Those familiar with the NBA know how much drama follows superstar LeBron James. Sunday was no different, as the news broke that James would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers in a 4-year, $154 million deal. While this iteration of his free agency was substantially shorter than his previous two, it still provided enough drama for an entire month.
Free agency as a concept is obviously foreign to college football — although that could be changing with graduate and new transfer rules. But in every other major sport, it provides endless fun and imagination. How many of us have thought about what would happen if free agents became a thing in college football?
Summer is the perfect time to play such hypotheticals. Despite a meltdown in the 2017 season, Florida State still has highly-coveted players that many programs would love to sign. We’ve compiled the list of the top free agency targets currently on the Seminoles’ roster. It’s time to give the “bag men” another duty.
1. Deondre Francois/James Blackman, QBs
No, neither Francois nor Blackman are the best players on the team. But a competent quarterback in football is the equivalent of a top player in basketball. Quarterbacks provide the biggest boost to a team’s chances more than any other position. Having seen a year from both options, it’s safe to say that whoever loses the starting job would be a hot commodity on the market.
Most national contenders already have established starters. The real bidding would be from teams like Wisconsin, Michigan, or LSU: teams that have all the pieces to make a run at a title, but lack a good signal caller to help the offense. Both Michigan and LSU signed highly sought after transfers this offseason with Shea Patterson and Joe Burrow respectively. Beyond them, even a program like Tennessee or Nebraska could benefit greatly from having another option in their quarterback room.
2. Levonta Taylor, CB
It’s difficult to find true shutdown cornerbacks in college football. Teams rarely have two of them, and most don’t even have one. Levonta Taylor is exceptional in this regard. Pro Football Focus did an examination of the top 2019 defensive backs, and identified four metrics to grade them on.
Taylor was the only cornerback to finish in the top five of each category. He has a strong argument as the best defensive back in college football for 2018. There’s basically no team that would not toss its hat in the ring for Taylor.
Even a team like Alabama or Michigan that already has elite corners would want another weapon in their arsenal. In the hypothetical world of college football free agency, he wouldn’t command top dollar, but there would certainly be a bidding war for his services. Think of it like the market for point guards — unless someone is a truly transcendent talent, they won’t be getting more than a player like LeBron James.
3. Landon Dickerson, G
Our first surprising pick of the list might raise some eyebrows, but hear us out. This ranking relies on the same rationale as the Taylor pick: great players at this position are not common in college football. Some would quibble with the classification of Dickerson as “great”, but offensive line is a notoriously difficult position group to gauge.
What we do know is that Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the best run-blocking linemen in the country (though his pass-blocking grade was much lower). We also know that he looked very good against Alabama and NC State in the beginning of the year, who had two of the best defensive lines in the country. His injury history would certainly lower his stock on the market.
Still, Dickerson has looked like a fantastic guard who could start at basically every program in the country. If he stays healthy, he has an All-American year ahead of him at some point. Given what Demarcus Cousins just signed for with the Golden State Warriors, Dickerson may come at a value in terms of asking price.
4. Brian Burns, DE
Raw numbers can deceive. Judging by pure stats, Burns doesn’t register as a top 10 defensive end. But every observer who has watched him in the past two seasons knows that isn’t true. If he was on a better team last year, it’s likely that he becomes a legitimate star at the defensive end position. There are plenty of programs — minor and major — that could really use a difference maker on defense.
5. Cam Akers, RB
Akers is probably Florida State’s best player heading into 2018. Unfortunately for his free agency prospects, he plays a position that isn’t as highly coveted as it once was. There’s no shortage of great college running backs either. Teams without a headline back could use Akers in a variety of ways, and there would certainly be some programs that want a proven starter over their potential prospects. Given that he’s just a sophomore, Akers could also be a candidate for a big extension with the Seminoles.
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