It’s a time of year filled with hope for any NFL fan – free agency. Whether your team is a perennial struggler or looking to add one more piece before a Super Bowl run, the answers can be found on the free agent market.
With the season more than halfway through, let’s have a look at the wins and losses from the 2014 off-season.
The Best
Emmanuel Sanders
The Steelers drafted Sanders three rounds before fellow diminutive possession receiver Antonio Brown in a particularly good Pittsburgh draft class in 2010. He spent four years developing as a deep threat and slot receiver opposite Brown before the Broncos snaffled him up in free agency in March.
During his breakout season in 2013, Sanders was targeted 112 times for 67 catches, 740 yards and six touchdowns. Through nine games in 2014 Sanders already has 62 catches, 852 yards and six touchdowns, while playing in an even more loaded offense than he did in Pittsburgh.
Sanders has emerged as the long-term replacement for both Eric Decker and Wes Welker over the last three weeks, hauling in 24 catches, 338 yards and five touchdowns. The Broncos have to be pleased with their three-year $15 million investment.
DeMarcus Ware
It seems the Broncos can’t put a foot wrong in free agency as John Elway desperately tries to stack enough talent around quarterback Peyton Manning to win a Super Bowl before he retires. Ware gave Dallas nine good seasons before owner Jerry Jones deemed him over the hill and surplus to requirements.
But Ware has shown he’s got at least a few more good years of rushing the passer in him. He’s formed a dynamic partnership with outside linebacker Von Miller, the pair combining for 17 sacks.
DeSean Jackson
The Redskins ordinary season has overshadowed a few things, including the fact that Jackson is having a pretty good season statistically. The livewire receiver is on track to match his career best figures from 2013 and is still the deep threat he was in Philadelphia despite being targeted by three different quarterbacks.
Steve Smith
No one plays angry like Steve Smith. And how do you make him angry? Cut him after 13 years of loyal service. Smith signed with the Ravens one day after he was released by the Panthers and has spent the season proving age is just a number. The 35-year-old is in the top 10 in receiving yards in the NFL and destroyed the Ravens with 139 yards and two touchdowns in week four.
Golden Tate
After two decent seasons in Seattle, the Lions signed Tate to a five-year $31 million deal. The motive behind the move was twofold – take some of the defensive focus away from Calvin Johnson and also to provide some offense when Megatron is injured.
So far it’s proved a stroke of genius. Johnson has played only four meaningful games and Tate ranks fourth overall in receiving yards. The Lions are also 7-2 and welcomed back a fully fit Johnson against the Dolphins.
The Worst
Lamarr Houston
Where to start with Lamarr Houston? The Bears released legendary defensive end Julius Peppers at the end of 2013 and brought in Houston on a $35 million deal. After five weeks and with the Bears playing poorly at 2-3, Houston, who had just three tackles and no sacks, told fair-weather Chicago fans to eat dirt.
He continued to play horribly until he tore his ACL celebrating a sack on Patriots back-up quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in garbage time of a 51-23 blowout. Houston’s first season in Chicago ended with 11 tackles and one meaningless sack. He collects $9 million this season and his base salary of $5.95 million is guaranteed in 2015. What an embarrassment for Houston and the Bears.
Antonio Cromartie
Cromartie’s career peaked in 2007 as a member of the Chargers when he had 10 interceptions, including three picks of Peyton Manning on a rainy night in San Diego. He continues to get work purely because of the shortage of good cover corners in the NFL. Cromartie was the second ranked cornerback while at the Jets in 2013, according to Advanced NFL stats.
This season he has been stationed across from Patrick Peterson in the secondary, but the Cardinals rank dead last in terms of pass defence. At last count Cromartie has at least 12 children with eight different women. In 2010, the Jets had to advance him $500,000 so he could make outstanding child support payments. Cromartie will continue to play wherever will pay him, but he is not going to warrant multi-million dollar contracts for much longer.
Chris Johnson
After seven years at the Titans, Johnson somehow managed to convince the Jets he had enough burst left in him to produce something resembling his incredible 2009 campaign. New York paid him $4 million a year for two seasons as part of an overhaul of their offense.
But Johnson has been disappointing and has lost carries to bigger back Chris Ivory. Johnson is on target to have his first season under 1000 rushing yards and may even fall short of the 10,000 club, a feat that looked almost assured when he busted out for 2006 yards in 2009.
Maurice Jones-Drew
He is a different style of running back, but Jones-Drew’s last season-and-a-half has almost mirrored Chris Johnson’s. Every running back has a use-by date and sometimes it takes owners and coaches a while to realise their best days are behind them.
Jones-Drew led the league in rushing in 2011 then the following season played just six games due to injury. His numbers were down in 2013 and his yards per rush had fallen off a cliff, so the Jaguars released him. The Raiders picked him up to compete with Darren McFadden in the backfield, but so far Oakland ranks last in the NFL in rushing. Jones-Drew has hardly been sighted and he has just 64 yards rushing in seven games.
Josh McCown
Last week while trying to figure out where the NFC South went wrong, I was having a closer look at the Bucs’ decision to sign a 35-year-old career back-up in McCown to a two-year $10 million deal. Despite having the younger, and arguably better, Mike Glennon on the roster, Tampa Bay coach Lovie Smith committed to McCown as the starter the moment the deal was struck.
McCown threw four picks and two touchdowns in the first three Bucs losses and then went down with a thumb injury. He had 13 touchdowns and one interception while filling in for Jay Cutler at the Bears in 2013. McCown is back under centre and Glennon is riding the pine, but the Bucs season is already over.
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