Which should come first, the veteran free agent or the undrafted free agent? Or both at the same time?
When lockout ends, NFL faces free agent quandary
That’s the question the league will have to consider when the lockout mercifully concludes.
Dan Pompeii of the National Football Post speculates today that UDFA players may have to wait through a period of veteran free agent signings before scoring an NFL contract.
If veterans and UDFA players can sign at the same time, it could lead to a relentless feeding frenzy by teams. As Pompeii reports, the players and agents would prefer a system where UDFA players have to wait.
It wouldn’t be a surprise, though, if teams thought differently. Instead of gambling on a few high cost veteran free agents, teams could sign an innumerable amount of inexpensive rookies.
This year's most-prized veteran free agents are cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha and Ike Taylor, linebacker Thomas Davis, running backs Darren Sproles, Cedric Benson and Cadillac Williams, fullback Vonta Leach, wide receiver Vincent Jackson, quarterback Marc Bulger and defensive tackle Aubrayo Franklin. Jason La Canfora has a full list of potential free agents here.
Quarterbacks Peyton Manning of the Colts and Michael Vick of the Eagles are also free agents, but expected to re-sign with their current teams.
After the jump, check out my list of this year’s top 25 undrafted free agents and let us know the route you’d want your team to go in.
| 1. Kristofer O'Dowd | 6'5, 300 pounds | C | Southern California |
| 2. DeAndre McDaniel | 6'0, 212 pounds | SS | Clemson |
| 3. Deunta Williams | 6'2, 210 pounds | FS | North Carolina |
| 4. Derrick Locke | 5'9, 182 pounds | RB | Kentucky |
| 5. Weslye Saunders | 6'5, 280 pounds | TE | South Carolina |
| 6. Mark Herzlich | 6'4, 248 pounds | OLB | Boston College |
| 7. Henry Hynoski | 6'2, 260 pounds | FB | Pittsburgh |
| 8. Terrance Toliver | 6'5, 203 pounds | WR | LSU |
| 9. Cameron Graham | 6'4, 253 pounds | TE | Louisville |
| 10. Noel Devine | 5'8, 176 pounds | RB | West Virginia |
| 11. Brandon Bair | 6'7, 272 pounds | DT/DE | Oregon |
| 12. Pat Devlin | 6'4, 225 pounds | QB | Delaware |
| 13. David Mims | 6'8, 331 pounds | OT | Virginia Union |
| 14. Pierre Allen | 6'4, 264 pounds | DE | Nebraska |
| 15. Jeff Maehl | 6'1, 184 pounds | WR | Oregon |
| 16. Justin Boren | 6'3, 320 pounds | G | Ohio State |
| 17. DeAndre Brown | 6'6, 231 pounds | WR | Southern Mississippi * |
| 18. Tim Barnes | 6'4, 310 pounds | C | Missouri |
| 19. Kai Forbath | 5'11, 192 pounds | K | UCLA |
| 20. Derek Hall | 6'5, 300 pounds | OT | Stanford |
| 21. Mario Harvey | 5'11, 248 pounds | MLB | Marshall |
| 22. Chase Beeler | 6'3, 285 pounds | C | Stanford |
| 23. Tejay Johnson | 6'1, 212 pounds | FS | TCU |
| 24. Dane Sanzenbacher | 5'11, 182 pounds | WR | Ohio State |
| 25. Zane Taylor | 6'2, 309 pounds | C | Utah |
See More:
