Although players like Travis Kelce<\/a> and Aaron Rodgers<\/a> are bound for the Hall of Fame, they will not appear here. Big names are still present within this value-based collection, however. Players who could be released at the start of the 2026 league year \u2013 as likely post-June 1 cuts \u2013 or soon after are not included, only those out of contract for the \u201926 season appear below. Teams have until 11am CT March 9, when the legal tampering period begins, to keep free agents-to-be off the market.<\/p>\n In Year 34 of full-fledged NFL free agency, here are the top options for teams to target once the legal tampering period starts:<\/p>\n 1. Tyler Linderbaum<\/a>, C. Age in Week 1: 26<\/p>\n The fifth-year option not being truly position-based affects a few of this year\u2019s free agents, none more so than Linderbaum. Because all offensive linemen are grouped together under the tag formula, centers are almost never tagged<\/a>. Few guards are. Linderbaum has presented the best case for a center tag in many years, and he is days away from bridging the gap that exists between the two interior offensive line positions.<\/p>\n Baltimore has offered Linderbaum a market-topping deal<\/a>, and after the Combine, the 2022 first-round pick likely knows his price range. The Ravens only have a few days left before ceding exclusive negotiating rights and losing the best center in team history.<\/p>\n The Ravens have seen four center Pro Bowl seasons in their 30-year history; Linderbaum has three of them (Jeremy Zuttah received the other). The Iowa alum has anchored the Ravens\u2019 interior O-line, as the team continues to see guards come and go. Losing him would be significant for the AFC North franchise.<\/p>\n ESPN\u2019s pass block win rate metric ranked Linderbaum fourth among all interior O-lineman last season; he ranked 13th in 2024. Pro Football Focus, conversely, has graded Linderbaum as a far superior run blocker. The agile lineman has certainly made a considerable difference for a run-reliant offense. The Ravens were able to keep Ronnie Stanley<\/a> from testing free agency at the last minute in 2025, though the longtime LT was seeking a third contract. Will they do the same with Linderbaum?<\/p>\n Humphrey\u2019s Chiefs deal includes just more than $50MM guaranteed in total. Tyler Smith<\/a>\u2019s $81.26MM number tops the guard market. I would expect Linderbaum\u2019s guarantee to land closer to the Cowboys guard than the Chiefs center.<\/p>\n Corey Linsley set a center AAV record as a 2021 free agent; Linderbaum should blow the current mark out of the water. Citing cap inflation, Adam La Rose\u2019s most recent PFR mailbag pegged a price around $21MM per year as realistic<\/a>. In the event of a widespread bidding war, something close to Smith\u2019s $24MM AAV could even be required to close this deal. With Humphrey, Jurgens and Frank Ragnow<\/a> before them not testing the market when they signed big-ticket deals, future center extension aspirants may owe a debt of gratitude to Linderbaum moving forward<\/p>\n 2. Alec Pierce<\/a>, WR. Age in Week 1: 26<\/p>\n Like the changing of the guard the Colts observed when Michael Pittman Jr.<\/a>\u00a0usurped T.Y. Hilton<\/a> in the wideout pecking order, Pierce made his case as Indianapolis\u2019 WR1 in 2025. The former second-round pick ripped off his first 1,000-yard season despite the Colts splitting their final five games between Riley Leonard<\/a> and a 44-year-old Philip Rivers<\/a> at quarterback. Pierce paced the NFL in yards per reception for a second straight season, posting a 21.3-yard average a year after managing (somehow) a 22.3-yard number and 824 total with Anthony Richardson<\/a> targeting him.<\/p>\n That is an interesting distinction for a player who has never caught more than 47 passes in a season. Pierce is maybe more high-end No. 2 than true No. 1, but this is typically the type of player who cashes in on the market. As Daniel Jones<\/a> is the best quarterback Pierce has played with (with Ryan at the end by his Indianapolis stint), teams undoubtedly see growth potential in the deep threat.<\/p>\n Fifteen receivers are tied to $50MM guarantees; not counting Travis Hunter<\/a>\u2019s rookie deal, another six secured at least $40MM in total guarantees. Every player among that contingent caught at least 58 passes in a season before signing his second contract (11 recorded at least one 90-reception season). Of that group, all but two (Jameson Williams<\/a> and Jerry Jeudy<\/a>) had posted 70-catch seasons. Williams $66.13MM guaranteed without the benefit of free agency, while Eagles WR2 DeVonta Smith<\/a> is at $69.99MM. Both may be better than Pierce, but the open market awaits.<\/p>\n Pierce\u2019s Devery Henderson-like profile differs, making him an unusual player with regards to this WR salary bracket. But he will be able to infiltrate it soon. It will be interesting to see if the team that signs Pierce will call on him to be its lead wideout \u2013 the expected salary would make that likely \u2013 or cast him as a high-end complementary cog. The former second-round pick will soon be an outlier when it comes to reception volume among upper-crust WR earners.<\/p>\n 3. Jaelan Phillips<\/a>, EDGE. Age in Week 1: 27<\/p>\n This year brings a deep crop of free agent edge rushers. With this being a premium position, questions surround the lot of prime-years players available. Phillips is coming off a bounce-back season, once under-the-hood numbers are considered, and will garner considerable free agency attention. The Eagles were able to keep breakthrough linebacker Zack Baun<\/a> from testing the market last year, but they are running out of time with Phillips.<\/p>\n Finishing a season healthy did maybe as much for Phillips\u2019 stock, after he went down with Achilles (2023) and ACL (2024) tears. Phillips\u2019 injury past stretches back to college, when he briefly retired from the sport after a concussion and other maladies (including some from a moped accident). A transfer to Miami, however, reenergized him.<\/p>\n The former five-star recruit landed on the first-round radar with the Hurricanes and showed plus form with the Dolphins, combining for 15.5 sacks over his first two seasons. Year 2 included a career-high 25 QB hits. The 6-foot-5 EDGE was on his way to a career-best season in 2023, tallying 6.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss in eight games. A Black Friday Achilles tear stalled his momentum, and a September 2024 ACL tear continued the midcareer misery.<\/p>\n Josh Sweat<\/a> did not carry injury concerns and received \u201conly\u201d $41MM guaranteed in total from the Cardinals. That topped last year\u2019s EDGE market, where Chase Young<\/a> \u2013 who did carry major injury concerns \u2013 received $33MM guaranteed. Phillips hovers between these two in age, but his extensive injury past may place a cap on this market.<\/p>\n But with the NFL\u2019s salary ceiling rising yet again, it would be hard to see this market settling south of $20MM per year. Last year, the Chiefs and Bills agreed to extensions (with George Karlaftis<\/a> and Greg Rousseau<\/a>, respectively) that included $64.8MM and $54MM in total guarantees. Phillips\u2019 camp, representing a player who matches that duo with zero Pro Bowls, can aim for that range next week.<\/p>\n 4. Trey Hendrickson<\/a>, EDGE. Age in Week 1: 31<\/p>\n Among this market\u2019s prime pass rushers, Hendrickson\u2019s resume laps his peers. The Bengals sack ace finished back-to-back seasons with 17.5 sacks and has two more campaigns (2020, 2021) with at least 13. Hendrickson recorded at least 24 QB hits from 2020-24, topping out at 36 in managing to finish as Defensive Player of the Year runner-up on a bad 2024 Cincinnati defense. The Bengals appear set to lose their five-year defensive end cornerstone<\/a>; this was preventable, but the team\u2019s antiquated stand against post-Year 1 salary guarantees prevented an extension from being completed in 2025.