The NFL free agency spree is well under way in 2021, with a list of headline targets having agreed to terms on new deals ahead of the official start of the new league year on March 17. There’s no shortage of damage having been done by the New England Patriots, who went on an absolute tear to begin the legal tampering period, but they weren’t the only club getting in on the action — not by a long shot.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are well on their way to keeping the Super Bowl-winning band together while the Kansas City Chiefs offload starting tackles to unexpectedly work at landing their replacements, just barely missing on Trent Williams in their race for him against the incumbent San Francisco 49ers. In looking at who’s already flown off of the board, it’s key to note who is still waiting for the right offer to arrive.
These are some of the best still available, and it’s not expected they’ll be free agents much longer.
[Note: This list is unranked.]
1. Kenny Golladay, WR
Absent Allen Robinson, Golladay is the biggest ticket available at wide receiver, and things have been slow moving at the position at the opening of free agency. It feels like until Golladay signs, many of the other major dominoes will remain standing at WR, or he could have been holding off to see what someone like Curtis Samuel could command — having now signed in Washington. However you cut it, however, Golladay is a proven commodity that just happens to find himself up against another impressive class of wideouts in this year’s NFL draft. CBS Sports broke the news Golladay was in intense talks with the Giants, and they’ll try to not let him out of the building, knowing the Bengals also have an offer on his table.
2. Anthony Harris, S
Harris has long been trade candy in October, but the Vikings opted to hold onto him, and that was a wise decision. Easily one of the best in the league at the position, many will point at his downturn in the INT column in 2020, but to do so would be to ignore the fact he upped his combined tackles by 44 in all, along with the fact he also had seven pass break ups and, in his two seasons prior, Harris grabbed nine interceptions and the title for co-interceptions leader in 2019. The Vikings are hoping to have him stick around, but there are other teams who also need an impact safety and are also likely ringing his phone.
3. Will Fuller, WR
At one point, Fuller would’ve liked to stay put with the Houston Texans and although there’s no indication he’d wave them off, it’s safe to say things are wildly different now than they were a few months ago. Keep in mind, the Texans had him on the trading block as well, and Deshaun Watson might be headed out of town, so Fuller is probably leaning that way as well. He’s proven he’s a dynamic weapon at wideout, but will also have to convince teams his days of being suspended are behind him. The latter could drive his asking price down a bit, making it easier for him to sign soon.
4. Keanu Neal, S
There’s a lot of interest in Neal, and for good reason. His biggest NFL hurdle to overcome has been remaining on the field, but he’s a playmaker when healthy. He made great strides in the durability department in 2020 — active for 15 of the Falcons regular season games and starting in 14 of them. The former 17th-overall pick has the attention of the safety-needy Dallas Cowboys, and those wheels are greased by former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn and former Falcons defensive backs coach Joe Whitt, Jr. now working in North Texas, but the New York Jets and several other clubs are making their pitch as well.
5. Richard Sherman, CB
He’s not the same as he was in his prime, but Sherman still has plenty to offer as he begins to wind down his Hall of Fame career. The All-Pro wants to play another two seasons before retiring and that hints at him potentially looking for a two-year deal, as opposed to changing cities and learning a new scheme/set of coaches in each of his final couple of years. A good fit will be a team that doesn’t require him to be CB1 and instead offers a good opportunity for measured snaps as CB2, and if he’s willing to test the waters at safety — like Patrick Peterson — then all the better. Sherman is only one season removed from his latest Pro Bowl nod, further proof there’s something left in the tank, as long as his body plays along.
6. Melvin Ingram, DE
There’s a lot of talk of WRs and defensive backs on this list, and mostly because those positions contain several of the most intriguing names still on the market, but the name of the defensive game is still getting after the opposing quarterback. So as we dip into the pass rusher category, Ingram definitely deserves a mention. The three-time Pro Bowler is going to provide his new team with some toughness off the edge, but they’re going to first want assurances he’s physically a go — after battling knee injuries that cost him nine games in 2020. With 43 sacks in his previous five seasons, though, you better believe he’s getting calls.
7. T.Y. Hilton, WR
With Curtis Samuel now off the board, it appears the next domino to fall in the WR market will be Golladay, unless Hilton crashes the headline party. The four-time Pro Bowler tweeted his excitement to hit free agency ahead of that gate flying open in March, and while he’s open to returning to the Colts, he’s just as open at seeing what’s elsewhere for him. There should definitely be a market for Hilton’s services, even if he’s battled injury in recent seasons, because of what he can do with the football in his hands. Granted, at the age of 31, he’s not the spring chicken he once was when he reeled in more than 1,400 receiving yards in 2016, but he could still be an impact WR2 on a team that already has a starter, if not the starter himself for a club that lacks one.
8. Alejandro Villanueva, OT
Can the offensive line get some love? Absolutely, and especially now that the market is beginning to take shape. The ceiling has been set by Trent Williams in San Francisco, but that’s not Villanueva’s market, the two-time Pro Bowler and Army Ranger being slotted more closely to the lot of veteran tackles who can’t command market-setting money but do command the respect of opposing pass rushers around the league. As it stands, the Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly in talks to keep him glued to Pittsburgh, but a quality offensive tackle will always garner attention around the NFL. It feels like it’s just a matter of if Villanueva sees himself as a starter still, or if he’s willing to rotate in as he approaches the age of 33. But considering he started in all 16 games last season, and every season since 2016, that question seems rhetorical.
9. JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR
Yes, there’s plenty of WR talent left to be taken because, as noted, it’s been a slow uptick for the position in this year’s free agency. That’s expected to change soon and Smith-Schuster will be front-and -center for teams looking for a complementary wideout at a more palatable price. This isn’t to say he’ll be a bargain grab (although he might), but more so to point out how he won’t command the money you’ll see Golladay end up landing. There’s reportedly still some interest in the Steelers re-signing him, and that might be his best bet, but he’s expected to get interest from elsewhere as well — leaving him to determine where the talented but recently struggling WR wants to rebuild his damaged brand.
10. Jadeveon Clowney, DE
What a difference a year makes. It was this time last year when Clowney was atop the list of free agents, and held football news hostage as he worked through where he wanted to sign, which basically boiled down to who was going to show up with his exorbitant asking price. In the end, it was the Titans, but things didn’t go nearly as well as either side had hoped in 2020, and it got worse when Clowney went down with a season-ending injury in November. Considering that injury involved his knee, and the fact he got zero sacks through his eight games played, he’s in no position to break any team’s bank in 2021; but could have enough drive on a discounted price to make for a great grab for a pass rush-needy club. Clowney failed in his mission of signing a one-year deal as a means of it being a trampoline for a megadeal this season, so he might give that another go.