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5 NFL Teams Who will be the Most Active During Free Agency

The five NFL teams we’ll discuss here have an average of $42.5 million in cap space, according to Spotrac.com. Those numbers are fluid considering the official salary cap has not yet been set, but the point is they have money to spend and will do so once free agency opens on March 10.

Being “active” in free agency can mean different things. On one hand, there are teams with several holes and the money to go out and fill them with quality players.

On the other hand, there are teams with gobs of money but who feel they are only a piece or two from contending. They may not sign six or seven players, but they sure will target the best player at their respective position of need, essentially giving them whatever amount of money they want to lure them to town.

Both types of teams are represented here. Given the fact that NFL teams must spend at least 95 percent of their cap money, they have no choice but to be active and sign players to bigger contracts.

These five teams have the cap space necessary to make a huge splash once free agency kicks off. We’ll go over a couple of possibilities for each of them—a game of what if, if you will.

(And you will).

New York Jets

Todd Bowles Jets SN

Cap Space: $48.6 million

Free Agents: 22

Biggest Needs: Quarterback, pass rush, cornerback

Draft Order: Sixth

Analysis:

The free-agent quarterback market is bare this offseason; the Jets won’t find their next starting signal-caller from the likes of Brian Hoyer, Mark Sanchez (again), Shaun Hill or Jake Locker. But they can lock up the pass-rusher of their choice, depending on what they want to spend.

Top edge-rusher Justin Houston could be attainable, but if Kansas City hits him with the non-exclusive franchise tag, he would cost New York two first-round picks—its current No. 6 overall pick and next year’s as well. He is a great player, but is he worth passing on a potential franchise quarterback who could be available with that sixth pick?

A less expensive option would be Akeem Ayers. He’s long and athletic. And though he didn’t fit in with the Tennessee Titans, he did some nice things after being traded to the New England Patriots before the trade deadline last season.

And if there is one cornerback who would fit perfectly into new head coach Todd Bowles’ defense, it’s former Jets standout Antonio Cromartie. He and the Jets parted ways on a sour note last offseason, but after a great year with the Arizona Cardinals under Bowles, he could reunite with the two in the Meadowlands for the right price.

Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson may have tipped Cromartie’s hand in speaking to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com.

I’m definitely trying to keep him here [in Arizona],” Peterson said. “It’s going to be tough, especially with Todd being in New York and he loves [New York]. “That’s all he talks about is freaking New York. I’m definitely trying to get him to stay and we’ll see what happens.”

Cromartie lives in New Jersey, and turning 31 years old before the 2015 season starts, he doesn’t have many years left in him. The deal he signs this offseason could be his last chance to make real money. He showed the NFL he can still play.

He and the Jets are a perfect fit.

Oakland Raiders

Cap Space: $49.5 million

Free Agents: 24

Biggest Needs: Pass rush, wide receiver, cornerback

Draft Order: Fourth

Analysis:

With the fourth pick in the 2015 NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders select…one hell of a football player. That’s a fact, though we have to wait until April 30 to find out which young stud they’ll select. A fantastic player will be available to them for each of their three biggest needs. Depending on how free agency goes, that may dictate how they handle their top-five pick.

Like the Jets, Houston is likely off the table now that he’s been franchised. Two firsts is an incredibly steep price already, and Oakland would hand over a pick two spots higher this season than New York would. That’s a no-go.

The Raiders could go after Greg Hardy, formerly of the Carolina Panthers. With his domestic violence case being dropped, he could return to the field at some point in 2015, though it’s not clear yet if the NFL will suspend him into next season. Regardless, Hardy to the Raiders seems like a good fit.

Put him on the opposite side of young Khalil Mack and watch the defense take the next step in becoming legitimately terrifying.

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree would be a nice target for second-year quarterback Derek Carr. The Raiders are thin and in need of some star power on the outside, and the Carr-to-Crabtree connection could be one of the more exciting duos to watch.

Carr completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 3,270 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions as a rookie in 2014, and he did so without a true No. 1 receiver on the outside. Give him a guy like Crabtree, and we could see Carr’s production spike upward.

If you’re sure Dez Bryant is leaving Dallas without a contract or franchise tag, he would be an even better target. The kid is the star of a star-studded list of free-agent receivers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jason Licht SN

Cap Space: $27.9 million

Free Agents: 25

Biggest Needs: Quarterback, offensive guard, pass rush

Draft Order: First

Analysis:

The Buccaneers have the No. 1 pick in the draft, and it’s widely believed they will take either Oregon’s Marcus Mariota or Florida State’s Jameis Winston—that takes care of the need for a quality starting quarterback (they hope, anyway).

With nearly $28 million in cap space, they have the funds necessary to go get an above-average to great guard and pass-rusher in free agency, so don’t be surprised if they lure two big names.

