The NFL franchise tag period ended on 4 PM EST on Tuesday afternoon and per usual, many of the biggest impending free agents either got tagged (Tee Higgins, Jaylon Johnson, Michael Pittman Jr., Brian Burns, L'Jarius Sneed, edge rusher Josh Allen) or reached a long-term deal (Mike Evans, Dalton Schultz) with the teams they played for in 2023. Now, we get to move onto the really fun part of the new league year when true free agency begins, and players of note start to move to new destinations or secure long-term deals with their current teams. Here are my picks for the top 10 players hitting the open market this year.
10.Calvin Ridley, wide receiver (2023 team: Jacksonville Jaguars)
As expected, Ridley is the top receiver set to hit the open market and as a result of the thinness of the free agent receiver class, should have a robust market for his services. While his 2023 comeback campaign with the Jaguars featured some prolonged stretches of inconsistent play, Ridley was still able to clear 1,000 YDS on the season and showed plenty of flashes of the high-end vertical playmaking ability that made him a top 10-14 receiver in the league during his time with the Falcons. Getting a full offseason to focus on something other than shaking the rust off and returning to playing shape could do wonders for his quest to return to the top of the league WR hierarchy, which should only further heighten his appeal to any interested team.
Possible Destinations: Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens
9.Jonathan Greenard, edge rusher (2023 team: Houston Texans)
DeMeco Ryans' arrival in Houston couldn't have been timed better for Greenard, who gets to test free agency after putting up a career-high 12.5 sacks during the final year of his rookie deal. A somewhat concerning injury history and awful production in 2022 (1.5 sacks, 4 QB hits, 16 tackles in 8 games) following a strong 2021 attaches a notable risk factor to Greenard's name that doesn't exist with many of the other top available edge rushers, but his age (he turns 27 in May) and strong play in 2 of the past 3 seasons should be enough to quell those concerns and earn him a hefty payday at this premium position.
Possible Destinations: Houston Texans, Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars
8.Kendall Fuller, cornerback (2023 team: Washington Commanders)
Fuller's status as the only proven outside corner that's under the age of 33 in this slot-heavy free agent class is the type of blessing that pro athletes seeking new contracts dream about. He was the lone bright spot on the league's worst pass defense in Washington last season and has been a disciplined, productive ballhawk who rarely gets burned for big plays in nearly all of his first 8 NFL seasons.
Possible Destinations: Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams
7.Tyron Smith, tackle (2023 team: Dallas Cowboys)
While his time as being one of the elite players at his position is almost certainly over on account of his age (he just turned 33) and shaky durability (3+ missed games in every season since 2016 and only 4 and 2 games played in 2020 and 2022 respectively), Smith's play when healthy remains strong enough for him to be a prime target for any team looking for a cost-effective, short term option at left tackle.
Possible Destinations: Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams
6.Kirk Cousins, quarterback (2023 team: Minnesota Vikings)
Cousins' ability to bounce back from the Achilles tear that ended his 2023 campaign as a nearly 36-year old pure pocket passer is cause for serious concern and should further weaken his already thin market. That being said, he's also the only available veteran quarterback with an extensive track record of high-level play in the NFL and that's reason enough for any team that feels there's a QB away from contending to consider rolling the dice on him.
Possible Destinations: Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers
5.Xavier McKinney, safety (2023 team: New York Giants)
Even with a pair of top talents in Antoine Winfield Jr. and Kyle Dugger getting tagged, there's a comical amount of quality safeties in this free agent class. With his ability to drop back in coverage or hang around in the tackle box and the strong possibility that his best football is still ahead of him as he's set to enter his age-25 season, McKinney is the most appealing option in this deep bunch.
Possible Destinations: New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks
4.Mike Onwenu, guard/tackle (2023 team: New England Patriots)
Onwenu has been a godsend for the Patriots over the past 4 seasons as he's logged numerous starts at both guard spots and right tackle as the team has battled a near-constant stream of injuries and personnel changes across their offensive line. His versatility and consistency as an all-around offensive lineman are rare and if the Patriots don't use a portion of their abundance of cap space to reward him for his contributions to their team, he should have no problem landing a big payday from one of the many teams that's looking to sure up their offensive line.
Possible Destinations: New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks
3.Danielle Hunter, edge rusher (2023 team: Minnesota Vikings)
Was playing in Brian Flores' comically blitz-happy system in 2023 the reason behind Hunter's career-best 16.5 sacks in 2023? No question. However, Hunter has been a mighty productive pass-rusher for most of his career-logging 87.5 sacks in 119 career games. Despite his well-documented limitations as a run-defender, the 29-year old is plenty good enough at his specialty to warrant some team handing him the final big payday of his career.
