Players of interest:
3) Muhammad Wilkerson, DE, New York Jets: Wilkerson will wind up earning $36.75 million over two years of the "five-year, $86 million" contract he signed just two years ago. The move looked like a no-brainer at the time, just like Wilkerson's release does now. The Jets didn't even suit Wilkerson up late in the season, presumably out of fear that he'd get hurt, which would have potentially meant guaranteeing his 2018 salary. The team can save $17 million in cap space by designating him a post-June 1 cut.
8) Aqib Talib, CB, Denver Broncos: I'm listing Talib based more on local reporting than logic. Talib turns 32 on the day this article gets published, but he's still performing at a very high level. Longtime beat writer Mike Klis said Talib was expected to be on the trade block, which is usually the kiss of death. ESPN's Jeff Legwold found three opposing general managers who expected Talib to be released. With Bradley Roby's salary climbing and Chris Harris making over $10 million, the Broncos now look likely to save $11 million by letting go of Talib. He has the extremely rare distinction of having been a top-shelf free-agent signing for two different teams.
4) Ja'Wuan James, T, Miami Dolphins: The Miami Herald believes the Dolphins won't keep their 2014 first-round pick at his current $9 million salary, which is a bit of a surprise for a talented young tackle.
8) Corey Liuget, DT, Los Angeles Chargers: He hasn't lived up to his contract, but could the Chargers find a better player than Liuget? It's more likely that the team keeps Liuget on this win-now team and evaluates his status again next offseason.
Thoughts?
