The 2022 NFL Free Agency frenzy is about to get underway. We do our best to predict where the top 100 players will end up signing.
The 2022 NFL Free Agency frenzy is about to be one of the more exciting signing periods in recent years. Other years may have had some bigger names at the top or at the quarterback position, but this year’s free agent group is exceptionally deep.
Where will each player end up signing?
With the increase in salary cap, a lot of teams have a lot of money to spend, and many of the teams with money to spend should be expected to be very aggressive in filling needs. Other teams will have to be creative to work around their salary cap issues but even teams that appear to be in cap trouble right now could still end up making some splash signings in free agency.
Where will all of the top 100 NFL free agents land? Let’s make our picks using the Pro Football Focus free agent rankings (with some modifications).
Top 100 NFL Free Agency Signing Predictions
100. Rasul Douglas, CB: Green Bay Packers ➡️ Arizona Cardinals
Rasul Douglas had five interceptions in his first four NFL seasons, and the Green Bay Packers were his fifth NFL team after stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Houston Texans.
After landing with the Green Bay Packers, Douglas picked off five passes, taking two back for touchdowns and clinching a huge win against the Arizona Cardinals. Perhaps the Cardinals will decide they might as well sign Douglas if they can’t throw his direction.
With less than a week to the free agent negotiating period, Douglas is expected to command more money on the open market than the Packers can afford with all of their other players they need to re-sign.
An extension for Aaron Rodgers could change their cap situation dramatically but Douglas might not be able to be retained anyway.
99. Kyzir White, LB: Los Angeles Chargers ➡️ Jacksonville Jaguars
The Los Angeles Chargers have no shortage of salary cap space, so initially, I penciled them in to re-sign Kyzir White. Then, going through the list, you can’t help but wonder if some other linebackers might also make sense for them.
More on that later.
Coming off of a massive 144-tackle season, there should be money out there for White and I think a team like the Jaguars could scoop him up as they reload on both sides of the ball.
98. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR: Green Bay Packers ➡️ Detroit Lions
There’s no secret about it — the Detroit Lions need help at the wide receiver position.
Amon-Ra St. Brown turned out to be one of the top steals of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Detroit needs to get him additional help.
I think a team like Detroit will offer a player like Valdes-Scantling more money than he can turn down because of their desperation at the position. There’s untapped potential here but there’s also a chance Valdes-Scantling — who averaged over 20 yards per catch in 2020 — could be the next Tyrell Williams in free agency.
97. CJ Uzomah, TE: Cincinnati Bengals ➡️ Cincinnati Bengals
As fun as it is to predict players to leave their original teams and sign elsewhere, the Cincinnati Bengals simply have too good of a thing going and too much salary cap space to let a key player like CJ Uzomah go.
You never know — the Bengals might prefer some younger options at the position, but Uzomah is only going to be 29 next season and he just caught five touchdown passes in 16 games for the AFC champion Bengals.
96. Jamison Crowder, WR: New York Jets ➡️ San Francisco 49ers
The more I went through this list of free agents, the more players I wanted to put on the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers have been to two NFC Championship games in the last three seasons, and Kyle Shanahan has had some tough finishes in the last six or seven years between his time in San Francisco and Atlanta.
I think we’re going to see the 49ers do whatever it takes to get over the top in 2022 and adding a steady slot receiver option could really be a missing piece for a 49ers offense that certainly doesn’t lack balance.
95. Mitchell Trubisky, QB: Buffalo Bills ➡️ Washington Commanders
I took some creative liberties here as the folks at Pro Football Focus had Arizona Cardinals tight end Maxx Williams in this slot.
With all due respect to Maxx Williams, he’s not anywhere near one of the top 100 free agents in the NFL right now, maybe not in the top 200.
Okay, that’s probably too far.
Instead, I am using this as an opportunity to call a shot on Mitchell Trubisky. The Washington Commanders are desperate for QB help and they may not be able to lure any of the pipe dream options to DC. If that’s the case, it sounds like a lot of NFL teams are high on Trubisky as a reclamation project, so in a way, he might be the prize of this year’s free agent QB class.
94. Bradley Bozeman, C: Baltimore Ravens ➡️ Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars could be seeing some significant shuffling on the interior offensive line this offseason.
They could lose Andrew Norwell and Brandon Linder on the inside as well as Cam Robinson (spoiler) at the tackle position.
Luckily, the previous regimes did make some investments on the offensive line that could be options going forward and the Jaguars will also have the chance to use their top pick on a player like Ikem Ekwonu or Evan Neal.
Bradley Bozeman is expected to have a robust free agent market and while returning to Baltimore is a possibility, a team like the Jaguars might be willing to overpay to get some solid answers up front for Trevor Lawrence.
93. Cam Robinson: Jacksonville Jaguars ➡️ Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers don’t have a lot of draft picks, so they are going to be in desperation mode come free agency. The quarterback position needs to be addressed in Carolina, but the offensive line also might need a complete overhaul.
Full transparency — the folks at PFF had Patrick Peterson in this slot and Cam Robinson was not near the top 100 players, which I thought was ridiculous.
All due respect to Peterson, but he probably won’t be signing in the first or second tier of free agency, and if he does, it’ll be to some team for a PR move.
Cam Robinson will be a substantial free agent pickup for some team, and I think the offensive line-desperate Carolina Panthers make sense.
92. Germain Ifedi, OL: Chicago Bears ➡️ Carolina Panthers
Did I mention how desperate the Carolina Panthers are to upgrade the offensive line?
Germain Ifedi has been a penalty machine for the Chicago Bears, and while that’s not the best sales pitch for a new team, he’s also been an average player the last couple of seasons.
Bears fans might be eager to get rid of him, but a team like Carolina — did I mention they are desperate for help on the offensive line? — could use a player like Ifedi at tackle or guard, or even just as a swing option with a lot of starting experience.
91. Riley Reiff, OT: Cincinnati Bengals ➡️ Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are operating on a budget, but has that ever stopped them from making high-profile additions?
There are a few on this list, to be certain.
Riley Reiff just lost to the Rams in the Super Bowl, and I think we could see Los Angeles peg him as a replacement for Andrew Norwell, even if just for a couple of seasons.
Reiff has starting experience at both tackle positions and it just so happens there’s a vacancy for the honor of blocking Matthew Stafford’s blind side.
90. Justin Reid, S: Houston Texans ➡️ New York Jets
The Jets once had an enviable young safety duo in Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye.
Time flies when you’re having fun?
I think Maye will leave the Jets in free agency in 2022 (more on that later) and I think we get the chance to see Robert Saleh pick his own guys on the back end of the defense.
Justin Reid is bordering on reclamation project at this point but I think he could sign a short-term deal with the Jets to prove himself, and I think he would excel in Saleh’s scheme with his outstanding ball skills and aggressiveness.
89. Will Fuller, WR: Miami Dolphins ➡️ Los Angeles Chargers
If Will Fuller could stay healthy…
A lot of good things would happen, let’s just say that.