Possible Destinations: Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, New York Giants, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams
2.Christian Wilkins, defensive tackle (2023 team: Miami Dolphins)
Wilkins avoiding the franchise tag is a shocker since he's not only one of the best young players at a premier position, but the Dolphins had precisely zero other viable candidates to receive it (and in fact, no one ultimately did!). If he does indeed end up leaving Miami, the already defensively challenged 'Phins might ultimately regret letting somebody who is capable of being so reliably disruptive on the interior of the d-line walk for free.
Possible Destinations: Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders
1.Chris Jones, defensive tackle (2023 team: Kansas City Chiefs)
The single most productive, feared interior defensive lineman not named Aaron Donald to play in the NFL over the past decade being allowed to hit the open market feels like a seismic event. While it feels very unlikely that Jones ends up leaving Kansas City, every team that can afford the 30-year old and has a need at DT would be out of their damn minds to not make a notable effort to add this elite wrecking ball to their roster.
Possible Destinations: Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts
Other Notable Players Available:
A.J. Dillon, running back (2023 team: Green Bay Packers)
A.J. Epenesa, edge rusher (2023 team: Buffalo Bills)
A'Shawn Robinson, defensive tackle (2023 team: New York Giants)
Aaron Brewer, center (2023 team: Tennessee Titans)
Adoree' Jackson, cornerback (2023 team: New York Giants)
Ahkello Witherspoon, cornerback (2023 team: Los Angeles Rams)
Alexander Mattison, running back (2023 team: Minnesota Vikings)
Alohi Gilman, safety (2023 team: Los Angeles Chargers)
Amik Robertson, cornerback (2023 team: Las Vegas Raiders)
Andre James, center (2023 team: Las Vegas Raiders)
Andrew Van Ginkel, edge rusher (2023 team: Miami Dolphins)
Andrus Peat, tackle (2023 team: New Orleans Saints)
Anfernee Jennings, edge rusher (2023 team: New England Patriots)
Anthony Walker Jr., inside linebacker (2023 team: Cleveland Browns)
Austin Ekeler, running back (2023 team: Los Angeles Chargers)
Austin Hooper, tight end (2023 team: Las Vegas Raiders)
Avonte Maddox, cornerback (2023 team: Philadelphia Eagles)
Azeez Al-Shaair, inside linebacker (2023 team: Tennessee Titans)
Baker Mayfield, quarterback (2023 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Blake Cashman, inside linebacker (2023 team: Houston Texans)
Bobby Wagner, inside linebacker (2023 team: Seattle Seahawks)
Brandon Graham, edge rusher (2023 team: Philadelphia Eagles)
Brandon Jones, safety (2023 team: Miami Dolphins)
Bryce Huff, edge rusher (2023 team: New York Jets)
Bud Dupree, edge rusher (2023 team: Atlanta Falcons)
C.J. Gardner-Johnson, safety/cornerback (2023 team: Detroit Lions)
C.J. Uzomah, tight end (2023 team: New York Jets)
Calias Campbell, defensive tackle/end (2023 team: Atlanta Falcons)
Carl Lawson, edge rusher (2023 team: New York Jets)
Charles Leno Jr., tackle (2023 team: Washington Commanders)
Chase Young, edge rusher (2023 teams: Washington Commanders/San Francisco 49ers)
Chidobe Awuzie, cornerback (2023 team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Cody Barton, inside linebacker (2023 team: Washington Commanders)
Cody Whitehair, guard/center (2023 team: Chicago Bears)
Coleman Shelton, center (2023 team: Los Angeles Rams)
Connor Williams, center/guard (2023 team: Miami Dolphins)
Curtis Samuel, wide receiver (2023 team: Washington Commanders)
D.J. Chark, wide receiver (2023 team: Carolina Panthers)
D.J. Reader, defensive tackle (2023 team: Cincinnati Bengals)
D.J. Wonnum, edge rusher (2023 team: Minnesota Vikings)
D'Andre Swift, running back (2023 team: Philadelphia Eagles)
