NFL free agency seems to be slowing down, but that does not mean there are few options left on the open market. In fact, some of the more interesting options available this off-season remain, including one defender who was hoping to secure a “market setting” contract this spring. As free agency is poised to enter its second week, who are the best options still out there for teams?
(Note: Players who were given the franchise tag but have yet to sign, such as Chris Jones and Joe Thuney, are not included in this list).
Clowney | Winston | Anderson | Perriman | Ryan | Robey-Coleman | Amukamara | Peters | Griffen | Daniels | Wake | Walker | Randall | Harris | Bell
1. Jadeveon Clowney, EDGE, Seattle Seahawks
Signing Jadeveon Clowney might require a team to back up the Brinks truck to his front door, given that the talented defender is seeking a “market-setting” contract this off-season. But even with the financial risks, Clowney is still a very attractive option for teams looking to bolster their pass rush. According to ESPN’s Pass Rush Win Rate statistic, Clowney was one of the most consistent pass rushers during the 2019 season, winning on 24% of his pass rushing snaps a year ago. He may be expensive, and signing him could force a team to cut corners elsewhere, but if passing is king in today’s NFL stopping the pass is a priority, and having a game-changing pass rusher is a solid weapon for a defensive coordinator to bring to bear.
Despite all of this, the market for Clowney has not been as hot as many expected. Other pass rushers have already been signed off the open market, such as Shaq Lawson, Dante Fowler, Jr., Leonard Floyd, Carl Nassib, Robert Quinn and Emmanuel Ogbah, for example. Clowney’s market might be drying up, and that “market setting” deal he was looking for might end up out of reach.
2. Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With Tom Brady headed to Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers’ starting quarterback from a season ago suddenly needs to find a new home. Jameis Winston said his goodbyes to the Tampa Bay fans on social media over the weekend:
The “#2020” hashtag, a nod to his recent LASIK surgery, is a very nice touch.
Sure, Winston threw a league-high 30 interceptions last season and still seems far too willing to take chances with the football, but at just 25 he is younger than Prescott and in the right system he could really turn his career around. If you rewatch some of his throws from 2019, you’ll find a passer who can still make some impressive throws into very tight throwing windows:
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Of course, his willingness to challenge those windows might just be what got him into trouble in the first place.
However, maybe life imitates art and the off-season LASIK surgery allows Winston to be football’s version of Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn?
Robby Anderson, WR, New York Jets
The wide receiver market has been rather quiet this free agency period. Perhaps that is a nod to the incoming rookie class, viewed by many evaluators as one of the best in recent history. But only a handful of WRs found deals on the open market, such as Nelson Agholor, Emmanuel Sanders and Randall Cobb. Others like DeAndre Hopkins were (inexplicably) traded while Amari Cooper signed an extension to stay with the Dallas Cowboys.
That leaves Anderson as the most enticing WR left on the market. He is a very intriguing vertical option. Since 2016 Anderson has seen 112 targets on throws of more than 20 yards downfield, and only Julio Jones, Mike Evans and Antonio Brown have seen more.
But despite his well-earned reputation as a downfield threat, he has become a more well-rounded receiver the past few years. According to data from Pro Football Focus, 40% of his receiving yards during the 2018 season came on passes 10-19 yards downfield, and 39% of his receiving yards last year came on such throws. That is a huge increase from his 2016 (18%) and 2017 (20%) numbers.
As the second week of free agency beckons, expect Anderson to make some news in the next few days.
4. Breshad Perriman, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Another wide receiver waiting to finalize his 2020 playing plans is Breshad Perriman. Coming off a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2019 was arguably his best season as a professional. He caught 36 passes (a career high) for 645 yards (a career high) and six touchdowns (also a career high). Down the stretch of the season he became a favorite target of Jameis Winston’s. He started the final three games of the season for the Bucs, and eclipsed 100 yards receiving in each contest, including a three-touchdown effort against the Detroit Lions in Week 15.
But with Tom Brady coming to town, Bruce Arians and the Buccaneers might want to move in a different direction. If you’re looking for a team that he would be an ideal fit for, look to the northeast. Having lost Nelson Agholor and badly needing options in the wide receiver room, the Philadelphia Eagles would be a great situation for Perriman.