The Los Angeles Chargers have a stud at the QB position in Justin Herbert, and the goal for the 2022 offseason is to be aggressive in making his life better and easier.
Although Fuller has a ton of health issues, I think this is a perfect dart throw in free agency for the Chargers. I anticipate Mike Williams coming back, if even just on the franchise tag, so an addition like this to throw out there in the slot (again, when possible) to cause teams issues covering Williams and Allen?
Although the question about Fuller’s health is a significant one, this could be a fun pickup if it works out.
88. Melvin Gordon, RB: Denver Broncos ➡️ Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos and Melvin Gordon have both been vocal about coming together on some kind of deal to bring the former first-round pick back to the Mile High City.
The question is — does Denver’s new coaching staff want Melvin Gordon back or not?
Gordon would likely have to sign another short-term deal, this one with little or no security beyond this season, to stay in Denver.
As vocal as the Broncos have been about wanting Gordon back, though, I think we see him stick with Denver.
87. Maliek Collins, DL: Houston Texans ➡️ Houston Texans
Maliek Collins played 15 games last season for the Houston Texans and wound up with a career-high 9.0 tackles for loss, also adding 13 pressures, 7 QB hits, and 2.5 sacks.
Collins was one of the many free agents the Texans signed in the 2021 offseason and this one might stick.
Lovie Smith has been retained as the Texans’ head coach, so keeping some of his defense intact has to be a priority.
Collins is still a solid all-around interior defensive linemen who has proven his pass rush abilities in the past as well.
86. Anthony Barr, LB: Minnesota Vikings ➡️ Denver Broncos
I feel like this is a bit of a bold prediction, actually, as the Denver Broncos have three prominent in-house unrestricted free agent linebackers.
Anthony Barr, stylistically, might be pretty similar to what the Broncos have on their roster right now in Baron Browning, but he’s also a former first-round pick of the Vikings where George Paton was the right-hand man of Rick Spielman in the NFL Draft.
Not only that, but Barr and Paton share the bond of playing for the same high school in California as well as the same college at UCLA.
Given the Broncos’ need at the linebacker position and in the pass rush department, Barr could be a versatile pickup for new defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
85. Sebastian Joseph-Day, DL: Los Angeles Rams ➡️ Denver Broncos
Sometimes in free agency, coaching connections matter.
The Denver Broncos hired former Los Angeles Rams defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Ejiro Evero as their new defensive coordinator, so Evero is very familiar with Joseph-Day, but so is new Broncos defensive line coach Marcus Dixon, who was an assistant defensive line coach with the Rams last year.
Those connections could be huge, and the Broncos need more help on the interior defensive line next to Shelby Harris and Dre’Mont Jones.
84. Robert Alford, CB: Arizona Cardinals ➡️ Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have discovered the hard way in recent years — they can’t really afford to be picky at the cornerback position.
Robert Alford has played well for them, and with the scheme not changing (Vance Joseph returns), it’s easy to see Alford returning on another short-term deal.
Alford actually had a really good year in 2021 statistically, allowing a QB rating of just 81.7 into his coverage with a completion percentage under 58.
83. Kareem Jackson, S: Denver Broncos ➡️ Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings hired Ed Donatell as their new defensive coordinator, and Donatell spent the last few seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos.
Although Donatell was more of a DC in Denver by title (Vic Fangio called the plays), he was instrumental in the game planning and coaching of the defensive backs.
In Fangio/Donatell’s first season on the job in Denver back in 2019, one of the first moves they made was to go out and sign Kareem Jackson in free agency. Jackson could join Donatell in Minnesota to play for a season alongside Harrison Smith and help be a communicator of the scheme to the other players there.
82. Devin McCourty, S: New England Patriots ➡️ New England Patriots
If Devin McCourty can play another season with the Patriots, he will have played more than 200 games for them.
Bill Belichick obviously greatly respects and trusts McCourty, who continues to make plays on the back end.
He had three interceptions last season for one of the league’s best defenses and in the last three seasons, he has a total of 10 picks.
81. Linval Joseph, DL: Los Angeles Chargers ➡️ Los Angeles Chargers
Although at this point, Joseph is probably not going to play 800 snaps for you, you’re going to get an elite run defending defensive tackle who is going to be physically bullying people as long as he wants to in the NFL.
If Joseph wants to play beyond this season, I think we see him back with Brandon Staley and the Chargers.
If he goes elsewhere, it’s not likely to be a blockbuster pickup for another team but Joseph can still play.
80. Sony Michel, RB: Los Angeles Rams ➡️ Las Vegas Raiders
It was a little surprising to see Sony Michel in a list of the top 100 free agents in the NFL.
He was quite effective for the Los Angeles Rams this past season after being acquired in a trade, and as soon as the Rams made him their bell-cow back, the team started to really pick things up in the second half of the season.
Kenyan Drake is recovering from an injury and the new regime in Las Vegas is coming from New England where they once made Sony Michel a first-round draft pick.
Given the history between Michel and the new decision-makers in Las Vegas, I could see this pairing being one of the more obvious ones in 2022 NFL Free Agency.
79. Trenton Brown, OT: New England Patriots ➡️ New England Patriots
The Patriots need Trent Brown, and Trent Brown needs the Patriots.
Things did not work out for Brown with the Las Vegas Raiders, so they traded him back to New England.
That just seems to be a good spot for Brown. He stays in New England on a multi-year deal.
78. Chase Edmonds, RB: Arizona Cardinals ➡️ Houston Texans
With over 850 yards from scrimmage each of the last two seasons, Chase Edmonds may be ready for a featured role elsewhere in the NFL as a full-time back.
The Houston Texans are one of a variety of teams in the NFL that don’t really have a solidified RB1 on the roster.
Although Houston might set its sights higher than this, there’s no doubt that GM Nick Caserio will love the versatility of Edmonds, who is a tremendous receiver out of the backfield as well as return specialist.
77. DJ Jones, DL: San Francisco 49ers ➡️ Jacksonville Jaguars
The San Francisco 49ers would probably prefer to keep DJ Jones, who has been a really unsung stud for them in the run defense department.
With that being said, money talks, and Jones might be able to get a great deal in free agency coming off of one of the best seasons of his career.
Jones could be off the board in the first-tier of NFL Free Agency, and many fans won’t know who he is. The former sixth-round pick out of Last Chance U and Ole Miss has 17 tackles for loss over the last two seasons, including a career-high 10 TFL in the 2021 season.
76. Donte Jackson, CB: Carolina Panthers ➡️ Buffalo Bills
There was once a time when Donte Jackson and Tre’Davious White were the studs of the LSU secondary together.
White left for the NFL a year before Jackson, and once lobbied for the Bills to draft his former Tiger teammate.
Now, in the 2022 offseason, the two Tigers might be able to reunite in New York with the Buffalo Bills. The Bills are fresh off of an embarrassing collapse of pass defense against the Kansas City Chiefs, and a player like Jackson could be a big-time pickup for that unit with big-time speed.
75. Dont’a Hightower, LB: New England Patriots ➡️ New England Patriots
After opting out of the 2020 season, Dont’a Hightower came back and proved he was still a valuable piece for the New England Patriots defense.