D'Onta Foreman, running back (2023 team: Chicago Bears)
Dalton Risner, guard (2023 team: Minnesota Vikings)
Dalvin Cook, running back (2023 teams: New York Jets/Baltimore Ravens)
Damien Lewis, guard (2023 team: Seattle Seahawks)
Dane Jackson, cornerback (2023 team: Buffalo Bills)
DaQuan Jones, defensive tackle (2023 team: Buffalo Bills)
Darnell Mooney, wide receiver (2023 team: Chicago Bears)
Darnell Savage, safety (2023 team: Green Bay Packers)
Darrell Taylor, edge rusher (2023 team: Seattle Seahawks)
Denico Autry, defensive tackle/end (2023 team: Tennessee Titans)
Derek Barnett, edge rusher (2023 teams: Philadelphia Eagles/Houston Texans)
Derrick Henry, running back (2023 team: Tennessee Titans)
DeShon Elliott, safety (2023 team: Miami Dolphins)
Devin Singletary, running back (2023 team: Houston Texans)
Devin White, inside linebacker (2023 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Donovan Smith, tackle (2023 team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Dorance Armstrong, edge rusher (2023 team: Dallas Cowboys)
Drew Lock, quarterback (2023 team: Seattle Seahawks)
Drue Tranquill, inside linebacker (2023 team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Eddie Jackson, safety (2023 team: Chicago Bears)
Emmanuel Ogbah, edge rusher (2023 team: Miami Dolphins)
Eric Kendricks, inside linebacker (2023 team: Los Angeles Chargers)
Evan Brown, center (2023 team: Seattle Seahawks)
Ezekiel Elliott, running back (2023 team: New England Patriots)
Fletcher Cox, defensive tackle (2023 team: Philadelphia Eagles)
Frankie Luvu, inside linebacker (2023 team: Carolina Panthers)
Gabe Davis, wide receiver (2023 team: Buffalo Bills)
Gardner Minshew, quarterback (2023 team: Indianapolis Colts)
Geno Stone, safety (2023 team: Baltimore Ravens)
George Fant, tackle (2023 team: Houston Texans)
Gerald Everett, tight end (2023 team: Los Angeles Chargers)
Graham Glasgow, guard (2023 team: Detroit Lions)
Greg Van Roten, guard (2023 team: Las Vegas Raiders)
Grover Stewart, defensive tackle (2023 team: Indianapolis Colts)
Gus Edwards, running back (2023 team: Baltimore Ravens)
Hunter Henry, tight end (2023 team: New England Patriots)
J.K. Dobbins, running back (2023 team: Baltimore Ravens)
Jacoby Brissett, quarterback (2023 team: Washington Commanders)
Jadeveon Clowney, edge rusher (2023 team: Baltimore Ravens)
Jamal Adams, safety (2023 team: Seattle Seahawks)
Jameis Winston, quarterback (2023 team: New Orleans Saints)
Javon Kinlaw, defensive tackle (2023 team: San Francisco 49ers)
Jeremy Chinn, safety (2023 team: Carolina Panthers)
Jermaine Eluemunor, tackle (2023 team: Las Vegas Raiders)
Jerome Baker, inside linebacker (2023 team: Miami Dolphins)
Jerry Hughes, edge rusher (2023 team: Houston Texans)
John Simpson, guard (2023 team: Baltimore Ravens)
Jon Feliciano, guard (2023 team: San Francisco 49ers)
Jon Runyan, guard (2023 team: Green Bay Packers)
Jonah Jackson, guard (2023 team: Detroit Lions)
Jonah Williams, tackle (2023 team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Jordan Fuller, safety (2023 team: Los Angeles Rams)
Jordan Hicks, inside linebacker (2023 team: Minnesota Vikings)
Jordan Poyer, safety (2023 team: Buffalo Bills)
Jordan Whitehead, safety (2023 team: New York Jets)
Jordyn Brooks, inside linebacker (2023 team: Seattle Seahawks)
Josey Jewell, inside linebacker (2023 team: Denver Broncos)
Josh Jacobs, running back (2023 team: Las Vegas Raiders)
Josh Jones, tackle (2023 teams: Arizona Cardinals/Houston Texans)
Josh Reynolds, wide receiver (2023 team: Detroit Lions)
Josh Uche, edge rusher (2023 team: New England Patriots)
Jourdan Lewis, cornerback (2023 team: Dallas Cowboys)
Julian Blackmon, safety (2023 team: Indianapolis Colts)
Justin Simmons, safety (2023 team: Denver Broncos)
K.J. Osborn, wide receiver (2023 team: Minnesota Vikings)
