2017 NFL Free Agency: 10 Best Players Available

On March 9th at 4:00 P.M. EST, the 2017 NFL League season will be ushered in with the start of free agency. Per usual, a majority of the most intriguing players set to hit the open market have already been given lengthy extensions (Eric Berry, Jamie Collins, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif) or the franchise tag (Le'Veon Bell, Kirk Cousins, Jason Pierre-Paul, a handful of others) by their existing teams. Now that the market of available players has solidified, here are my picks for the 10 best players available in free agency this season. 

10.Adrian Peterson, running back (Most recent team: Minnesota Vikings)
Putting a 32-year old that's coming off a season that was shortened by a pretty severe knee injury on this list may seem like a stretch, but Adrian Peterson isn't your average geriatric running back. While I don't believe that he'll ever return to being the every-down force of nature he's been over the course of his 10-year career, his devastating power out of the backfield should make him a top-notch change-of-pace back for a contending team. 
Possible Destinations: Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots 

9.Andrew Whitworth, tackle (Most recent team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Age is the only thing preventing Andrew Whitworth from being a top 5 player on this list. Whitworth is still an elite tackle at age 35 (Trent Williams was the only player at his position that had a higher Pro Footfall Focus grade last season) and he should be an excellent short-term option for teams that need help at left tackle.
Possible Destinations: Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams

8.A.J. Bouye, cornerback (Most recent team: Houston Texans)
There is no bigger dice roll hitting the open market this year than cornerback A.J. Bouye. Bouye played spectacular after being thrust into the starting lineup when 2015 1st-round pick Kevin Johnson went down for the season with a broken foot in mid-October, but his small sample size (the 11 starts he picked up in 2016 are the only ones of his career) and place on a Texans defense that has a strong pass-rush makes it hard to tell if his success was a result of his own strong play or simply a product of the bevy of talent that surrounded him. However, the dominance Bouye displayed in coverage last season is still enough to make him a very intriguing prospect for the flurry of teams that are currently in the market for a shutdown corner. 
Possible Destinations: Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders

7.Brandon Williams, nose tackle (Most recent team: Baltimore Ravens)
Like Damon "Snacks" Harrison a year ago, Brandon Williams is a run-stuffing virtuoso that is a strong contender to pickup a solid paycheck despite his limited skillset. At 335lbs, Williams is the type of pile-moving wrecking ball that productive 3-4 run D's are built around. 
Possible Destinations: Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans, Washington Redskins, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers

6.Tony Jefferson, safety (Most recent team: Arizona Cardinals)
Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu may be the faces of the Cardinals secondary, but Tony Jefferson has been the unsung hero that's held them together the past 2 seasons. Jefferson is a super instinctive safety that's a terror against the run and has steadily improved in pass-coverage every year since he's been in the league. With his prime on the horizon (Jefferson just turned 25 in January) and a skill set that is still budding, he should have a ton of suitors on the open market.
Possible Destinations: Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5.Stephon Gilmore, cornerback (Most recent team: Buffalo Bills)
He may be coming off a bit of a down year and take some unnecessary gambles going for INT's from time to time, but Stephon Gilmore is still easily the most polished cornerback hitting the open market this offseason. Gilmore has been a top 10-15 corner in the league since he was drafted in 2012 and his terrific ball skills alone should be enough for him to get a contract that rivals what Darius Slay (4 years/$50.2 mil/$23 mil guaranteed) got from the Lions last season.
Possible Destinations: Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders
 
4.Dont'a Hightower, inside/outside linebacker (Most recent team: New England Patriots)
While his lengthy injury history is definitely cause for some concern, players with Hightower's skill set don't come around too often. Hightower's sure-tackling and coverage skills allows him to play either inside or outside linebacker, is one of the most fluid sideline-to-sideline runners in the league and perhaps most importantly, has a tendency to put together monstrous performances in big games. 
Possible Destinations: New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers

3.Kevin Zeitler, guard (Most recent team: Cincinnati Bengals)
It blows my mind that Kevin Zeitler isn't getting more buzz going into free agency. He's been one of the most well-rounded, consistent guards in the NFL over the past few years and at 27, he's about to enter the prime of his career. If I were the general manager of a team with interior offensive line issues, I would throw fuck you money at Zeitler.
Possible Destinations: Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos

