That may not be great news for Ware, but it will be great news for a team in need of a bargain running back capable of stepping in and taking over as the bell cow if need be. In 40 career games (38 with the Chiefs), Ware has rushed for nearly 1,600 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He also provides a strong option out of the backfield, serving as a multiple threat in a high-powered offense. Overshadowed due to remarkable offensive talent in Kansas City, Ware should be able to sign elsewhere at a low cost and prove that he’s not just a system back, but a quality player deserving of the No. 1 role.
