There have been plenty of fireworks during the NFL’s first three days 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 on Wednesday, with a few other notable names like Kenyan Drake and Will Fuller finding homes Thursday. We also 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. JuJu Smith-Schuster came off the board on Friday when he re-signed with the Steelers.
While the market is thinning, there are still some big name players waiting to come to terms on new deals. 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 24-48 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, Bears and Bengals (among other teams) are in pursuit of him. The Giants are the front-runner to land Golladay after meeting with him on Thursday and Friday.
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 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.
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 Sept. 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 named a possible landing spot for Clowney.
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.
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.
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.
A second-round pick in the 2017 draft, King started in 36 of his 41 regular season games with the Packers. King’s best season took place in 2019, when he picked off five passes while helping Green Bay advance to the NFC title game. While they did allow him to test the market, don’t be surprised if the Packers decide to bring back King for the ’21 season. The Saints, Cowboys and Bears are also in need of some reinforcements at cornerback.
Reiter started 28 of 32 games for Kansas City over the past two seasons, but appears to be headed elsewhere as the Chiefs remake their offensive line in the wake of a disastrous performance in their Super Bowl loss to the Buccaneers. Reiter has shown himself to be an above-average starter and could help any team in need of reinforcements up the middle (including the Chiefs, should they decide to reverse course).
10. T.Y. Hilton
The former four-time Pro Bowler is still available as we get closer to the first full week of free agency. During his nine seasons with the Colts, the 5-foot-10, 183-pound Hilton caught 608 passes for 9,360 yards and 50 touchdowns. In 15 games last season, Hilton caught 56 of 93 targets for 762 yards and five touchdowns. Among the teams that are in pursuit of a veteran receiver include the Eagles, Bears and Bengals.