2015 NFL Free Agency: Top Five Safeties Available

With the “legal tampering” period in full swing and the signing period opening in about 27 hours, free agency has for all intents and purposes commenced. Raider fans are wringing their hands about a perceived lack of activity from Reggie McKenzie and the front office, while big name free agents are announced as having deals “in place” for other teams – Ndamukong Suh to Miami and Byron Maxwell to Philadelphia, for instance.

While many have postulated that the Raiders need a wide receiver and an edge rusher, there were three positions heading into free agency for which the Raiders had no clear starter at all: center (now apparently taken care of by a tentative deal with Rodney Hudson), middle linebacker (a spot that is completely vacant right now) and strong safety (Brandian Ross and Larry Asante were not yet tendered, and Tyvon Branch and Usama Young were cut). In fact, there are only two safeties on the Raider roster right now: 38 year old Charles Woodson, and second year man Jonathan Dowling, who was purely a special teamer in 2014.

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The safety position is massively key to a defense. While Richard Sherman may be the most famous member of Seattle’s “Legion of Boom,” it is safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor who make that defense what it is.

There is a reason notoriously stingy New England ponied up big money to retain the services of Devin McCourty, and a reason why many of you are pissed at Reggie McKenzie for “losing” him to his incumbent team. But there are still some good safeties out there in free agency. Here’s five:

Next: 2015 FA Preview: #1, Tashaun Gipson