A year ago NFL safeties were the forgotten ones of free agency.No one could get big money, teams peddled the same low-guarantee deals from one safety to the next and they were largely ignored from the early-spending period (a fact some in the agent community believed was due in large part to teams not wanting to look like they were colluding against ). What a difference a year makes. Reid, who finally signed in-season with the , has already inked a lucrative extension with them, and safeties acro s the land are counting the hours until the start of the non-tampering window next week when they will cash in, big-time.The ' decision not to franchise and the ' release of (a suming he wants to continue playing) only add to the options that abound. But coming out of the combine last week when teams and agents began sorting out the potential price-points and values of free agents there was already a strong buzz about the money these guys were going to make. Now, it has only deepened.Sources said is seeking $13M per year, or more, despite his recent injury history, and he is expected to get darn close to it, if not with the then with someone else. The badly want to keep , but the Bucs and Ravens have serious interest, I'm told, among others, and he could land $24M in the first two years of a deal. Collins will likely come in under that, and of the is well positioned to round out that top tier of safeties, with a market that could come in around $9M-$10M per year.By the time the league year officially begins, all of these guys could be off the board. It's expected to happen very fast. Supply and demand and all. One agent for a prominent safety told me he had a legit 20 meetings with teams at the combine; I'm not a math major, but that's more than half the league. And many of these teams seemed particularly motivated. The , , and Giants have also been closely monitoring this market. This is going to be one of the early storylines of free agency next week.The rise Khaleke Hudson Jersey of the slot receiver continuesIt's a good time to be a slot receiver, as well. Teams covet that position like never before, they are e sential cogs for young QBs (five QBs went in the first round a year ago, and at least three more will go this year) and there is a plethora of quality options on the market. There is a strong sense among teams and agents that entire divisions are seeking slot receivers (i.e.: the AFC East and AFC South), and there is going to be serious competition for this group.Which teams, you ask, are making inquiries and doing significant work on free-agent slot receivers? Well, to start, the , , , , , Colts, Jags, Packers, , Cowboys, Skins, , , and Raiders. That enough for you? is the most accomplished of the group but is also on the wrong side of 30 and he is seeking $13M plus a year, I'm told. has priced himself out of Tampa and is poised to do very well, perhaps reaching the $10M a year mark. will have the chance to get more volume somewhere besides Dallas, and he too should be in that $10M range. is seeking $8M-$9M a year, sources said. Oh, and is very much in line for a contract extension. Jameson Crowder is coming off a down year, but he is going to do just fine in this market, as well. I don't anticipate anyone coming close to what the did a year ago they paid more than $15M per year to man the slot for them but that contract is moving the bar forward for others at that position, and for teams who expect these guys to catch 65-85 balls a year, it's for good reason. People around the league saw the impact on a young quarterback like when he lost slot security blanket , at the same time teams like the Chiefs and were overcoming the absence of their franchise running back for one reason or another.The rise of the slot guy continues, and anytime you get so many teams from one bloodline in on the same position group (the Titans, Lions and Dolphins are all coached by Belichick disciples and tend to like similar players), it generally means money is about to flow.Pa s rushers in for big paydaysThe other position group that will kill it next week are the pa s rushers or those still left after the franchise tags went around. could land $15M a year, with teams like the Jets and Colts and Raiders all flush with cash and cap space and desperate to add bite to the rush. It wouldn't be a stretch to see a bidding ware develop between the Lions and Titans over Patriots edge presence (the Belichick Effect). Ziggy Ansah's health is an i sue but he could land a nice one-year prove-it deal, and will have no shortage of suitors once the Chiefs move on. and , who are young and have flashed pa s-rush ability, are in line for big paydays, as well. It will trickle down to the older guys, too. Derek Morgan's veteran presence, leadership and situational pa s rush has smart, contending teams coveting him (smells like a Belichick move, no?) and all of the same apply for Cam Wake. And ditto for . Arizona seems desperate to add someone to offset Suggs is an Arizona Jon Bostic Jersey native, FWIW and Baltimore would need someone to replace Suggs (Wake would make a lot of sense to me). Dudes in their mid-30s will get their cash; re-signing with the for $13M a season only strengthened their cause.Jags somewhat split on FolesI continue to hear the Jags remain somewhat split on what to pay , and that Tom Coughlin remains very Logan Thomas Jersey intrigued by some quarterbacks in this draft. Will Foles get the $20M he had in hand on the Eagles' team option (which he paid $2M to get out of)? Does anyone besides Jacksonville have even lukewarm interest in him as a starter? And could they get on the cheap once Denver cuts him? Not sure this is the slam dunk everyone seems to think. , still just 26, could have something to say about all of this in the end. Ultimately, I expect Foles does go to the Jags on Coughlin's terms and if the Cardinals take Kyler Murray as everyone expects and deal to Washington, the Dolphins would be foolish not to strongly consider Bridgewater then. Question is, if I am Bridgewater, am I better off going back to New Orleans behind who can't play forever than I am po sibly getting broken in half by a bad, rebuilding/tanking Fins team that may just want to take a QB at the top of the 2020 draft, anyway?More insider notesSome of C.J. Mosley's Ravens teammates believe both he and Suggs could be headed to the Cardinals Ex-Bronco is going to get $11M or more a year on the open market, bank on it. Every team with a need at center is monitoring him, interior OL prices have spiked big-time, and he is a superior player and a le ser injury risk than other centers who got huge contracts the past two years The Bills and Giants will be in pursuit of Panthers tackle , I'm told, and his price has soared above where the Panthers are likely able to match. will do extremely, well, too, whether back with the or elsewhere. You have to wonder if the Rams, who moved on from . who has his i sues in the playoffs, make a move for Paradis is the consensus best outside wide receiver on this market, and at just 26 with no warts and strong production and great size and metrics, his time has come. He was stuck behind some studs with the but will eclipse $12M a year, I reckon, with the Colts and Raiders in strong pursuit Someone is going to hit a home run with . He is being overlooked by the media, but is dynamic with the ball in his hands and catches everything thrown to him. His market will out-price the Chiefs At this point I would be very surprised if the Chiefs moved on from . They haven't given any indications to that end, and the cap hit it would require after waiting for him to finally get healthy again on a team that is Super Bowl Now mode wouldn't make much sense (also, at a time with prices soaring on a loaded safety market) A number of teams like , who would make sense for the Steelers, among others (especially with and about to be gone from Pittsburgh in succe sive years).
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