Five MLS free agents the Dynamo should consider signing

The Houston Dynamo continue to be exceptionally quiet this offseason. They’ve signed just one player — backup left back Dylan Remick — and mostly stayed out of the rumor mill. Lester Gretsch reported that Houston are working hard to finalize deals with players overseas, but we don’t know the identity of those players yet.

Every position except goalkeeper is one that needs upgrading, and while the Dynamo should have one or two DP slots as well as increased Targeted Allocation Money, they should also be looking at domestic talent. There are 37 MLS players eligible for free agency, a list you can find here, and you can imagine the front office is combing through that list as we speak.

Here are five of those players who could be under consideration as possible signings:

5. Sean Franklin (RB, D.C. United)

Houston’s roster currently consists of just five defenders. Keyner Brown — who has made just four MLS appearances — and Kevin Garcia (who has a grand total of zero), are two of them. It’s safe to say they could use some personnel at the position.

Franklin, 31, has been a regular starter in this league since he won Rookie of the Year in 2008 with the Galaxy. He played 29 games with D.C. United in 2016 and has won two MLS Cups and two Supporters’ Shields. A solid defending full back, Franklin is a capable MLS veteran who would start consistently in Houston.

4. Sebastien Le Toux (RM, Colorado Rapids)

Andrew Wenger and Boniek Garcia, I’d argue, both had fairly good seasons compared to the rest of the team. But goals coming from someone other than Mauro Manotas would be welcome for a club that was one of just three teams that failed to break 40 goals in 34 games. Le Toux can score (with 57 career regular season goals) and he provides more attacking nuance than one would think.

Worth considering if you’re Matt Jordan. I’m not sure how he would fit in Wilmer Cabrera’s system, though.

3. Marvell Wynne (CB/FB, San Jose Earthquakes)

Consider Marvell Wynne as an upgraded version of Jalil Anibaba: an athletic center back/full back hybrid with MLS experience.

Wynne, a native of Pittsburgh and former Rapids starter, is exceptionally fast and can play well enough in possession for Cabrera’s possession-based tactics. If the Dynamo decide to spend the big bucks elsewhere, Wynne would be a solid option as a starting right back or center back.

2. Dominic Oduro (Wing, Montreal Impact)

Did I say Wynne was fast? Well, I can assure you he is not as fast as Dom Oduro, who is arguably the speediest player in MLS. Unless you’re buying Kekuta Manneh or David Accam, Oduro is the only elite speedster available in this league.

The former Dynamo man Oduro is more than just a track star, of course. He became an integral part of Montreal’s playoff team last year and is getting better and better at finishing all the chances he gets when he sprints past defenders. The concern, though, is that he fits more on a counter-attacking team, which, I think, goes directly against Cabrera’s philosophy.

Update 12/19/16

Oduro has re-signed with the Impact.

1. Marco Pappa (AM, Colorado Rapids)

Pappa was, at one point, a star for a trophy-winning Sounders team. But injuries and bad form saw him eventually fall out of favor in Cascadia, resulting in a move to goal-starved Colorado before this season. Despite the Rapids’ inability to put the ball in the net, Pappa remained a reserve player this season.

Now, the Guatemalan national teamer is a free-agent likely looking for a destination willing to give him more playing time. Houston could be that organization.

By no means is Pappa the No. 10 of the future for the Dynamo, but he could be a useful spot-starter and super-sub in the center or on the wing. For a team that struggles to create any chances, they can use any help they can get.