Kamren Curl, safety (2023 team: Washington Commanders)
Keisean Nixon, cornerback (2023 team: Green Bay Packers)
Kendrick Bourne, wide receiver (2023 team: New England Patriots)
Kenny Moore, cornerback (2023 team: Indianapolis Colts)
Kevin Byard, safety (2023 teams: Tennessee Titans/Philadelphia Eagles)
Kevin Zeitler, guard (2023 team: Baltimore Ravens)
Kristian Fulton, cornerback (2023 team: Tennessee Titans)
Kyle Van Noy, edge rusher (2023 team: Baltimore Ravens)
Lavonte David, inside linebacker (2023 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Leonard Floyd, edge rusher (2023 team: Buffalo Bills)
Leonard Williams, defensive end (2023 teams: New York Giants/Seattle Seahawks)
Lloyd Cushenberry III, center (2023 team: Denver Broncos)
Marcus Davenport, edge rusher (2023 team: Minnesota Vikings)
Marquise Brown, wide receiver (2023 team: Arizona Cardinals)
Maurice Hurst, defensive tackle (2023 team: Cleveland Browns)
Mekhi Becton, tackle (2023 team: New York Jets)
Micah Hyde, safety (2023 team: Buffalo Bills)
Michael Davis, cornerback (2023 team: Los Angeles Chargers)
Michael Thomas, wide receiver (2023 team: New Orleans Saints)
Mike Danna, edge rusher (2023 team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Mike Edwards, safety (2023 team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Mike Gesicki, tight end (2023 team: New England Patriots)
Mitch Morse, center (2023 team: Buffalo Bills)
Myles Bryant, cornerback (2023 team: New England Patriots)
Nicholas Morrow, inside linebacker (2023 team: Philadelphia Eagles)
Noah Brown, wide receiver (2023 team: Houston Texans)
Noah Fant, tight end (2023 team: Seattle Seahawks)
Odell Beckham Jr., wide reciever (2023 team: Baltimore Ravens)
Oren Burks, inside linebacker (2023 team: San Francisco 49ers)
Patrick Queen, inside linebacker (2023 team: Baltimore Ravens)
Quandre Diggs, safety (2023 team: Seattle Seahawks)
Quinton Jefferson, defensive tackle (2023 team: New York Jets)
Rakewon Davis, defensive tackle (2023 team: Miami Dolphins)
Robert Hunt, guard (2023 team: Miami Dolphins)
Ronald Darby, cornerback (2023 team: Baltimore Ravens)
Russell Wilson, quarterback (2023 team: Denver Broncos)
Ryan Tannehill, quarterback (2023 team: Tennessee Titans)
Saquon Barkley, running back (2023 team: New York Giants)
Sean Murphy-Bunting, cornerback (2023 team: Tennessee Titans)
Shaq Barrett, edge rusher (2023 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Shaquille Leonard, inside/outside linebacker (2023 teams: Indianapolis Colts/Philadelphia Eagles)
Shelby Harris, defensive tackle (2023 team: Cleveland Browns)
Sheldon Rankins, defensive tackle (2023 teams: Houston Texans)
Sione Takitaki, inside linebacker (2023 team: Cleveland Browns)
Siran Neal, cornerback (2023 team: Buffalo Bills)
Stephon Gillmore, cornerback (2023 team: Dallas Cowboys)
Steven Nelson, cornerback (2023 team: Houston Texans)
Tashaun Gibson, safety (2023 team: San Francisco 49ers)
Taylor Rapp, safety (2023 team: Buffalo Bills)
Teair Tart, defensive tackle (2023 teams: Tennessee Titans/Houston Texans)
Tony Pollard, running back (2023 team: Dallas Cowboys)
Tre'Davious White, cornerback (2023 team: Buffalo Bills)
Trent Brown, tackle (2023 team: New England Patriots)
Tyler Biadasz, center (2023 team: Dallas Cowboys)
Tyler Boyd, wide receiver (2023 team: Cincinnati Bengals)
Tyquan Lewis, edge rusher (2023 team: Indianapolis Colts)
Tyrel Dodson, inside linebacker (2023 team: Buffalo Bills)
Tyrod Taylor, quarterback (2023 team: New York Giants)
Willie Gay Jr., inside linebacker (2023 team: Kansas City Chiefs)
Yosh Niiman, tackle (2023 team: Green Bay Packers)
Za'Darius Smith, edge rusher (2023 team: Cleveland Browns)
Zach Cunningham, inside linebacker (2023 team: Philadelphia Eagles)
Zack Moss, running back (2023 team: Indianapolis Colts)
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