Top 5 remaining free agents: Offense

Chris Johnson has gotten more headlines, but Andre Brown might be a better fit for the Pats: photo via Huffington Post

We're now nearly a month into the craziest NFL offseason in recent memory, one which has seen the Patriots recall 2007 with their aggressive moves. While the Pats have likely finished making their big moves, there are still some names available on the free agent market that could help a lot of teams. Lets take a look at the top 5 remaining free agents on the offensive side of the ball.

1. Chris Johnson

Johnson is certainly not without warts: inconsistency has plagued the speedy back ever since signing the four year, $54 million contract he made so much noise about wanting back in 2011. His yards per carry dipped below 4 for the first time in his career last year, and there are reports surfacing now that the Titans were frustrated with Johnson's lackluster work ethic. He was hardly worth the headache, let alone the eight-figure cap hit in Tennessee.

However, lets make no mistake here: Johnson is the most talented and biggest impact player left on the market, bar none. Even after picking through the holes in his game, you are left with an explosive, big-play threat who has rushed for 1,000 yards in every year of his six season career. He still has the unparalleled speed that made him a first round pick and helped him rush for 2,000 yards in 2009. Whoever lands him will be adding a big-time jolt to their offense.

So, where does Johnson land? If rumors are to be trusted (debatable), he could wind up in the AFC East. The Dolphins, Bills, Jets and Falcons were all reportedly engaged in trade talks for the star back, although it's unclear how serious those talks got. The Patriots have been mentioned by some as a potential landing spot, but that would surprise me: the Pats tend to value pass protection from their running backs more than most, and that's always been a major weakness in Johnson's game. The Patriots still have a need for a back to complement Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, but a better fit for their needs can be found in...

2. Andre Brown

I know it's been a very tough market for running backs, but the complete lack of interest in Brown is a bit stunning to me. The only team to even so much as visit with Brown was the Raiders, who went on to sign Maurice Jones-Drew instead. Since then, he's been twisting in the wind, watching running backs like Donald Brown, James Starks and Toby Gerhart get snapped up while he struggles to get so much as a phone call.

This is surprising considering the ability Brown displayed in 2012. Serving as part of a 1-2 punch with Ahmad Bradshaw in the Giants backfield, Brown rushed for 385 yards (5.3 yards per carry), gaining an impressive 3.4 yards a carry after contact. He also established himself as one of the better goal line backs in football, scoring eight touchdowns in 10 games.

However, here's where the red flag pops up: Brown's 2012 was cut short by a broken fibula after those 10 productive games. He was expected to return to a similar role in 2013, this time complementing former first round pick David Wilson, but leg injury suffered in the meaningless fourth preseason game (against the Patriots, no less), caused him to be placed on Injured Reserve with a designation to return. Brown showed flashes of his 2012 self upon his return, rushing for 115 yards and a touchdown in his first game back, but his numbers ultimately suffered while running behind an offensive line that was bad enough to prompt the Giants to go out and buy a new one this offseason.

The injury bug is a concern for Brown (he also missed his entire rookie season with a ruptured Achilles), but the back is still relatively young at 27, with far less mileage on his legs than other veteran options like Johnson or Michael Bush. He's also proven to be a productive NFL back, a tough, versatile player capable of running between the tackles with a nose for the end zone. He'd be a good fit to fill LeGarrette Blount's role, and would bring more versatility for significantly less money than Johnson. Seems like a worthwhile signing to me.

3. Travelle Wharton

Wharton entered last season in a similar situation as Vince Wilfork is in now: a productive player, but at age 32 and coming off of a serious injury (in his case, a torn ACL). The Patriots can only hope Wilfork's 2014 goes as well as Wharton's 2013, as the Panthers guard returned to play all 16 games and finished as PFF's third highest graded left guard in football.

Despite this, Wharton's market has been quiet so far this offseason, as teams have rushed to sign younger (and less productive) options. Perhaps teams are scared off by Wharton's 33rd birthday, which comes in May, but his play last year showed no signs of dropping off. It's now being reported that Wharton is leaning towards retirement, but I find it hard to believe he simply wont find a job after playing that well last year. This has the potential to turn into a Brian Waters situation, with Wharton becoming a nice addition to fill a hole at guard for someone later in the offseason.

4. Jermichael Finley

Four words: "High risk, high reward". The 27 year old Finley has never quite lived up to his high expectations, but his elite athleticism makes him a dynamic receiving threat as a tight end. Even with a drops issue that frustrated every Green Bay fan, he was a big part of Green Bay's prolific passing offense.

However, Finley's status is up in the air after suffering a scary neck injury in 2013. He's only four months removed from undergoing surgery to fuse his C-3/C-4 vertebrae, and is reportedly at least two months from being healthy enough to realistically sign with a team. The Seahawks are the only team to visit with him so far; he reportedly failed his physical with them but was told to "keep in touch" as his neck continues to heal.

Really impossible to predict what will happen here, but Finley has a ton a physical talent if his body is willing to cooperate and let him return to the field.

5. Dustin Keller

Another "high risk, high reward" tight end option to round out the top five. Keller, a former first round pick of the Jets, was one of the top free agent tight ends last year, and his signing with Miami was expected to be a big move for QB Ryan Tannehill's development. Unfortunately, all of that went out the window when he suffered a devestating knee injury in the preseason, tearing his ACL, PCL, MCL and dislocating his right knee.

Keller is a talented player, and appeared to be on track for a productive year in Miami prior to his injury, but suffering such a traumatic injury obviously puts his ability to produce in the future into serious question. His greatest asset on the field was his speed and mobility, both qualities that could be significantly diminished by the injury. He'll also turn 30 this season, never a good number for a skill position player.

Essentially, Keller's worth will depend entirely on how his body responds to rehab. If he can regain enough of his explosiveness, he could still be at least a solid option, particularly for a team looking to add some receiving ability to the position (the Patriots could fit that description, depending on what they do in the draft next month). However, if Keller's speed takes the kind of hit Jake Ballard took after tearing his ACL, he'll be toast as a productive NFL player. Keller is certainly a guy to keep an eye on, but whoever brings him in will be making a gamble if they are counting on him for significant contributions.

Honorable mention: Bryant McKinnie, Vonta Leach, Sidney Rice, Santonio Holmes, Uche Nwaneri, Davin Joseph, Johnathan Goodwin