The strong safety free agent market is wide open, with more than five quality safeties still available. I’d throw in Bacarri Rambo as an honorable mention here, but I had to narrow it down to five. Here they are.
Will Hill III, Strong Safety, Baltimore Ravens
2015: 49 tackles, six passes defended, one interception, Age 26
Hill is a young guy that’s played a lot of downs for two different teams. He started 14 games for the Ravens last season at strong safety. The year before he appeared in 10 games at both safety spots and cornerback, so he’s versatile too.
Here’s the problem and here’s why the Ravens cut him. He’s currently under a 10-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. This is Hill’s fourth suspension since he entered the league it likely ended his tenure with the New York Giants too. Hill will most certainly end up with a team at some point this season, but any hope for a long-term deal is long gone. Best fits: New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts
Brandon Meriweather, Strong Safety, New York Giants
2015: 43 tackles, seven passes defended, two interceptions, Age 32
The Giants signed Meriweather not once, but twice last season and he still started 12 games for them. Meriweather has starte 80 games in his eight-year career and played in 112 for four different teams. At his age, he’ll likely get a call when a team loses a player to injury, but he should still get one.
Meriweather is a former first-round pick for the New England Patriots in 2007 draft. While he’s never lived up to that status, he’s had a decent career. He’ll just have to wait until the preseason is underway to continue it. Best fits: Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins
Antrel Rolle, Strong Safety, Chicago Bears
2015: 30 tackles, one pass defended, Age 33
Rolle has had a nice, long career since he was drafted in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He’s played in two of the best Super Bowls ever played, losing one with the Cardinals in 2009, then winning one with the New York Giants two years later.
The Bears signed Rolle to a three-year, 11.25 million contract last offseason, but after just playing in seven games, they decided to move on. Getting cut by the Bears has evidently just pissed Rolle off, saying he hopes whichever team he ends up with plays the Bears so he can “bust their ass.” I think the fire is still there. Best fits: New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns
Ryan Mundy, Strong Safety, Chicago Bears
2015: No stats. Injured reserve, Age 31
Mundy’s contract with the Bears ran out at a bad time. He injured his hip in the preseason and spent all year on injured reserve. This was after an outstanding season in 2014 where he recorded. 75 tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery, four interceptions and one defensive touchdown.
Mundy was drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and spent four years there as a back up to future Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu. He signed with the Giants in 2013 and started nine games at corner and both safety spots before landing with the Bears and having a career year. He still has the potential to do it again. Best fits: Tennessee Titans, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals
Donte Whitner, Strong Safety, Cleveland Browns
2015: 58 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, four passes defended, Age 30
Whitner has never been out of a job this long in his entire career. He was drafted No. 8 overall by the Buffalo Bills in 2006 and started 14 games his rookie season. The Browns cut him late in free agency likely costing him a chance to quickly land with a team.
Whitner’s biggest issue is his cap number and the terms of whatever deal he signs. Any team would love to add him for a year for around $3.5 million, but Whitner’s still a young guy. He’s got one more contract in him and is likely holding out to get something in the three-year range. Best fits: Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears
