There were plenty of fireworks during the NFL’s first official day of free agency. After a slow start, a slew of marquee free agents — most notably Curtis Samuel, Haason Reddick and Patrick Peterson — came off the board. We had a few surprises that included Kyle Van Noy’s return to New England and Kyle Long ending his one-year retirement to join the Chiefs.
While the market is thinning, there are still some big name players who are still waiting to come to terms on a new deal. Here are the top 10 free agents that are still available according to Pete Prisco’s Top 100 list. Don’t be surprised if many — if not all — of these players are off the market sometime during the next 24 hours of free agency. We’ve also included reports on where these players may be heading sometime in the very near future.
After a breakout 2019 (he led the NFL in touchdown receptions that season), injuries hampered Golladay throughout the 2020 season. During his four seasons in Detroit, the 27-year-old Golladay caught 183 passes for 3,068 yards and 21 touchdowns. Don’t expect Gollday to be on the list much longer, as the Giants and Bengals (among other teams) are in pursuit of him.
While he failed to record a single interception last season (a year after leading the league with six picks), Harris tallied a career-high 104 tackles. The Browns, a team that currently has questions at safety, should be considered a front-runner to land the seven-year veteran.
Ingram is out to prove that he is still an elite player after injuries significantly impacted his 2020 season. After a slow start, Ingram tallied 43 sacks between 2015-19. The Ravens are “keeping tabs” on Ingram’s market, according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora.
The 28th player overall and third best available receiver on Prisco’s list, Smith-Schuster is a complete WR who is still just 24 years old. While his 2020 numbers left something to be desired, Smith-Schuster put up big numbers as the Steelers’ No. 2 receiver during his first two seasons. The Raiders have reportedly been interested in signing the 2018 Pro Bowler.
The former Army Ranger has put together an impressive run as the Steelers’ starting left tackle. In fact, Villanueva’s 90-game regular season starting streak is the longest of any current Pittsburgh player. The Steelers have reportedly had conversations about signing the two-time Pro Bowler.
Though he’s still waiting for his first 1,000-yard season, Fuller was nonetheless a consistent and productive receiver during his first five NFL seasons in Houston. During that span, Fuller averaged 67 catches for 622 yards and five touchdowns per season. A deep threat, Fuller averaged nearly 15 yards per catch in Houston. The Dolphins and Bengals have been linked as possible teams for the 6-foot, 184-pound Fuller.
One of last year’s top free agents, Clowney did not join a new team until he inked a one-year, $12 million deal with the Titans on September 8. A knee injury limited Clowney to just eight games last year, as he failed to record a sack for the first time since his rookie season. The Ravens, who recently lost defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to the Raiders, have been linked as a possible landing spot for Clowney.
8. Xavier Rhodes
A three-time Pro Bowler with the Vikings, Rhodes intercepted two passes and broke up 12 more during his lone season in Indianapolis. Bills safety Jordan Poyer recently said that he is trying to recruit Rhodes and defensive end Carlos Dunlap to Buffalo.
9. Eric Wilson
A former undrafted rookie, Wilson became a full-time starter during the 2020 season. Last season, the 6-foot-1, 230-pound linebacker racked up 122 tackles, three sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Wilson has recently been linked to the Broncos, who are looking to upgrade their linebacker corps for the 2021 season.
10. Sammy Watkins
The former No. 4 overall pick was a key role player during the Chiefs’ recent run of success. In 86 games, the 27-year-old wide out has caught 321 passes for 4,665 yards and 33 touchdowns while averaging 14.5 yards per catch. The Dolphins, Bears and Ravens are among the teams that are in need of a veteran receiver.