The top targets in free agency
These players can fill holes in anyone’s roster
Free agency isn’t the way to build a winner in the NFL, but it can be the vehicle used to fill holes on a team’s roster.
The 2018 free-agent class is unique because there are many startingcaliber quarterbacks available on the unrestricted market. But landing one doesn’t necessarily guarantee it will change the trajectory of your team because players who hit the open market usually have some type of baggage, injury issues or are older.
However, if teams look hard enough they can find a few gems in free agency.
Here is a look at the top 30 players, including those who have received franchise or transition tags, when free agency starts on Wednesday:
30. TE Tyler Eifert
Eifert, a first-round pick in 2013, has played in 39 of 80 possible games the past five seasons because of injuries. A back injury limited him to two games last season, but his 2015 season, where he caught 52 passes for 615 yards and scored 13 touchdowns, might entice a team that needs a tight end to roll the dice on him.
29. OT Nate Solder
Solder, who has started 95 of the 98 games he’s played for the Patriots the past
seven years, has struggled with health issues in recent years, and he’ll turn 30 in April. Both of those factors will drive down his price, but whoever signs him will likely get a reliable left tackle for the next two seasons.
28. OL Cameron Fleming
Fleming, who has started 20 games for the Patriots the past four seasons, began to blossom as New England’s starting right tackle last year. The former Stanford standout, who will turn 26 in September, has a bright future ahead of him, and should be able to excel in any scheme.
27. WR Allen Robinson
Before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the first game of the 2017 season, Robinson was one of the league’s most dangerous deep threats. Whichever team signs Robinson, 24, as a free agent will be taking a risk, but the reward (14.1 yards per reception during his career and 22 touchdowns scored in three seasons) might be worth it.
26. TE Jimmy Graham
Graham has put together an impressive nine-year career with Seattle and New Orleans, catching 556 passes for 6,800 yards and scoring 69 touchdowns. Last year, he scored 10 touchdowns for the Seahawks, but his yards (520) and reception average (9.1) indicate that the 31-year-old his aging fast and is well into the back-nine of his career.
25. CB Brent Grimes
If Grimes weren’t turning 35 in July he’d be one of the highestpaid cornerbacks in the NFL based on his productivity, which hasn’t fallen off a bit after 12 seasons. Last year, he contributed 49 tackles, three interceptions and broke up 11 passes in the 13 games he played for Tampa Bay. The 33 interceptions he’s pulled down during his career show that he’s one of the best cornerbacks of this era.
24. LB Nigel Bradham
Bradham is a stellar threedown linebacker who excels in coverage. He hasn’t contributed many game-changing plays (6.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and two interceptions) in his six seasons, but the former Florida State standout is consistently able to cover a tight ends downfield.
23. QB A.J. McCarron
McCarron has spent four years in Cincinnati serving as Andy Dalton’s understudy. In his limited opportunity to play in 2015, McCarron completed 66.4 percent of his passes, throwing for 854 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. That produced a 97.2 passer rating and a 2-1 record, which might explain why his former coach, Hue Jackson, will reportedly push for him to become Cleveland’s next starter.
22. RB Carlos Hyde
Hyde, a former first-round pick, has rushed for 2,729 yards, caught 109 passes for 634 yards and scored 24 touchdowns during his four seasons with the 49ers. But he’s never rushed for 1,000 yards in a season, and has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career.
21. S Lamarcus Joyner (franchise tag)
The Rams placed the franchise tag on Lamarcus Joyner, who contributed 49 tackles, three interceptions and forced one fumble in the 12 games he started last season. Joyner has had one season as a playmaker in the NFL, but the Rams are clearly hoping he can produce a few more to justify his $11.3 million salary.
20. LB Zach Brown
Brown has been a productive linebacker for five of his six seasons in the NFL. With the exception of the 2014 season, where he played one game because of an injury, Brown has averaged 107 tackles a season, contributed 16.5 sacks and seven interceptions. But there must be something about his personality that prevents teams from making a longterm investment in the instinctive linebacker.
19. S Eric Reid
Reid has had five solid seasons as the San Francisco’s starting free safety. He’s contributed 257 tackles, 10 interceptions, one sack, and broke up 34 passes during his 69 starts. He’s excellent in coverage, but a bit spotty as a tackler, and don’t be surprised if his kneeling during the national anthem hurts his free-agent market.
18. G Andrew Norwell
There’s a lot of hype about Norwell, who has improved every year he’s been with the Panthers. But the 26-year-old is limited athletically, and will need to fit the scheme of whichever team signs him to a lucrative deal that pays him as if he’s one of the top guards in the NFL.
17. QB Sam Bradford
Bradford, the first-overall pick in the 2010 draft, has battled injuries his entire NFL career, so the team that signs him will be taking a risk. But they’ll be getting pocket quarterback who has completed 62.5 percent of his passes, throwing for 19,049 yards and 101 touchdowns during his seven seasons.