5. Logan Ryan, CB, Tennessee Titans
Logan Ryan made Touchdown Wire’s list of “riskiest free agents” this season. As noted in this piece, Ryan is a very solid slot cornerback, but when you dig deeper into his numbers and his film, there are areas for concern. As we noted:
However, there are other numbers to keep in mind when considering Ryan during free agency. According to PFF’s charting data, he was targeted 114 times this past season, which is most among cornerbacks in the NFL. That might come with the territory, given how often teams target their slot receivers, but he also gave up 80 receptions, again the most in the NFL. On those targets Ryan surrendered a passer rating of 97.8, and he gave up 11.8 yards per reception – a first down per catch.
In their two meetings against the Kansas City Chiefs, Ryan was targeted early and often. The result? 13 receptions for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Furthermore, the 11.8 yards per reception he surrendered in the regular season jumped to 13.8 in the postseason.
Ryan also struggled after the catch, with 17 missed tackles (a career high) as well as 426 yards after the catch allowed, another career high. This might be simply due to the number of targets he faced a year ago, but it is an area of concern. Surely the team that acquires him is going to face opponents who have done their advance scouting work. That might make it necessary for his new team to have some rock stars at the safety spot.
*Glances in the general direction of the Minnesota Vikings.*
The Vikings lost two cornerbacks so far this off-season, with the team releasing Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes signing with the Cincinnati Bengals. They would need some depth in their secondary, and they currently have a pair of talented safeties in place, with Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris.
6. Nickell Robey-Coleman, CB, Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams, facing a number of difficult decisions in the wake of their “win it now strategy” employed by Les Snead, made the decision to decline a team option for Nickell Robey-Coleman. That makes the slot cornerback available in free agency.
Robey-Coleman might be best known for a controversial “no-call” at the end of the NFC Championship Game a few seasons ago, but he has also developed into a very solid slot cornerback in his own right. Last year was another solid season for him in the slot, when he allowed 39 receptions against 62 targets, for 362 yards and just a single touchdown. He also allowed just 9.3 yards per reception, and a season-long reception of just 27 yards. He also tallied five pass breakups.
He can also play on the outside, as he shows here on this interception of a Brian Hoyer pass from the 2017 season:
Similar to Ryan, a team looking to add depth to their secondary with an eye towards a slot cornerback should be giving Robey-Coleman a phone call.
7. Prince Amukamara, CB, Chicago Bears
We stay in the defensive backfield with our third-straight cornerback, adding former Chicago Bears’ CB Prince Amukamara to the list. The former first-round selection by the New York Giants in the 2011 NFL Draft has been a very solid coverage cornerback for the Bears the past three seasons. According to grading from Pro Football Focus, his pass coverage grade has topped 70.0 each of the past three years, with Amukamara posting a career-high grade of 76.2 in the 2018 campaign.
That year Amukamara was part of an incredible Bears’ defense that propelled Chicago to the NFC North division title and a playoff bid. Amukamara that season allowed a passer rating of just 82.9 on the 83 targets that were thrown in his direction, and he tied his career-high mark of interceptions with three.
He took a step back last season, earning a PFF coverage grade of just 70.5, his lowest during his time in the Windy City. He also allowed an NFL passer rating of 102.3, only the third time in his career that number eclipsed the century mark. But this veteran cornerback would be a solid addition to most defenses as he remains a decent option on the outside.
8. Jason Peters, LT, Philadelphia Eagles
At 38-years old, the veteran left tackle is not a long-term answer for any organization. But Jason Peters is still playing at a very high level, and last season he allowed just three sacks and 21 total pressures, a very impressive number for a veteran left tackle on an offense that threw the football a ton. If you look at his pass blocking grades from Pro Football Focus, Peters has not seen his grade dip below 75 since 2008, his final season with the Buffalo Bills.
If you want a taste of what Peters can still do, I would highly recommend some of the work that noted offensive line guru Brandon Thorn has put together on Twitter. In this clip, Thorn breaks down some of Peters’ technical work from early in the 2018 season:
Thorn has also collected all of his work on Peters in one handy spot, which you can find here:
Again, he might not be the long-term answer at left tackle for a team. But an organization that, say, might have some offensive line woes but has a short window for winning, given a veteran quarterback they just signed, might want to give Peters a call.