Seeing him play anywhere else just feels wrong.
Bill Belichick certainly has his guys on defense, one of them being Devin McCourty who we’ve already predicted will return to New England.
I think we’ll see Hightower do exactly the same.
74. BJ Hill, DL: Cincinnati Bengals ➡️ Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals traded for BJ Hill last year from the New York Giants, and the former third-round pick out of NC State showed out.
Things just really worked out for the Bengals last year in general, but it was the dominance of their defensive front that really helped push this team over the top during the playoffs.
Hill was a huge piece of that.
He tied his career-best with 5.5 sacks and set a career mark with 12 QB hits.
73. Evan Engram, TE: New York Giants ➡️ Dallas Cowboys
This one might be a little bit out there because of the number of players the Cowboys have to re-sign, but we could see these two sides find a way to make it happen.
The Cowboys might soon have to make the tough decision to say goodbye to Amari Cooper, which would open up a lot of targets in the Dallas offense.
They also have to find a way to bring back Michael Gallup and maybe Dalton Schultz as well as Cedrick Wilson.
Dak Prescott needs some guys to get the ball to and I think with the Lunda Wells coaching connection on Dallas’ staff, Engram could go to Dallas and play a big slot role in Kellen Moore’s defense, getting the chance to stick it to the Giants fans that booed him twice a year.
72. Jayron Kearse, S: Dallas Cowboys ➡️ Dallas Cowboys
The idea of releasing Amari Cooper is that the Cowboys will be able to retain some key guys from a year ago.
Jayron Kearse had a huge year for a rejuvenated Dallas defense under coordinator Dan Quinn.
Quinn is back for another season, and I’m sure he’s campaigning to bring Kearse back as well. He had a breakout season in Dallas last season with 101 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, 6 QB hits, and a pair of interceptions.
71. James Conner, RB: Arizona Cardinals ➡️ Arizona Cardinals
Even if the Arizona Cardinals and James Conner start going year-to-year, I think they are a good fit together for the time being.
Conner had 18 total touchdowns and made it to the Pro Bowl in his first season with the Cardinals where he touched the ball 239 times.
I don’t think the Cardinals can rely on Conner to increase his workload too much, but there’s no denying his per-touch efficiency in their offense.
70. Jordan Whitehead, S: Tampa Bay Buccaneers ➡️ San Francisco 49ers
There could be a lot of Buccaneers walking the plank to 2022 NFL Free Agency, and most of them won’t have a hard time finding new NFL homes.
Jordan Whitehead has been an underrated piece of the Bucs’ secondary, and I think Tampa Bay would be devastated to see him leave.
Whitehead is a very well-rounded safety who can attack the line of scrimmage and has proven as much with 22 tackles for loss in his first four NFL seasons.
The 49ers have a number of safeties slated to hit free agency, including starting strong safety Jaquiski Tartt. Whitehead could provide them with a long-term replacement.
69. Folorunso Fatukasi, DL: New York Jets ➡️ Los Angeles Chargers
Earlier I predicted the Chargers to re-sign Linval Joseph, but I’m hedging my bets here and saying they will also sign Folorunso Fatukasi, one of the top nose tackles in free agency.
Even if the Chargers don’t wind up signing both of these players, I would push for Fatukasi if I were Brandon Staley.
The Chargers’ run defense was a liability last season and the interior of that defensive line got bullied in what wound up being the Chargers’ final game of the 2021 season against the Raiders.
Fatukasi is a powerful interior lineman who has shown consistent improvement in the pass rush department as well.
68. Leonard Fournette, RB: Tampa Bay Buccaneers ➡️ Miami Dolphins
Scheme wise, I’m not sure Leonard Fournette is the best fit for the Miami Dolphins, but new head coach Mike McDaniel seems like he might be up for the challenge of making it work.
The Dolphins need a starting running back and I think Fournette has shown a lot of improvement over the past couple of seasons.
Working with Tom Brady can do wonders, apparently.
Fournette averaged a career-best 4.5 yards per carry last year with the Buccaneers and added 69 receptions as well. With his three-down abilities, Fournette could be a valuable pickup for a team like Miami trying to make life as easy as possible for Tua Tagovailoa.
67. Brian Allen, C: Los Angeles Rams ➡️ Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams didn’t let Austin Blythe go in free agency just to let Brian Allen out the door the next offseason.
Blythe was a four-year starter for the Rams before heading to Kansas City in 2021 where he only played in four games.
Allen, meanwhile, proved to be one of the best centers in football last season and he’s obviously an outstanding scheme fit. The reigning Super Bowl champion Rams should be able to get Allen back on a solid deal to continue as their starting center for the next handful of years.
66. Bryce Callahan, CB: Denver Broncos ➡️ Los Angeles Chargers
If the Denver Broncos don’t bring Bryce Callahan back, it makes sense for him to go to a defense where he already knows the scheme and terminology, at least for the most part.
Since the start of his NFL career, Callahan has been with Vic Fangio. Fangio is taking the year off in 2022, so other coaching connections out there for him include the combination of Brandon Stanley and Renaldo Hill with the Chargers as well as Ed Donatell with the Minnesota Vikings.
It would not be surprising in the least to see Callahan bolt the Broncos for a division rival. Ironically, this kind of move could also mean the end for Chris Harris Jr. in Los Angeles.
65. Josey Jewell, LB: Denver Broncos ➡️ Minnesota Vikings
Another coaching connection for a Denver Broncos free agent.
With both Nick Vigil and Anthony Barr slated for free agency, could we see the Minnesota Vikings take a shot on Josey Jewell to come in and run Ed Donatell’s defense?
Because the Vikings could be shopping on a budget in 2022 NFL Free Agency, players like Josey Jewell and Kareem Jackson on short-term deals could make a lot of sense.
Jewell is coming off of a torn pectoral and will likely need to take a prove-it deal in free agency whether it’s with the Broncos or another team.
64. Alex Cappa, OG: Tampa Bay Buccaneers ➡️ Jacksonville Jaguars
With so many pending free agents on the offensive line, the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to have to be aggressive in pursuing some replacements and maybe even upgrades.
Alex Cappa has obviously been part of a lot of success in recent years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and he’s also been a steady starter for them at the guard position.
At the age of 27, Cappa stands to make a good amount of money on the open market and right now the Bucs just simply have too many guys to be able to bring him and everyone else back.
63. Leighton Vander Esch, LB: Dallas Cowboys ➡️ Houston Texans
Remember Leighton Vander Esch?
The former Pro Bowl linebacker quickly fell out of favor with the Dallas Cowboys and their coaching staff and he was effectively replaced this past year by a host of new acquisitions, including Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons.
Vander Esch will be looking for opportunities elsewhere in free agency and if the Houston Texans are going all-in on some short-term deals again, this would be a worthwhile risk for Lovie Smith and Nick Caserio.
If Vander Esch can stay healthy, he might be one of the better free agency bargains.
