10 players who could head home in free agency
For the most part, the NFL's free-agent market is driven by money alone.
Some guys take less for a better chance of winning a championship, but every now and then, a hometown discount is allowed. Most players will be expected to sign with whoever offers the most money, but here are 10 players who may be able to line up a fair contract with a return to their home communities (as listed on NFL.com).
Kenny Stills - Vikings
Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minn.
Apart from Alshon Jeffery, Stills could be the hottest receiver on the market, becoming a free agent at just 24 years of age after a nine-touchdown season. He's the son of former NFL safety Ken Stills, who played one season with the Vikings before retiring in 1990. Though he played his high school ball in the San Diego area, the younger Stills was born in Minnesota. The Vikings have been searching for a quality receiver to pair with Stefon Diggs and Stills may be inclined to follow his father's footsteps back to the North Star State.
Dontari Poe - Titans
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
The Chiefs are going to do what they can to keep Poe on the roster, but if he doesn't have a new deal by March 7, he'll be one of the most coveted names on the market and the Titans should be in play. Tennessee has over $67 million in cap room and could get a bit of a hometown discount from Poe, who was born and raised in the state and played his college ball at Memphis. Poe is just 26 and would be a good fit in the middle of the Titans' rising roster alongside Jurrell Casey.
Morris Claiborne - Saints
Hometown: Shreveport, La.
Though he's had trouble staying healthy, Claiborne had a breakout beginning to his 2016 season, looking close to the player the Cowboys expected to draft with the sixth overall pick in 2012. The Saints have a dire need at cornerback and Claiborne could provide affordable help at that position. The 27-year-old grew up in northern Louisiana, but spent three years close to New Orleans while he played for nearby LSU in college. This could be the fresh start in a familiar place that gets Claiborne's career back to where it was supposed to be.
Pierre Garcon - Giants
Birthplace: Carmel, N.Y. (Hometown: Palm Beach, Fla.)
Garcon spent much of his youth in Florida, where he excelled as a multi-sport college athlete, but he was born in Carmel, N.Y. - an hour-and-a-half drive from the Meadowlands. With the departure of Victor Cruz, the Giants could look to add an affordable, veteran chain-mover like Garcon. He started his career catching passes from one Manning brother - why not head toward the finish line catching passes from the other in his old backyard.
Julius Peppers - Panthers
Hometown: Wilson, N.C.
There is a very good chance this is the last time Peppers hits the free agent market with much value attached to his name. The 37-year-old began his Hall of Fame career playing eight years in his home state with the Panthers after being drafted second overall out of North Carolina. Peppers will likely be looking to chase a ring and Carolina's current championship viability is questionable at best, but winning a Super Bowl for his home state could be a great storybook ending to the veteran pass-rusher's career.
DeSean Jackson - Rams/Chargers
Hometown: Long Beach, Calif.
Jackson has teased a return to the Eagles, his first pro team, this free-agent season, but that's not the only former home he could revisit. Jackson was a high school phenom in the Los Angeles area and would be a surefire fan favorite if the Rams or Chargers brought him aboard. With both teams looking for help in the popularity department, Jackson could have some leverage in contract negotiations on the West Coast.
Brandon Carr - Lions
Hometown: Flint, Mich.
Carr is coming off a five-year, $50-million deal with the Cowboys that earned him a lot of criticism for not playing like an elite corner. While his play is far from eye-popping, he has yet to miss a game or a start in his nine-year career and has valuable experience a defense like the Lions' could use. The 30-year-old spent his high school and college career in Michigan, winning two Div. II national championships at Grand Valley State. Carr's also showed he still cares about his home, donating $100,000 to Flint in its water crisis and wearing cleats in support of the city for the league's My Cause My Cleats campaign.
Calais Campbell - Broncos
Hometown: Denver
After nine years of intimidating the Cardinals' opponents, 6-foot-8 Campbell is set to hit the open market. While the Broncos' defensive front sported one of the most terrifying combinations of pass-rusher and cover guys in the past two seasons, run defense was a big liability late in the 2016 campaign. Campbell is one of few premier NFL players to hail from Colorado, where he set a state record for career sacks in high school with 57. He may not be a bargain signing, but sliding him in beside Von Miller and Derek Wolfe could fix Denver's run-stopping problems in one move.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)