16. QB Case Keenum
Keenum seized his opportunity as a full-time starter, leading the Vikings deep into the playoffs by playing with poise and moxie. He completed 67.6 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,547 yards and 22 touchdowns as a starter in Minnesota. This is the 30-year-old’s chance to find a franchise that truly believes in him.
15. CB Kyle Fuller (transition tag)
Chicago understandably declined the fifth-year option on Fuller’s contract last year because of his inconsistency, but Fuller finally put it together in 2017 with a strong season (69 tackles, two interceptions) and the Bears placed the transition tag on the 26-year-old cornerback, who has pulled down eight interceptions in three seasons.
14. S Kenny Vaccaro
Vaccaro has contributed 385 tackles, 7.5 sacks and pulled down eight interceptions in his five seasons as a starter for New Orleans. He needs to find the right system that can hide his limitations in coverage and highlight his strengths as a playmaker.
13. DT Star Lotulelei
Lotulelei doesn’t have gaudy stats (141 tackles and 11.5 sacks in four seasons) because of the position and role he played in Carolina’s defense, but his ability to occupy blockers opened the field up for Carolina’s linebackers.
12. CB Trumaine Johnson
Johnson, who recently turned 28, has played on the franchise tag for the past two seasons. While his paycheck has been eye-opening, his productivity (122 tackles, 25 pass deflections and three interceptions) has been decent the past three seasons. Expect Johnson to finally land a multi-year deal that averages more than $7 million a season.
11. DT Sheldon Richardson
Richardson has produced at a high level (286 tackles, 19 sacks and six forced fumbles) for the past five seasons, but his lackluster effort and attitude got him traded from the New York Jets to Seattle last season. A team considering Richardson needs to make sure it has strong leaders in place, so Richardson doesn’t have a negative affect on the locker room.
10. OL Justin Pugh
Pugh has graded out as a dominant left guard over the course of his career, and he has the talent to play right tackle at an aboveaverage level in a pinch, but that’s not the ideal position for the 27-year-old, who has started all 64 games he’s played the past five years.
9. CB Malcolm Butler
Butler has nine interceptions in his three seasons as a starter for the New England Patriots, and that includes the one he pulled down to seal New England’s Super Bowl win over Seattle in 2015. Butler was benched during this year’s Super Bowl, so it’s unlikely that he’ll be returning to the Patriots.
8. DT Muhammad Wilkerson
Over his first seven seasons in the NFL, Wilkerson posted 44.5 sacks, forced 10 fumbles and deflected 28 passes. While his productivity can’t be questioned, Wilkerson was consistently late for meetings and practices the past few seasons and hasn’t shown that he’s a true professional.
7. WR Jarvis Landry (franchise tag)
Landry, a three-time Pro Bowler, set an NFL record for most receptions in a player’s first four years in the league. His productivity motivated the Dolphins to place the franchise tag on him. Because both sides were at an impasse in the contract negotiations, Miami has agreed to trade Landry to Cleveland for drafts picks.
6. WR Sammy Watkins
Watkins has the size, speed and catch radius needed to be an elite receiver, but he’s struggled to stay healthy throughout his previous four seasons. Last year, he caught 39 passes for 593 yards and scored eight touchdowns in his first season with the Los Angeles Rams, who traded a 2018 secondround pick and cornerback E.J. Gaines to acquire him. They’ll try hard to re-sign Watkins, but he won’t be cheap.
5. DE Ezekiel Ansah (franchise tag)
Ansah has averaged more than 13 sacks in his last two healthy seasons, but he’s struggled to stay healthy for the past two years. The Lions have placed the franchise tag on the 28-year-old, and will work to get a multi-year deal done.
4. DE Demarcus Lawrence (franchise tag)
Since Lawrence had a breakout season in 2017, contributing 58 tackles, 14.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, Dallas placed the franchise tag on the 25-year-old pass rusher, forcing him to prove he can consistently play at an elite level.
3. QB Drew Brees
Because Brees is trying to end his Hall-of-Fame career on a high note, by winning another Super Bowl, don’t expect him to leave New Orleans. Brees, who recently turned 39, will likely sign a shortterm contract that pays him $20-$25 million a season.
2. RB Le’Veon Bell (franchise tag)
Bell, who has rushed for 5,336 yards and scored 42 touchdowns in his first five seasons, was given a second franchise tag by the Steelers, who will pay him a oneyear salary of $14.5 million. But expect Bell to be a camp holdout like last year as he lobbies for a multi-year deal.
1. QB Kirk Cousins
Cousins gambled on himself by playing on the franchise tag in Washington for two seasons, and he’ll soon cash in on that decision when either Minnesota, Denver, Arizona or the New York Jets make him the highest paid player in NFL history.