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Top 2017 NFL Free Agents By Position: Offense

February 23rd, 2017 at 9:57pm CST by Zachary Links

[UPDATE: CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST EDITION OF THE TOP 2017 NFL FREE AGENTS BY POSITION]

NFL free agency will get underway on Thursday, March 9th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. We’ll start today on offense, before getting to defense and special teams later this week.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. The rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts that each player is expected to land in free agency, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account. Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents are not listed here since they are unlikely to actually reach the open market.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some guys than you are, so we encourage you to make your voice heard in our comments section to let us know which free agents we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2017:

Quarterback:

Honorable mention: Shaun Hill

As of this writing, Kirk Cousins is far and away the best potential free agent quarterback in this year’s crop. By the time March gets here, we’re fully expecting Cousins to be spoken for. Ultimately, the Redskins could franchise tag him, work out a long-term deal with him, or swing some type of trade that nets them a massive haul of talent and picks. That will leave a crop of retread quarterbacks that would probably best serve as transitional options for QB-needy teams.

Mike Glennon hasn’t done much in his 18 career starts, but talent evaluators are still in love with his size and potential. The 6’7″ quarterback will get more money this spring than you might expect, particularly since there are no surefire QBs in this year’s draft.

Teams looking for stopgap QBs will find a plethora of experienced, though perhaps uninspiring, signal callers. Nick Foles, Brian Hoyer, and Ryan Fitzpatrick all have their best football behind them, but they could hold down the fort for a team in 2017 and maybe even find some success if the defense is strong enough. Of course, the ideal role for those guys would probably be as a backup to a better, younger quarterback.

Running back:

Consider Le’Veon Bell‘s name written in Etch-A-Sketch, because he is very unlikely to get near the open market. That could leave Eddie Lacy as the best tailback available in March. Lacy has struggled with weight issues in recent years and he lost much of the 2016 season to injury. Still, he is a bruising back that could nicely complement a quicker ball carrier. Before he was shut down for the year, Lacy was averaging 5.07 yards per carry in five games for Green Bay.

In the last two years, LeGarrette Blount seems to have put his off-the-field troubles behind him. Whether that’s a sign of his maturity or a product of the Patriots’ culture remains to be seen. Teams can ignore his past indiscretions, but they will be wary of his age. Blount turns 31 in December.

Latavius Murray has shown glimpses of being a special running back, but he has been inconsistent and his 4.0 yards-per-carry average of the last two years isn’t overly impressive. Darren McFadden ran for more than 1,000 yards in 2015, but 2016 was pretty much a lost year for him. Jacquizz Rodgers seemed to break out last year, but he wound up succumbing to the same injury bug that took down a host of other Buccaneers running backs. Speaking of injuries, Rashad Jennings was initially brought to the Giants to be a workhorse back, but two of his three years in New York were marred by ailments. Everyone in this tier has the potential to make a difference, but none should be counted on as anyone’s main guy in 2017.

Fullback:

Kyle Juszczyk graded out as the best fullback in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. The Ravens would be wise to keep him, but if they don’t, he’ll draw interest from teams all over the league. Juszczyk earned his first career Pro Bowl nod as he caught 37 passes for 266 yards. His exceptional 92.1 pass blocking score from PFF led all other fullbacks by a wide margin.

Mike Tolbert is ranked lower than you might expect due to his age and diminished blocking skills. He’ll turn 32 in November and it’s not a given that he’ll find another NFL home after getting released by the Panthers.

Wide receiver:

Alshon Jeffery has had two down years (by his standards) but he is still the cream of the wide receiver crop. His weak production and PED suspension in 2016 probably killed his chances of getting Dez Bryant-money, but he could still get a multi-year deal with a nice amount of guaranteed cash given the dearth of WR1 types available. Jeffery hasn’t set the world on fire lately, but plenty of GMs will chalk that up to the Bears’ quarterback situation.

Few saw Terrelle Pryor‘s standout season coming. The former Buckeyes quarterback now stands as one of the best pending free agent receivers out there. We would be surprised if the Browns allow him to reach the open market, but if he does get there, he’ll get money thrown at him by teams looking for a No. 2 wide receiver.

