2017 NFL Free Agency: Best Targets For Cap-Rich Teams
By Erik Lambert
Already people are talking about the draft next year. What they can often so easily overlook is that the 2017 NFL free agency period comes first.
Though the draft is the lynch pin to building a consistent winner, free agents are often the critical pieces that can put it over the top. Ask the Denver Broncos where they’d be without DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward. They’d be short one Lombardi trophy for starters. Big spending doesn’t always work but calculated spending can narrow the number of problems the draft has to fix. This is the common approach most teams adopt.
There will be a lot of cap space for a number of franchises in 2017. That virtually guarantees some players are getting paid. Here is an overview of the top five teams with the most space and one pending free agent they’d do well to pursue.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Projected cap: $68.9 million
Top target: Eric Berry (S)
One of the overreaching problems for the Buccaneers is their defense. While it seems like they have talent in certain places, the unit continues to struggle. Part of the problem is they really don’t possess a core of leadership. Somebody who can get everybody lined up in the right spots. At this point it’s just an assortment of individual playmakers. None of them seem ready to step into that role. So Tampa Bay might do themselves better by finding somebody who can.
That makes Eric Berry the perfect target. Not only is he a defensive captain who runs the show for the Kansas City Chiefs, he’s also a Pro Bowler at a position the Buccaneers are weak. Some may think there is no way the Chiefs will let him get away. Problem is their salary cap situation is pretty dicey. Sacrificing Berry may be an unavoidable consequence, and Tampa Bay is perfectly positioned to take advantage in the event that happens.