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http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/ ... ree-agents
When NFL free agency rolls around, the easiest thing to do is look at which players your team can pick up to improve its roster. But what can be overlooked, and is often more important, is for teams to retain their own talent if they're to build a long-term winning program.
With that in mind, here are five players whom their respective teams need to re-sign this offseason.
Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
I considered three receivers before settling on Bowe as the guy who would be hardest to replace. In St. Louis, Danny Amendola is dangerous but his constant health problems leave the Rams unable to rely on him. Meanwhile the likely split between the Patriots and Wes Welker is just as likely an opportunity for somebody else to step up in New England.
But without Bowe, Kansas City has Dexter McCluster, Jon Baldwin and Steve Breaston currently atop the depth chart. Bowe will be sorely missed if he's allowed to leave.
Even with some horrendous quarterback play this season, he posted a healthy 2.0 yards per route run, 23rd among wide receivers. His peers didn't do quite so well, with McCluster (1.22 yards per route run) ranking 70th out of 82 qualifying WRs, while Baldwin (who didn't have enough passes thrown his way to even qualify for a rank) averaged 1.09.
There is no doubt that the Chiefs need to fix their quarterback position, but that fix has to involve giving the next QB a quality No. 1 receiver to work with.
Jairus Byrd, S, Buffalo Bills
If Byrd didn't play in Buffalo, you'd have heard a lot more about him. Sure, he got voted to the All-Pro second team, but if you watched how he played this year, you know that really wasn't reward enough for his performance on the field.
Our top-ranked safety in coverage in 2012 (after finishing third a year before), Byrd has had something of an interesting career path. Initially beloved for his nine interceptions as a rookie, the praise for him dissipated as his interception total dropped in recent years. However, he's improved every year and is one of the few deep safeties whom teams stay away from because of his excellent range. Last year only 21 balls were thrown into his coverage for 156 yards (0.28 yards per snap in coverage). He also had five interceptions.
The Bills made a big move bringing in Mario Williams last offseason, but if they want to move up in the AFC East, Buffalo needs to be a franchise that holds onto its difference makers.
Andre Smith, RT, Cincinnati Bengals
He didn't help himself by getting arrested last week, but considering his play on the field, the Bengals can ill afford to move on from a player who has developed into one of the best right tackles in the game.
On a line that generally doesn't get much push for its runners, Smith has been the shining light. He is capable of getting to the second level, outmuscling defensive linemen and (outside of a Brandon Graham-sized beating) shutting down pass-rushers. It isn't much of a surprise that the Bengals averaged 4.6 yards per carry outside right tackle, with the total team average at 3.9.
The Bengals need to add to their running game, not lose their best player in it, with replacements Dennis Roland and Anthony Collins not cut from the same cloth as a guy we voted as a starter on our All-Pro team.
Michael Bennett, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs quietly built themselves a very nice defensive front when it came to stopping the run. In fact, they led the entire league in terms of stopping runs for no gain or for a loss (33.6 percent).
Bennett was a big part of that, and he bullied plenty of right tackles as the season went on, finishing the year behind only J.J. Watt in tackles for loss by a defensive lineman (13). Plus, he was the only Bucs edge rusher to generate any consistent pressure. His 71 combined sacks, hits and hurries were the sixth most of any 4-3 defensive end, besting players such as Julius Peppers, Jason Pierre-Paul and Trent Cole. While Daniel Te'o-Nesheim picked up a pressure on 6.4 percent of his pass rushes, Bennett was at 12.5 percent.
If Tampa Bay wants to get better up front, it can't afford to lose one of its two key contributors (the other being Gerald McCoy).
Henry Melton, DT, Chicago Bears
Whisper it quietly, but the Bears are starting to look a little bit thin on talent on their defensive line -- especially in the middle of it.
They struggled to find a partner for Melton, and the more they struggled the more attention you couldn't help paying to Melton. The disruptive defensive tackle was a one-man wrecking crew at times, finishing the year with an 11.6 run stop percentage, No. 1 among defensive tackles.
Yet it was in the passing game where he made the most impact and where he's most irreplaceable. Melton notched 37 combined sacks, hits and hurries, ranking fifth in that category among his peers, and that's a big part of why he finished the regular season as our eighth-ranked defensive tackle. Lose him, and the Bears lose their biggest threat inside.