62. Gerald Everett, TE: Seattle Seahawks ➡️ Seattle Seahawks
Gerald Everett followed Shane Waldron to the Seattle Seahawks, and proved his worth on a one-year deal.
Everett caught four touchdown passes for the Seahawks this past season and he’s proven over the last five years to be an average to above-average receiving option at the position.
As you’ll notice throughout this post, there’s a theme of the Seahawks retaining their own free agents. I think we’re likely to see them do exactly that. Everett won’t cost them a ton but he should get a multi-year deal to return.
61. Foyesade Oluokun, LB: Atlanta Falcons ➡️ New York Jets
This man had 192 total tackles last season, and most fans outside of Atlanta probably have no clue who he is.
What he is is one of the top free agent linebackers on the market with true three-down abilities.
The New York Jets need to continue reshaping their defense now that they spent almost the entirety of their 2021 NFL Draft class investing in the offense.
Oluokun could be a fantastic addition in the middle as a playmaker who can get after the QB and make plays in coverage.
60. Marcus Mariota, QB: Las Vegas Raiders ➡️ Pittsburgh Steelers
There’s no doubt that Marcus Mariota is going to have some kind of market in the 2022 NFL Free Agency period after rehabbing his value the past couple of seasons with the Raiders.
Mariota has big-time athletic traits and has been a good NFL starter in the past, but he fell off in a bad way with the Titans in 2019 when he was benched for Ryan Tannehill.
Now, Mariota will attempt to do what Tannehill did and revive his career in a new NFL city. I think the Pittsburgh Steelers present an intriguing opportunity to really benefit from a great supporting cast in the playmaker and defense departments.
59. Zach Ertz, TE: Arizona Cardinals ➡️ Jacksonville Jaguars
Zach Ertz has a Super Bowl ring, and while ring chasing is an option, so is a reunion with Doug Pederson with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars have a lot of money to spend, and Ertz has proven that he’s still able to get open and make plays in the passing game as he progresses into his 30s.
Trevor Lawrence would benefit greatly from a player like Ertz coming aboard and could be a key veteran piece as the Jaguars transition to a new offense under Pederson and his staff.
This fit makes way too much sense.
58. Eric Fisher, LT: Indianapolis Colts ➡️ Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts took a calculated risk bringing in the former number one overall pick after he was injured the season prior, and it turned out well for them.
Eric Fisher came in and did a good job with Anthony Castonzo no longer in the building, and the Colts would be wise to re-sign him.
While I don’t think Fisher is a franchise tag type of player, I think the Colts could sign him to a reasonable 3-4 year deal to keep this position at least league-average for the foreseeable future.
57. Morgan Moses, RT: New York Jets ➡️ Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos have their annual vacancy at the right tackle position up for grabs.
Morgan Moses has been nothing if not a model of durability throughout his career, and his availability — perhaps more than anything else — will attract teams in free agency.
Moses is a good tackle, to boot, and there’s a coaching connection in Denver as new Broncos tight ends coach Jake Moreland was an assistant offensive line coach with the Jets last year.
Scheme-wise, this is a fit. The Broncos also have a lot of cap space and money to spend.
56. Andrew Norwell, LG: Jacksonville Jaguars ➡️ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to lose a bunch of players to big-money deals, they’re not just going to sit back and do nothing. With Alex Cappa potentially leaving in free agency and Ali Marpet retiring, something will need to be done on the interior offensive line.
Andrew Norwell wouldn’t have to move far to join the Buccaneers and I think this is a union that makes some sense.
The Bucs are going to have to make some moves up front to keep Tom Brady interested in potentially returning for another season.
55. Alexander Johnson, LB: Denver Broncos ➡️ Los Angeles Chargers
Coaching connections in free agency are always important to look for.
Brandon Staley and Alexander Johnson go way back.
Staley was a linebackers coach at Tennessee back when Johnson played there, and he was also on the Denver Broncos’ coaching staff when Johnson was playing some of the best ball of his career.
Johnson would immediately upgrade a porous Chargers run defense and could give them additional value on third down as a pass rusher.
54. Derek Barnett, EDGE: Philadelphia Eagles ➡️ Jacksonville Jaguars
Have I mentioned yet that coaching connections matter when it comes to NFL Free Agency?
Coaching connections matter.
New Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson is obviously very familiar with Derek Barnett, whose career trajectory has not quite been what it looked like it could be as of his rookie year with the team.
Barnett had just two sacks this past season but he’s only 25 years old, believe it or not. Here, the Jaguars pair him up with Josh Allen to boost their EDGE rotation and upgrade a pass rush that desperately needs some help.
53. Austin Corbett, OG: Los Angeles Rams ➡️ Minnesota Vikings
Coaching connection?
Coaching connection.
The Minnesota Vikings hired the latest Sean McVay disciple this offseason, bringing in Kevin O’Connell as their new head coach.
It just so happens that one of the top needs for O’Connell on the offense is at the right guard position, where Rams free agent Austin Corbett has turned around his career in recent years.
52. Quandre Diggs, S: Seattle Seahawks ➡️ Seattle Seahawks
Quandre Diggs suffered a bit of a scare last season as he was carted off the field on January 9.
He was enjoying an outstanding season prior to the injury, and typically when we see players suffer injuries like that, they re-sign with their current teams because of the fact that the team doctors have the most medical information available.
Diggs has 10 interceptions over the past two seasons, and 13 interceptions in the last three. He has been a ballhawk on the back end so perhaps even with his injury a couple of months ago, he will still have a robust market.
Seattle should be doing what they need to in order to keep him around.
51. DJ Chark, WR: Jacksonville Jaguars ➡️ Las Vegas Raiders
DJ Chark is going to have a very active market in free agency.
Even coming off of injury, he’s a young receiver who has a Pro Bowl on his resume, a 6-foot-4 frame, and sub 4.4 speed.
There will be teams lined up to sign him, and I don’t think he’s going to have to take a prove-it deal, either.
Chark will undoubtedly have a variety of offers to consider. If he doesn’t get a multi-year offer worth at least $15-18 million per year, maybe he will sign on with a team for a season to boost his value for 2023.
The Raiders’ top need this offseason is arguably wide receiver and this offense needs a vertical threat. Chark would be a huge free agent coup for Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler.
50. Christian Kirk, WR: Arizona Cardinals ➡️ Buffalo Bills
Quietly, Christian Kirk put together the best season of his young career in 2021.
The Arizona Cardinals don’t appear to be ready to put the franchise tag on the former second-round pick out of Texas A&M, and I think he’ll be highly coveted by a variety of teams next week.
One team that will be more aggressive in free agency than people may think? The Buffalo Bills.
Yes, the Bills have Stefon Diggs, but they are apparently shopping Cole Beasley in trade talks and Kirk would be the ideal slot receiver to replace him with on this year’s free agent market.
Kirk is very close with Bills quarterback Josh Allen, so don’t be surprised if they’ve been plotting this one for a while.
49. Teddy Bridgewater, QB: Denver Broncos ➡️ Indianapolis Colts
It seems as though the Indianapolis Colts are hellbent on moving on from Carson Wentz.