Does that sound like anyone in particular?
9. Everson Griffen, EDGE, Minnesota Vikings
Imagine if you could acquire a veteran pass rusher who is coming off one of the best seasons of his career late in the free agency marketplace. That is exactly what the team that acquires Everson Griffen will accomplish when they sign him to a contract.
Last year Griffen notched 66 total pressures, his highest number since 2016, with nine sacks and 43 quarterback hurries. His 14 quarterback hits were his highest mark in that category since the 2015 campaign, and the second-highest season total in that statistic of his career.
On film he showed both the quickness and the ability to convert speed-to-power last year that have been staples of his career:
And if you want to see a technician at work, watch these two examples of Griffen using an array of pass rushing moves on the same drive:
Any time I think about roster construction, I am reminded of a quote that Mike Mayock, then the draft analyst for the NFL Network, made when the Miami Dolphins drafted Dion Jordan in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. As that pick was announced Mayock declared that the pocket was “the most important place on the football field.” Mayock went on to say that teams needed a quarterback who can throw from there, offensive lineman who can protect that spot, and defenders who can attack that spot on the field.
Griffen can still attack that spot on the field.
10. Mike Daniels, DL, Detroit Lions
Mike Daniels might be a few seasons removed from his best work, but he remains a very solid option along the interior of the defensive line for teams looking to bolster their front sevens. Last year, his first season in Detroit, was arguably his worst season as a professional since his rookie campaign. He notched just 13 total pressures and one sack, his lowest output since that 2012 rookie season with the Green Bay Packers.
But two seasons ago, back in 2018 with Green Bay, Daniels tallied 32 total pressures and a pair of sacks, very solid numbers for an interior defensive lineman.
Durability is a bit of a concern with Daniels. He played just 419 snaps for the Packers in 2018, missing the final six games of the season with a foot injury that placed him on injured reserve. Then last year he saw a career-low 203 snaps with the Lions, dealing with another foot injury early in the year that kept him out of the lineup for a few weeks, and then going on injured reserve late in the year with an arm injury.
If an organization is satisfied with Daniels from a health perspective (something that bears watching given our current global landscape and the difficulty in getting physical examinations completed) they are getting a decent interior defensive lineman who is just a few years removed from elite play in the inside.
11. Cameron Wake, EDGE, Tennessee Titans
Despite reports that indicated Cameron Wake was going to retire that surfaced this past weekend, that notion was put to bed by Wake’s agent, who announced on Twitter that he has “no intention of retiring.”
That makes the veteran pass rusher available on the open market. Similar to some of the veteran players already discussed, Wake will not be a long-term answer for teams at the EDGE position. At 38 years old, his next spot might be his last landing spot in the NFL.
But teams looking for a savvy rotational pass rusher would be wise to give Wake a call. He saw just 195 snaps last season, and his year was ended early when he was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. But on those 195 snaps Wake chipped in with 31 total pressures, including three sacks and 20 quarterback hurries. By Pro Football Focus’s grading, last year was his worst season as a pass rusher, with a pass rushing grade of “just” 77.8. In fact, Wake has graded at a great to elite mark his entire career in the league, under PFF’s criteria.
If used in a limited role as a situational pass rusher, Wake can contribute at a solid level next season. Remember, if the pocket is the most important spot on the field – and you need someone on your roster that can attack that spot – then Wake should be on your call sheet.
12. Delanie Walker, TE, Tennessee Titans
Another veteran most recently with the Tennessee Titans checks in on this list in tight end Delanie Walker. The veteran, who is set to turn 36 before the start of the 2020 season, is coming off another injury-riddled campaign. He suffered an ankle injury that ended his season early, with Walker being placed on injured reserve last November.
He also missed nearly the entire 2018 campaign with a severe injury, suffering a fracture and dislocation of his ankle in the season opener and missing the rest of the season.
