NFL free agency preview: An all-time great running back leads top skill-position players
It’s rare to see one of the best running backs ever, only one season removed from winning a rushing title, available in free agency.
The group of available skill-position players in free agency got more interesting when the Minnesota Vikings announced they would not be picking up running back Adrian Peterson’s option. He’ll become a free agent, though at 32 years old next season the risks are clear.
The rest of the group of running backs, wide receivers and tight ends has some intriguing names, and it’s a better group than last year. That’s especially true at receiver, which was really thin in free agency a year ago. Here are the top 25 offensive skill-position players on the free-agent market (here was our list of top-10 quarterbacks) … these rankings were done on March 2, so players who were cut afterward, like New York Jets receiver Brandon Marshall, aren’t included in the rankings:
1. RB Adrian Peterson: It would be unwise to assume Peterson’s days as a top back are done. In 2015 he rushed for an NFL-best 1,485 yards and led the NFL with 11 rushing touchdowns. Last season wasn’t as good, with Peterson struggling in Week 1 and tearing his meniscus in Week 2. But assuming he has recovered from that (and he did come back to play a game late in the season), he has never averaged less than 4.4 yards over a full season and has finished in the NFL’s top six in rushing yards in each of the seven seasons he has played more than 12 games. And, again, he’s just a season removed from leading the league in rushing. There’s a chance he is not going to be the same back at age 32 – he struggled late in the 2015 season, which is worrisome too – but it’s hard to bet against him. A return to the Vikings hasn’t been ruled out, and it will be interesting to see how a deep draft class at running back affects the market for Peterson and the rest of the free-agent running backs.
2. WR Alshon Jeffery: It’s rare for a player as talented as Jeffery to hit free agency at age 27. Injuries are a constant factor, and teams will have to ask questions about his four-game PED suspension last season, but when he’s right he’s a big, game-changing playmaker who would be a solid No. 1 receiver on more than a few teams. In 2013 and 2014 he had 174 catches for 2,554 yards and 17 touchdowns.
3. WR DeSean Jackson: Very few players in NFL history have been better at catching the deep ball. He led the NFL in yards per catch last season, when he turned 30. There’s no reason to believe he can’t be a great deep threat for a while longer.
4. TE Martellus Bennett: Last year, the Patriots got Bennett and a sixth-round pick for a fourth-round pick. That was a nice low-cost investment, as Bennett had 701 yards and seven touchdowns for the Super Bowl champs. A year after nobody showed much interest on the trade market and the Patriots got him cheap, Bennett will likely cash in as a free agent.
5. WR Terrelle Pryor: Pryor’s 1,007-yard season as a receiver is unique; there have been very few players who fail as an NFL quarterback and then successfully convert to receiver. But Pryor is a world-class athlete, and maybe can get better. He will be just 28 next season.
6. RB Eddie Lacy: After gaining more than 1,100 yards in each of his first two seasons, Lacy barely managed 1,100 in his third and fourth seasons combined. Weight issues didn’t help, and last season ended early with an ankle injury. He’ll be 27 next season and has had success before, but might have to prove himself again on a short-term deal.
7. RB Latavius Murray: Murray averaged 4 yards per carry each of the past two seasons after becoming a starter for the Raiders. He’s a perfectly fine addition for a team that needs a running back. He’s just 27 years old and has only 543 career rushing attempts.
8. WR Pierre Garcon: Garcon will be 31 next season, but is coming off a 1,000-yard season with the Washington Redskins. He shouldn’t be anyone’s idea of a No. 1 receiver, but he can be a good No. 2 on the right team.
9. RB Jamaal Charles: There have to be a lot of questions about Charles, who has played in just eight games the past two season and is 30 years old. He struggled to get back on the field last season, after a second torn ACL, lasting only three games before shutting it down. But if a team wants to gamble, Charles is a tremendous back with a phenomenal 5.5-yard career average.