The Dolphins can replace Kenny Stills in-house and they need to save their dollars for Jarvis Landry‘s next deal, so we envision Stills testing the open waters. Despite his age, Pierre Garcon could reportedly garner $9MM+ per year on his next pact. Because of his maddening inconsistency, we have slotted Garcon one spot ahead of teammate DeSean Jackson. There’s also this: Jackson can break a game wide open with his blazing speed, but speed doesn’t usually age well. Jackson, who reportedly wants to return to the Eagles, turns 31 in December.

Each player ranked No. 6 through No. 9 here offers potential and question marks in equal measure. Those around Kenny Britt have been questioning his work ethic and attitude since his Rutgers days, but his talent is undeniable. Markus Wheaton appeared destined for big things as the Steelers No. 2 wide receiver last year before an early season shoulder injury landed him on IR. Cordarrelle Patterson has all the physical tools to succeed and he put himself on the map last year as a kick returner. Will some team out there sign him to a multi-year pact and try to mold him into a receiver? Michael Floyd‘s rocky year ended with a Super Bowl ring, though he was not on the active roster in Houston. Floyd will be looking for a one-year, prove-it deal and there will be teams curious to see if he can reprise his 2013 season.

Tight end:

Martellus Bennett sounds like a man who is eager to cash in on the open market. There’s a “real possibility” he winds up elsewhere, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, and he’ll get a monster deal if that happens. Filling in for Rob Gronkowski, Bennett caught 55 passes for 701 yards and seven touchdowns in 2016.

In his first season with the Packers, Jared Cook appeared in ten regular season games and caught 30 of 51 targets for 377 yards and a touchdown. In the Packers’ two-game playoff run, he really turned it on with a total of 13 receptions for 181 yards and two scores. Cook will be a priority for the Packers to re-sign, but it’s not clear if they’ll get a deal done between now and March 9.

Anthony Fasano finds himself ranked higher than some bigger names due to his blocking ability. PFF gave Fasano an 88.1 score for run blocking, which was the best of any tight end last year. His 72.9 pass blocking score was fourth-best among TEs.

Offensive tackle:

Andrew Whitworth spent some time at guard last season but his best (and most profitable) position is on the outside. He’s 35, but he is our top-ranked free agent tackle after turning in another stellar year.

Ricky Wagner could reportedly fetch around $10MM/year. The former fifth-round pick put it all together this year in Baltimore and he won’t turn 28 until October.

Russell Okung was thrust into the free agent market in February when the Broncos declined his option. This time around, it will be interesting to see whether he hires an agent. His previous deal was effectively a one-year pact with a club option for a four-year, $48MM deal with $20.5MM in guaranteed cash. After a so-so year, the Broncos wisely turned it down.

Austin Pasztor is listed as a tackle here, though it’s quite possible he reverts to the interior line in 2017. Mike Adams, a former second-round pick, makes the cut for his natural talent, even though he hasn’t shown much at the professional level. Will Beatty also found his way to the Top 15, but his market will be capped after two injury-ridden years.

Interior offensive line (guard/center):

Kevin Zeitler is the only offensive lineman to crack our Top 10 Free Agents list from late January. Zeitler, 27 in March, was PFF’s No. 7 ranked guard in the NFL this year. After three consecutive strong seasons, he is going to get big bucks.

Ronald Leary, who once pushed for the Cowboys to trade him, recognizes that a return probably isn’t in the cards. The Cowboys will go with La’el Collins in 2017 and beyond, but don’t cry for Leary. After making 12 starts in Collins’ place and ranking No. 25 among Pro Football Focus’ 76 qualified guards, Leary will find an eager market in March.

J.C. Tretter graded out as a top 10 center last year, according to PFF, and he just turned 26. Stefen Wisniewski offers experience at both guard and center and there should be at least a few teams looking at him as a potential starter.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Extra Points: JPP, Schaub, Garoppolo

February 14th, 2017 at 9:48pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Placing the estimated $16.955MM franchise tag on defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul wouldn’t be ideal for the Giants, but they’ll have no other choice if they can’t reach a deal with the pass rusher by March 1, writes Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. While tagging Pierre-Paul would take a major bite out of the Giants’ cap room, it would keep an integral piece of their defense from hitting the open market and enable the team to continue working to re-sign him. That would be the Giants’ plan, per Vacchiano, who notes that the club would regard the tag as a placeholder in Pierre-Paul’s case. The Giants are currently pushing to re-sign JPP and will have until July 15 to reach a long-term agreement if they make him their franchise player.