If Wentz is released or traded, what is the Colts’ plan at the quarterback position?
They might need another bridge season to reload for the 2023 NFL Draft and Teddy Bridgewater is the type of risk-averse veteran this team might prefer in the 2022 offseason.
Bridgewater is coming off of a career year with the Denver Broncos, but his numbers were still about as average as average gets anymore.
Job no. 1 for Teddy? Hand the ball off to Jonathan Taylor.
Job no. 2? Don’t put the ball in harm’s way.
The Colts obviously view their QB position as “in flux” and Bridgewater could thrive with Frank Reich coaching him.
48. DJ Reed Jr., CB: Seattle Seahawks ➡️ Seattle Seahawks
Again, the Seattle Seahawks should be prioritizing re-signing a lot of their own free agents.
DJ Reed would be one of the more coveted players on the 2022 NFL Free Agency market if he hits it, but Seattle should be focused on signing him to a multi-year deal.
Reed has four interceptions and 17 passes broken up over the last two seasons and has been a really nice find for the Seahawks after being cast off by the San Francisco 49ers.
Perhaps the 49ers will realize what they lost and bring Reed back in free agency…
47. Charvarius Ward, CB: Kansas City Chiefs ➡️ New England Patriots
The New England Patriots could let JC Jackson walk in free agency, and if that happens, they’re going to need to go discount shopping for a replacement.
Charvarius Ward seems like exactly the type of free agent the Patriots would go after — someone who is slightly unheralded and lost in the shuffle of the big-time talent all over the Chiefs’ roster.
Ward excels in man coverage and the Patriots obviously need someone who can do exactly that at a high level.
46. Ben Jones, C: Tennessee Titans ➡️ Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins under new head coach Mike McDaniel will be shifting to a zone-heavy offensive scheme, and one of the key lessons learned from his time with Kyle Shanahan is that you need a center that can be the “QB” of the offensive line in that kind of offense.
It just so happens there are a handful of free agents available in the 2022 offseason and arguably one of the best zone scheme centers is Titans free agent Ben Jones.
The Titans would probably love to re-sign Jones but money talks.
Miami has a need and this is an obvious scheme fit.
45. Steven Nelson, CB: Philadelphia Eagles ➡️ Philadelphia Eagles
There are a variety of outcomes with Steven Nelson that make sense. The former Pittsburgh Steeler had a nice bounce-back year with the Eagles in 2021 and a return to either the Eagles or Steelers could make a lot of sense for him in 2022.
I think we’ll ultimately see him make a choice between those two teams and while the Steelers may be a bit more desperate, the Eagles have got to value a guy that put together an impressive season paired up with Darius Slay.
How much do the Eagles value Nelson? Well, they wanted to keep him healthy for the last week of the season, so he was a healthy scratch from the game. That would have otherwise cost him a bonus of $375,000, which they paid to him the day before the game to make up for missing an incentive written into his deal.
44. Marcus Maye, S: New York Jets ➡️ Philadelphia Eagles
One position group where we can maybe expect a handful of big-name players to be on the move is at the safety position.
Marcus Maye is coming off of injury and may have to take a prove-it deal elsewhere, but it’s also possible the Jets and Robert Saleh view him as a long-term fixture for their defense.
If Maye is allowed to test the market, he would be a great one-year flyer for the Philadelphia Eagles and their improved secondary.
Defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon had that unit playing very well in the second half of last season, and a player like Maye on the back end could help take their group to another level.
43. David Njoku, TE: Cleveland Browns ➡️ Cleveland Browns
David Njoku has been franchise tagged by the Cleveland Browns and apparently, they are working on hammering out a long-term contract.
Chalk that up as a huge upset, at least from where things were between Njoku and the Browns a year ago when the former first-round pick was asking for a trade.
It looked like he had very good reason to do so, too. He was buried behind Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant and his talents were being wasted.
He had a very good 2021 season in response, and has perhaps reclaimed the TE1 role for the Browns moving forward.
42. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR: Pittsburgh Steelers ➡️ Kansas City Chiefs
There were some substantial rumors in the 2021 offseason that JuJu Smith-Schuster was interested in signing with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency before he ultimately re-signed with the Steelers on a one-year deal.
As in, from the source himself.
The Chiefs’ wide receiver issues behind Tyreek Hill didn’t exactly go away this past season even though they got adequate production from players like Mecole Hardman and Byron Pringle.
Considering the price for Smith-Schuster likely hasn’t gone up, I think the Chiefs would be wise to re-visit this idea to upgrade their WR2 spot at perhaps a discounted rate.
41. Jameis Winston, QB: New Orleans Saints ➡️ New Orleans Saints
Is there really an option outside of New Orleans for Jameis Winston that is better than the situation he’d be going back to?
Some teams are certainly arguable, but ultimately, I think Jameis Winston is a very acquired taste in terms of his personality, and he might just be better off going back to the team he has been with the past couple of seasons.
Winston was on an incredible pace last season before he went down with a knee injury. His touchdown percentage was just under nine percent and he was on pace for over 50 touchdowns.
Even with Sean Payton gone, I think we see another one-year deal here for Winston.
40. James Daniels, OL: Chicago Bears ➡️ New York Jets
It seems odd that the offensive line needy Chicago Bears would let James Daniels hit free agency, but here we are.
Daniels is going to be one of the younger interior linemen on the market and an absolutely perfect fit for any team running a zone scheme.
He had some great success early on in his career but his play — like many in the Chicago Bears’ offense the last couple of years — has slightly declined.
The New York Jets will undoubtedly be active in free agency — as always — and Daniels could slide into any interior spot for them right away.
39. Jerry Hughes, EDGE: Buffalo Bills ➡️ New York Giants
Jerry Hughes has been a steady veteran player for the Buffalo Bills for what feels like forever at this point.
The former first-round pick is set to hit the free agent market and he may not be an every-down player at this stage, but he should still be able to provide some pass rush production for a defense.
New general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll will know Hughes well from their time in Buffalo together.
38. Connor Williams, OG: Dallas Cowboys ➡️ Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are undoubtedly starved for offensive line help after what we have seen the past couple of seasons.
They are going to be active and aggressive in pursuing upgrades.
Connor Williams would step in as the starting left guard for the Bengals next to former first-round pick Jonah Williams at the left tackle position.
He’s been a solid player for the Dallas Cowboys over the last few seasons and the former second-round pick out of Texas could be one of the top players the reigning AFC Champions tab to help protect Joe Burrow.
37. Justin Houston, EDGE: Baltimore Ravens ➡️ Baltimore Ravens
It’s a little surprising to see Justin Houston so high on the list of available free agents, but he did have 17 QB hits and 24 pressures as a part-time player.
Houston’s elite-level days are behind him, but if you can play about 60 percent of the snaps and provide that kind of pass rush production, you’re going to be able to get a contract in the NFL.
The Ravens seem to be a solid fit for him but I’m sure contending teams will be sniffing around Houston.
