With the deadline passed for placing the Franchise Tag on NFL players to keep them on your team for at least one more season, there will still be a lot of big-name players hitting the open market when free agency begins on March 13th. Perhaps the biggest name is Houston Texans OLB Mario Williams, who while he would be an amazing fit on the Baltimore Ravens, will command such a high contract that makes him only a fantasy for Ravens fans.
San Diego Chargers WR Vincent Jackson should earn himself a double-digit annual million dollar salary and appears to be a huge target on the field and in the eyes of teams like the Washington Redskins and Chicago Bears. Green Bay Packers backup QB Matt Flynn will be looked at by the Miami Dolphins, as well as the Cleveland Browns and the Redskins.
The Ravens do not need to sign the big name but will still need to sift through the secondary market to fill out their roster and of course, just like they did last year, hope to find that diamond-in-the-rough veteran who can contribute big-time like they found in former Texans safety Bernard Pollard in 2011.
See NFL Network analyst Jason La Canfora's take on the subject at NFL.com.