10. WR Kenny Stills: Stills can beat a defense deep, and there’s value in that. With the Dolphins last season he had nine touchdowns on just 42 catches, and eight of the scores were 24 yards or more (four 40-yard touchdowns). He has a marketable skill.
11. WR Kenny Britt: Britt looked like a first-round bust who couldn’t stay out of trouble, but revived his career a bit with the Rams. Despite some horrible quarterback play, he had 1,002 yards last season. And he’ll be just 29 years old next season.
12. RB LeGarrette Blount: Blount had a surprising career season in 2016, as he turned 30. He had 1,161 yards and a league-best 18 touchdown runs. He fits with the New England Patriots better than anyone else, though some other team could see him as a good fit on a short-term deal.
13. TE Jared Cook: Cook signed a one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers, and probably helped himself. The Packers used him in a variety of ways, and although an injury kept his 2016 numbers low he helped Green Bay surge late in the season and make the NFC championship game.
14. WR Michael Floyd: This is a complicated case. Floyd is a former first-round pick and at times played very well for the Arizona Cardinals. But he was inconsistent his entire career there. Add on a guilty plea to extreme DUI (for which he was sentenced to 120 days in jail) and it will be a big gamble for any team willing to take a chance on this talented player.
15. TE Jack Doyle: Doyle had a decent breakout at the right time. He caught 59 passes for 584 yards and five touchdowns, after just 35-209-3 his first three seasons combined. He’ll be just 27 years old next season and can provide value to an offense looking for a pass-catching tight end.
16. WR Kendall Wright: Wright is a former first-round pick with a 94-catch, 1,079-yard season on his resume. But his numbers have dropped significantly since then, and had just 824 yards the past two seasons combined. He could be a productive slot receiver in his second stop.
17. RB Rex Burkhead: Burkhead has always been a solid role player, but the Cincinnati Bengals had to use him as their featured back in Week 17 and he responded with 119 yards and two touchdowns. That adds to the intrigue as he hits free agency. At very least he can be a good receiver out of the backfield.
18. RB Danny Woodhead: Woodhead is one of the best running backs in the league at catching the ball out of the backfield, with 76- and 80-catch seasons on his resume. He is coming off a torn ACL and is 32 years old, which won’t help him in free agency.
19. WR Kamar Aiken: In 2015, when the Baltimore Ravens receiving corps were decimated by injury, Aiken had 944 yards and five touchdowns. Then in 2016, with more options available, Aiken had just 328 yards and one touchdown. If a team likes the 2015 tape and thinks Aiken was underutilized in 2016, perhaps they can get a nice bargain.
20. WR Terrance Williams: This former third-round pick never had a breakout season with the Dallas Cowboys, topping out at 840 yards in 2015. But he had 20 career touchdowns in his four Cowboys seasons and can be a depth option for a team if Dallas doesn’t bring him back.
21. RB DeAngelo Williams: Williams will be 34 next season, but if he wants to keep playing he has shown he’s still a capable backup. He played pretty well the past two years when the Steelers needed him.
22. RB Tim Hightower: Hightower’s comeback after three seasons out of the NFL has been a great story. After averaging 4 yards a carry for the New Orleans Saints over the past two seasons, he has also shown he’s still a competent veteran backup.
23. TE Luke Willson: Willson has been a good big-play threat at the tight end position for the Seattle Seahawks in his four seasons. He hasn’t caught more than 22 passes in a season, but perhaps could do more in a different scheme.
24. RB Rashad Jennings: There might not be a lot of interest in Jennings after he averaged 3.3 yards last season at age 31. But he’s a reliable veteran if a team is looking for depth.
25. WR Anquan Boldin: Boldin is 36 and not the same player who has seven 1,000-yard seasons on his resume. But he scored eight touchdowns last season with the Detroit Lions and if he wants to play again, he’d add value to plenty of teams. He’s also a great leader for any locker room.
Other NFL free agency preview posts
A list of the the franchise-tagged players
Some interesting possibilities at quarterback for a change
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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