NFL Free Agency, Position By Position

Mario Williams and Peyton Manning may soon be battling outside the AFC South.

As the official start of the 2012 league year is upon us, here's my quick take on which positions have the best options for teams in free agency, and which are better left addressed via the draft.

Wide Receiver - No position has more depth and variety in the free agent market than receiver. Vincent Jackson will give one lucky quarterback a tall deep threat. Brandon Lloyd and Reggie Wayne are veterans who've mastered the art of the sideline catch. Robert Meachem and Pierre Garcon are used to working with top quarterbacks in high-powered offenses. Mario Manningham has a flair for the dramatic, as we saw in the Super Bowl. Josh Morgan and Laurent Robinson could fully tap their potential in a starting role. Even veterans like Jerricho Cotchery and Plaxico Burress can succeed in the right situation.

Guard - If the Saints weren't already paying fellow guard Jahri Evans a seven million dollar salary, then they'd keep top guard Carl Nicks. The Ravens are in the same position, as they can't afford Ben Grubbs while they're already paying Marshall Yanda handsomely. Joining Nicks and Grubbs as an upper tier free agent is Evan Mathis, who is criminally underrated as both a football player and a sit-down comedian. For teams looking for more value at a cheaper price, Chilo Rachal is a starter in his prime and Steve Hutchinson may still have a couple good years left in his Hall of Fame career.

Cornerback - Cortland Finnegan made my Pro Bowl team this past season, as he finally put his stupid antics long enough to tap into his massive potential. Brandon Carr is also a top-tier cover guy, and some speculate that he could be the Johnathan Joseph to Finnegan's Nnamdi Asomugha. Carlos Rogers made the most of his one year deal in San Francisco, but I wonder how much of his Pro Bowl season was thanks to the talent around him. Aaron Ross and Tracy Porter have shined on the Super Bowl stage, but both are gamblers who shouldn't be a team's top corner. After that, you're left with Cover-2 zone players and backups like Tim Jennings, William Gay and Richard Marshall.

Defensive End - If it wasn't for Peyton Manning, helicopters might be following Mario Williams' free agent tours. Some team will make this 27-year old pass rusher the highest paid defender in the league. Veteran John Abraham has been one of the best ends in the league in recent years, but his next team will have to keep him on a snap count so he remains fresh all season. Kendall Langford, Jeremy Mincey, and Mark Anderson aren't household names, but all have had sporadic success in the league and are still in their primes. Poor Andre Carter was having a Pro Bowl season for the Patriots before a December knee injury, but veterans like he and Juqua Parker can still be an asset to a pass rush.

Center - All offensive linemen are considered equal under the franchise tag rules, and most teams aren't willing to pay an interior lineman a salary in the range of the top five tackles. That's how top-tier centers like Chris Myers and Scott Wells hit the market. But after those two, you're left with middling replacements like Jason Brown and Samson Satele.

Linebacker - What the group of free agent linebackers lacks in quality, it makes up for in quantity. Curtis Lofton, Stephen Tulloch, and David Hawthorne are all versatile players who can defend both the run and the pass. For teams that need a two-down linebacker who comes off the field on passing downs, they can take their pick from Dan Connor, Jarrett Johnson, Joe Mays, and the Henderson brothers, E.J. and Erin. Manny Lawson fits best on the outside of a 3-4 scheme, where he is free to rush the passer. And plenty of teams could use veteran leader/tackling machine London Fletcher.

Defensive Tackle - For 3-4 teams looking for a big nose tackle to clog the middle, Paul Soliai will be the prize target with Aubrayo Franklin and Antonio Garay as cheaper consolation prizes. Former first round picks Brodrick Bunkley and Amobi Okoye are talents better suited for a 4-3. Jason Jones is the best pass rushing tackle of the group and versatile enough to slide to defensive end.

Offensive Tackle - The premier free agent here is right tackle Eric Winston, whose release by the Texans left many analysts scratching their heads. Franchise quarterbacks almost never hit free agency, and franchise left tackles are just as elusive. Jared Gaither has major talent, but he has enough injury issues to be cut by two teams last season. Demetrius Bell was a starter in Buffalo for three years, but wasn't healthy or consistent for any of them. Veterans Jeff Backus and Marcus McNeill are dealing with age and neck issues, respectively, while draft bust Levi Brown was crushed by the weight of his enormous rookie contract.

Quarterback - Peyton Manning tops any free agent list, but only one team will have the privilege of paying a king's ransom for him. Matt Flynn has promise, but small sample sizes are very risky. You never know if you're getting the next Matt Schaub or the next Kevin Kolb. Otherwise, the market has some familiar names like Jason Campbell, Chad Henne, Kyle Orton, and David Garrard. All are retread quarterbacks that you hope can push your starter, but you pray will never have to replace him.

Running Back - Running backs, once the centerpieces of football, have become the red-headed stepchildren of the NFL. They are paid so little relative to other positions that the elite ones (Ray Rice, Matt Forte) are franchise tagged for a low cost. All other backs are let go once they aren't worth their contract, to be easily replaced by some mid-round draft pick. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Michael Bush, and Mike Tolbert are anxious to no longer share carries, but I doubt any of them will receive a feature role on their new teams. Kevin Smith, Ryan Grant, and Cedric Benson don't have many good runs left in them, and Peyton Hillis has gone from fan favorite to walking red flag in less than a year.

Safety -Safety is a more anonymous positon by nature, and the market this year reflects that. Unless a team believes in Brandon Meriweather's hype or LaRon Landry's muscles, there's not many game-changers to be had here. Brodney Pool, Reggie Nelson, Dwight Lowery, Jim Leonhard, and O.J. Atogwe have all shined at one point or another, yet aren't consistent enough to demand a big investment.

Tight End - Tight ends broke out in a big way this year, but the position offers slim pickings in the free agent market. Martellus Bennett and Joel Dreessen are backups who have the potential to shine in a featured role. Kevin Boss, Dallas Clark, Jacob Tamme, and John Carlson are also good options for teams who need a savvy veteran on the cheap.

Follow me at @BostonGiant.

Image found here.