<\/p>\n Hendrickson agreed to a one-year, $21MM extension in 2023 in fear the Bengals would use the franchise tag on him in 2025. With the Tee Higgins<\/a> saga lasting past that point, Hendrickson miscalculated that. He now resides in a similar situation to Haason Reddick<\/a>.<\/p>\n Also starting slowly, Reddick joined Hendrickson as a 2017 draftee who broke through in a 2020 contract year. Both players signed $15MM-per-year deals \u2013 Hendrickson in 2021, Reddick in 2022 \u2013 they outplayed. Age became an issue for Reddick, whose 2024 holdout backfired, and it is worth wondering how much it will impact Hendrickson\u2019s free agency.<\/p>\n Last year represented a clear window for Hendrickson to cash in \u2013 at 30 and coming off the two straight top-level pass-rushing seasons \u2013 but he was negotiating with a difficult adversary. And he underwent season-ending core muscle surgery after a seven-game campaign. That will dock Hendrickson\u2019s stock, but by how much?<\/p>\n From 2016-25, there have been 79 10-sack seasons from players aged 27-30. In that span, only 17 such seasons exist from players aged 31-34. These are the years a Hendrickson suitor is acquiring. Among pure EDGE players, that age-31-34 sack number plummets to 11. Hendrickson should do well next week, but the decision to sign that Bengals extension in 2023 could cost him thanks to an injury-shortened 2025.<\/p>\n 5. Rasheed Walker<\/a>, T. Age in Week 1: 26<\/p>\n When the Rams and Ravens respectively took Alaric Jackson<\/a> and Ronnie Stanley<\/a> off last year\u2019s market, Dan Moore Jr.<\/a>\u00a0benefited. A much-criticized Steelers tackle on his rookie contract, Moore became the NFL\u2019s seventh-highest-paid left tackle at the time of signing. His four-year, $82MM deal \u2013 one that outflanked Jackson and Stanley\u2019s pre-free-agency deals and Dion Dawkins<\/a> and Garett Bolles<\/a>\u2019 2024 extensions \u2013 represents a good guide for Walker, who received better reviews on his Packers rookie pact.<\/p>\n Walker ranked 11th in pass block win rate last season and 14th in 2024. PFF was a bit less bullish due largely to the Penn State product\u2019s run blocking. The advanced metrics site never ranked Walker higher than 40th overall among tackles. Similar skepticism did not derail Moore, and Walker will almost definitely do better than the $50MM guarantee Moore received from the Titans.<\/p>\n Seven LTs are on contracts that include at least $50MM in total guarantees. Not counting Will Campbell<\/a>\u2019s rookie deal, four more secured at least $40MM guaranteed. It would be stunning if Walker did not land at least $40MM guaranteed. Considering how rare it is that early-prime LTs hit the market \u2013 like the Steelers, the Packers used a first-round pick on a blindside successor (Morgan) \u2013 the former No. 249 overall pick will be one of this year\u2019s FA winners.<\/p>\n 6. John Franklin-Myers<\/a>, DL. Age in Week 1: 30<\/p>\n The Broncos extended six players between late July and their bye week. After paying top-priority talents Courtland Sutton<\/a>, Zach Allen<\/a> and Nik Bonitto<\/a> in camp, Denver turned to three other regulars \u2013 center Luke Wattenberg<\/a>, defensive tackle Malcolm Roach<\/a> and kicker Wil Lutz<\/a> \u2013 during its bye. Franklin-Myers did not expect a new deal and has likely known what is about to happen on the market.<\/p>\n Although Franklin-Myers is approaching an age-30 season, the runway is clear for him to cash in. He is the best interior D-line option on this market \u2013 probably by a wide margin. After last year produced Milton Williams<\/a> and other attractive interior D-line options, no one is rivaling Franklin-Myers \u2013 as of now, at least \u2013 in terms of unattached inside pass rushers.<\/p>\n Signing a four-year, $55MM Jets extension the team shed to make room for Haason Reddick<\/a>\u2019s contract (oops), Franklin-Myers also combined for 11 sacks from 2021-22. He could have a place with the Titans or Falcons, as Robert Saleh and Jeff Ulbrich run those defenses, but the demand for inside pass rusher will be high enough teams without close connections to the eight-year veteran will pursue him.<\/p>\n Zach Sieler<\/a> scored a $44MM guarantee from the Dolphins ahead of his age-30 season. That is a reasonable comp, but Franklin-Myers is hitting free agency and doing so without much market competition. The Colts gave Pro Bowler DeForest Buckner<\/a> a $23MM-per-year deal before his age-30 season. With the cap climbing by around $50MM since that contract was finalized, a lesser player on a depressed market could rival that AAV (11th among DTs).<\/p>\n Franklin-Myers has been surrounded by good pass-rushing talent (Allen, Bonitto, Quinnen Williams<\/a>) in his best years, so teams will need to be careful here. This is a prime candidate to be overpaid. Becoming the 13th active interior D-lineman to land $50MM guaranteed is not crazy considering the circumstances.<\/p>\n 7. Malik Willis<\/a>, QB. Age in Week 1: 27<\/p>\n This year\u2019s Justin Fields<\/a>, but that comp does not quite do this strange free agent profile justice. Increased rumblings are pointing to Willis outdoing Fields by a wide margin, mentioning the $30MM-per-year ballpark. That represents a significant risk given the former third-round pick\u2019s small sample size.<\/p>\n Plugged into Matt LaFleur\u2019s offense quickly after Jordan Love<\/a>\u2019s Week 1 injury in Brazil, the mobile passer accounted himself much better \u2013 albeit in rejiggered structure aimed at helping the raw passer \u2013 in 2024. Willis\u2019 Packers numbers are obviously not sustainable, but they have QB-needy teams\u2019 interest.<\/p>\n He compiled a 6:0 TD-INT ratio in Green Bay, having completed 70 of 89 attempts at a college-y 12.1 yards per pass. Willis also averaged 6.2 yards per rush (29\/261\/3). There is a lot to like here, and a chunk of the NFL uses a version of the offense LaFleur runs as the Kyle Shanahan\/Sean McVay trees grow.<\/p>\n That said, this has the potential to go down as a lesson for future free agency periods. Fields fared worse in a larger sample size \u2013 ahead of a two-year, $40MM Jets deal that featured $30MM guaranteed at signing \u2013 but he brought 44 career starts to the table. The numbers being thrown around for Willis are borderline irresponsible, as a few reports have tied him to a deal averaging at least $30MM per year. As PFR\u2019s Nikhil Mehta pointed out<\/a>, it took Baker Mayfield<\/a> and Sam Darnold<\/a> flashing full-season Pro Bowl form to land their $33MM-AAV deals.<\/p>\n Darnold only received a pay-as-you-go structure from the Seahawks after his 35-touchdown pass season for a 14-3 Vikings team. Yet Willis will command this level of contract \u2013 even with the cap\u2019s climb past $300MM \u2013 on six starts? It would be ironic that some of the same teams who passed on Willis during his memorable 2022 draft tumble are in on him now. But some of the clubs tied to him \u2013 the Browns, Dolphins, Cardinals \u2013 did not need QBs in 2022. The Steelers did (and do again), though Omar Khan was not yet their GM during that draft.<\/p>\n While Aaron Rodgers<\/a> and Kirk Cousins<\/a> are\/will be free agents, Daniel Jones<\/a> being transition-tagged<\/a> makes Willis the top prize in a year with major questions about the QB draft class. This should be one of the most interesting markets in free agency\u2019s 34-year history. The Mayfield\/Darnold\/Jones\/Geno Smith<\/a> resurgences work in Willis\u2019 favor, but at the expected cost, it will also be one of the riskiest bets the NFL has seen.<\/p>\n 8. Zion Johnson<\/a>, G. Age in Week 1: 26<\/p>\n On a Chargers offensive line ransacked by injuries, the solid, unspectacular left guard was in the lineup 18 times last season. Johnson has missed just two career games. His combination of age and durability will be coveted on a guard market not teeming with options entering their prime.