With Sam Shields and Brent Grimes off the market, Tennessee TitansPro Bowl selection Alterraun Verner appears to be the most popular cornerback on the free-agent market.
At least six teams reportedly reached out to Verner's camp when the NFL's "legal tampering" period opened Saturday.
Appearing on SiriusXM's "Mad Dog Radio" on Monday, Verner said he expects to sign quickly -- and added a pair of AFC contenders to his wish list.
Already connected to the New York Giants and Jets, Verner said the Denver Broncos "would definitely be a good situation for me" and the New England Patriots are "definitely a possibility."
We suspect Verner would only be a fallback option for both teams, in case Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Aqib Talib sign elsewhere.
Verner has enough interest that he won't take any visits before signing. In addition to the teams mentioned above, he's also on the radar of the Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins and St. Louis Rams.
The 25-year-old insists respect and a winning culture rank high with money on his list of priorities.
"I would feel more obliged to go to a team that paid me $6 (million) or $7 (million) and made me one of the highest-paid players on the team," Verner explained, "than go to a team that paid me $8 (million) or $9 million and I wasn't one of the highest-paid players on the team."
It's an interesting sentiment that runs counter to the intuition of most players who relish the prospect of at least one big payday from a game which offers no promises of future financial security.
It will also ring hollow if Verner signs with the highest bidder Tuesday.
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