Ed Reed, who should be immortalized in Canton the first time he’s eligible, said Sunday at a charity softball game in Baltimore that he’s “definitely still preparing to play.’’ The declaration by the nine-time Pro Bowl safety serves as a reminder that just because the biggest names signed long ago, a lot of recognizable free agents like him are still available with less than two months to go before training camps open.
One of the best bargain signings of last season came in July, on the eve of camp, when the Cardinals signed 35-year-old defensive end John Abraham, who ended up with 11 ½ sacks. Like him, some players on this list might have to make a financial sacrifice to sign. Others have to prove they’re healthy, not at the end of their careers or not carrying baggage — or all three.
S Ed Reed
The 12-year veteran, who turns 36 in September, is a full year removed from hip surgery; some team might be willing to believe that was the reason for his drop-off last season with the Texans and Jets. Reed has compensated for injuries with his smarts as well as any player of his era. Whether someone wants to bet on that remains to be seen.
TE Jermichael Finley
The Seahawks, the most interested team in Finley early in the offseason, have now reportedly pulled out of the running. The ex-Packer, who underwent spinal surgery last season, was cleared by his surgeon, but teams (including Green Bay) will be extra-cautious. There's still the possibility that Finley could take disability insurance and not play.
LB James Harrison
He started 10 games for the division-champ Bengals last year, but they didn’t want him back (he had just two sacks). He turned 36 last month and is three years removed from his last Pro Bowl season. He still might be worth signing for the right price. The Steelers floated some interest in bringing him back in March.
T Eric Winston
Winston is 30, has never missed a game in eight years, has been a solid locker-room presence, and the Cardinals got him cheap last year. He may face the same situation now. Winston also is the new NFL Players Association president — and his predecessor, Domonique Foxworth, ended up retiring at 29 when no team signed him. (Insert conspiracy theory here.)
WR Santonio Holmes
It’s hard to tell what might be cooling the market for Holmes: his age (30, but you never know), past missteps, or lingering worries about his foot and hamstring over his last two seasons as a Jet. Sometimes the Super Bowl MVP honors from his Steelers days seems a million years ago; it was only six.
DT Kevin Williams
Age, a new coach and a numbers game squeezed the six-time Pro Bowler out after 11 seasons. But the Seahawks and Giants, two teams that value linemen and know how to pick them, have shown interest. He’d likely have to take a pay cut to join them or anyone else.
TE Dustin Keller
There weren’t many more hideous or controversial injuries last season than the one Keller suffered on a hit to his right knee in the preseason while in his first few games as a Dolphin. ESPN reported over the weekend that Keller is high on the Patriots’ wish list to shore up what was once their overpowering tight-end position.
LB Jonathan Vilma
After the fight he undertook to clear his name after Bounty-gate, he got hurt early last season, made it back in midseason but played just one game before the Saints cut him. He’s 32, approaching graybeard status in NFL terms, although he’s always been a leader. (It’s worth pointing out that former Jets are having a rough time this free-agency period, with Reed, Holmes, Keller and Vilma, as well as Kellen Winslow.)
S Kerry Rhodes
Yet another former Jet, whose continued unemployment is either inexplicable or very explicable. He notably didn’t play at all last season, after three strong seasons in Arizona and five before that in New York. Some of the buzz indicated he had priced himself out of the market. Some tied it to photos circulated last offseason that implied he was gay. A year later, the NFL landscape on that topic has shifted, yet Rhodes is still on the outside looking in at 31.
G Richie Incognito
Let’s not pretend there isn’t a coach out there telling himself, “I can straighten him out,” because there always is. Depending on when, or if, the NFL clears him to return, and whether he faces any additional discipline, some team might get a soon-to-be-31-year-old former Pro Bowler hungry for redemption and desperate to save his career — and get him cheap.