36. Darious Williams, CB: Los Angeles Rams ➡️ Los Angeles Chargers
In terms of his overall production, it’s probably fair to say that Darious Williams was better in 2019 and 2020 than he was in 2021.
Still, he’s been a solid starter for the Rams and he’s very familiar with Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley.
Although he has inside-outside versatility, I think there’s a chance we see him stick with a full-time role on the outside if he moves from the Rams to the Chargers.
Remember, we also projected the Chargers to sign Bryce Callahan in this piece, so that frees up Williams to be the no. 2 corner with young Asante Samuel Jr. taking the CB1 role.
35. Rob Gronkowski, TE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers ➡️ Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans had trade talks with the New England Patriots back in 2018, Jon Robinson’s third year on the job as Titans GM at the time.
Robinson spent a lot of time with the New England Patriots in the front office before landing his job with the Titans, working there until 2013. Gronkowski was drafted in 2010 so obviously, there’s plenty of history here to consider.
The Titans clearly have a need at the tight end position after losing Jonnu Smith to the Patriots last offseason and not exactly replacing him properly.
It is going to take some convincing to get Rob Gronkowski to continue his playing career without Tom Brady. Perhaps a guy who was part of drafting him (Robinson) and another former Patriot (coach of the year Mike Vrabel) can convince him.
34. Cordarrelle Patterson, RB/WR: Atlanta Falcons ➡️ Los Angeles Rams
How realistic is this? I don’t really know. What I do know is, it would be a ton of fun.
There’s no way the Los Angeles Rams are just going to sit idly by in free agency while other teams around them go after upgrades and try to get better.
There’s also no way that Sean McVay is going to just let Kyle Shanahan have all the spotlight with what he did last year with Deebo Samuel. That’s going straight into McVay’s playbook and he’s going to need someone to play the part.
Cordarrelle Patterson isn’t exactly a late bloomer, but in a way, he is. He had an outstanding year in 2021 with the Falcons primarily out of the backfield, but he obviously brings tremendous value
33. Harold Landry, EDGE: Tennessee Titans ➡️ Tennessee Titans
I will admit — I initially had Harold Landry penciled in for the Philadelphia Eagles.
In case that happens, we need receipts here.
Officially, though, I’m going conservative here and predicting that the Titans find a way to clear space and franchise tag him.
Landry is just 25, is coming off of a career year, and frankly, it would be unwise for the Titans to let him hit the market with the way they have struggled to find any consistent pass rush off the edge in recent years.
32. Duane Brown, OT: Seattle Seahawks ➡️ Seattle Seahawks
Again, Seahawks staying Seahawks.
Duane Brown is still playing at a high level after all these years. Pete Carroll, of course, noted at the Scouting Combine that the plan is for the Seahawks to bring back all of their key players, although he didn’t mention running back Rashaad Penny by name in this quote…
The Seahawks have had enough issues protecting Russell Wilson and letting one of their best linemen hit free agency would not exactly thrill Mr. Unlimited, now would it?
The Seahawks need to re-sign Brown and give him a multi-year extension with some nice guaranteed money to keep the old vet happy.
31. Haason Reddick, EDGE: Carolina Panthers ➡️ Detroit Lions
Haason Reddick should open up his services to the highest bidder in the 2022 offseason. Not that every free agent shouldn’t, but with some free agents, you have to take into consideration a few other factors:
- Coaching
- How close are they to winning?
- Cap space
There are other factors, but those are some of the main ones you look for with connections between players and prospective teams. I think Reddick is going to take the biggest possible deal he can get after signing a pretty team-friendly deal to play for his old college coach Matt Rhule in Carolina last year.
Detroit should be ready to pay a premium for some pieces they can build around and they need pass rushers.
They might be able to land Aidan Hutchinson with the second pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but a player like Reddick could give them a dynamic duo off the edge. As close as this team was in some games last year, pass rushers that can close out games might be on top of the priority list.
30. Calais Campbell, DL: Baltimore Ravens ➡️ Baltimore Ravens
A grizzled veteran at this point, Calais Campbell is still bullying people on the defensive line.
His production over the last couple of years is not the same as we once saw from him, but Campbell is still an extremely valuable player, not only in the defensive line rotation but also in terms of his leadership and intangible qualities.
The Ravens have to approach the 2022 offseason like they are title contenders and re-signing players like Campbell is the clearest indicator you believe that.
29. Amari Cooper, WR: Dallas Cowboys ➡️ Miami Dolphins
The good folks at Pro Football Focus actually had Antonio Brown in this slot, and that is just not an avenue I’m going to go down.
So, we’re getting hypothetical here and anticipating that Amari Cooper becomes available.
If he does, we know the Miami Dolphins are expected to be aggressive in free agency (what else is new?) and specifically, they should be interested in this deep wide receiver group.
Cooper is not exactly spectacular in any particular regard, but he’s very good all-around. Tua Tagovailoa needs pieces around him that can make his life easier and Cooper can do that.
28. Michael Gallup, WR: Dallas Cowboys ➡️ Dallas Cowboys
It appears as though the Dallas Cowboys are attempting to keep Michael Gallup around and that the aforementioned departure (again, hypothetical at the time this is being written) of Amari Cooper is part of that equation.
The Cowboys need to free up a bunch of cap space to make some of the moves we’re listing here, but they’ve already defied the odds by bringing back both of their coordinators from last year, Kellen Moore and Dan Quinn.
Even coming off of injury, getting Gallup back would be huge for the Cowboys and he would have an expanded role as the clear no. 2 with CeeDee Lamb.
27. De’Vondre Campbell, LB: Green Bay Packers ➡️ Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions will be more aggressive than many expect in free agency.
At least, that’s what I think we’re going to see.
The Lions are tied to Jared Goff for another year, and as hard as this team played in 2021 for Dan Campbell and his staff, it’s hard to believe they won’t try to go after at least a Wild Card spot in 2022.
Are they ready to do that?
They have two first-round picks and a bunch of cap space, so improvements can be made. They would have to pay top-dollar to get Campbell out of Green Bay, where I think he’s an underrated tag candidate, but it can be done.
Signing Campbell as well as Haason Reddick would really set the Detroit defense up nicely for 2022.
26. Laken Tomlinson, OG: San Francisco 49ers ➡️ Cincinnati Bengals
I’m really fighting my instinct here to just put Laken Tomlinson on the Miami Dolphins.
There’s an obvious connection there, of course, with new Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel coming to Miami from San Francisco, but I think the Cincinnati Bengals are going to be extremely aggressive in reloading the offensive line.
Tomlinson might be the best right guard on the free agent market, and he fits the Bengals’ offense as we know Zac Taylor is part of the same coaching tree Mike McDaniel comes from.
Keep in mind, we also predicted the Bengals would land left guard Connor Williams in this post, filling two primary starter holes up front.
25. Casey Hayward, CB: Las Vegas Raiders ➡️ Indianapolis Colts
It was apparently expected by NFL teams last offseason that Casey Hayward would fall off the proverbial cliff, but he proved most everyone wrong.
Hayward ended up being the best cornerback on the Raiders and played in all 17 games.
