01-01-2025, 03:05 AM
Free agency is a time for opportunity, excitement -- and regret.For every player looking forward to a bright future in a new home, for every team thrilled to be adding a shiny new piece, there is an organization left behind. And while many of the teams who lose men to the open market do so willingly (or, at least, knowingly), some will come to seriously mi s the talent walking out the door -- even if they don't realize it just yet.Below are six free-agent signees who will be dearly mi sed by their old teams, ranked according to the degree to which their absence will be felt this season:1) Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackleLeft:For:, on , with $60 million guaranteedLast season, the hard-playing Suh accounted for 53 tackles, 8.5 sacks, three pa ses defensed and 29 pre sures -- the kind of production from that defensive tackle spot you simply can't replace. Suh had a ma sive impact on the ' second-ranked defense, regularly attracting double- and triple-teams and thus opening things up for guys like linebacker , who had 151 tackles (second-most in the NFL), and Ziggy Ansah, who posted 49 tackles and 7.5 sacks in his second pro season. Suh's presence was probably the biggest reason the made the playoffs last Gary Trent Jr. Jersey season, and I think they're going to have a much more difficult time making it back without him. Recent trade acquisition is very good at the point of attack and a solid overall player, but I don't think he'll get as many sacks or pre sures as Suh. He's more of a charge-straight-ahead guy, whereas Suh could make plays at the point of attack or outside and rush the pa ser. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin did a heckuva job in 2014, but the entire unit is going to mi s Suh, even the guys in the secondary like and , who had strong seasons in part because Suh forced quarterbacks to get rid of the ball sooner than they wanted to. Detroit will have a chance to compete, but the face a tough road ahead.2) Darrelle Revis, cornerbackLeft:*For:, on with $39 million guaranteed *Though he's obviously much smaller than the hulking Suh, Revis has a gargantuan effect on the field. Consider that, in three playoff games last season, Revis was targeted six times and burned just twice, allowing a total of 22 yards. The impact of someone who can put the clamps on the opposition like that -- especially in the postseason -- cannot be overstated. When you consider that Revis is playing at an elite level against the best and most sophisticated pa sing attacks in NFL history, his succe s is downright mind-boggling.Revis C.J. McCollum Jersey knows how to really body-up receivers. He also has very strong hands in pre s coverage and is an outstanding tackler. Nobody throws in his direction. He helps whoever is at the opposite corner spot and enables the defense to be tilted. Of course, coach Bill Belichick excels at scheming his defense to take the opponent's best player out of the game no matter who's on his roster, and I think New England will still be able to do that to some degree -- but not to the extent it could when Revis was in the fold. The Pats will continue to win, but I think the distance from No. 1 to No. 4 in the AFC East has shrunk a bit.3) DeMarco Murray, running backLeft:For:, on with more than $20 million guaranteedIt's easy to say the can just run anyone out there behind their stellar offensive line and be fine. And the fact is, they'll probably be able to find a back -- perhaps such as free-agent acquisition , who does have talent -- capable of putting up 1,100 yards or so. But I don't think that substitute will be able to generate the big, chain-moving plays at the rate that Murray could, or catch the ball as well as Murray. When you have a first-down machine like Murray (who had in 2014), you can keep your defense off the field longer, which is a huge advantage. I understand why the might have been willing to let Murray walk, because you don't want to mortgage your future. But the fact is, Murray -- who out-produced flashy fellow back in multiple Kent Bazemore Jersey categories last season, including yards (1,845 to 1,319), rushing touchdowns (13 to five), yards per carry (4.7 to 4.2) and runs of 10-plus yards (45 to 34) -- will be difficult for Dallas to fully replace.4) Julius Thomas, tight endLeft:For:, on with $24 million guaranteedThomas was limited to 10 starts in 2014 -- but he still pulled down 12 touchdown catches, giving him 24 over the past two seasons. That kind red-zone production is obviously special, and the will sorely mi s what Thomas was able to do there. He's a huge guy, body-wise, a 6-foot-5, 250-pound target who is very difficult to guard in the end zone. He also had seven big plays (those that went for 20-plus yards) Trevor Ariza Jersey , and 30 of his 43 receptions were considered "clutch catches." He dropped just two pa ses out of 62 targets. is a good blocker, an ability that might make him a better all-around player. isn't bad. Gary Kubiak is a good coach who knows how to design an offense. But as of right now, there's no tight end in Denver who can touch Thomas' ability to put points on the board.5) Andre Johnson, wide receiverLeft:For:, on The needed cap space heading into the offseason, and the 33-year-old Johnson just posted his worst yardage total out of any season in which he played at least 15 games. But a deeper look at the numbers reveals a veteran receiver who will be difficult to fill in for following the team's decision to release him. Sure, he had just 936 yards and three touchdowns -- but he also recorded 14 receptions of 20-plus yards and just four drops out of 147 targets, which is pretty good. The presence of rising youngster might have made Johnson seem expendable, but one of the biggest things the veteran did last season was enable Hopkins to catch more pa ses and be more productive, simply by virtue of absorbing some defensive attention. Will Hopkins be as effective with as his running mate? Bill O'Brien is a good coach, and his team has a chance to increase its win total over last season -- but if that happens, it'll probably be because of Houston's defense more than anything else.6) Rodney Hudson, centerLeft:For:, on I don't think people realize how important a guy like Hudson can be. He wins with quickne s, execution, work habits and football smarts. Hudson is a bit undersized, but he makes up for it with his ability to get his body on someone. He's also a good zone blocker. Hudson is a special player, someone who reminds me of r Dermontti Dawson. He might not be the biggest, but he's Enes Kanter Jersey athletic enough to get out on the linebackers; he can pull or do whatever you need. He's the kind of guy who gets taken for granted -- until he's gone. Regardle s of what the do to replace him -- and you can't just slot another guy in there -- his lo s will be hard to overcome. Kansas City might have a tougher time running the ball than it has the past couple of years. In fact, I think Hudson's absence might counterbalance the benefit of adding receiver , with the team very po sibly finishing around 9-7 again. Hudson was a leader, the first guy in the building in the morning and the first guy on the field at practice. He will be mi sed for his impact on and off the field.Follow Gil Brandt on Twitter __.