I will be doing a series of articles that will be taking a methodical team by team approach to next year’s possible free agents. I will be starting with the team that has the least amount of salary cap space and ending with the team with the most. I will try to give a brief description of as many of the possible free agents as I can. I will also be looking for players that might be salary cap cuts in order for their teams to make room to sign some of these possible free agents. Any information anyone else can contribute on these players would be very much appreciated.
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The San Francisco 49ers will have a whole ton of money for 2017 NFL free agency. Head there to check out our breakdowns of all 31 other teams’ free agents and cap space.
The Baltimore Ravens are projected to be $14,239,178 UNDER the cap (all salary info via Over The Cap) for and they currently have 44 players signed for 2017. They have 22 free agents listed so I have my work cut out for me.
Dollar figures listed are player’s 2016 cap hit.
WR Steve Smith - $4,166,668
Steve Smith was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2001 draft. At 37, Steve Smith has had a great NFL career and I really don’t see him sinking to the depths of the 49ers at this stage of his career. Thanks for the memories, Steve.
WR Kamar Aiken - $2,553,000
Kamar Aiken is 27 years old and was originally picked up by the Bills as an unsigned free agent in 2011. He is 6’2” and weighs 213 pounds. Aiken has 123 receptions for 1,488 yards in the last three years. He has 24 receptions for 277 yards in 2016 after leading the Ravens with 944 yards receiving in 2015.
CB Jerraud Powers - $1,750,000
Jerraud Powers is 29 years old and was originally drafted by the Colts in the third round of the 2009 draft. Powers signed a one year contract with the Ravens after not getting an offer from the Cardinals, with whom he had played the previous three seasons. His Pro Football Focus grade was a lowly 65.4 in 2015 in spite of the praise he received from Bruce Arians. He is ranked No. 79 this year by PFF.
S Matt Elam - $2,140,997
Matt Elam is 25 years old and was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2013 draft. Elam missed the entire 2015 season with a torn bicep after having a couple of good years in 2013 and 2014. He returned from injured reserve in early November after he sustained a knee injury and had to have surgery during the preseason. He has not had a meaningful number of snaps this season. I am assuming the Ravens will sign him, but you never know.
34DE Lawrence Guy - $1,250,000
Lawrence Guy is 26 years old and was originally drafted in the seventh round of the 2011 draft by the Packers and was picked up by the Ravens in September of 2014. He has 19 tackles and one sack so far this year. Pro Football Focus has him rated just above Buckner as the No. 34 best inside defender in the NFL and, more importantly, No. 16 against the run. He doesn’t appear to be much of a pass rusher.
QB Ryan Mallett - $1,500,000
Ryan Mallet is 28 years old and was drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2011 draft. Oh no! Not another quarterback from that dreaded 2011 draft! Don’t we already have three of them? Ryan has nine starts in his career with a 55 percent career completion rate.
WR Devin Hester - $1,100,000
Devin Hester is 34 years old and was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2006 draft. Has Baltimore become the geriatric ward of old wide receivers? Devin has had problems with turf toe and had it operated on in January. I don’t know how much that has affected him this season but he doesn’t have any receptions so far and has been used sparingly on special teams. I have a feeling he will be retiring at the end of the season.
CB Anthony Levine - $1,200,000
Anthony Levine is 29 years old and was originally picked up as an undrafted free agent by the Packers in 2010. Levine has 17 tackles and 1 pass defended in the last two seasons.
RG Vladimir Ducasse - $423,529
Vladimir Ducasse is 29 years old and was originally drafted by the Jets in the second round of the 2010 draft. Vladimir was benched by the Jets in 2013 before becoming a free agent and signing one year contracts with the Vikings in 2014, Bears in 2015 and the Ravens in 2016. I would rather he did not bring his suitcase to Santa Clara.
34DT Brandon Williams - $1,799,750
Brandon Williams is a 6’1 weighs 335 pounds and is 27 years old. Brandon was drafted by the Ravens in the third round of the 2013 draft. Brandon Williams has 36 tackles and one sack so far this year as the Ravens nose tackle. He had 53 tackles last year and 46 tackles the year before. He is an extremely solid unmovable object in the middle of the Raven’s offense. He would be a very good addition to the 49ers defense.
CB Chris Lewis-Harris - $357,353
Chris Lewis-Harris is 27 years old and was originally picked up by the Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2012. Harris was claimed off of waivers by the Ravens on November 4 after being released by the Bengals two days earlier. He has 13 total tackles during his unremarkable career.
FB Kyle Jusczyk - $750,146
Kyle Jusczyk is 25 years old and was drafted by the Ravens in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. He is a fullback and I have a lot of players to cover so we will move on without putting too much effort into this one.
S Marqueston Huff - $458,824 RFA
Marqueston Huff is 24 years old and was originally drafted by the Titans in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. He was released by the Titans earlier this year as part of their final roster cuts and was picked up by the Jaguars on September 4. The Jags released him two weeks later and signed him to their practice squad where he was poached by the Ravens on October 6. He was suspended for one game earlier this year for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
RB Terrence West - $600,000 RFA
Terrence West is 25 years old and was originally drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2014 draft. He was acquired by the Ravens in November of 2015 after being cut by Titans who had traded a conditional pick for him earlier in the season. West has 650 yards rushing, 122 yards receiving and seven touchdowns so far this season. I have a feeling he will be sticking around for another season.
G Ryan Jensen - $600,000 RFA
Ryan Jensen is 25 years old and was originally drafted by the Ravens in the sixth round of the 2013 draft. PFF has him doing a good job in pass defense but he still needs to work on his run blocking. I doubt the Ravens let him go but he would definitely be a player of interest.
WR Chris Matthews - $600,000 ERFA
Chris Matthews is 27 years old and was originally picked up by the Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He has had some minor success with the Seattle Seahawks.
CB Jumal Rolle - $600,000 RFA
Jumal Rolle is 26 years old and was originally picked up by the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He moved around the league until sticking for a year and a half with the Texans. They cut him in November in spite of having three pass interceptions and six pass breakups in six games this season. The Ravens signed him to their practice squad before placing him on IR after he injured his Achilles tendon in practice.
RT Ricky Wagner - $1,707,740
Ricky Wagner is 27 years old and was drafted by the Ravens in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. Wagner is currently the Ravens starting right tackle and is rated the 18th best tackle in the NFL by PFF.
CB Sheldon Price - $525,000 ERFA
Sheldon Price is 25 years of and was originally picked up as an undrafted free agent in 2013 by the Colts who waived him in September of 2015. The Ravens signed him to their practice squad in October of 2015 and put him on their active roster on December 29 of that year. Price was placed on injured reserve with a bicep injury in October
LT De’Ondre Wesley - $525,000 EFRA
De’Andre Wesley is 24 years old and was picked up as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He is currently on injured reserve.
G James Hurst - $603,000 RFA
James Hurst in 24 years old and was picked up by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He has played less than stellar in limited action this year.
ILB Zachary Orr - $601,000 RFA
Zachary Orr is 24 years old and was picked up by the Ravens as a free agent in 2014. Zachary has 112 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception and 2 passes defended this year. PFF has him rated as the 60th best inside linebacker. I am not sure what to think with that kind of numbers?
ILB Patrick Onwuasor - $317,647 ERFA
Patrick Onwuasor is 24 years old and was picked up as an undrafted free agent in2016. He has 9 tackles this year.