#1 – Chris Jones (DT)

Defensive tackle Chris Jones is the clear-cut top dog in this year’s free agency class. Jones is set for a big payday on the open market as it’s hard to see the Chiefs tagging him. If Kansas City does decide to tag him they will be on the hook for $33 million. I just don’t see them shelling out that kind of money for Jones.

There will be plenty of suitors for Jones who is one of the best defensive players in the NFL today. Jones finished last season with 10.5 sacks and 39 QB pressures.

#2 – Josh Allen (EDGE)

Speaking of defensive stars, Jaguars defensive end Josh Allen will be in hot demand this offseason. Allen finished with a career-best 17.5 sacks in 2023 which was good enough for 2nd overall in the league.

Allen is still only 26 years old and is just entering his prime. He will not come cheap but Allen could change the entire identity of a defense if signed.

#3 – Kirk Cousins (QB)

It’s very likely that Kirk Cousins has played his last game as a Minnesota Vikings. Cousins 2023 campaign was cut short due to an Achilles injury. Despite the injury, there will still be plenty of QB-needy teams ready to pounce on the 35-year-old quarterback.

Even at his age, Cousins is still a top-10 quarterback in the league and in the right system, he could really flourish. At this point in his career Cousins should take less money and sign on with a contender.

#4 – Brian Burns (EDGE)

Brian Burns is another elite defender who is set for a big payday. Burns didn’t quite have the year that Josh Allen had but the star defensive end has loads of potential and is still only 25. It’s hard to judge Burns’ 2023 campaign as the Panthers were a mess on both sides of the ball.

As a two-time Pro Bowler, Burns has had plenty of trade offers over the years but they never materialized. If he isn’t tagged Burns will finally get the contract he deserves.

#5 – Christian Wilkins (DT)

Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins is coming off his best season in Miami. Wilkins had 9.0 sacks, 30 QB pressures and 23 QB hits. Wilkins is also an excellent run defender with the ability to quickly attack holes and stuff running backs.

Before the release of cornerback Xavien Howard it was hard to see the Dolphins tagging Wilkins. Now that seems more likely but $22 million is a lot to shell out for a DT.

#6 – Justin Madubuike (DT)

The Ravens Justin Madubuike is another impressive defensive tackle that could hit the market. It would seem likely that Baltimore would tag the 5th year player but if they don’t Madubuike should cash in big time. He is coming off an All-Pro caliber season where he set career highs in most defensive categories including sacks with 13.0.

#7 – Antoine Winfield Jr. (S)

Antoine Winfield is coming off his best season as a pro and rightfully earned his first All-Pro selection. Winfield is the prototypical modern-day Safety that many teams are craving. He can line up all over the field and is an excellent ball hawk. Winfield forced a league-high 6 fumbles for the Buccaneers in 2023.

Tampa Bay will have a tough decision to make this offseason in terms of who to franchise tag. It will likely come down to either Winfield or Mike Evans. If either walk they will be in high demand.

#8 – L’Jarius Sneed (CB)

L’Jarius Sneed will be the best cornerback available if he hits the open market. Sneed has stated that he wants to stay in Kansas City but we will see if that pans out. In terms of coverage ability, it’s hard to find a better corner than Sneed. He has excelled in Steve Spagnuolo’s system where he can be aggressive and attack the ball.

Like the Buccaneers, the Chiefs will have some tough decisions to make this offseason. If they do decide to tag Sneed it will cost them about $18 million and of course, there is the Chris Jones situation.

#9 – Michael Pittman Jr. (WR)

As of now, it looks like Michael Pittman will hit the open market and if he does he will have plenty of suitors. Pittman is coming off a career-high 1,152 receiving yards in 2023 and 109 receptions. If there is one weakness to his game it’s the lack of receiving touchdowns. Pittman had just 4 in 2023. That to me will be improved in a new offensive system.

Pittman is a tag candidate for the Colts but Indianapolis has been reluctant to use the tag in the past. This one will be worth watching as we get closer to the free agency period.

#10 – Jaylon Johnson (CB)

Rounding out our list of the best free NFL agents available is cornerback Jaylon Johnson. The Bears cornerback had his best season in Chicago with 4 interceptions and a Pro Bowl nod. At just 24 years old, Johnson has the makings of a lock-down corner with excellent coverage ability.

Johnson is a likely franchise tag candidate for the Bears as they will look to solidify their secondary.

The post Top 10 Free Agents of 2024 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Trenton Roberts (Twitter: @TRobertsNFL)

These days, it seems like we see a good rookie year from a receiver followed by a breakout second year nearly every season. 

In 2018, we saw JuJu Smith-Schuster fly into the top 10 at the position in PPR leagues. In 2019, it was D.J. Moore who blew up, rising from the WR36 finish he had as a rookie up to the WR16. In 2020, we had a pair of young talents explode, with each finishing with over 17 PPR points per game after Brown had just 13.6 and Metcalf just 11.7 as rookies.

In 2021, there are quite a few options to look at as potential sophomore explosions at wide receiver. Leading the charge are Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, and Chase Claypool, each of whom dominated the league as rookies and could look to build on that success. However, there’s a kid in Indy who could challenge that trio for the best sophomore season of the class.

Michael Pittman Jr. is the son of former NFL running back Michael Pittman Sr., was the eighth receiver off the board in the 2020 draft, but his potential is up there with any of them. Standing at 6’4” and weighing in at just over 220 pounds, Pittman is a big-bodied receiver with a surprising burst. Used primarily as a deep threat and third option in the Colts 2020 passing attack, Pittman may just overtake Hilton for the leading role in 2021 receiving stable.

It’s safe to say that Pittman was utilized in the wrong type of scheme in 2020. As a red-zone weapon with an alpha mentality and dominating deep-threat traits, Pittman was forced to work with short-passing legend Phillip Rivers, never truly getting to show out. That should change in 2021 with Wentz under center.

In 2019, Wentz was a top 10 deep ball artist in the game, when he was able to rely upon a dominant front to protect him and give him time to pass to the sub-par receivers he had then. In 2020, he lost both of those, being sacked a league-high 50 times despite playing in just 12 games, paired with the Eagles adding next to no help in the passing game, losing Nelson Agholor and adding rookie Jalen Reagor.

Moving to Indy, Wentz is primed to perform much better behind a stable offensive front and with a much better supporting cast. With that improvement should come a boost for Pittman’s usage, as could easily increase his 2020 receiving line of 40 catches for 503 yards and a single score with a quarterback who isn’t afraid to go deep.

Pittman was held back as a rookie, failing to get over 80% of the team’s offensive snaps aside from a single game until week nine of the season. From then onward, however, Pittman played very well, including a four-week stretch from week 10 to week 13 in which he was on pace for a 16-game stat-line of 68 catches on 100 targets, 984 yards, and 4 scores. 

Where Pittman really shone, though, was after the catch, as the rookie’s 7.3 YAC (Yard’s after Catch) gave him a fourth-place finish among all NFL wide receivers in this category. His low drop percentage (1.6%) also shows that he could be the guy Wentz could rely on to make a big catch, especially considering the poor weaponry Wentz had in Philly giving him no clear go-to target in big-time situations. This should create an early rapport between the two and Pittman could very quickly become the go-to guy on the Indy offense.

With Wentz in town, look for Pittman Jr. to breakout, as he could easily jump from his stats last season to over 1,000 yards and quite a few more scores as the leading weapon for the Colts passing game.

The post Michael Pittman can be the next big sophomore breakout appeared first on Pro Football Mania.