For guard, we’ll start with former Denver Broncos right tackle/left guard Orlando Franklin. He’s versatile, and he’ll be just 28 years old by the time next season begins, so he can play right guard until the team moves on from left guard Logan Mankins, whom they received in a trade with the Patriots.

He may require the largest contract of the free-agent guards, but he’s worth it. As well as he played in one season after moving from tackle to guard, he proved he’s one of the best interior linemen in the NFL.

Another option for Tampa, should it choose a slightly cheaper route, is former Cincinnati Bengals left guard Clint Boling. Same as with Franklin, Boling is versatile enough to play on the right side until the team moves on from Mankins (Boling played right guard as a rookie in 2011, albeit sparingly).

The bottom line is this: The Buccaneers cannot begin the 2015 season with Patrick Omameh at right guard. Last season was his first action as a pro, and though he started all 16 games for the Bucs, he was an absolute sieve.

In four years since the team drafted him 20th overall, defensive end Adrian Clayborn could not stay on the field consistently. He played in all 16 games twice, but the other two seasons, he played in just four games total. Totaling 13 sacks in 36 games is not the production you want from a first-round pass-rusher.

Tampa likely does not have the will to pull off a deal for Houston given they’d surrender the top pick to Kansas City this season. However, it should look into a deal for former Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Brandon Graham.

He has been productive in limited action over his five-year career, and he’d be a nice complement to Michael Johnson—whom everyone hopes can rebound from a dismal 2014 season.

Cleveland Browns

Cap Space: $48.7 million

Free Agents: 24

Biggest Needs: Wide receiver, quarterback, 3-tech defensive end

Draft Order: 12th, 19th (from Buffalo)

Analysis:

For the first time in four years, the Browns will be bringing back the same head coach from the season before. That should help lure a big name, if massive amounts of money doesn’t already do that.

With such a deep receiver class both in the draft and free agency—and with the Browns in dire need of receiver help thanks to a Josh Gordon year-long suspension—it’s possible we see general manager Ray Farmer double-dip and give a top guy a big contract as well as take one of the many studs in the draft.

One hang-up the Browns could run into during free agency regarding a top receiver is their quarterback situation. As of now, it’s Johnny Manziel and Connor Shaw.

Gross.

Farmer and company may have to trade for a quarterback before free agency or make some receiver believe they’ll nab one of the two top guys on Day 1. Otherwise, they may not get anyone to sign for any amount of money.

A name to keep an eye on for Cleveland’s defensive line is former Detroit Lions star Ndamukong Suh. Why? Owner Jimmy Haslam said he “thinks the franchise will be less involved in free agency this year” when compared to last—the team gave out contracts worth just shy of $68.9 million (and $16.8 million in their respective first years) to its top six free-agent nabs and signed 16 before the dust settled.

Cleveland may be less active in terms of bodies signed, but it still has to spend at least $23.7 million toward the cap this offseason just to be in compliance with the 95 percent rule.

That’s why Suh makes sense, other than the obvious reason that he and Phil Taylor would be a great duo on the line.

Indianapolis Colts

Cap Space: $37.8 million

Free Agents: 28

Biggest Needs: Pass rush, safety, wide receiver

Draft Order: 29

Analysis:

The Colts are in trouble on the back end of the defense. Both starting safeties and two talented cornerbacks are free agents this offseason. They’re bare back there.

Luckily, they have the bankroll to replace one or both safeties—and much more.

Devin McCourty, fresh off a Super Bowl run with New England, could be the best safety on the market. He’s a true free safety, but unlike former Colts free safety Mike Adams, McCourty can defend the run.

For strong safety, Indy could look at a hybrid like former Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs safety Kurt Coleman. He’s a heavy hitter with solid coverage skills and who also brings an element of pass rushing to a defense; he’s a tough, versatile defender who would be a good get for a Colts team in need of toughness in the box.

Indianapolis tied for ninth in the league with 41 sacks a year ago, but it did it without a dominant pass-rusher. Outside linebacker Robert Mathis missed the entire season with an Achilles injury, and at 33 there is no guarantee he will ever have the same explosion he once did.

Of the four teams here with pass-rush needs, the Colts are the one team who would do themselves a favor by forking over two first-round picks to the Chiefs for Houston. They own pick 29 in late April, and you have to figure they’ll again make the playoffs next season, therefore having a pick in the lower-third of the first once again in a year.

Houston has to be general manager Ryan Grigson’s first order of business on March 10. Give him whatever he wants and hand over the required two firsts to Kansas City.

Of course, this is assuming the Chiefs indeed place the non-exclusive tag on Houston.

With the future of Reggie Wayne up in the air in Indy, it might be best if the Colts move on to a younger target for Andrew Luck. Wayne has been one of the game’s best in his 14-year career, but he’s declined of late and is no longer the top target—that’s T.Y. Hilton.

If the Colts pony up for Houston, they may not be able to afford Bryant or Demaryius Thomas, but Randall Cobb would be a fantastic fit for Luck and the rest of the offense.

Photo: USA Today

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