2.Alshon Jeffrey, wide receiver (Most recent team: Chicago Bears)
A string of soft-tissue injuries and the Bears absurd quarterback carousel have led to back-to-back disappointing seasons for Alshon Jeffrey, but make no mistake, this guy is a special talent. His combination of strength, leaping ability and underrated speed for his size (6'3, 216 lbs) makes him a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. Any offense that's looking to upgrade their aerial attack should strongly consider pursuing Jeffrey because top wideouts like him don't fit free agency often in the league's current pass-first state.
Possible Destinations: Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers

1.Calias Campbell, defensive tackle/end (Most recent team: Arizona Cardinals)
The Cardinals cap issues and dedication to re-signing edge rusher Chandler Jones makes bringing back long-time defensive leader Calias Campbell a longshot. This situation is great news for any team that's looking for an elite veteran talent that can lineup anywhere on the defensive line and make plays. His age (he'll be 31 when the 2017 season starts) makes his window of success shakier than some of the other potential high-impact players available in free agency, but the monumental effect he could have on the makeup of a team's defense and locker room culture makes him the top prize of this free agency class.
Possible Destinations: Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots

Other Notable Free Agents: 
Alan Branch, defensive tackle/end (Most recent team: New England Patriots)
Andre Branch, defensive end (Most recent team: Miami Dolphins)
Barry Church, safety (Most recent team: Dallas Cowboys)
Bennie Logan, defensive tackle (Most recent team: Philadelphia Eagles)
Blaine Gabbert, quarterback (Most recent team: San Francisco 49ers)
Bradley McDougald, safety (Most recent team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Brandon Carr, cornerback (Most recent team: Dallas Cowboys)
Brandon Flowers, cornerback (Most recent team: Los Angeles Chargers) 
Brandon LaFell, wide receiver (Most recent team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Brian Hoyer, quarterback (Most recent team: Chicago Bears)
Captain Munnerlyn, cornerback (Most recent team: Minnesota Vikings)
Case Keenum, quarterback (Most recent team: Los Angeles Rams) 
Chance Warmack, guard (Most recent team: Tennessee Titans)
Chris Baker, defensive end (Most recent team: Washington Redskins)
Chris Long, defensive end (Most recent team: New England Patriots)
Christine Michael, running back (Most recent team: Green Bay Packers) 
Colin Kaepernick, quarterback (Most recent team: San Francisco 49ers)
Connor Barth, kicker (Most recent team: Chicago Bears) 
Cordarrelle Patterson, wide receiver (Most recent team: Minnesota Vikings)
D.J. Fluker, guard/tackle (Most recent team: Los Angeles Chargers) 
D.J. Swearinger, safety (Most recent team: Arizona Cardinals)
Danny Woodhead, running back (Most recent team: Los Angeles Chargers)
Darius Butler, cornerback (Most recent team: Indianapolis Colts)
Darrelle Revis, cornerback (Most recent team: New York Jets)
Datone Jones, outside linebacker (Most recent team: Green Bay Packers)
DeAngelo Williams, running back (Most recent team: Pittsburgh Steelers)
DeMarcus Ware, outside linebacker (Most recent team: Denver Broncos)
DeSean Jackson, wide receiver (Most recent team: Washington Redskins)
Dontrari Poe, defensive tackle (Most recent team: Kansas City Chiefs) 
Dre Kirkpatrick, cornerback (Most recent team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Dwight Freeney, outside linebacker (Most recent team: Atlanta Falcons)
Duron Harmon, safety (Most recent team: New England Patriots) 
E.J. Manuel, qurterback (Most recent team: Buffalo Bills)
Eddie Lacy, running back (Most recent team: Green Bay Packers)
Erik Walden, outside linebacker (Most recent team: Indianapolis Colts)
Geno Smith, quarterback (Most recent team: New York Jets)
Greg Zuerlein, kicker (Most recent team: Los Angeles Rams)
