With free agency set to open in under two weeks, it is time to start to evaluate the 2017 class of names that will hope to cash in on the rare opportunity to earn a hefty longterm contract out of an NFL team. A feat that only the most successful players accomplish in a league that is long on short careers and short on careers where players earn multiple major deals from league front offices.
One position that should have plenty players sign lucrative deals this March is the safety position, where a group that is heavy on elite talent will feature a plethora of big names competing for big dollars. Stars such as Eric Berry and Tony Jefferson along with several others will have to state their claims to general managers who will have plenty of options to consider at a position that features eight free agents with a 2016 PFF grade of 80 or higher. A staggering amount of talent for a position that often plays second fiddle to cornerbacks when it comes to getting free agency money.
This year that should all change as the following players should all get paid on some level in what will be a highly intriguing group to follow throughout the offseason. For teams that need a boost in pass coverage down the middle of the field, there has been no better year for safety talent in free agency, and this column breaks down which safeties should get paid handsomely over the next month:
Eric Berry
After valiantly battling off cancer before a dominant season anchoring the Kansas City Chiefs secondary while on the franchise tag in 2016, Eric Berry is set to earn himself a big payday on the open market in March. The respected Berry is a valued commodity not only for his experience and leadership, but also for his elite play since his return to football over the past two full seasons with the Chiefs.
Per Pro Football Focus, Berry is the third ranked free agent safety after he ranked fourth in pass coverage amongst NFL safeties this season. Berry also only ranks third in his position’s free agency class due to the sheer depth of eligible players at the position this offseason.
To his credit, Berry has the tenth highest PFF grade of all free agents and sets himself apart from the rest of the free agent safeties due to his ball-hawking contract year where his big plays were key in the Chiefs division title run in the AFC West. Berry’s two defensive touchdowns and four interceptions – most coming in crucial moments of the season for Kansas City – cemented the veteran’s status as a Charles Woodson-level playmaker and still has many prime years left in him.
Chronicles of a playmaker making plays. #ChiefsKingdom https://t.co/n8cKhNuhPA
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) February 16, 2017
Berry’s package of experience, leadership, and game breaking talent makes him one of the most high-profile free agents on defense even if the analytics point to Tony Jefferson and Jonathan Cyprien. There is a risk that the saturation of options for general managers drives down the market for everyone, but expect Berry to be heavily pursued and well paid when the smoke clears. With the biggest name and the longest track record, there is no reason for Berry to not cash in with a well-deserved deal for a playoff contender if he decides to walk away from the negotiating table on the Chiefs to find his true value from the rest of the league.
Tony Jefferson
The Arizona Cardinals may have regressed last season in a step back season, but Tony Jefferson succeeded on an individual level to place himself in a position where he is PFF’s highest ranked free agent safety. With Tyrann Mathieu absent for six games with injury woes, Jefferson stepped up to fulfill Mathieu’s place and then some in his contract year. An out of nowhere rise for Jefferson – who has only played in 31 games over four seasons for the Cardinals – but could command one of the richest contracts for a defensive player come March.
Jefferson is tied for fourth amongst free agents in PFF’s 2016 rankings with a grade of 88.6 and his film on tape matches that praise. That consistent play along with 96 tackles and two forced fumbles is the selling point for Jefferson that will keep general managers intrigued no matter how high the price tag reaches for the 25-year-old.
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With little noise from the Cardinals on franchise tagging Jefferson, it is highly likely that the other 31 teams in the league will take a look at one of the most productive free agents who will hit the open market. The fact that Jefferson is only 25 also increases his chances of acquiring a massive longterm deal compared to the older Berry. Arizona needs to make a tough decision between Jefferson or inking deals with Calais Campbell or Chandler Jones in the next two weeks, and if any player in the trio ends up on the open market, it will result in a big time payday for that player. Don’t be surprised if that player is Jefferson, who would gain the most from cashing in on a breakout season if the Cardinals decide he is the odd man out.
Jonathan Cyprien
While Berry and Jefferson fill the billing of the big name free agents at safety, Jonathan Cyprien is the underrated name of the group that should demand equal attention if the highly productive box safety is allowed to walk by the Jags.
Cyprien was PFF’s seventh-ranked safety in 2016 and amassed plenty of tackles in his role in Jacksonville’s defense last season. 128 tackles from Cyprien is a number that will draw fanfare even if they came in a particular position geared towards his strengths as a box safety.
If the cap heavy Jaguars decide to part ways with Cyprien due to a disagreement in price, expect interest in the safety to come from teams that could pair the tackling heavy defensive back with a more pure coverage talent to form a dangerous duo. Even with some concerns about his ceiling as a complete safety, the leader in defensive back tackles from last season will be a hot commodity somewhere this March. Once the market on Cyprien heats up, expect there to be plenty of research done by fans on a player who has honed his craft silently on a small-market Jaguars team that has spent little time in the spotlight since he came into the league as a second-round pick.
Barry Church
A veteran member of the Dallas Cowboys secondary, hard hitting safety Barry Church enjoyed a year of regular season success on the way to a 13-3 record despite a broken arm that forced him out of four games in the second half of 2016. Four missed games that prevented Church from what would have been his third season with 100+ tackles, but the well-respected Church had a productive enough year to create a market that will present him with a difficult decision in March.
One one hand, Church will have the opportunity to ink an extension with the Cowboys to continue the pursuit of an elusive Super Bowl with the only team he has played for in his seven-year NFL career. On the other hand is the opportunity for Church to test the open market and take advantage of what could be a one-time chance to get a big contract to reward his career of physical play in the backfield for the Cowboys.
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If Church decides to evaluate his value through free agency, expect him to share a similar market with Cyprien as a target for teams looking to add a physical edge to their secondary and can afford to give a little in terms of pass coverage talent to do so. Church isn’t known for his ability to cover opposing wideouts and tight ends, but his ability to deliver punishment and force an impressive eight career fumbles is what gives him his free agency value. The smart move for Church is likely to stay with the Cowboys on a reasonably priced deal to chase a Super Bowl run, but if he parts ways with America’s Team there should be enough of a market for him to justify the decision.
D.J. Swearinger
While Tony Jefferson is the hottest open market commodity out of the Arizona secondary, his running mate in D.J. Swearinger will command his own attention in free agency after he also impressed in a contract year for the Cardinals. The former Houston Texans draft pick took advantage of Tyrann Mathieu’s injuries to earn 838 snaps for the Cardinals in 2016, surprisingly grading higher than veteran free agent names such as Quinton Demps and Church in the process.
With far bigger names to worry about in Arizona, Swearinger falls through the cracks at times due to his status as a role player who filled in for the more major star in Mathieu. However, with Jefferson likely out in Arizona due to a tight cap situation with too many big names to account for, Swearinger could be a priority for the front office to maintain a partner in crime/insurance policy for the oft-injured Mathieu.
Regardless of where he lands this offseason, the fact is that Swearinger turned the most of an opportunity to come into a situation where he was a depth addition for the Cardinals into a contract year where he will now be a sought after player. After he was a bust in Houston, it will be interesting to monitor if Swearinger commands similar money as his former teammate with the Texans in Quinton Demps if both players end up on the open market come the ninth of March.