<\/p>\n Run block win rate regarded Johnson\u2019s contract year highly, slotting him second among all interior O-linemen. Johnson helped the Chargers get by without Omarion Hampton<\/a> and Najee Harris<\/a> for an extended stretch last season. Although the 2022 first-rounder did not have a strong playoff game in Foxborough, his market will be robust.<\/p>\n The Boston College product has started 65 games, but guards face the same issue off-ball linebackers do when it comes to the fifth-year option. Whereas defensive ends and defensive tackles are separated, all O-linemen are grouped together under the option formula. That has helped fast-track guards to free agency. Johnson, a rookie-year right guard before a three-season run as the Bolts\u2019 LG, should benefit soon.<\/p>\n Johnson joins Ed Ingram<\/a> (Texans), Dylan Parham<\/a> (Raiders), Chris Paul<\/a> (Commanders) and mammoth Ravens blocker Daniel Faalele<\/a> as notable first-time guard UFAs-to-be. It took a $63MM guarantee for the Panthers to lock down Robert Hunt<\/a> in 2024, and that came on a $255MM cap. Lacking Johnson\u2019s extended sample size, Will Fries<\/a> scored a $44MM guarantee last year. Something in between, perhaps closer to the Fries number, will still represent quite the win for an unremarkable player hitting free agency at the right time.<\/p>\n 9. Devin Lloyd<\/a>, LB. Age in Week 1: 27<\/p>\n Much like the tight ends they occasionally are asked to shadow, the off-ball linebacker market has not displayed tremendous growth. Shaquille Leonard<\/a> and the 49ers\u2019 first Fred Warner<\/a> extension moved the market past $19MM per year in summer 2021. Nearly five years later, Warner is the only player above $20MM per year at this position.<\/p>\n Lloyd is coming off a strong contract year and is only in free agency because teams are skittish about the linebacker fifth-year option price. The 2020 CBA introduced a four-tiered option structure, but both the option and franchise\/transition tag formulas still combine 3-4 edge rushers with off-ball \u2018backers. That has led first-round ILBs to the market in recent years.<\/p>\n No team has exercised an off-ball LB\u2019s fifth-year option since the Buccaneers picked up Devin White<\/a>\u2019s in 2022. Jordyn Brooks<\/a>, Patrick Queen<\/a> and now Lloyd and Quay Walker<\/a> have played out their four-year rookie deals because of this CBA quirk.<\/p>\n Thrice a 110-tackle player through three seasons, Lloyd only recorded 81 stops in his platform year. Though, the Jaguars\u2019 defense improved and its second-level anchor thrived, intercepting five passes \u2013 including a game-swinging 99-yard pick-six off Patrick Mahomes<\/a> (much to Heidi Gardner\u2019s dismay<\/a> \u2013 tallying a career-high 10 QB hits en route to second-team All-Pro acclaim. Viewing Lloyd as a top-15 off-ball LB in 2023 and \u201924, PFF slotted him third last season \u2013 as the Jags\u2019 defense climbed from 26th to sixth from 2024 to \u201925 (third in EPA per play).<\/p>\n Hitting free agency as a former first-rounder in his prime, Lloyd has an outside chance to score a market-topping deal. The Jags appear likely to let him walk, and big money will await a player who has become one of the league\u2019s best all-around linebackers.<\/p>\n It is doubtful Lloyd will bury his position\u2019s AAV record the way Tyler Linderbaum<\/a> will, but outdoing Warner\u2019s current deal \u2013 or joining he and Roquan Smith<\/a> as the third $20MM-per-year ILB \u2013 is in play. A guarantee north $50MM \u2013 where only three ILBs (Warner, Smith, Tremaine Edmunds<\/a>\u2026for now) reside \u2013 should also be attainable.<\/p>\n 10. Odafe Oweh<\/a>, EDGE. Age in Week 1: 27<\/p>\n Each of the top three members in this EDGE FA class can make the case for being deserving of the biggest contract. Oweh may have the fewest red flags, but he just hasn\u2019t quite shown the difference-making abilities Hendrickson and Phillips have. Though, he is squarely in his prime (unlike Hendrickson) and has no major injury history (unlike Phillips). Coming off his two most productive seasons, the 2021 first-round pick will do quite well next week.<\/p>\n Though, pass rushers are primarily paid to do exactly that. And ESPN slotted Oweh 10th in pass rush win rate last season. This came after a career-high 10 sacks and 23 QB hits in 2024. Oweh\u2019s 28 QB pressures ranked 27th in 2024; he tallied 23 pressures in \u201925.<\/p>\n The Bolts want him back<\/a>, but a return to the Ravens would be interesting due to his familiarity with both that organization and its new HC (two-year Chargers DC Jesse Minter). Discounting Judon\u2019s franchise tag, the AFC North team has not shelled out big money for an edge rusher since Terrell Suggs. Oweh having strung together similar seasons (nine TFLs in each) protects teams from a contract-year outlier, and the 6-foot-5 EDGE played 17 games in three separate seasons and missed more than two just once (a 13-game 2023).<\/p>\n 11. Romeo Doubs<\/a>, WR. Age in Week 1: 26<\/p>\n The Packers will consider retaining Doubs, but they appear to have shown their hand at receiver already. Green Bay gave Christian Watson<\/a> a one-year, $11MM extension after using a first-round pick on Matthew Golden<\/a>. Both Jayden Reed<\/a> and Dontayvion Wicks<\/a> have one year left on their rookie deals.<\/p>\n Unlike Wan\u2019Dale Robinson<\/a>, Doubs has played mostly as an outside receiver. He also brings good size (6-2, 204 pounds), bolstering his market further. The Packers added Golden and third-round WR Savion Williams<\/a> last year, but Doubs remained a focal point in Matt LaFleur\u2019s attack. He snared 55 passes for a career-high 724 yards. The Nevada alum also topped 600 yards in both 2023 and \u201924, a more impressive feat seeing as Reed was healthy throughout those seasons (whereas he missed most of 2025).<\/p>\n Carrying an interesting profile as neither a pure deep threat nor a slot staple, Doubs is a quality route runner who should be paid in the WR2 range. Free agency regularly turns sidekicks into well-paid performers \u2013 often with undesired results \u2013 but this market may not have Pierce by Monday. With Jauan Jennings<\/a> nearly three years older than Doubs, the four-year Packer is a good place to look for a long-term receiving cog.<\/p>\n It would seem an overpay were Doubs to eclipse $20MM per year, but that is not out of the question on the open market. The Jaguars gave Jakobi Meyers<\/a> a three-year, $60MM extension to close his age-29 season. There also looks to be a gap for this type of receiver to settle in this offseason, as only two wideouts \u2013 Jerry Jeudy<\/a> ($17.5MM) and Cooper Kupp<\/a> ($15MM) \u2013 are tied to contracts between $14-$20MM per annum. Meyers and Jeudy respectively received $40MM and $41MM guaranteed despite only negotiating with one team. Doubs could eclipse that next week.<\/p>\n 12. Alontae Taylor<\/a>, CB. Age in Week 1: 27<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s cornerback class skewed older. A host of third-contract-seeking CB2 types \u2013 Byron Murphy<\/a>, Charvarius Ward<\/a>, Carlton Davis<\/a>, D.J. Reed<\/a> \u2013 all essentially signed the same contract. Davis, Murphy and Ward each inked three-year, $54MM deals, while the Lions nabbed Reed for three years and $48MM. Effectively setting the third-contract CB market, this group undoubtedly influenced the Giants\u2019 Paulson Adebo<\/a> price. The former Saints starter signed with New York for the same rate (3\/54) but outdid the others in total guarantees ($38MM) due almost certainly to his age (25 at the time).