The Indianapolis Colts under general manager Chris Ballard seems to be willing to bring in more grizzled veterans on short-term deals to try and help this team win games, and it just so happens that Gus Bradley is the defensive coordinator with the Colts now and he has history with Hayward.
24. Melvin Ingram, EDGE: Kansas City Chiefs ➡️ Kansas City Chiefs
After the kind of success he had last season in Kansas City, it makes a lot of sense for the Chiefs to try and bring back Melvin Ingram on another ring-chasing deal.
The Pittsburgh Steelers made a very odd deal with the Chiefs last season, basically just giving them Ingram for a thank you note, and Ingram made a huge difference in Kansas City’s defense.
It might not be a premier signing, but the Chiefs don’t have a ton of wiggle room anyway especially with Orlando Brown Jr. in need of a contract extension after officially getting franchise tagged.
23. Akiem Hicks, DL: Chicago Bears ➡️ Minnesota Vikings
There are some other landing spots that could make sense for Akiem Hicks including the Los Angeles Chargers, who have made no shortage of appearances on this list.
For the sake of not giving every free agent to the Chargers, I’m saying Akiem Hicks will join his old pal Ed Donatell with the Minnesota Vikings.
Donatell was part of the Chicago Bears’ coaching staff during some of Hicks’ best years. While this move would sting for Bears fans who want to see Hicks retained, it would make a ton of sense for the Vikings, who need substantial improvement on the defensive side of the ball to get back to contention in 2022.
22. Emmanuel Ogbah, EDGE: Miami Dolphins ➡️ Miami Dolphins
With more cap space than any other team, the Miami Dolphins will almost undoubtedly make a concerted effort to keep the guys that are already on their roster worth keeping around.
Emmanuel Ogbah has two straight seasons with 9.0 sacks and has consecutive seasons with more than 20 QB hits.
His pass rush productivity can’t be ignored and even though Brian Flores is no longer around, Ogbah should be a priority to re-sign for the Dolphins. He has really blossomed in Miami over the last two seasons with 75 total pressures.
21. Dalton Schultz, TE: Dallas Cowboys ➡️ Dallas Cowboys
Dalton Schultz may be the most unexciting top-25 free agent on the market, if the Cowboys let him get there.
He is fresh off of one of the quietest eight-touchdown seasons you’ll see, but he’s valuable to the Cowboys and they can’t just let him walk out the door.
With the franchise tag deadline looming, I think Schultz will get tagged by the Cowboys, even though again they’re going to have to move some money around to make the moves on this list happen.
20. Mike Gesicki, TE: Miami Dolphins ➡️ Miami Dolphins
With the amount of cap space they have at their disposal, there’s no way that the Miami Dolphins are going to let Gesicki walk out the door after bringing in Mike McDaniel and Jon Embree.
The plan has to be to get Gesicki even more featured than he has been.
His athletic traits are through the roof and the potential here has always been Kittle-like.
Now, the Dolphins may have the coaching staff to bring those projections to life.
19. Odell Beckham Jr. WR: Los Angeles Rams ➡️ New Orleans Saints
After tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl, who knows what’s next for Odell Beckham Jr.?
I’m not sure if he’s going to sign right away in free agency or if he will wait until later, but he very nearly chose the New Orleans Saints last year when he hit the open market before making the better business decision to join the Rams.
With Robert Woods coming back healthy, Cooper Kupp as the clear no. 1, and Van Jefferson taking a step forward, a return to the Rams doesn’t make much sense for Beckham. Even if he can’t come back until November, he would be a great pickup for the Saints to pair with Michael Thomas.
18. Brandon Scherff, OG: Washington Commanders ➡️ Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are not going to sit idly by while their players sign elsewhere in free agency.
Losing a player like Austin Corbett would hurt, but don’t put it past the Rams to go out and sign a player like Brandon Scherff to replace him and arguably look better on paper for doing so.
Scherff has spent his entire career to this point with Washington, which intersected for a time with Sean McVay of the Rams. As a matter of fact, McVay was Scherff’s offensive coordinator for a couple of years before he became the Rams’ head coach.
Now, Scherff could have the chance to reunite with McVay and go compete for a title with the reigning Super Bowl Champions.
17. Tyrann Mathieu, S: Kansas City Chiefs ➡️ Baltimore Ravens
Like I said before, I think the Baltimore Ravens need to approach the 2022 offseason like they’re going all-in for a title.
Lamar Jackson’s contract situation is a lingering issue, of course, but while that’s being sorted out, Ravens fans have been blowing up Tyrann Mathieu’s mentions trying to recruit him to come and play in Baltimore.
The Ravens make a ton of sense for a player like Mathieu, who could rejoin his former Arizona Cardinals teammate Tony Jefferson with the Ravens.
16. Carlton Davis, CB: Tampa Bay Buccaneers ➡️ New England Patriots
One way or another, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to have to find a way to keep some of their guys around.
The biggest question for this team right now — who is the franchise tag going to be used on?
Chris Godwin was tagged last year, and is coming off of a major knee injury, but he might be the key to getting Tom Brady back if that’s the ultimate goal.
The New England Patriots could pounce and make another massive free agent pickup, letting JC Jackson leave and replacing him with Carlton Davis.
There is still a chance the Bucs could retain both Davis and Godwin, but if Davis hits the open market, expect him to be coveted by a lot of teams.
15. Stephon Gilmore, CB: Carolina Panthers ➡️ San Francisco 49ers
Stephone Gilmore is a former Defensive MVP and is still playing at a high level despite only playing 19 games the past two years.
He should be in line for another really strong contract and you don’t need to look much further than teams without first-round picks to make surprise splash signings.
The 49ers are currently over the cap but that could change in a hurry if they get a Jimmy Garoppolo trade sorted out and move some other money around.
14. Randy Gregory, EDGE: Dallas Cowboys ➡️ New York Jets
Randy Gregory finally got the chance to prove what he can do with some consistent playing time and while he’s certainly a risk in free agency, he’s a risk a team like the New York Jets might want to take.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh was once an assistant under Dan Quinn with the Seattle Seahawks during the Legion of Boom years. If Quinn can find a way to help Randy Gregory be successful, it stands to reason that Gregory could do the same in Saleh’s scheme.
Gregory had a career-high 17 QB hits last season along with matching his previous career-high of 6.0 sacks.
13. Jadeveon Clowney, EDGE: Cleveland Browns ➡️ Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts were in on Jadeveon Clowney last offseason but they couldn’t get anything done with him.
Perhaps this time around, they can make it happen.
There’s undoubtedly a bad taste in everyone’s mouths with the Colts after watching their 98 percent chance of making the playoffs vanish into thin air over the final two weeks of the season.
Jadeveon Clowney is coming off of one of the best seasons of his career and could be a huge asset to a tough Colts defense that has a wide range of defensive front seven players hitting free agency.
12. Ryan Jensen, C: Tampa Bay Buccaneers ➡️ Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears need to make some big-time moves on the offensive line in 2022 NFL Free Agency.
According to these predictions, the Buccaneers are really losing a lot, which makes me nervous about how accurate they might wind up.
