After tags, who are best leftover free agents?
The NFL’s free agent market doesn’t officially open until 4 p.m. ET Wednesday; however, phone lines began buzzing Monday and deals were being put in place as players with expiring contracts could begin talks with new teams.
With franchise tags dispensed, six high-quality players (Texans DE-OLB Jadeveon Clowney, Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence, Falcons DT Grady Jarrett, Seahawks DE Frank Clark, Chiefs OLB Dee Ford and 49ers K Robbie Gould) are essentially off the board, though trade rumors continue to swirl around Ford, who doesn’t project as an ideal scheme fit for new Kansas City coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, and Clark.
Otherwise, several big names remain available while even more good (but not great) performers stand to cash in handsomely over the next several weeks thanks to a salary cap ballooning beyond $188 million a team.
Here’s a look at the top players scheduled to go free, not including those, like QB Nick Foles, who have reached deals and are expected to sign on Wednesday:
1. RB Le’Veon Bell: When he’s on the field, few players are as productive as the two-time all-pro, who has exceeded 1,800 yards from scrimmage three times and is one of the few backs in the league who could probably be a Pro Bowl receiver, too. Bell took himself out of the lineup in 2018, refusing to play on a second consecutive franchise tag from the Steelers and raising questions about his value as a teammate after several players said they felt they’d been left in a lurch. Still, while a year away might seem a negative for most, for Bell, who just turned 27 and led the NFL with 406 touches in 2017, such a recuperative period could be viewed as beneficial.
2. S Earl Thomas: Probably the league’s premier safety in the post-Troy Polamalu/Ed Reed era. A broken leg ended Thomas’ 2018 campaign after four games. The bigger concern about Thomas, 29, could be some of the mefirst business antics he employed, similar to Bell in 2018, skipping Seattle’s offseason program, training camp and some practices after the season began.
3. ILB C.J. Mosley: He’s not in the rarefied air of Luke Kuechly or Bobby Wagner, but Mosley, 26, is solidly in the next tier of inside linebackers — a leader and reliable player in every phase who has earned Pro Bowl nods in four of his five seasons.
4. S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix: It was telling that the Packers exported the former Pro Bowler at the trade deadline rather than extend him. The 26-year-old might not quite qualify as elite, but his effectiveness against the pass should make him quite valuable, figuratively and literally, to some defense.
5. OLB Preston Smith: A three-year starter in Washington, maybe he’s best described as Jadeveon Clowney-lite — the stat sheet won’t wow you (241⁄2 sacks in four seasons), but Smith, 26, is a solid all-around edge presence who averaged one quarterback hit a game last season.
6. C Matt Paradis: In a year when few notable offensive linemen will be available, the NFL’s second-ranked pivot, per the analytics website Pro Football Focus, could be poised to cash in. A broken leg did prematurely end what was probably Paradis’ final season in Denver.
7. DT Ndamukong Suh: At 32, he’s no longer among the league’s most-feared linemen. Suh proved in his year with the Rams he can be a valuable commodity on a three-man front after lining up in 4-3 defenses for most of his career. His versatility could make him attractive to a team such as New England.
8. RB Mark Ingram: It’s not easy for 29-year-old backs to command top dollar. But Ingram remains an effective and multifaceted performer, his receiving skills especially undervalued given how well Alvin Kamara does that in New Orleans. The time share with the Saints and a four-game suspension to start the season meant his touches dropped by nearly half (from 288 to 159) after his 2017 Pro Bowl year, though reduced use last season might be a selling point.
9. WR Golden Tate: Yes, he’s 30, but he was playing like a 1A kind of receiver in Detroit before his midseason trade to the Eagles. He can line up wide or in the slot and will also do dirty work like blocking. With so few pass catchers available, guys such as Tate and TE Jared Cook, 31, could benefit due to supply and demand.
10. CB Bryce Callahan: High-end slot corners are very hard to find, and he was one of the best in the league while playing for the Bears before a broken foot ended his 2018 season.
11. RB Tevin Coleman: He won’t be mistaken for Bell, but Coleman’s market seems to be building given he won’t cost nearly as much. He topped 1,000 yards from scrimmage for the first time in 2018 after stepping in for injured Falcons starter Devonta Freeman. But Coleman seems best used as part of a timeshare whether he’s starting or in a third-down role.
12. LB Anthony Barr: Similar to safety Landon Collins, he has a glowing resume (four Pro Bowls in five seasons) even if it doesn’t necessarily align with the performance. Barr has only 131⁄2 career sacks and struggles in pass coverage. However, he might blossom into a much bigger force if unleashed in a 3-4 front after operating in Mike Zimmer’s defense in Minnesota.
13. WR Tyrell Williams: A big guy (6-4, 205) who consistently made big plays for the Chargers, he won’t be a 100-catch type of receiver but is the kind of No. 2 wideout who will burn defenses committed to stopping the run or elite pass catchers.