Remaining UFA’s: Do they have value?

As we continue to inch our way through the boring offseason portion of the Fantasy year, there’s little to do after the draft but ponder what move are left before full blown mini camps begin to capture our attention again. The with all of the marquee free agents having already signed, there’s an underwhelming stable of players pushing to find a spot in 2015 on an NFL roster. But every year we hear about a player we didn’t see coming turning up with a turn-back-the-clock kind of year. Lets look at the who’s who (a term we use losely with this ground) of those free agents left. Bear in mind there are no rumors reflected below, these are all purely speculative and offer no real insight into Free Agent news.

Quarterbacks

There’s not a whole lot of excitment left in the Quarterback free agent list. Michael Vick leads the uderwhelming ground with all-time busts Tavaris Jackson and Matt Flynn the only other relevant options left. Still, being a “relevant option” like Jackson or Flynn mean that being a 3rd string QB is about as good as it’s going to get. Maybe a Denver or Philadelphia would look to add a 3rd veteran QB with the potential for injury being just around the corner. Vick is an intriguing name because of his athletesism that seemed to be there even when he was getting pounded in a Jets uniform. As a back up, Vick would rarely see the field again in the twilight of his career, but a team like Washington wouldn’t be out of the question if any of their underwhelming QB’s fall out of favor with ownership.

Running Backs

The free agent pool of RB’s could be a who’s who of 2009 fantasy running backs. Ray Rice, Chris Johnson, Steven Jackson all have the name recognition that teams want when signing a flier to back up or spell their starters. The better options, I think, if you’re an NFL franchise, are players like Knowshon Moreno and Pierre Thomas. Both players performed well above average when they were on the field last. Moreno was electric with the Broncos two years ago and his leg injury ruined his chances to steal the spot in Miami. Pierre Thomas is a great third round back with a bit of burst and the ability to pass protect. Teams like Tennessee or New England that don’t have a bonified # 1 may be the type of place that these backs end up. Ahmad Bradshaw and Ronnie Brown are long in the tooth, but the closer we get to game day, the mor teams like Washington and Carolina look to bolster their RB situation with little depth beyond their starters. Ben Tate rounds out our RB free agents, but his value is next to nothing after performing so poorly in Cleveland.

Wide Receiver

Not quite the fan fare as there is with the former first round picks in the RB pool, but Reggie Wayne and Wes Welker should demand some attention as we get closer to mini camps. If Wayne wants to play, a team like Carolina could use a veteran with some playoff experience and leadership. Welker on the other hand is one back concussion away from not being himself for the rest of his life. I personally would rather he retire and move into a booth to talk football. Rex Ryan news conference anyone? Brandon Lloyd was an interesting FA last year, and could prove to be a good change of pace or insurance policy kind of reciever. A team like Atlanta who battled injuries last year could use a steady hand to step in if/when White or Jones go down for any length of time. Lastly, Robert Meachem who bounced around the league offers little value, but could parlay modert successes in New Orleans into a small contract to be a 3rd or 4th option somwhere with a team like Jacksonville who just want to fill the field with weapons for Blake Bortles.

Tight End

Jermaine Gresham is the name that stands out as a player who could and should find work come 2015. With 62 receptions and 500 yards, he’s still miles ahead of some of the other starting TE’s in the league and a team lke Cleveland or Atlanta could use an upgrade at the position.