All in fun, I suppose.
Ryan Jensen would give the Bears a strong foundation right in the middle of their offensive line snapping the ball to young Justin Fields.
New general manager Ryan Poles comes from the Chiefs and knows the value of a good offensive line, and he knows how detrimental a bad one can be for the success of your quarterback.
11. Jessie Bates, S: Cincinnati Bengals ➡️ Cincinnati Bengals
As of this writing, the Cincinnati Bengals have placed the franchise tag on safety Jessie Bates, and deservedly so.
They need to make sure they don’t lose one of the key pieces of one of the league’s most improved defenses, and they also need to make sure they get Bates locked into a long-term contract.
He had a down year in 2021 but his entire career has been otherwise outstanding.
10. Allen Robinson, WR: Chicago Bears ➡️ Cleveland Browns
With almost $28 million in cap space available, the Cleveland Browns may not have gotten enough love on this post.
They will almost undoubtedly be active in free agency, but perhaps more selective with their main acquisitions.
The Browns need to get additional wide receiver help with Jarvis Landry’s situation up in the air and Odell Beckham Jr. obviously not there anymore.
Allen Robinson could come into Cleveland and be the team’s number one receiver right away, perhaps resurrecting his career in Kevin Stefanski’s offense.
Baker Mayfield hasn’t been a model of consistency, but Robinson is a big target who gives you a little margin for error. I think this could be a pretty great fit and Robinson would get himself a hefty contract from the Browns.
9. Orlando Brown Jr., OT: Kansas City Chiefs ➡️ Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have placed the franchise tag on big Orlando Brown Jr., a player they traded for in the 2021 offseason.
The Chiefs allowed Brown to play the left tackle position on a full-time basis and he did not disappoint, helping one of the most improved units in the NFL.
The net step now for Brown and the Chiefs? Get a long-term contract extension ironed out.
8. Marcus Williams, S: New Orleans Saints ➡️ Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions a destination for free agents in 2022?
I’m telling you, don’t sleep on it.
The Lions have money and they have a coaching staff that I think players want to play for. There are some significant connections between the Lions and Saints, obviously, and the specific one here that matters is defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Glenn spent a lot of time coaching the defensive backs in New Orleans, including pending free agent safety Marcus Williams.
Williams would be another young building block for the Lions to target in free agency who would be a seamless fit in Glenn’s defense.
7. Mike Williams, WR: Los Angeles Chargers ➡️ Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have to franchise tag Mike Williams right?
Right?
It’s hard to believe they would just let him go, so I’m choosing not to believe that.
He really emerged this past season as a WR1a type of playmaker for the Chargers and took on the biggest target share so far in his NFL career with 129 targets in 2021.
The Chargers should get Williams a long-term deal but they easily have the cap space to afford tagging him and to make all of the other moves listed in this post.
Seriously.
6. JC Jackson, CB: New England Patriots ➡️ Pittsburgh Steelers
We could see the Pittsburgh Steelers be a bit more uncharacteristically involved in NFL free agency in the 2022 offseason after the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger.
Adding JC Jackson would be an extremely aggressive move.
The Steelers added Brian Flores to their defensive staff, and Flores crossed paths with Jackson while the two were in New England back in 2018. That may not be a substantial connection, but it’s at least somewhat notable.
Jackson would be a nice pair with Ahkello Witherspoon in the Pittsburgh secondary, and he would have no shortage of passes to make plays on with TJ Watt rushing the passer in front of him.
5. Chandler Jones, EDGE: Arizona Cardinals ➡️ Los Angeles Rams
People reading this will wonder how in the world the Los Angeles Rams could possibly make some of the moves I’m predicting, but really, it wouldn’t be that difficult.
And again I will warn this — don’t underestimate a team like the Rams with absolutely no NFL Draft capital. Free agency is their only way to improve the roster. They’re going to be aggressive.
Getting Matthew Stafford a contract extension could free up a ton of space, and the Rams could restructure some deals to be able to afford some splash moves.
They obviously would love to re-sign Von Miller, but in this scenario, I have Von Miller leaving (spoiler alert).
Chandler Jones would be a huge coup for the Rams, not only signing one of the best free agent pass rushers in the league but adding one of the best pass rushers in the NFL period.
4. Von Miller, EDGE: Los Angeles Rams ➡️ Denver Broncos
Could Denver Broncos general manager really pull this off?
He trades Von Miller at the deadline for a 2nd and 3rd-round pick, then re-signs him in free agency?
It would be an all-timer, there’s no doubt about it.
Von Miller has recently taken to social media to speculate about what he might do in free agency and he put a lot out there for Denver Broncos fans just one week before free agency, talking about whether he would wear number 58 or number 40, whether or not the team would give him his locker back, and how he’s missing the feeling in the 5280 (Mile High).
Miller always wanted to be part of the solution in Denver and with a new coaching staff (that includes a bunch of Rams assistants now on defense), renewed hope, and potentially a big-name QB, we could see the Denver Broncos re-sign their future Hall of Famer.
3. Chris Godwin, WR: Tampa Bay Buccaneers ➡️ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I wrestled with this one for a good bit.
If Tom Brady decides to come back, would Godwin do the same? Will the Buccaneers just tag him?
I don’t know that Godwin is going to base his free agency on Tom Brady at this point. This guy is coming off of a torn ACL and will still have a chance to go get a ton of money in free agency if the Bucs let him get there. I think the Eagles would want him. The Dolphins. The Colts.
Name any team that needs a receiver at all.
The Buccaneers are rumored to be leaning towards using the franchise tag on Godwin as of this writing. If that doesn’t happen, we’ll amend this prediction (initially had the Eagles down) but for now, it looks like the Bucs will do whatever they need to do to make sure that Tom Brady would actually want to come back in the event he’s willing to do that.
2. Terron Armstead, OT: New Orleans Saints ➡️ Chicago Bears
And Bears fans rejoice.
General manager Ryan Poles is a former offensive lineman himself, coming from the Kansas City Chiefs where they just had an epic overhaul of the offensive line protecting Patrick Mahomes after a terrible performance in the Super Bowl last year.
Poles knows that for Justin Fields to have any sustained success, the offensive line needs to be addressed.
Thanks to their cap situation, the Saints may have to let Pro Bowl tackle Terron Armstead walk. At the age of 30, the Bears could land one of the premier tackles in the game. This would round out a tremendous first free agency for a rookie GM.
1. Davante Adams, WR: Green Bay Packers ➡️ Green Bay Packers
There’s no doubt about the fact that things — as of the time of this writing — are up in the air with the Green Bay Packers.
Ultimately, letting Davante Adams hit free agency would be the shock of the 2022 offseason, so I’m going to be willing to look bad on this one if anything besides Adams returning to the Packers happens.
In the event that Aaron Rodgers decides to leave Green Bay, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Packers tag-and-trade Adams as well, but they would undoubtedly tag him in a worst-case scenario.
There’s no way Green Bay can let Adams hit the open market and not get anything in return for arguably the best receiver in the NFL.