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NFL Free Agency 2020: Top six players left on market and best landing spot for each
With compensatory picks no longer needed to be given up, here's a look at the best talent remaining
www.cbssports.com
NFL free agency is almost two weeks old now, and the league has gone topsy-turvy since the start of the legal tampering period. The most surprising move so far has to be Tom Brady deciding to leave the New England Patriots to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Even though Brady has signed, there are plenty of skill position players still available for teams to grab.
There have been plenty of players changing teams and free agency has provided the sports world with the only sense of normalcy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NFL league year has arrived in full force with plenty of teams agreeing to terms with the top free agents on the board.
Even though many players have committed to teams, there are still valuable free agents that haven't agreed to terms with a new team, including a top-10 player on Pete Prisco's Top 100 free agents list. This list does not include Cam Newton, who was released by the Panthers on Tuesday, or any other late releases who weren't on Prisco's original top 100.
These are the top 10 free agents as the second week of free agency continues, and the best fits for each of them going forward:
1. Jadeveon Clowney
Teams are in desperate need for pass rushers and Clowney is still available. The price tag for Clowney will be high and could potentially reach $20 million per season if there is a bidding war.
Clowney hasn't fully lived up to the hype of being the No. 1 overall pick, but he's been productive. He has 32 sacks in six NFL seasons with 80 quarterback hits, 252 pressures and three Pro Bowl appearances. He has also graded out exceptionally well via Pro Football Focus, specifically over the past two seasons. Clowney finished with 31 tackles, three sacks, four forced fumbles, 13 quarterback hits and 47 pressures in 13 games in 2019.
Best landing spots: Seahawks, Colts, Giants
2. Jameis Winston
The market for Winston is drying up, especially since the Buccaneers landed Tom Brady. Winston will have to look elsewhere for his next team, but the Colts and Raiders are out as potential destinations. There are a few teams that need starting quarterbacks, including the Patriots and Chargers, but who knows if they are interested?
Winston completed 60.7% of his passes for a league-leading 5,109 yards with 33 touchdowns and a league-high 30 interceptions. He became the first quarterback to throw for 450-plus yards in consecutive games and was the first quarterback in league history to throw for 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a season. His seven interceptions returned for touchdowns is a NFL record.
Best landing spots: Patriots, Chargers, Bears
3. Logan Ryan
Ryan would be an excellent value signing for any team that wants to add him to their secondary. He finished with 113 tackles, 18 passes defensed, four interceptions and four forced fumbles in all 16 games.
Opposing quarterbacks threw for five touchdowns and had an 88.7 passer rating targeting Ryan. Sure Ryan is coming off a down year, but he is just 29 and a reliable starter for any team that needs a cornerback.
Teams that couldn't get Darius Slay should take a look at Ryan.
Best landing spots: Cowboys, Giants, Bears
4. Jason Peters
Another aging left tackle that still good enough to start in the NFL. The Eagles decided to move on from Peters after 11 seasons, allowing him to seek a starting opportunity elsewhere. Injuries have limited Peters the past three seasons, which may hurt his market.
Peters had 10 penalties last season. He's played over 85% of the offensive snaps just once since 2014. Oh and he's 38 as well.
Best landing spots: Titans, Seahawks, Chiefs
5. Damarious Randall
A former cornerback with the Packers, Randall found a home in Cleveland as a safety. He had 61 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 11 games, hampered by a hamstring injury all season. A hard-hitter that was known for his helmet-to-helmet strike on Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson last season, Randall provides a force to any secondary.
Randall's coverage skills aren't great, but he's a solid starter in this league.
Best landing spots: Buccaneers, Jets, Vikings
6. Bashaud Breeland
Breeland is a cost-efficient cornerback, even though he'll be looking for a bigger deal in free agency. The Chiefs got Breeland for just $2 million last season, as the 28-year-old cornerback was key toward solidifying their defense during last year's Super Bowl championship.
Breeland started 15 games for the Chiefs, recording 48 tackles, two interceptions and eight passes defensed. While Breeland allowed 18 yards per completion and five touchdowns, opposing quarterbacks completed just 48.4% of their passes thrown his way.
Sure, Breeland gives up the deep ball, but he's a solid NFL starter. He's a "bend but don't break" cornerback.
Best landing spots: Chiefs, Vikings, Cowboys
7. Markus Golden
Golden finished with 10 sacks and 72 tackles playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense last season, so why can't he find work? Production and age are working in Golden's favor, which is driving his price up. Doesn't help Clowney hasn't signed with a team yet, holding up the pass rusher market.
Inconsistency has plagued Golden, who recorded two double-digit sack seasons in five years, but has just 6.5 combined sacks in the other three campaigns (30 games). Signing Golden is a "boom or bust" move, especially if you're giving him multiple years and over $10 million a season.
Best landing spots: Redskins, Seahawks, Rams
8. Kamalei Correa
Correa has been a solid, if unspectacular contributor throughout his four-year career, but he has perhaps the best game he's ever played during the Titans' postseason run. A versatile linebacker who doesn't turn 26 years old until late next month, he can provide valuable depth and the ability to play against both the run and the pass.
Best landing spots: Ravens, Patriots, Falcons
9. Darqueze Dennard
It appeared Dennard was heading to the Jaguars, but the agreement to a three-year contract fell apart in the eleventh hour. The 28-year-old corner has spent his entire career with the Bengals, and is a former first-round pick. He started the 2019 season on the PUP list, but did return to play in nine games (five starts) for Cincy and totaled 37 tackles and five passes defended. According to Pro Football Focus, Dennard was the 22nd highest-graded corner in the league in 2019.
Best landing spots: Jets, Broncos, Titans
10. Mike Daniels
Daniels is coming off of a one-year deal he signed with the Lions after being released by the Packers last offseason. He only played in nine games and recorded just one sack, but should generate some interest on the open market. In 111 career games, he has recorded 235 combined tackles and 30 sacks.
Best landing spots: Ravens, Vikings, Giants
