The NFL playoffs are now heading into the Super Bowl and in a couple months the league year will begin and so will free agency for 2014 and players like Josh Freeman, Eric Decker, Jared Allen, Justin Tuck, Golden Tate and Michael Vick are likely to be top targets for teams like the Oakland Raiders, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and New York Giants.
The offensive side of the ball has some big names hitting the market in Ben Tate, Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew as well as Jimmy Graham and Hakeem Nicks and that makes this offseason very interesting. James Jones is also on the market, as are players like BJ Raji and Charles Woodson on defense, while Linval Joseph, Michael Oher and Emmanuel Sanders. The free agent class will have a big impact this season and names like Jared Allen and Greg Hardy are expected to stay with their teams, but with the NFL, anything can happen.
Decker is hitting the market after two straight great seasons with Peyton Manning at quarterback and now he is in the Super Bowl and will likely cash in. Golden Tate is a sleeper option on the market and the running backs in Ben Tate, Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew are solid starters as well. Tate comes in having rushed for over 750 yards last season and the main reason was the injury to Arian Foster and he is likely to leave for a starting job somewhere else from Houston. A few seasons ago Tate had a nice year after Foster was injured and he did it again this season and at the age of 26 he could pull a Michael Turner and breakout after getting a starting job.
Tate started seven games last season and played in 14 and he showed his toughness by playing with broken ribs and he averaged a very good 4.3 yards per carry and he he will be just 26 years old next season. Tate will be the top back and another back that should get attention is LeGarrette Blount after how he played with the Patriots. He was strong in the playoffs and helped the team get to the AFC championship game and had 361 yards and six touchdowns over his last three games and now he could cash in as well. Hardy and Tuck along with Allen will be the top defensive front players and teams like the Raiders, Giants and Bears could be options.
