Terrell Owens is probably the biggest name left on the free agency list, though it doesn't appear there's much interest in signing him. Another talented receiver looking for a new home is T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and he will reportedly work out for New England this week. He'll fit in well with the Patriots if they sign him since he'll be back with his former teammate Chad Ochocinco. Fellow free agent receivers that are high value targets include: Hank Baskett, Chris Chambers, Mark Clayton, Antwaan Randle El, and Brandon Stokley.
The Patriots will also take a look a look at another free agent gem in Safety Darren Sharper. Sharper is a 14-year NFL veteran with 943 tackles, 63 interceptions and 11 touchdowns to his credit. Knee surgery in 2010 kept him out for eight games, but he's had a long time to recover.
There are multiple other defensive free agents left for teams to pick up before the regular season. Linebacker Lofa Tatupu might wind up right back with his 2010 team, the Seattle Seahwaks, but he's also courting offers from other squads who need his services badly. Dhani Jones is a backup option at linebacker for any team that can't land Tatupu. Defensive End Antwan Odom only played 4 games last year, but he has 23 career sacks and over 130 tackles on his resume. He could be a great fit for a team with limited talent on the defensive line. Cornerback Randall Gay is still looking for a new team after being cut by the Saints. He also saw limited playing time last season, but he insists he's healthy and ready to play this year. Cornerback Will Blackmon could be the cheaper alternative for teams concerned about Gay's contract numbers.
Quarterbacks and running backs are in shorter supply since most teams look to fill those holes first. One of the best free agent QBs still unsigned is Jake Delhomme. The best running backs also happen to be ex-Patriots. Fred Taylor had an injury plagued season last year and didn't take more than a few handoffs for New England, but he's still hoping to play this year and would make any team stronger. Heath Evans might wind up as a reporter instead of getting back on the field as a player. He took a test drive at a second career recently with the NFL Network as a guest analyst. One of his first duties as a reporter was to interview Patriots Owner Robert Kraft. Kraft told him it's too early for him to retire and added that the Patriots haven't had a really great fullback since he left the team. Evans could be a durable back for a team needing depth, but the Patriots likely won't need to sign him. Odds are Bill Belichick isn't concerned about adding any more running talent after the first preseason game introduced the NFL to Rookies Richard Medlin and Stevan Ridley. Both will be added to the mix of one of the strongest run teams in the league featuring Benjarvus Green-Ellis (A.K.A. The Law Firm), Sammy Morris, Danny Woodhead, and Kevin Faulk.
Teams who lost big out of the preseason starting gate will no doubt be looking harder at the available free agent market this week. The NFL landscape's changed drastically this year, and the coaches who now know they have holes to fill can't sit on their hands much longer if they want to recruit quality starters.