<\/p>\n The Saints have tried to retain Taylor, but he is now days away from free agency. PFF ranked the 6-foot CB outside the top 110 at his position in 2023 and \u201924 and tabbed him 52nd last year. The advanced metrics site\u2019s view is unlikely to reflect Taylor\u2019s market, which is believed to be robust.<\/p>\n Set to turn 28 before the 2026 season ends, Taylor will need to score big during this free agency. Unlike the Ward\/Davis\/Reed contingent, he is unlikely to have the luxury of signing a three-year second contract and coming back for another big payday down the road. The Lenoir and Murphy markets should provide a preview of what is out there for Taylor.<\/p>\n 13. Jaylen Watson<\/a>, CB. Age in Week 1: 27<\/p>\n For readers new to this space, let\u2019s run down the Chiefs\u2019 M.O. at corner (as the process received a pertinent update Wednesday). Since Andy Reid has been Kansas City\u2019s HC, the Chiefs have authorized one eight-figure-per-year cornerback deal \u2013 Kristian Fulton<\/a>\u2019s two-year, $20MM pact that is likely to be shed from the payroll \u2013 and made a brigade of homegrown starters one-contract players.<\/p>\n Marcus Peters<\/a> (2018) and L\u2019Jarius Sneed<\/a> (2024) were traded, while Steven Nelson<\/a> (2019), Kendall Fuller<\/a> (2020) and Charvarius Ward<\/a> (2022) left as free agents. The Chiefs have now traded All-Pro Trent McDuffie<\/a> to the Rams for a four-pick package<\/a>, scrapping the latest round of extension talks. The team has continued to churn out quality corner play at rookie rates, but with McDuffie gone, is re-signing Watson in the picture now? Giving Watson a deal south of $20MM AAV may be more palatable to the stingy CB organization than putting McDuffie in the Derek Stingley<\/a>\/Sauce Gardner<\/a> $30MM-per-year bracket.<\/p>\n Watson\u2019s 2025 went better, and he has created what should be a nice market. PFF graded Watson 17th among corners last season, and over his past 21 regular-season games, the 6-2 CB has allowed just one touchdown.<\/p>\n Although Watson is not a third-contract-seeking player like the Ward-Carlton Davis<\/a>\u2013Byron Murphy<\/a>\u2013D.J. Reed<\/a> quartet was last year, his age (28 in mid-September) moves him near that CB cadre. With the cap rising, Watson could target the Sneed-Tyson Campbell<\/a>\u2013Jaylon Johnson<\/a> tier (though, those deals having not worked out yet may cause teams worry moving past $19MM AAV). But it should be in play here.<\/p>\n A sizable guarantee gulf exists between The Sneed-Campbell-Johnson trio and the Ward-Davis-Murphy-Reed foursome, with the higher-priced troika each seeing $50MM-plus guaranteed compared to sub-$40MM. Watson\u2019s camp will at least look to bridge that gap on the second-tier CB market.<\/p>\n 14. Riq Woolen<\/a>, CB. Age in Week 1: 27<\/p>\n A size-speed freak who displayed ball-hawking stretches, Woolen is a candidate to score big money. Inconsistency, a role adjustment under Mike Macdonald \u2013 during a season in which trade rumors swirled despite the Seahawks vying for a No. 1 seed \u2013 and a persistent penalty issue could work against the former fifth-round pick, but there are elements to like here.<\/p>\n Macdonald used Josh Jobe<\/a> in front of Woolen during the season\u2019s second half, when the taller CB only topped 70% usage in one of the team\u2019s final eight regular-season games. He still allowed a passer rating of 78.5, ranking 25th among 200-plus-snap CBs in 2025, according to The Athletic.<\/p>\n Woolen did clear the 70% snap barrier in both Seattle NFC playoff games, notably being whistled for a costly taunting penalty before allowing a third-quarter Rams touchdown. Woolen also defensed two passes against the 49ers and Rams in the postseason. Woolen may not be a boom-or-bust player, but the range of possible outcomes is wider than you\u2019d like here. Free agents regularly carry these type of profiles; otherwise, they would be prioritized by their initial teams.<\/p>\n The three-year, $54MM deals given to Murphy, Ward and Davis went to more reliable CBs \u2013 though, Ward was coming off a down 2024 \u2013 while ex-Seahawk Reed (3\/48) was more consistent in New York. All four of those more experienced CBs fetched at least $32MM guaranteed. Woolen\u2019s age and ball skills should warrant a commitment on this level or just south of it.<\/p>\n 15. Wan\u2019Dale Robinson<\/a>, WR. Age in Week 1: 25<\/p>\n Robinson hitting free agency a year ago would have shown a player coming off a measly 7.5 yards per reception. By far the Giants\u2019 leading pass catcher in 2025, the former second-round pick created a solid market. This will be one of the more interesting FA derbies this year, as Robinson\u2019s slot skillset and slight frame (5-foot-8, 185 pounds) will not be for everyone.<\/p>\n The Kentucky alum\u2019s age works in his favor, however, and he is coming off his best season \u2013 a 92-reception, 1,014-yard showing. Robinson\u2019s average depth of target rocketed from 4.8 in 2024 to 8.5 in \u201925. With Malik Nabers<\/a> going down early and Darius Slayton<\/a> also struggling with injuries, Robinson benefited and helped Jaxson Dart<\/a>\u2019s development. Being able to attack more downfield boosts Robinson\u2019s stock, but his role and stature do bring some likely limitations.<\/p>\n The Bills gave Khalil Shakir<\/a> a four-year, $53MM deal as a surehanded slot\/de facto WR1. Robinson put up better numbers in 2025 than Shakir has in any season, doing so with far worse quarterback play. With the cap rising to $301.2MM and Robinson hitting free agency \u2013 rather than negotiating with one team on an extension \u2013 he will be able to aim higher. Is he the best wide receiver in this FA class? No. But Shakir landed $31.8MM guaranteed without the benefit of a bidding war. Robinson should outdo that number too.<\/p>\n 16. Isaiah Likely<\/a>, TE. Age in Week 1: 26<\/p>\n For a bit, it looked like the Ravens would pay Likely and let Mark Andrews<\/a> find a third contract in free agency. Instead, Andrews closed his age-30 season with another Ravens extension. Likely is now days away from searching elsewhere for his second contract. Andrews hitting free agency before turning 31 is slightly less interesting \u2013 as we have a few available players at this position in that age range \u2013 than a career No. 2 tight with plus athleticism being unattached before his age-26 campaign.<\/p>\n If Doubs benefits from George Pickens<\/a>\u2019 tag, Likely is perhaps the lead beneficiary of the Falcons cuffing Kyle Pitts<\/a>. Likely has shown himself to be versatile, playing inline or in the slot, and has come down with a host of impressive catches \u2013 and two memorable near-TDs (against the Chiefs and Steelers). Entering his prime without a full season of full-fledged TE1 work, Likely will be a player targeted heavily soon.<\/p>\n Mutual interest exists between the Ravens and Likely<\/a>, and a Lamar Jackson<\/a> extension would drop his cap number from its untenable $74.5MM place. A Jackson restructure will happen absent an extension, giving the Ravens more spending room. Andrews scored a three-year, $39.27MM extension \u2013 a decrease from his second contract. Would the Ravens be fine joining the Steelers as the only teams with two eight-figure-per-year TEs? (Pittsburgh might not be long for that setup, with Jonnu Smith<\/a> a cut candidate).<\/p>\n Readers of this space regularly see how underpaid the tight end position is. The gap between the tops of the tight end and wideout markets already differ by more than $22MM AAV. With Puka Nacua<\/a> and Jaxon Smith-Njigba<\/a> extension-eligible, that chasm should grow this year.<\/p>\n Likely is not a strong candidate to exceed Trey McBride<\/a>\u2019s $19MM-per-year market-setting terms, but do not be surprised if he ends up not too far off that level. Only five tight ends are tied to $30MM guarantees; expect Likely to become No. 6 by next week, with Cole Kmet<\/a>\u2019s $32.79MM guarantee \u2013 negotiated without free agency \u2013 serving as a floor here.