The 2016 NFL season is nearly a done deal with only the Super Bowl left to play. It is always a high note for a player to end the year after achieving conference championship status.
This is particularly key for certain players slated to enter free agency or become the potential subject of a trade. It also helps if said players perform at a high level on the game’s grandest of stages.
The following is a list of Super Bowl LI stars — ranging in age from 25 to 36 — who for various reasons may be looking for a new home team in 2017.
1. Jimmy Garoppolo, quarterback, New England Patriots
Trade rumors surrounding Garoppolo continue to roll in. If the Patriots decide he is expendable, the young quarterback could wind up on another team, possibly as a two-time Super Bowl champion.
Quarterback Tom Brady is not going anywhere anytime soon. Third-stringer Jacoby Brissett also proved capable enough in limited action this season that it’s realistic to believe he could handle backup duties.
This leaves Garoppolo, who has one year left on his rookie contract. He makes for a potential trade target for a quarterback-needy team. We recently covered a list of NFL franchises in which Garoppolo could land in 2017.
With what he’s learned from Brady, Garoppolo could very well be a starting quarterback next season. This makes him a valuable asset for a Patriots team that’s always looking to the future. Let’s just hope the former second-round pick doesn’t have an opportunity to further prove his worth come Sunday. That would mean the game resulted in a blowout or Brady himself was injured. No one needs that.
2. Jonathan Babineaux, defensive lineman, Atlanta Falcons
Babineaux has been with the Falcons since they selected him in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He was last signed to a three-year deal in 2014 and is on course to hit the free-agent market this spring.
The veteran defensive lineman turned 35 in October and completed the regular 2016 season with 22 combined tackles after starting in six games. During the divisional playoffs, he sacked Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson once and drilled running back Thomas Rawls on two of his three total tackles.
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During his 12-year career, Babineaux has participated in a total of seven playoff games. At his age and level of performance, he is likely to warrant just a one-year deal if the Falcons wish to part ways with the veteran.
A strong finish on Super Bowl Sunday, could see other teams in need potentially reaching out if the Falcons don’t re-sign their veteran.
3. LeGarrette Blount, running back, New England Patriots
Blount was simply amazing in his seventh season in the NFL. It also marked his second full year with New England. He rushed for a career-high 1,161 yards and league-high 18 touchdowns. It was by far the most-productive campaign of his career.
Blount has been impressive in the postseason as well, adding one more rushing touchdown to his growing total. And, he will look to continue this success against the Falcons while he pursues a second Super Bowl victory.
Beyond Sunday, Blount is slated to become a free agent. This comes after the veteran inked a small one-year contract with a base salary of $760,000 to remain with the Patriots last spring.
But if the Patriots decide he’s not worth a larger deal, surely another team will. There are definitely a number of clubs that could use a back as powerful as Blount even at a significant price increase.
Remember, Blount has played at a significant discount throughout his career — earning a grand total of $6.4 million in seven seasons. At 30 years old, it might finally be time for him to cash in.
4. Dwight Freeney, defensive end, Atlanta Falcons
Freeney will turn 37 later this month. He’s most definitely not a spring chicken. This doesn’t mean the situational pass rusher will be unable to provide something of substance moving forward.
Freeney was signed to a one-year, $1 million deal by Atlanta after the Arizona Cardinals let him walk this past offseason. Unfortunately, Freeney’s production took a dip from the team-high eight sacks he produced with the Cardinals the prior year.
In 2016, Freeney started in only one game and managed three sacks and 10 combined tackles on the regular season. He recently touched on the topic of retirement — Something that he won’t commit to truly contemplating until after the Super Bowl game is over.
“I don’t even think about that until the year is over,” Freeney said, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN. “It usually happens a month or two after the season. I sit there, feel this leg, feel this arm, feel this knee and see where I’m at mentally.”
Depending on the outcome of the Super Bowl, Freeney still may be looking for work in 2017 if the Falcons decide to move on.
5. Martellus Bennett, tight end, New England Patriots
Once again, the Patriots got their hands on a player who revived his career in New England. The team acquired Bennett prior to the 2016 NFL Draft after he put up a down season with the Chicago Bears.
It was a wise move by the Patriots considering they could not foresee tight end Rob Gronkowski suffering a season-ending injury in Week 12. Bennett was targeted 73 times during the regular season, resulting in 55 catches for 701 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns.
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Sunday will mark the first Super Bowl appearance of his nine-year career. Moving on from Sunday, Bennett’s future could be up in the air with Gronk returning in 2017. Bennett could command at least the $5.1 million he was paid by New England in 2016, if not more.
If the Patriots decide to let him go, Bennett would be a hot commodity on the free-agent market. At 6-foot-7, he boasts a huge frame and has proven himself to be a tremendous all-around tight end.
6. Logan Ryan, cornerback, New England Patriots
Ryan is in the last year of his rookie deal after being selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2013 Draft.
He had a productive 2016 season when he tallied a career-high 73 solo tackles. The fourth-year corner also had another 19 assists, one sack, one forced fumble and two interceptions. As a result, Pro Football Focus rated him at No. 14 for the 2016 season.
He also managed another interception and returned it for 23 yards in the divisional playoffs against the Houston Texans. Should Ryan have an impressive season finale in Super Bowl LI, his stock will be on the rise moving ahead. And if the Patriots don’t lock him up when free agency hits, another team most definitely will.