But back in 2017 Walker was a true threat in the passing game for the Titans. That year he notched 74 catches on 10 targets for three touchdowns, and an impressive 10.9 yards per reception. During a four-season stretch with the Titans from 2014 to 2017 Walker was a workhorse for Tennessee. During that run he averaged 108 targets per season with an average of 74 receptions. He eclipsed the 1,000 yards receiving mark back in 2015, with 1,088 yards receiving. He also posted a career-high seven touchdowns during the 2016 campaign.
Again, if a team can get past the injury history and hopes he can recapture some of that magic from just a few years ago, he would be a very interesting signing. Teams that might rely on a good number of 12 personnel packages, where he could be a complementary tight end, would be interesting options. Also teams with a dire need at the position, such as the New England Patriots, would be potential destinations.
13. Damarious Randall, S, Cleveland Browns
Damarious Randall has been an interesting player to study during the course of his professional career. Originally drafted as a cornerback out of Arizona State by the Green Bay Packers, he struggled in that role and then was able to reinvent himself as a safety with the Cleveland Browns.
In 2018 he was used primarily as a free safety with Cleveland, while last year he saw time at both free and strong safety for the Browns. A year ago he gave up some big plays in the passing game, allowing an NFL passer rating of 121.2 when targeted, giving up 13 receptions for 141 yards and three touchdowns. But he was much better in 2018, allowing just a 68.8 NFL passer rating when targeted – the lowest of his career – while adding four interceptions.
Teams looking for a versatile safety would be wise to keep Randall in mind. A potential landing spot might be the Minnesota Vikings, if they trade Anthony Davis (maybe even to the Browns), or of course the New England Patriots, as Bill Belichick often likes to acquire veteran players who can work in a variety of roles. In addition, the Patriots just lost a safety of their own in Duron Harmon, making that position a need in New England.
14. Shelby Harris, DL, Denver Broncos
After starting his career out in Oakland with the Raiders, Shelby Harris joined the Denver Broncos prior to the 2017 and started piecing together some solid seasons of work with the Broncos. Back in 2017 the big nose tackle posted six sacks, which was at that time a career-high for him, and generated 19 total quarterback pressures. He also added 23 total tackles as well.
Last year Harris saw a career-high in snaps, seeing 636 for the Broncos, and he tied that career-high mark of sacks with six more for Denver while adding 28 total quarterback pressures, his new career best mark. He also had 31 total tackles, another career high.
If you want to see an example of what Harris can do in the interior, watch the first play in the second clip linked here:
Harris starts the play by aligning in one A-Gap, but at the snap he slants into the opposite A-Gap to attack the center and the right guard. But he is able to “one-arm” the center with his right arm while keeping his eyes in the backfield to read the action. Then he drives the center back into the pocket – with just the right arm – while scraping over to help on the tackle of the running back behind the line of scrimmage for a loss. Impressive power and execution from the big nose tackle.
There are two teams to keep in mind when thinking about Harris, teams that lost similar players already in free agency: The Houston Texans (who lost D.J. Reader) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (who lost Javon Hargrave).
15. Vonn Bell, S, New Orleans Saints
Vonn Bell can play a particular role, and play it well. The role of a box safety. Bell is at his best when he is down near the line of scrimmage, adding support against the run and even pressuring the passer on a blitz. For example watch this play with Bell working to set the edge, evade the wave of blockers, help make the tackle and even recover the fumble:
And here is Bell coming on a blitz to sack Cam Newton and end a playoff game:
That is what Bell does best. But coverage skills are another question. Last year Bell allowed a 106.7 NFL passer rating when targeted, including an average of 13.4 yards per reception, and his coverage grade from Pro Football Focus was a rather low 51.9. In fact, according to PFF’s grading his best coverage grade by season was 2018, with a mark of just 68.2. Every year in the league he has given up an NFL passer rating of over 100, with an average of 109.4 over his four years in the league.
If you are looking for a box safety who can help against the run and create havoc near the line of scrimmage, Bell is your guy. If you have a different role in mind for a free agent safety, you might want to look elsewhere. An option might be looking at him as a safety/linebacker hybrid, similar to a Mark Barron or a Deone Bucannon, if a team was interested in thinking outside the box.
