Oakland Raiders: Top Five Free Agent Safeties
By Justin Smith
Quintin Demps, Houston Texans
Demps is one of those guys that seems to have been around forever, though he is just 32 years old.
At $1.5M per season, he wouldn’t be a stretch for the Texans to bring back to a pretty thin defensive backfield. Demps is a clubhouse leader and respected veteran who has been with the Texans for five of his nine seasons in two separate stints.
But Demps isn’t shying away from what he feels he and his teammates are worth, and he’s unwilling to give the Texans a “hometown discount” to stay with them. Though it is a weak spot on the Texans roster, and though they have another defensive back in A.J. Bouye as a free agent, Demps may end up on the market.
If he does, he’s a viable veteran with a solid career track record. In nine season, he’s played for four teams, including the Texans twice. However it wasn’t until 2014 with the Giants that Demps became a regular starter.
He’s started 27 games for the Texans the past two seasons, with 15 passes defensed, 7 INTs and an average of 58 tackles. He’s solid in coverage, and is a playmaker when he’s near the ball.
He is, however, 32 years old. That isn’t old by regular age standards — but by NFL free agent standards when other, better players are 26, 27 years old? Well, let’s just say Demps won’t be in as high demand as some other players.
Which, like Hyde, may end up making him an under-the-radar bargain for the right team with the right needs. With 6 INTs in 2016, Demps certainly did himself some favours and made himself some money.
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Duron Harmon, New England Patriots
Known as the “other Rutgers guy” after Logan Ryan and Devin McCourty, Harmon is the Patriots nickel safety behind Patrick Chung and McCourty.
Little known by the average public, like many Patriots players, Harmon is well-known and respected in football circles. Not the least of those circles is the Patriots locker room and his teammates themselves.
New England is a franchise that appreciates a player’s value beyond the field, and what kind of atmosphere they can help to cultivate. Harmon is loved, respected, and cherished among his teammates despite being a nickel player.
But it’s not his off-the-field bona fides that make him enticing. First, he’s only 26 years old. He has a base salary of $405,000, which means he is very affordable. Because he’s stuck behind dynamic players in Chung and McCourty he hasn’t gotten a chance to fully show himself.
When given the chance though, he’s played well. He almost had a pick in SuperBowl LI, and despite his lack of playing time football experts know him well. Expect him to garner a lot of attention and respect on the market, if he makes it there, this year.
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He may not. Belichick knows the value of depth, and he’s frigging in LOVE with DB’s from Rutgers. Combine that with Harmon’s beloved attitude, leadership, and affordability and it’s unlikely he goes anywhere.
If he does, he could be the under-the-radar steal of the free agent season.