<\/p>\n 17. Boye Mafe<\/a>, EDGE. Age in Week 1: 27<\/p>\n Relegated to a rotational rusher as the Seahawks\u2019 defense ascended in the franchise\u2019s second Super Bowl-winning season, Mafe submitted plus production under Pete Carroll in 2023 (nine sacks, 16 QB hits, six pass deflections) and was more impactful in Mike Macdonald\u2019s first Seattle season (six sacks, 12 QB hits).<\/p>\n The Seahawks, who saw both Uchenna Nwosu<\/a> and DeMarcus Lawrence<\/a> stay healthy after injury-plagued 2024 seasons, dangled Mafe at the trade deadline. While Lawrence\u2019s retirement decision<\/a> may affect Seattle\u2019s Mafe plans, his 2025 demotion gave a pretty clear indication of his path. Another team will pay Mafe as a starter, though he is more likely to command No. 2 rusher money based on his career to date. Mafe\u2019s best finish in pressures is 37th (2023), when he charted 25. The former second-rounder checked in with just three sacks and 17 pressures in 2025, but the Seahawks reduced his playing time.<\/p>\n One of the picks acquired in the Russell Wilson<\/a> heist, Mafe played 50% of Seattle\u2019s defensive snaps last season. That makes his two-sack, four-QB hit totals uninspiring. That separates him from the Phillips-Oweh wing of first-time UFA edges, but Mafe is a better athlete than Kwity Paye<\/a>, who disappointed in his contract year. It is still difficult to peg this market, but quality speed rushers in their primes cash in.<\/p>\n Mafe landing somewhere between Jonathan Greenard<\/a>\u2019s $18MM-per-year deal and Jonathon Cooper<\/a>\u2019s $13.5MM AAV makes sense. Cooper scored $31.7MM guaranteed on a four-year deal without the benefit of free agency. Nearly 18 months later and with the cap $46MM north of where it was when the Broncos paid their No. 2 EDGE, Mafe could secure favorable terms. While it might take this to land the formerly productive player fresh off a Super Bowl role, a shorter-term deal that allows a team further evaluation and Mafe more time to raise his price could commence as well.<\/p>\n 18. Jauan Jennings<\/a>, WR. Age in Week 1: 29<\/p>\n What a period for 49ers receivers. Deebo Samuel<\/a> earns first-team All-Pro acclaim in 2021 and requests a trade before a 2022 extension. Samuel does not justify the deal and is shipped out in 2025. Brandon Aiyuk<\/a> becomes a more successful traditional receiver, earning second-team All-Pro acclaim in 2023 \u2013 the duo\u2019s fourth year together. Aiyuk requests a trade in 2024, shops around extensively (Aiyuk rumors nearly reached 2018 Kirk Cousins<\/a>-level saturation on the PFR pages) before an extension. Aiyuk then suffers an ACL tear, deletes the 49ers from his phone and is near an exit.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Ricky Pearsall<\/a> suffers a terrifying gunshot wound before flashing brightly \u2013 while also missing eight games due to separate injury issues in 2025. Jennings served as vital insurance amid this drama.<\/p>\n This is an interesting free agency, because the former seventh-round find is nearing 30. He has proven to be a tenacious blocker who provides a big-bodied target. Sans Aiyuk and with Pearsall unreliable, Jennings came up big for Brock Purdy<\/a> and Mac Jones<\/a> last season, playing a critical part of the 49ers\u2019 injury-ravaged playoff voyage. After an RFA tender preceded a two-year, $11.89MM extension in 2024, the recently outed instigator will outdo that by a wide margin soon.<\/p>\n The 49ers will have a glaring WR need if Jennings walks, but this will be his first time on the open market. Debuting at 24, the 2020 draftee needs to cash in now.<\/p>\n Jakobi Meyers<\/a>\u2019 deal (three years, $60MM, $40MM guaranteed) represents a good comp here, as Jennings is a few months younger. Though Jennings lacks Meyers\u2019 longer run of starter-level production, it is unlikely this market drops where Darius Slayton<\/a>\u2019s ended last year (3\/36, $22MM guaranteed). Something in between seems reasonable. That should still produce a solid guarantee for the late-blooming target.<\/p>\n 19. Kwity Paye<\/a>, EDGE. Age in Week 1: 27<\/p>\n Bringing more of a power-based approach, Paye is coming off a contract-year regression. He joined teammate Zaire Franklin<\/a> in seeing his numbers dip under new Colts DC Lou Anarumo. In the Gus Bradley system, however, the bull-rushing Michigan alum fared much better. Paye combined for 16.5 sacks and 18 TFLs from 2023-24, and he notched six sacks and 10 TFLs in \u201922. Paye might be more of a high-floor player than someone with an All-Pro ceiling; those still get paid at 27.<\/p>\n A career-long 4-3 D-end at 265 pounds, Paye is not especially twitchy for a player with his draft pedigree (No. 21 overall). He only tallied four sacks and nine QB hits in his contract year. Even in an apparent down year, Paye tallied 23 pressures \u2013 one behind Oweh\u2019s 2025. Paye\u2019s 2025 pressure count topped where he finished in 2023 (17), \u201924 (22) and \u201922 (20) in that category; he just got home more often in the other years. But pressures represent a more reliable measuring stick to judge a pass rusher compared to sacks.<\/p>\n The Colts drafted JT Tuimoloau<\/a> in Round 2 last year, pairing him with 2024 first-rounder Laiatu Latu<\/a>. Although Tuimoloau saw little action, Paye should still follow fellow 2021 draftee Dayo Odeyingbo<\/a> out the door. The Colts preferred bigger DEs in previous years, with Odeyingbo joining Paye and Tyquan Lewis<\/a> as such options. Paye looks to need a new team to believe in him. Fortunately, he plays a premium position.<\/p>\n Even when rookie deals are excluded, 27 edge defenders are tied to a guarantee of at least $20MM. Odeyingbo, who has not produced on Paye\u2019s level as a pass rusher, scored a three-year, $48MM Bears pact that came with $32MM guaranteed. It would be odd if Odeyingbo (one six-plus-sack season) outdid his longtime Indy teammate, especially when the cap spiked by $20MM-plus once again. Paye does probably need a 4-3 scheme to secure this level of payday, but good money should be out there for the 30.5-sack player.<\/p>\n 20. Rashid Shaheed<\/a>, WR. Age in Week 1: 28<\/p>\n Shaheed made a significant return-game impact in Seattle, taking a punt and a kickoff back for scores. Both momentous sequences powered the Seahawks on their championship journey, but the former Kubiak Saints charge did not fit seamlessly into the offense. At least, the Seahawks did not use Shaheed like the Saints had at receiver. That could well be personnel-based, but the speedster only amassed 15 receptions for 188 yards in eight Seattle games.<\/p>\n Shaheed was on pace for nearly 900 receiving yards in New Orleans last season, and he didn\u2019t spend much time working with ascending rookie Tyler Shough<\/a>. The Spencer Rattler<\/a> target still totaled 499 yards on a career-high 44 catches.<\/p>\n Teams are buying speed with Shaheed, who will almost certainly be deployed regularly on special teams. Earning two Pro Bowl nods and a first-team All-Pro selection (2023) for return work, the former UDFA should do well. It can be argued no one would benefit more from Pierce being taken off the market than Shaheed, a faster deep threat \u2013 albeit one without Pierce\u2019s impressive numbers.<\/p>\n Both Darnell Mooney<\/a> and Gabe Davis<\/a> scored three-year, $39MM deals as long-range threats in 2024; Davis busted, while Mooney was effective in the first of his Atlanta seasons. Shaheed\u2019s speed will also help free up space for teammates on underneath routes. That component combined with the special teams capabilities will help the Division I-FCS product. Mooney\u2019s $26MM guarantee from 2024 should be the floor here.