When NFL free agency rolls around, the easiest thing to do is look at which players your team can pick up to improve its roster. But what can be overlooked, and is often more important, is for teams to retain their own talent if they're to build a long-term winning program.
With that in mind, here are five players whom their respective teams need to re-sign this offseason.
Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
I considered three receivers before settling on Bowe as the guy who would be hardest to replace. In St. Louis, Danny Amendola is dangerous but his constant health problems leave the Rams unable to rely on him. Meanwhile the likely split between the Patriots and Wes Welker is just as likely an opportunity for somebody else to step up in New England.
But without Bowe, Kansas City has Dexter McCluster, Jon Baldwin and Steve Breaston currently atop the depth chart. Bowe will be sorely missed if he's allowed to leave.
Even with some horrendous quarterback play this season, he posted a healthy 2.0 yards per route run, 23rd among wide receivers. His peers didn't do quite so well, with McCluster (1.22 yards per route run) ranking 70th out of 82 qualifying WRs, while Baldwin (who didn't have enough passes thrown his way to even qualify for a rank) averaged 1.09.
There is no doubt that the Chiefs need to fix their quarterback position, but that fix has to involve giving the next QB a quality No. 1 receiver to work with.
Jairus Byrd, S, Buffalo Bills
If Byrd didn't play in Buffalo, you'd have heard a lot more about him. Sure, he got voted to the All-Pro second team, but if you watched how he played this year, you know that really wasn't reward enough for his performance on the field.
Our top-ranked safety in coverage in 2012 (after finishing third a year before), Byrd has had something of an interesting career path. Initially beloved for his nine interceptions as a rookie, the praise for him dissipated as his interception total dropped in recent years. However, he's improved every year and is one of the few deep safeties whom teams stay away from because of his excellent range. Last year only 21 balls were thrown into his coverage for 156 yards (0.28 yards per snap in coverage). He also had five interceptions.
The Bills made a big move bringing in Mario Williams last offseason, but if they want to move up in the AFC East, Buffalo needs to be a franchise that holds onto its difference makers.
Andre Smith, RT, Cincinnati Bengals
He didn't help himself by getting arrested last week, but considering his play on the field, the Bengals can ill afford to move on from a player who has developed into one of the best right tackles in the game.
On a line that generally doesn't get much push for its runners, Smith has been the shining light. He is capable of getting to the second level, outmuscling defensive linemen and (outside of a Brandon Graham-sized beating) shutting down pass-rushers. It isn't much of a surprise that the Bengals averaged 4.6 yards per carry outside right tackle, with the total team average at 3.9.
The Bengals need to add to their running game, not lose their best player in it, with replacements Dennis Roland and Anthony Collins not cut from the same cloth as a guy we voted as a starter on our All-Pro team.
Michael Bennett, DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs quietly built themselves a very nice defensive front when it came to stopping the run. In fact, they led the entire league in terms of stopping runs for no gain or for a loss (33.6 percent).
Bennett was a big part of that, and he bullied plenty of right tackles as the season went on, finishing the year behind only J.J. Watt in tackles for loss by a defensive lineman (13). Plus, he was the only Bucs edge rusher to generate any consistent pressure. His 71 combined sacks, hits and hurries were the sixth most of any 4-3 defensive end, besting players such as Julius Peppers, Jason Pierre-Paul and Trent Cole. While Daniel Te'o-Nesheim picked up a pressure on 6.4 percent of his pass rushes, Bennett was at 12.5 percent.
If Tampa Bay wants to get better up front, it can't afford to lose one of its two key contributors (the other being Gerald McCoy).
Henry Melton, DT, Chicago Bears
Whisper it quietly, but the Bears are starting to look a little bit thin on talent on their defensive line -- especially in the middle of it.
They struggled to find a partner for Melton, and the more they struggled the more attention you couldn't help paying to Melton. The disruptive defensive tackle was a one-man wrecking crew at times, finishing the year with an 11.6 run stop percentage, No. 1 among defensive tackles.
Yet it was in the passing game where he made the most impact and where he's most irreplaceable. Melton notched 37 combined sacks, hits and hurries, ranking fifth in that category among his peers, and that's a big part of why he finished the regular season as our eighth-ranked defensive tackle. Lose him, and the Bears lose their biggest threat inside.