We’ve already hit five of the 13 NFL free agents that won’t be changing teams Thursday so you should already know the deal. If not, here’s a quick primer.
Every team has a group of players with contracts running out every year. Once those contracts end, those players become free agents and are able to sign with any team. You, as a fan (or a General Manager) may look at that list and see plenty of players that would be great to have on your team. For 13 of the guys on that list, it’s not going to happen. Whether it’s through the franchise tag or last-minute contract negotiations, I’m listing 13 guys who definitely will not change teams. I started with one through five Thursday. Here’s six through 10.
6. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears
2015: 54 catches, 807 yards, four touchdowns
After two lights-out seasons for the Bears Jeffery dealt with some injury problems in 2015, appearing in only nine games. And now that you see that those numbers are just from nine games, Jeffery’s value should be even more obvious. Jeffery was a second-round pick for the Bears back in 2012 and has been playing on that contract ever since. It’s time he got paid and the Bears can’t afford to lose him, especially after Kevin White never saw the field last season.
7. Travis Benjamin, WR, Cleveland Browns
2015: 68 catches, 966 yards, five touchdowns
Before last season Benjamin was barely an afterthought, but he broke out this season and would have easily crossed 1,000 yards with even halfway decent quarterback play in Cleveland. Benjamin picked the right year to peak and will cash in. The reason he’ll stay with the Browns is that they can’t afford to lose him. While Josh Gordon has petitioned to come back, the Browns can hardly count on the oft-trouble wideout. There’s plenty of positions to upgrade on Cleveland’s roster, but they can’t afford to lose any of the good players they have, especially if they’re drafting a quarterback in the first round. And they are.
8. Coby Fleener, TE, Indianapolis Colts
2015: 54 catches, 491 yards, three touchdowns
Fleener’s totals this season are the lowest of his career since his rookie year and, obviously, the fact that Andrew Luck was injured all season had a lot to do with it. Fleener’s 2014, with a healthy Luck, was good for 774 yards and eight touchdowns. Luck has never played a down of football in the last eight seasons without Fleener and that’s not going to change in 2016. At 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds, the former Stanford tight end is just getting better every season. The Colts have lots of upgrades to make on defense, but need to keep their offense intact.
9. Janoris Jenkins, CB, Los Angeles Rams
2015: 64 tackles, one forced fumble, three interceptions, 15 passes defended
As disappointing as the Rams have been for the last four seasons, Jenkins has not been part of the problem. The Rams really need to keep both Jenkins and his defensive backfield mate Trumaine Johnson, but if the hard choice has to be made, Jenkins is the one to pay. He’s turned into a shutdown corner in a division of shutdown corners. When he gets his hands on the ball, he’s a touchdown machine, scoring five in his four seasons. The Rams have gotten away with paying him second-rounder money for the last four seasons. That’s over now.
10. Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Dolphins
2015: 194 carries, 872 yards, 4.5 yards per carry, eight touchdowns, 47 receptions, 397 yards, two touchdowns
Miller is a solid player and a weapon in both the running and passing game. While his production dropped in 2015, so did the entire Miami Dolphins offense. Miller has the speed to get open in the passing game and bust loose in the running game. This year he got free on an 87-yard touchdown. Last season it was a 97-yard touchdown. He’s not Adrian Peterson or Todd Gurley, but he’s the kind of player that won’t have trouble finding suitors in free agency, especially in Dallas and New England. The Dolphins need to add good players, not lose them. Miller is too important, especially to quarterback Ryan Tannehill, to set free.
Next: 11-13