<\/p>\n 21. Bryan Cook<\/a>, S. Age in Week 1: 27<\/p>\n Some safety talents in this year\u2019s class will be underpaid, as a buyer\u2019s market forms here. There are several starter-level options available, which naturally could reduce the cost. No Xavier McKinney<\/a>\u2013 or Jessie Bates<\/a>-like player looks set to separate himself this year, though a few names should still do well. Cook is one of them.<\/p>\n The Chiefs have doled out more free agency dollars at safety compared to corner, but they have established a similar one-contract trend for starters. During the Steve Spagnuolo DC era, Kansas City let Mathieu, Juan Thornhill<\/a> and Justin Reid<\/a> leave after contract expirations. Cook was part of that assembly line. It would be a blow to the Chiefs\u2019 secondary, which needs CB help after Trent McDuffie<\/a>\u2018s trade exit (and could need more if Jaylen Watson<\/a> leaves), to lose Cook. But Kansas City has continued to replace departing talent with rookie-deal cogs. It has become routine for the underrated coordinator by this point.<\/p>\n PFF ranked Cook fourth among all safeties last season. The Chiefs have primarily used Cook as a free safety, which will help the former second-round pick\u2019s market. Free safeties tend to be valued more, though Cook does not have great ball production (three INTs in four seasons). He did rebound from a season-ending ankle injury \u2013 one that kept him out for the Chiefs\u2019 championship stretch run in 2023 \u2013 but has not missed a game since.<\/p>\n With Reid leaving in free agency last year, Cook became a valuable piece for a K.C. team that \u2013 its 6-11 faceplant notwithstanding \u2013 still ranked sixth in scoring defense. Reid filled more roles than Cook under Spagnuolo, but Thornhill also used a starting Chiefs safety role to cash in. Cook will do better than both.<\/p>\n Cook, though, has lower mileage in being four NFL years younger. The 47-game starter saw Tre\u2019von Moehrig<\/a> and Camryn Bynum<\/a> respectively land $34MM and $32MM guaranteed last year. Jevon Holland<\/a> received a $30.3MM Giants guarantee. The crowded market may impede some of this year\u2019s mid-tier safeties, but Cook is a candidate to become the ninth active safety to see a $30MM guarantee.<\/p>\n 22. Kenneth Walker<\/a>, RB. Age in Week 1: 25<\/p>\n No one benefits more from Breece Hall<\/a>\u2019s franchise tag than Walker, who already ended his contract year on a high note. The first running back to earn Super Bowl MVP honors since Terrell Davis 28 years ago, Walker is a candidate to re-sign with the Seahawks \u2014 but his price might be too high for the defending champs<\/a>. The Seahawks saw Zach Charbonnet<\/a>, who had forced a near-even timeshare in 2025, suffer an ACL tear in the divisional round. He will likely start the season on the reserve\/PUP list, strengthening Walker\u2019s leverage.<\/p>\n PFF, however, graded Walker \u2013 a two-time 1,000-yard rusher \u2013 as the NFL\u2019s best back last season despite a woeful pass-blocking assessment. Deemed the sixth-worst pass protector among qualified RBs, Walker dazzled in the open field \u2013 as the Patriots found out \u2013 in Klint Kubiak\u2019s scheme. That is a rather popular offense presently, and Walker staying healthy last season came at a good time. The former second-rounder missed six games in 2024 and two each in 2022 and \u201923, injecting reasonable injury concerns into the equation. But he will be the top back available.<\/p>\n RB value has fluctuated a bit, but it stagnated to the point quality runners became bargains in recent years. The top of the market did not move from April 2020 (Christian McCaffrey<\/a>\u2019s Panthers extension) until June 2024 (his 49ers extension). But a flood of veteran bounce-back showings in 2024 led to some notable extensions (namely Saquon Barkley<\/a> and Derrick Henry<\/a>).<\/p>\n This came two years after none of the three teams to tag a running back extended those players at the July deadline. While Barkley and Josh Jacobs<\/a> each did well as 2024 UFAs, last year brought a dud on the market. Walker is better than any RB to reach free agency in 2025, though.<\/p>\n The 2023 draft class is poised to update this market, with Bijan Robinson<\/a>, Jahmyr Gibbs<\/a> and De\u2019Von Achane<\/a> offseason extensions in play. The field of $30MM guarantees for RBs may double (from three to six) based on these deals. Hall\u2019s absence on this market \u2013 a tough break for the four-year Jet \u2013 could see Walker threaten to reach that guarantee number.<\/p>\n The Kyren Williams<\/a> and James Cook<\/a> extensions ($11MM and $11.5MM per year, respectively, with guarantees at $23MM and $30MM) represent a place to start for Walker. With no RB guarantee topping $36MM, however, it is difficult to rank Walker too high even at 25 and as the top player available at the position.<\/p>\n 23. Connor McGovern<\/a>, OL. Age in Week 1: 28<\/p>\n Offering multiple full seasons of center and guard work, McGovern brings versatility without a swingman profile. He is poised to continue as a starter for the foreseeable future, extending the Connor McGovern pipeline \u2013 one in place since the since-retired Missouri alum\u2019s 2016 debut \u2013 well into a second decade. The younger of the NFL\u2019s two interior O-line Connor McGoverns is coming off a season in which he helped power James Cook<\/a> to a rushing title. The Penn State alum may be the second-best center available.<\/p>\n Signed to a three-year, $22.35MM Bills deal as a guard in 2023, McGovern spent the 2022 season as a Cowboys guard as well. The former Dallas third-rounder has logged at least 600 snaps at all three interior O-line positions, specializing at center and left guard. Given the Bills\u2019 success and their likely interest in extending younger RG O\u2019Cyrus Torrence<\/a>, McGovern has a clear route to free agency \u2013 where he should do better than he did three years ago.<\/p>\n The NFL only has four eight-figure-per-year center AAVs. Linderbaum will raise the market\u2019s ceiling past $20MM per year. McGovern has virtually no chance of unseating Creed Humphrey<\/a> as the next-highest-paid snapper, but a handful of teams (one more as of Tuesday, with the Bears\u2019 Drew Dalman<\/a> retiring) need help at the position. Matching Dalman\u2019s three-year, $42MM Bears pact could be in play for the proven blocker. Dalman received $28MM guaranteed; McGovern should command something in that range<\/p>\n 24. David Edwards<\/a>, G. Age in Week 1: 29<\/p>\n Edwards saw a lengthy bout with a concussion \u2013 during a rough Rams Super Bowl title defense \u2013 in 2022 disrupt his career arc. He signed for barely the veteran minimum in 2023, and the Bills used the ex-Rams Super Bowl LVI starter as a backup initially. After cutting Mitch Morse<\/a> in 2024, however, Buffalo re-signed Edwards and inserted him into its starting lineup. It is time for Edwards to cash in on a deal well beyond his two-year, $6MM Bills pact.<\/p>\n It would surprise if Buffalo retained both Edwards and McGovern and keeping one will be costly for a team doing work to carve out any cap space before the 2026 league year. We have seen consistent guards cash in on many occasions in recent free agency periods. First-time UFAs have obviously been more attractive to teams in recent years. Aaron Banks<\/a>, Robert Hunt<\/a>, Will Fries<\/a>, Kevin Dotson<\/a> and Jonah Jackson<\/a> have each signed or re-signed for at least $16MM per annum since 2024. But guards past their second contracts have cashed in recently too.<\/p>\n Patrick Mekari<\/a> signed a three-year, $37.5MM Jaguars deal ($22.5MM guaranteed) as a 2025 free agent. Known more as a super-utility player in Baltimore, Mekari \u2013 who signed that deal ahead of his age-28 season \u2013 has not proven himself like Edwards has.