Latest On 49ers’ QB Outlook

February 5th, 2017 at 10:23am CST by Rory Parks

Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is all but certain to be named the 49ers’ next head coach, and according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), Atlanta’s current backup quarterback, Matt Schaub, could follow him to San Francisco. If that happens, Schefter says that Schaub could serve as a starter next season to bridge the gap to a younger signal-caller, or he could serve as a backup.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Kirk Cousins remains Shanahan’s first choice, but if the Cousins plan falls through, Rapoport indicates that Jimmy Garoppolo, the Patriots’ current backup QB, would be Shanahan’s Plan B, followed by Schaub as Plan C.

We heard several weeks ago that the 49ers could pursue Cousins, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency this year but who could receive the franchise tag for the second consecutive season. While the Redskins reportedly want to sign Cousins to a long-term deal, they are weighing their options in that regard, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that Washington could tag Cousins and trade him. The 49ers are one team with sufficient cap space to facilitate such a trade, and they would still have the opportunity to work out a long-term contract with Cousins before the summer deadline.

Garoppolo, meanwhile, is not eligible for free agency but is sure to attract attention in the trade market. While the Patriots are reportedly willing to deal him, there are a number of obstacles to such a trade, which makes Schaub the most realistic of the three above-mentioned options.

The Falcons signed Schaub to a one-year deal this past offseason, and he threw just three passes the entire season as the backup to the league MVP, Matt Ryan. Schaub was the Ravens’ backup quarterback in 2015, though he did get the opportunity to start two games for Baltimore in the wake of Joe Flacco‘s season-ending ACL tear that year. Before that, his last significant starting experience came with Houston in 2013. He of course put together a reasonably successful seven-year stint with the Texans — which included two Pro Bowl nods — after spending the first three years of his career in Atlanta, but his days as a starter are clearly over. As Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets, Schaub has started just 10 games over the last four seasons, and during that time, he has compiled a 3-7 record with a whopping seven interceptions returned for touchdowns. So if he does head out to the Bay Area, it will be easy to forgive 49ers fans for being a little less than excited.

NFC Notes: 49ers QBs, Bears, Falcons

June 22nd, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick has plenty of work to do this summer if he’s going to beat out Blaine Gabbert for the team’s starting quarterback job, writes Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group.

The fact that Kaepernick – who’s returning from left shoulder, left knee and right thumb surgeries – is likely to receive medical clearance for full participation at training camp will obviously help his cause. But the 49ers’ coaching staff is enthusiastic about Gabbert’s physical tools, intelligence and leadership, with quarterbacks coach Ryan Day stating, “I didn’t know he’s as athletic as he is. He can make all the throws you need. He has a really good skillset and we’re excited about that moving forward.”

On Gabbert’s smarts, Day said, “When he comes into a meeting room, you better buckle up, because he knows what he’s talking about. He’s really sharp.”

The 10th pick in the 2011 draft, Gabbert flamed out in Jacksonville after three disappointing seasons. Last season was the 6-foot-4, 235-pounder’s first extensive action since 2012, and he fared respectably in completing a career-high 63.1 percent of throws and averaging a personal-best 7.20 yards per completion in eight games. He also added 11 touchdowns (10 passing, one rushing) against seven interceptions, and now appears to have the inside track on the 49ers’ starting job in Year 1 of the Chip Kelly era. If he rides the bench in favor of Gabbert, it’s fair to say it won’t sit well with Kaepernick, who requested a trade during the winter but stayed put after talks with the Broncos fell through.

NFC Contract Details: Ayers, Shelby, Perry

March 14th, 2016 at 4:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few of the latest contract details from around the NFC on recently agreed-upon and signed deals. All links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle unless otherwise indicated…

NFC South:

Robert Ayers, DE (Buccaneers): Three years, $19.5MM. $10.5MM guaranteed. $2.5MM roster bonus due on March 16. $2MM roster bonus due on fifth day of 2017 league year. $1MM roster bonus due on fifth day of 2018 league year. $550K annually in sacks incentives (Twitter links).
Derrick Shelby, DE (Falcons): Four years, $18MM. $7.5MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. Annual $1MM base escalator from 2017 to 2019 (Twitter links).
Matt Schaub, QB (Falcons): One year, $1.75MM. $500K signing bonus. Up to $1MM in playing-time and 53-man roster incentives (Twitter link).