Jabbal Sheard, defensive end (Most recent team: New England Patriots)
Jacquizz Rodgers, running back (Most recent team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers) 
Jammal Charles, running back (Most recent team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Jared Cook, tight end (Most recent team: Green Bay Packers)
Jared Odrick, defensive tackle/end (Most recent team: Jacksonville Jaguars)
Jarius Byrd, safety (Most recent team: New Orleans Saints)
Jarvis Jones, outside linebacker (Most recent team: Pittsburgh Steelers)
JC Tretter, center (Most recent team: Green Bay Packers)
John Simon, outside linebacker (Most recent team: Houston Texans)
Jonathan Cyprien, safety (Most recent team: Jacksonville Jaguars)
Jonathan Hankins, defensive tackle (Most recent team: New York Giants)
Josh McCown, quarterback (Most recent team: Cleveland Browns) 
Julius Peppers, outside linebacker (Most recent team: Green Bay Packers)
Karl Klug, defensive end (Most recent team: Tennessee Titans)
Kelvin Beachum, tackle (Most recent team: Jacksonville Jaguars)
Kendall Wright, wide receiver (Most recent team: Tennessee Titans) 
Kenny Britt, wide receiver (Most recent team: Los Angeles Rams)
Kenny Stills, wide receiver (Most recent team: Miami Dolphins)
Kevin Minter, inside linebacker (Most recent team: Arizona Cardinals)
Larry Warford, guard (Most recent team: Detroit Lions)
Latavius Murray, running back (Most recent team: Oakland Raiders)
Lawrence Guy, defensive end (Most recent team: Baltimore Ravens)
Lawrence Timmons, inside linebacker (Most recent team: Pittsburgh Steelers)
LeGarrette Blount, running back (Most recent team: New England Patriots)
Logan Ryan, cornerback (Most recent team: New England Patriots)
Lorenzo Alexander, outside linebacker (Most recent team: Buffalo Bills)
Malcolm Smith, inside linebacker (Most recent team: Oakland Raiders)
Margus Hunt, defensive end (Most recent team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Mario Williams, defensive end (Most recent team: Miami Dolphins)
Martellus Bennett, tight end (Most recent team: New England Patriots)
Matt Barkley, quarterback (Most recent team: Chicago Bears)
Matt Kalil, tackle (Most recent team: Minnesota Vikings)
Micah Hyde, cornerback/safety (Most recent team: Green Bay Packers)
Michael Floyd, wide receiver (Most recent team: New England Patriots)
Mike Glennon, quarterback (Most recent team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Mike Remmers, tackle (Most recent team: Carolina Panthers)
Morris Claiborne, cornerback (Most recent team: Dallas Cowboys)
Nick Fairley, defensive tackle (Most recent team: New Orleans Saints)
Nick Mangold, center (Most recent team: New York Jets)
Nick Perry, outside linebacker (Most recent team: Green Bay Packers)
Nickell Robey-Coleman, cornerback (Most recent team: Buffalo Bills) 
Nolan Carroll, cornerback (Most recent team: Philadelphia Eagles)
Pierre Garcon, wide receiver (Most recent team: Washington Redskins)
Prince Amukamara, cornerback (Most recent team: Jacksonville Jaguars)
Rashad Jennings, running back (Most recent team: New York Giants)
Rex Burkhead, running back (Most recent team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Ricky Wagner, tackle (Most recent team: Baltimore Ravens)
Riley Rieff, tackle (Most recent team: Detroit Lions)
Robert Woods, wide receiver (Most recent team: Buffalo Bills)
Ronald Leary, guard (Most recent team: Dallas Cowboys)
Russell Okung, tackle (Most recent team: Denver Broncos)
Ryan Clady, tackle (Most recent team: New York Jets)
Ryan Fitzpatick, quarterback (Most recent team: New York Jets)
Sylvester Williams, defensive tackle (Most recent team: Denver Broncos)
T.J. Lang, guard (Most recent team: Green Bay Packers)
T.J. McDonald, safety (Most recent team: Los Angeles Rams)
Ted Ginn Jr., wide receiver (Most recent team: Carolina Panthers)
Terrelle Pryor, wide receiver (Most recent team: Cleveland Browns)
Victor Cruz, wide receiver (Most recent team: New York Giants)
Zach Brown, inside linebacker (Most recent team: Buffalo Bills)