<\/p>\n Edwards finished last season 10th in run block win rate among all interior O-linemen, joining McGovern in helping Cook to the rushing title. The former fourth-round pick also ranked 12th among guards in pass block win rate. PFF slotted Edwards 22nd among guards last season and has viewed him as a top-30 guard in each of his previous three starter seasons (2020, \u201921, \u201924). On a market not housing as many strong first-time UFA candidates at guard, the persistent blocker should benefit ahead of his 29th birthday.<\/p>\n 25. Mike Evans<\/a>, WR. Age in Week 1: 33<\/p>\n The greatest offensive player in Buccaneers history has never hit free agency. He came close in 2024 but re-signed on a two-year, $41MM pact that included $29MM guaranteed at signing and $35MM guaranteed in total. Evans may be a one-year contract player at this stage of his career, but a two-year deal would make him worthy of this list. Considering the Rams gave Davante Adams<\/a> a two-year, $46MM deal at 32, Evans landing something approaching those terms at 33 is not out of the question.<\/p>\n Certainly more reliable than remarkable, Evans will end up in the Hall of Fame at some point. His 11 1,000-yard receiving seasons smashed the NFL record to start a career and tied Jerry Rice \u2013 albeit in a much easier time to compile receiving numbers compared to when the WR legend played \u2013 with 11 straight 1,000-yard years at any point of a career. Evans only has two All-Pro nods \u2013 both second-team accolades \u2013 but one came in 2023. The 6-5 boundary receiver is still a difficult matchup for smaller corners in press coverage, and he is one of the era\u2019s defining contested-catch presences.<\/p>\n Prior to that two-month injury absence, Evans carried an unconcerning medical sheet. He missed three games in 2024 but none in \u201923 and just four from 2020-22. His Marshon Lattimore<\/a> feud has brought multiple suspensions, but even though the Pro Bowl corner entered the NFL three years later, it is possible Evans outlasts his rival.<\/p>\n Khalil Mack<\/a> signed the largest non-QB one-year deal (excluding franchise tags) by inking a fully guaranteed $18MM Chargers accord last March. Evans could top that. If the bidding runs high enough, a contract comparable to his 2024 agreement will be in play.<\/p>\n This receiver market is not exactly bereft of talent, but it is not too impressive, either. Evans\u2019 presence inflates its Q rating, and he would be an immediate starter on just about any contender that wins this FA derby.<\/p>\n 26. Braden Smith<\/a>, RT. Age in Week 1: 30<\/p>\n The Colts paid left tackle Bernhard Raimann<\/a> last summer and have Quenton Nelson<\/a> \u2013 the NFL\u2019s first $20MM-per-year guard \u2013 looming as an extension candidate in the final year of his deal. Oh, and they have Jones transition-tagged and Pierce unsigned. With Smith entering Year 9, he is almost definitely headed out of Indiana. In the back half of his prime, the veteran right tackle should still do reasonably well. Unavailability, though, has become a concern.<\/p>\n Smith missed five games in 2024, landing on the reserve\/NFI list for what he later confirmed was a form of OCD. He battled at least four injuries \u2013 to his knee, hip, wrist and foot \u2013 in 2023, missing seven games, and was shut down last season due to a neck malady and a concussion. The longtime Indianapolis right tackle played out a four-year, $72MM deal but accepted a 2025 pay cut. The litany of issues over the past three seasons have probably hurt his value.<\/p>\n Then again, Smith made 105 starts before age 30, being part of some strong Colts lines \u2013 one of which driving Jonathan Taylor<\/a> to the 2021 rushing title \u2013 during a two-contract Indiana stay. PFF graded Smith as a top-20 tackle from 2019-23, slotting him outside the top 40 in each of the past two years. ESPN ranked Smith 19th in pass blocking and eighth in run blocking in his injury-shortened 2023. And this market is not teeming with good RT options.<\/p>\n At least five teams have glaring RT needs, with multiple others probably considering an upgrade. This draft brings a couple of high-level RT prospects \u2013 Francis Mauigoa<\/a>, Spencer Fano<\/a> \u2013 that should fill two such openings, but the top end of the FA market will help other clubs.<\/p>\n Mike McGlinchey<\/a> scored a $17.5MM-AAV deal ahead of his age-29 season (2023), while the Falcons gave Kaleb McGary<\/a> a two-year, $30MM extension before an injury wiped out his age-30 slate (2025). Something in this range seems appropriate, though it would not surprise to see a team take a shorter-term route \u2013 which would reduce the guarantee number \u2013 due to Smith\u2019s recent health concerns. Fourteen RT guarantees top $30MM.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/USATSI_24702506-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a>There are seven guards earning $20MM per year, yet Creed Humphrey<\/a>\u2019s $18MM-AAV contract tops the center market. Only two centers (Humphrey and Cam Jurgens<\/a>) earn more than $12MM \u2013 now that Drew Dalman<\/a> surprisingly elected to retire and the Titans have cut Lloyd Cushenberry<\/a>. Linderbaum will almost definitely become the NFL\u2019s first $20MM-per-year center, and this free agency could remind of when Antoine Winfield Jr.<\/a>\u2019s 2024 Bucs extension briefly dragged the safety market past cornerback.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27309565-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Richardson completed fewer than 48% of his passes that season, one of the least accurate starter slates this century, but Pierce (824 yards in 2024) continued his ascent from the Matt Ryan\/Gardner Minshew<\/a> years. He hit another gear in 2025 (1,003 yards in 15 games) and will benefit soon \u2013 from either a Colts re-signing or a big-ticket free agency deal. With George Pickens<\/a> franchise-tagged, Pierce tops this year\u2019s receiver market.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/USATSI_17175007-249x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Philly sent Miami a third-round pick for the rental rusher, and while he only finished his comeback season with five sacks, the 2021 first-rounder\u2019s 35 QB pressures ranked 12th leaguewide. His pressure rate (18.8% \u2014 far north of Trey Hendrickson<\/a> or Odafe Oweh<\/a>\u2019s 2025 numbers) ranked fourth among players with at least 250 defensive snaps.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/USATSI_22241661-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a>The Bengals offered Hendrickson a backloaded extension \u2013 three years, $95MM<\/a> \u2013 last year but saw the disgruntled D-end reject it due to insufficient guarantee protection beyond Year 1. The Steelers\u2019 T.J. Watt<\/a> extension included full guarantees for the 2026 and \u201927 seasons. Watt is more accomplished than Hendrickson, but he is also 31 and had tallied fewer sacks between the 2023 and \u201924 seasons. The Bengals\u2019 offer also trailed the Texans\u2019 Danielle Hunter<\/a> AAV of $35.6MM despite the latter being the same age with a similar resume.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/USATSI_27409178-224x300.jpg\")
<\/a>The Packers turned to Walker, a 2022 seventh-round pick, as their David Bakhtiari fallback option and saw him far outplay his draft position. Walker started 48 games from 2023-25, fending off first-round pick Jordan Morgan<\/a> for the Green Bay LT gig. Morgan is poised to commandeer it (by default, as Broderick Jones<\/a> did in Pittsburgh post-Moore), but Walker will cash in elsewhere.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/USATSI_24426019-1-205x300.jpg\")
