Top NFL free agents available as market opens
It’s now down to a matter of hours until pending NFL free agents can officially begin switching teams with the new league year starting at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday. Several high-profile players have already re-signed or struck lucrative agreements since the free agent tampering window opened Monday. Here is a list of the best remaining players on the market as of late Tuesday night, excluding those who have already agreed to contracts or received franchise tags:
1. DE Olivier Vernon: He has averaged 8.5 sacks over the past three seasons and is also tough against the run, which should make him very much in demand, especially since the Dolphins pulled the transition tag on Wednesday morning.
2. QB Brock Osweiler: He's benefiting greatly from Super Bowl MVP Von Miller's inability strike a long-term deal, forcing the Denver Broncos to franchise him rather than Osweiler. Now it appears a 25-year-old quarterback with seven NFL starts has sparked a bidding war between Denver and the Houston Texans. The market for Osweiler underscores the ongoing demand for quarterbacks in the league, even inexperienced ones, and it appears he'll cash in with a strong team that won't need him to do more than manage games.
3. RB Doug Martin: Apparently workhorse backs are still valued in the NFL -- if you consider Martin a workhorse after he missed nearly a full season's worth of games between 2013 and 2014. Still, he rushed for more than 1,400 yards in the other two seasons of his four-year career and is also an effective receiver.
4. CB Sean Smith: Coming off a strong season for the Kansas City Chiefs, a 6-3, 218-pounder who can press at the line should be in high demand in a league increasingly populated by oversized wideouts.
5. T Mitchell Schwartz: He's never missed a start during his four-year career. Overshadowed by perennial all-pro teammate Joe Thomas with the Cleveland Browns, Schwartz was nevertheless graded the second-best right tackle in the NFL in 2015 by Pro Football Focus. His brother Geoff, a guard, is also a free agent.
6. CB Janoris Jenkins: A four-year starter for the Rams, he clearly thinks he's about to cash in after reportedly rejecting a deal averaging $9 million over five years. Hard to bet against him in a league where corners have become so vital.
7. LB Danny Trevathan: Yet another Denver player who could cash in after a championship season. Trevathan, who turns 26 in March, is a scheme-diverse performer who covers a lot of ground.
8. TE Coby Fleener: He's basically an oversized receiver who's comfortable splitting out. Fleener, who caught at least 50 passes each of the past three seasons for the Indianapolis Colts, creates plenty of mismatches, though his splash plays dipped last year without Andrew Luck. And with Dwayne Allen re-signing, it seems more likely Fleener is leaving Indy.
9. RB Lamar Miller: Given his penchant for big plays, hard to figure why the Miami Dolphins didn’t use Miller more. But with a career average of 4.6 yards per carry and improved receiving skills, someone will be happy to pay him and play him more extensively -- and it seems the suitors are already lining up.
10. NT Damon Harrison: He didn't get the same attention as his fellow New York Jets linemates, but Harrison is getting it now. He may be the biggest reason (literally) – 6-4, 350 pounds – New York ranked second in run defense in 2015 and makes an impact even as a two-down player.
11. T Russell Okung: He never developed into the next Walter Jones for the Seattle Seahawks – an unfair comparison by definition – and required shoulder surgery after dislocating it in the playoffs. Still, solid left tackles will always find work in the NFL.
12. WR Marvin Jones: He's never been a No. 1 receiver, but that's not going to happen when you play alongside A.J. Green. Jones is coming off a career season (65 catches for 816 yards) and could hit the jackpot given the thin group of receivers available in both free agency and the draft.
13. C Alex Mack: One of the steadiest player6 in the league at his position, Mack exercised an escape clause from his deal with the Browns and wants to go somewhere where he can win games, something that never happened in Cleveland.
14. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick: Though he hasn't been to the playoffs in 11 seasons, he's narrowly missed the past two years with the Texans and Jets and seems to be getting incrementally better with age. Fitzpatrick could be the best short-term fallback for teams that lose out in the Osweiler sweepstakes or aren’t in position to draft a perceived franchise quarterback.
15. S Eric Weddle: An all-pro in 2014, he slumped last year while dealing with injuries and what seemed like season-long divorce proceedings from the San Diego Chargers. Still, Weddle is an accomplished veteran at another position that could be tough to fill via free agency or the draft.
16. DT Nick Fairley: There’s little question about his talent, though he’s certainly looked even better while playing on star-studded lines for the Lions and Rams and has had some off-field issues.
17. RB Matt Forte: He’s reached the running back’s dreaded age – 30 – and was limited by injuries during his final season with the Chicago Bears. But he can still be effective on any down – Forte’s 102 catches in 2014 are a record for a back – and should be an asset if used with discretion in the right offense.
Already agreed to contracts: DE Malik Jackson (Jaguars), OL Kelechi Osemele (Raiders), DE Jason Pierre-Paul (Giants), Mario Williams (Dolphins), RB Chris Ivory (Jaguars), LB Bruce Irvin (Raiders).
Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.
PHOTOS: Top NFL free agents