2007 NFL Free Agent OL

Top 2007 Free Agent Offensive Linemen

By: Greg Davis

Max Starks RFA Pittsburgh Steelers
Starks is a starting tackle for last season’s Super Bowl champion. That’s enough in itself to get some teams a little excited about the prospects of acquiring him. The fact that Starks is young, talented, and massive in stature—listed at 6’8”, 337 lbs.—just adds to the excitement pile. Another lineman that shouldn’t be going anywhere as the Steelers will not let Starks go without a fight. The best bet is that Starks will decide he wants to stay in Pittsburgh and sign an extension. If he hits the market, there will be a team or two willing to pay a big amount to entice the tackle to relocate.

Leonard Davis UFA Arizona Cardinals
Davis is a massive tackle that the Cardinals can’t afford to lose to free agency, but it seems likely that they will. The Arizona offensive line is already suspect, and losing Davis may be a huge step in the wrong direction, but the team may have to let him go and find a younger, less expensive replacement. Davis has shown the ability to simply be a wall of protection for his quarterback and while teams might not line up for the chance to sign him, anyone looking for a tackle will have him high on the list of those available.

Mike Gandy, UFA, Buffalo Bills
A relatively young starting left tackle, Gandy had been blocking for Willis McGahee for the past three seasons and he is a somewhat appealing free agent option. He has talent, but isn’t considered among the league’s best linemen. However, a decent starting left tackle doesn’t just drop from the sky, so expect him to garner interest from a handful of teams, if Buffalo doesn’t re-sign him before the market opens.

Eric Steinbach UFA Cincinnati Bengals
Although Steinbach plays the guard position in Cincinnati, he may be looked at as a tackle option by teams in need. He’ll be just twenty-seven when next season opens, so his relative youth could increase his value for a team that wants to lock him up to a long term contract. While the offensive line for the Bengals tailed-off this season, Steinbach will still be sought after, and his age and upside should make him a more sought after player. If teams are sold on his ability to play tackle, then the interest in him could be widespread several teams jumping into the mix.

Luke Petitgout, UFA, New York Giants
The former Giants’ first round pick is now on the market, and his position is one that is always one of high interest. The left tackle will look for a new home and should find a place to stay sooner rather than later. He will likely lose money by being released, but could be a nice acquisition for a team looking to improve their offensive line. After all, Petitgout did help block for Tiki Barber, one of the league’s best backs in recent seasons.

Jeremy Newberry, UFA, San Francisco 49ers
Newberry may be the best available center on the market, and rumors are that the Raiders may try to keep him in the Bay Area. Newberry is in his early 30s, which means he has some solid years left in him for his position. He is from northern California, attended college at Cal, and has played for the 49ers his entire career. It would seem that the edge for his services would go to a California team.

Other Free Agent Offensive Linemen
Jordan Black, UFA, Kansas City Chiefs
Dwayne Carswell, UFA, Denver Broncos
Kris Dielman, UFA, San Diego
Derrick Dockery, UFA, Washington Redskins
Nat Dorsey, RFA, Cleveland Browns
Chris Gray, UFA, Seattle Seahawks
Norm Katnik, RFA, New York Jets
Ryan Lilja, RFA, Indianapolis Colts
Sean Locklear, RFA, Seattle Seahawks
Damion McIntosh, UFA, Miami Dolphins
Roman Oben, UFA, San Diego Chargers
Tony Pashos, UFA, Baltimore Ravens
Luke Petitgout, UFA, New York Giants
Brian Rimpf, RFA, Baltimore Ravens
Todd Steussie, UFA, St. Louis Rams
Floyd Womack, UFA, Seattle Seahawks