We are deep into the third wave of NFL free agency after a rapid start with players being signed across the league, but there are still plenty of quality players still available, including Duane Brown -- No. 1 among our top players available.
As teams start to put pen to paper on these free agent contracts, there are still plenty of talented players out there for contending teams to snatch. Unfortunately for the quarterback-needy teams, none of them are quarterbacks.
Here are the top free agents remaining, based on Pete Prisco's top 100 list.
1. Duane Brown
Left tackles are hard to find in this league, and Brown's age is concerning at 36. He's still at the top of his game after making the Pro Bowl last year, when he started all 17 games. The eight sacks Brown allowed are as many as in his last four years combined, and his five penalties were the most he's committed in four years.
Brown should have a strong market based on the value of offensive tackles. He still has a few good years of football left.
2. Odell Beckham Jr.
He finally looked to be back to his pre-injury self last year down the stretch, but then suffered another major knee injury in the Super Bowl. That's why he's down this low.
Beckham turned his 2021 season around since signing with the Rams after an ugly breakup from the Browns, recording 27 catches for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight games. He had 21 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in four postseason games, having two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl LVI before going down with a knee injury.
3. Eric Fisher
After tearing an Achilles tendon late in 2020 with the Chiefs, he settled in and did a nice job for the Colts last season. Fisher allowed nine sacks and 40 pressures in457 pass-blocking snaps last year. He isn't a guy who will be All-Pro, but he is a capable starter.
4. Dont'a Hightower
Hightower returned to the Patriots defense last season after opting out of the 2020 campaign. Over that stretch, he didn't look like the same player that helped New England to multiple Super Bowls. Instead, Hightower was noticeably a step slower than he'd been in the past. He finished the season with 64 tackles and 1.5 sacks. The 32-year-old is reportedly still mulling the next steps of his career, which would indicate that retirement may be on the table if the right situation doesn't present itself.
5. A.J. Johnson
Anyone still looking for a capable starting linebacker who's also seen his fair share of NFL reps should be in on Johnson. Having spent his last four seasons with the Denver Broncos, Johnson saw his 2021 season cut short by a torn pectoral muscle, but was on pace for a career-best campaign before injured reserve stole his chance to complete the mission. In 2020, he logged a career-high 124 combined tackles and two forced fumbles, upping his sack tally in 2021 in roughly one-third of the starts (he started 16 games the year prior); and as OTAs begin, LB-needy teams should take a peek at what he has to offer.
6. Riley Reiff
After spending four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Reiff inked a one-year deal to join the Bengals last offseason. He started all 12 games for Cincinnati at right tackle last season before being placed on injured reserve in mid-December and missed the club's run to Super Bowl LVI. According to Pro Football Focus, Reiff had a 96.8 pass blocking efficiency rating, allowing 21 total pressures and four sacks.
7. Anthony Barr
The former four-time Pro Bowl selection just turned 30 years old, and is coming off a solid 2021 season. Barr finished with 72 tackles, 2.5 sacks, three interceptions, five passes defensed, and six quarterback hits. Barr had just 13 pressures and seven hurries last season, as he's best suited for a role in a defense similar to the one former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer ran in Minnesota.
8. Joe Haden
Injuries limited him to 11 games last season and he's getting up in the years. So those are both concerns. But when he's on the field, he's still more than capable of being an above-average corner.
9. Chris Harris
He was once one of the better corners in the league, especially in the slot. He isn't that anymore, but he can still help a young secondary.