NFC East:

Tress Way, P (Washington): Five years, $7.8MM. $2.35MM guaranteed. $1.25MM signing bonus. Up to $400K in annual escalators from 2017 to 2020 (Twitter link via Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post).
Nigel Bradham, LB (Eagles): Two years, $7MM. $4.5MM guaranteed. $1.5MM signing bonus. $500K base escalator for 2017 (Twitter link).
Kyle WIlber, LB (Cowboys): Two years, $3.25MM. $1MM signing bonus. $1MM playing-time incentive (Twitter link).
Logan Paulsen, TE (Washington): One year, minimum salary benefit. $35K signing bonus. $45K bonus for being on 53-man roster for first game (Twitter link).

NFC North:

Nick Perry, OLB (Packers): One year, $5MM. $1.5MM signing bonus. $2.3MM base salary. Up to $1MM in per-game active roster bonuses. $200K workout bonus. Up to $250K in incentives (Twitter links via Wilson and Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
Marcus Sherels, CB (Vikings): Two years, $4MM. $1.5MM guaranteed. $500K roster bonus due on March 16. $100K in annual punt return average incentives. $50K annual Pro Bowl incentive (Twitter links).
Rafael Bush, S (Lions): One year, $2.4MM. $250K signing bonus. $250K in per-game roster bonuses. Up to $900K in playing-time bonuses (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).
Don Muhlbach, LS (Lions): One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K signing bonus (Twitter link).

NFC West:

Jermaine Gresham, TE (Cardinals): One year, $3.5MM. $3MM guaranteed. $500K in per-game active roster bonuses. $500K in incentives for stats, playing time (Twitter link).

Falcons Sign Matt Schaub

March 9th, 2016 at 3:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Matt Schaub will return to the city where his career began, as the Falcons announced that they’ve signed the veteran quarterback to backup starter Matt Ryan.

A report late last month indicated that a Schaub return was a possibility, and now it’s been made a reality. Atlanta selected Schaub in the third round of the 2004 draft, but he started just two games over three seasons before being traded to the Texans in 2007. Schaub had a strong six-year run in Houston from 2007-2012, averaging nearly 3,500 yards and 19 touchdowns per season, while posting a record of 44-36.

But things fell apart in 2013 — Schaub threw 14 interceptions in only eight starts before getting benched. He was subsequently traded to Oakland, but lost out to rookie Derek Carr for the starting job. Schaub then spent last season as Joe Flacco‘s backup in Baltimore.

Schaub, 34, is unlikely to see much action with the Falcons. Ryan has missed just two games during the course of eight-year career.

Falcons Rumors: Trevathan, WRs, Schaub

February 29th, 2016 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

Although teams are ostensibly at the scouting combine to evaluate prospects for the draft, and aren’t supposed to engage in any talks with agents regarding outside free agents, plenty of free agent chatter typically takes place in Indianapolis. After spending some time at the combine, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com passes along several tidbits related to the Falcons, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

Broncos linebacker Danny Trevathan is “high on the Falcons’ radar,” writes McClure. Richard Smith, who formerly served as the linebackers coach in Denver, is now the Falcons’ defensive coordinator, and Atlanta has a hole at inside linebacker. McClure hears that the Falcons are willing to pay in the ballpark of $5-6MM per year for a free agent linebacker, which may not be quite enough to land Trevathan.
Atlanta is expected to target Mohamed Sanu as the team searches for help at wide receiver to complement Julio Jones. However, McClure notes that the Falcons would like a No. 2 wideout capable of returning kicks, which might make Travis Benjamin a more logical fit.
There’s a “strong possibility” that Matt Schaub could return to Atlanta, according to McClure, who points out that the Falcons were interested in signing Schaub as Matt Ryan‘s backup last year.
Bengals safety Reggie Nelson is on the Falcons’ list of secondary targets, though not necessarily at the very top of the club’s list of potential safeties.
The Falcons’ level of interest in Seahawks outside linebacker Bruce Irvin is still unclear, per McClure.

Matt Schaub Plans To Continue Playing

January 12th, 2016 at 5:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite his struggles in 2015, quarterback Matt Schaub doesn’t plan on retiring this offseason, as Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. The QB will be a free agent after his deal with the Ravens expires this spring.

“I still want to play,” Schaub said. “I’ve still got good years left in me. It’s just where I might be. We’ll see what happens moving forward.”