<\/a>The former Rams draftee and Jets extension recipient tallied 14.5 sacks over the past two years, serving as a complementary presence alongside Allen, Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper<\/a> for a Broncos pass rush that came within four (68) of the 1984 Bears\u2019 single-season record. Denver already extended Allen, Bonitto, Cooper and Roach, doing so after keeping DT D.J. Jones<\/a> off last year\u2019s market. The team could not reasonably afford a Franklin-Myers payday. He is about to do much better than the two-year, $15MM deal he agreed to following a 2024 draft-weekend trade\/salary dump from the Jets.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27890949-218x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Willis has started just six games. Three of those came with the Titans, when the mid-major college QB (after an Auburn transfer) was overmatched to the point Mike Vrabel started Josh Dobbs<\/a> \u2013 signed days earlier off the Lions\u2019 practice squad \u2013 over him in must-win games. But Willis, an afterthought during Will Levis<\/a>\u2019 2023 rookie season, created a fascinating market for himself in Green Bay.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/USATSI_19562654-234x300.jpg\")
<\/a>While this space correctly lauded the deep 2024 guard market,<\/a> this one features several starters \u2013 Wyatt Teller<\/a>, Isaac Seumalo<\/a>, David Edwards<\/a>, Teven Jenkins<\/a> \u2013 gunning for third or fourth contracts. Another handful of 30-somethings are available too, shining a spotlight on a player seldomly discussed in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27824218-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a>The All-Pro 49er is at $21MM AAV. Teams value this spot, but only to a point. Last year did include three deals between $15MM and $17MM per year \u2013 for Nick Bolton<\/a>, Jamien Sherwood<\/a> and Zack Baun<\/a>. Lloyd has a chance to eclipse those accords.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/USATSI_27487244-182x300.jpg\")
<\/a>It is rather interesting that the Ravens have relied mostly on older free agent types at outside linebacker post-Matt Judon<\/a> and traded away a player who has become one of this year\u2019s top FAs. Oweh struggled to start his contract year, registering zero sacks in his final five Ravens games, but came alive with the Chargers. Oweh tallied 7.5 sacks in 12 Bolts contests, making a big impact for a team that was missing Khalil Mack<\/a> at the time. Los Angeles gave Oweh a 50% snap rate \u2013 that trails Phillips\u2019 post-trade number (78%) \u2013 and PFF viewed him as far superior in the pass-rushing department compared to run stoppage.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/USATSI_25156928-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a>These facts point Doubs to the market, where the former fourth-rounder should do very well. Age will be on Doubs\u2019 side, and he might be the main beneficiary of a Colts decision to take Alec Pierce<\/a> off the market \u2013 should that happen between now and free agency.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27081971-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Taylor is the same age Murphy was when he re-signed with the Vikings and carries a similar skillset, playing extensively inside and on the perimeter. He has logged, per PFF, 1,664 career slot snaps and 1,597 boundary plays. Former Saints teammate Chris Harris had a similar profile. While not exactly on the All-Decade-teamer\u2019s level, the versatility here should allow for a contract north of Kyler Gordon<\/a>\u2019s $13.33MM-per-year deal \u2013 the ceiling for pure slots. Deommodore Lenoir<\/a> secured a $17.96MM-per-year deal with a $43.27MM guarantee as essentially a two-position player. That set the table for Murphy last year.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/USATSI_27252530-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a>The first five of the above-referenced one-contract Chiefs cashed in elsewhere, and Watson would be poised to join this club. The Chiefs\u2019 2024 Sneed trade gave Watson the CB2 job alongside McDuffie, but a broken leg hijacked his season. Watson did return for the playoffs, but he was seen giving up a back-breaking Jalen Hurts<\/a>-to-DeVonta Smith<\/a> touchdown in Super Bowl LIX.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27379223-225x300.jpg\")
<\/a>The 6-4 corner blazed to a 4.26-second 40-yard dash time at the 2022 Combine, elevating the mid-major product\u2019s draft stock. He continued a banner 2022 by intercepting six passes to help the Seahawks to the playoffs. Woolen intercepted 12 passes on his rookie deal and broke up 53, ranking in the 93rd percentile in forced incompletions (per PFF).<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Isaiah-Likely-vert-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Likely ate into Andrews\u2019 workload over the past three seasons. Between the 2023 and \u201924 slates, Likely combined for 11 touchdown receptions. The 6-4 target averaged 13.7 yards per catch in 2023, playing as Baltimore\u2019s lead tight end for that season\u2019s second half \u2013 due to Andrews\u2019 seminal ankle injury (as hip-drop tackles became scrutinized henceforth) \u2013 and averaged 11.4 yards per grab over the past two seasons. Despite Andrews returning in 2024, Likely posted a career-high 477 receiving yards.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/USATSI_22159021-253x300.jpg\")
<\/a>The former WR3 who moonlights as a gadget QB zoomed to 975 yards in 2024. Jennings was then linked to trade rumors before the 49ers gave the underpaid wideout an incentive package for 2025. Jennings plays through injuries during a 643-yard season that includes a career-high nine TDs. With Aiyuk\u2019s exit imminent and Pearsall\u2019s outlook foggy, the 49ers suddenly want to give Jennings a third contract<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/USATSI_27846290-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a>The Saints paid Shaheed early, turning his ERFA tender into a two-year deal worth $6.19MM. That came after the Weber State alum\u2019s best season \u2013 a 46-catch, 719-yard, five-TD 2023 \u2013 but by 2025, the parties were headed toward a split<\/a>. That led to the trade, which brought back more than the Meyers deadline swap, giving the Saints fourth- and fifth-round picks.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/USATSI_28033139-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Walker\u2019s 161 Super Bowl LX scrimmage yards aside, the Seahawks did not regularly entrust him with pass-catching or pass-blocking duties. Charbonnet was regularly used in this spot during the regular season, infuriating Walker fantasy GMs (who saw the slower back score 12 touchdowns to his five), and gave sub George Holani<\/a> some pass-down work in the Super Bowl. The Iowa State alum has not proven himself a three-down back.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/USATSI_22130283-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Cade Mays<\/a> rivals McGovern as the top Linderbaum consolation prize on this market, but McGovern is not too much older than the late-blooming Panthers starter and has offered a better body of work. ESPN\u2019s pass block win rate metric ranked McGovern third among all interior O-linemen in 2024 and fifth in \u201925, helping Josh Allen<\/a> to MVP honors and allowing the future Hall of Famer to continue flourishing despite a continued post-Stefon Diggs<\/a> receiver problem. PFF ranked McGovern as a top-10 center in each of the past two seasons.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/USATSI_27795723-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Evans lost eight games to a broken clavicle last season, but the 2014 first-round pick battled back to help the Bucs down the stretch. It was for naught amid a Tampa Bay collapse, but the runaway leading receiver in franchise history \u2013 no one is within 5,000 yards of him \u2013 caught six passes for 132 yards in his first game back last December. That came in a loss, and the Bucs fired play-caller Josh Grizzard weeks later. But Evans showed he still has juice in Year 12.<\/p>\n