NFL Odds – Where Will the Remaining FAs Sign?

NFL free agency has a variety of stages. There is the speculation and back room deals before players are allowed to sign, followed by the hectic opening minutes of the official signing period; that’s followed by the value portion of the period where teams look for second and third-tier players that aren’t overly expensive, but can help out on special teams or in a certain niche situations (pass rushing, third down back).

Then we reach desperation.

After all the most coveted FAs have been snapped up, there are always a host of veteran players still out there that start to get nervous. This year is no exception with the likes of Lance Briggs, Dwight Freeney, and Greg Jennings still sitting on the open market.

Will they take less than they expected, be patient and wait for teams to sustain injuries, or sign some sort of incentive laden deal? Only time will tell. But we already have a good idea of which teams are most likely to take a flyer on such heroes of seasons past.

Let’s take a look at where the remaining big(ish)-name FAs are most likely to land, if anywhere.

• Lance Briggs (linebacker, Chicago Bears)
  • 49ers: 7-2
  • Cowboys: 5-1
  • Buccaneers: 5-1
• Michael Crabtree (receiver, San Francisco 49ers)
  • Dolphins: 10-1
  • Raiders: 15-1
  • Jaguars: 15-1
• Dwight Freeney (defensive end, San Diego Chargers)
  • Nowhere: 5-1
  • Colts: 12-1
  • Falcons: 15-1
• Greg Jennings (receiver, Minnesota Vikings)
  • Jaguars: 8-1
  • Dolphins: 8-1
  • Nowhere: 10-1
• Charles Tillman (defensive back, Chicago Bears)
  • Panthers: 10-1
  • Patriots: 10-1
  • Chicago: 15-1
• Stevan Ridley (running back, New England Patriots)
  • Jets: 6-1
  • Dolphins: 7-1
  • Vikings: 8-1
• C.J. Mosley (defensive tackle, Detroit Lions)
  • Lions: 8-1
  • Dolphins: 10-1
  • Chiefs: 13-1
• Jermaine Gresham (tight end, Cincinnati Bengals)
  • Bengals: 8-1
  • Bills: 10-1
  • Raiders: 10-1
• Dashon Goldson (safety, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
  • Redskins: 7-2
  • 49ers: 8-1
  • Cowboys: 12-1

(Photo credit: Mike Morbeck (Flickr: Lance Briggs) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo has been cropped.)