The 34-year-old is coming off of a season in which he finished as the No. 42 rated passer in the NFL, accumulating 540 yards through the air in two games with three touchdowns and four picks. After his poor play in a limited sample size, it’s hard to see Schaub drawing heavy interest from around the NFL. If he does land somewhere, odds are it won’t be in Baltimore. The Ravens will have a healthy Joe Flacco back in 2016 and Ryan Mallett is already under contract as his understudy.

While Schaub didn’t play up to his abilities in 2015, he did manage to collect on a $1MM bonus for playing in at least 10% of the team’s snaps this season (he participated in 132 of 1,083 snaps, good for 12%). The veteran started for the Ravens after Flacco suffered a season-ending knee injury in late November, but he was injured in his second start and never regained the job.

Schaub was benched by the Texans in 2013 and lost his starting gig to Raiders rookie Derek Carr in 2014. Prior to his lone year in Oakland, Schaub spent seven seasons in Houston, starting 88 total regular season contests for the team, recording a 90.9 overall passer rating, and earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods. However, he fell apart in the 2013 season, his last extended run as a starter, going 2-6 in his starts and throwing more interceptions (14) than touchdowns (10).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC North Notes: Whitner, Pryor, Ravens, Bengals

December 12th, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

Between a league-worst record and the mishandling of Johnny Manziel, Browns head coach Mike Pettine is definitely a candidate to be replaced this offseason in Cleveland. At least one veteran doesn’t want to see that happen, in Donte Whitner, who believes the staff deserves another year to right the ship, writes Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal.

“Sometimes it’s not greener on the other side. Sometimes you have to stick it out to get to where you want to get to,” Whitner said. “Who’s to say we couldn’t come out next season with the same coaching staff being in the third year in the system and run off a streak like the Carolina Panthers?”

Here are some more notes from around the AFC North:

Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor will make his first appearance this season at wide receiver for the Browns this Sunday against the 49ers, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.“Terrelle looks good, I don’t know if he’s ready to take on a full role, but there’s a chance that there will be some involvement in the plan there,” said Pettine. “He’s just got to play (to get some experience). The credit to him, he came back in great shape, came back in really, really good shape and retained a lot of what we’re doing. You say, ‘Hey, it’s going to be sooner than later.’ More than likely, it’s going to be sooner.”
Matt Schaub hasn’t been ruled out of the Ravens’ game against the Seahawks this weekend, but signs are pointing to him not being able to play, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team has already promoted quarterback Bryn Renner to the active roster, and Jimmy Clausen is expected to start.
The Bengals will leave cornerback Adam Jones inactive this week, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). The corners on the roster will be Leon Hall, Josh Shaw, Dre Kirkpatrick, and Troy Hill this week.

AFC North Notes: Ravens, Dennard, Vick

November 23rd, 2015 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

With Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco out for the rest of the 2015 season due to an ACL injury, veteran backup Matt Schaub will get an opportunity to add an extra $1MM to his season’s earnings. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com explains (via Twitter), Schaub’s deal includes a $500K incentive for playing 5% of Baltimore’s offensive snaps, and another $500K if he reaches 10%. With six games still left on the schedule, Schaub should have no trouble hitting those benchmarks unless he suffers an injury of his own.

Here’s more on the Ravens and a couple of their AFC North rivals:

In the view of Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, losing Flacco makes the Ravens the favorite to land the first overall pick for the 2016 draft. Currently, Baltimore is 3-7, a game ahead of the Browns, Titans, and Chargers, who have two wins apiece, so I’m not sure I’d call the Ravens the frontrunner for that first overall pick. Still, it certainly looks like the team is on track for its highest selection since 2000, when Jamal Lewis went fifth overall. The Ravens have never had a top-three pick.
The Bengals are fearing the worst for second-year cornerback Darqueze Dennard, who was injured in Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. According to Rapoport, Dennard dislocated his shoulder, and will undergo an MRI today to see if he suffered a tear as well. There’s a chance he’ll land on the injured reserve list later this week.
Steelers quarterback Michael Vick said today that he’d like to play for another season, and wouldn’t mind returning to Pittsburgh in 2016, even if Landry Jones is the No. 2 quarterback heading into the summer (Twitter link via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). In previous offseason, Vick has prioritized an opportunity at a starting job, so this would be a much different approach to free agency for him.