There have been plenty of fireworks during NFL 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 the first official day of the new league year, with a few other notable names like Kenyan Drake and Will Fuller finding homes one day later. 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 when he re-signed with the Steelers. A day after Smith-Schuster decided stay in Pittsburgh, Kenny Golladay, the top-ranked receiver left on the market, signed with the Giants.
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 bout of free agency. We've also included reports on where these players may be heading sometime in the very near future.
1. Melvin Ingram
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.
2. Alejandro Villanueva
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.
3. Austin Reiter
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).
4. Russell Okung
While he's sitting pretty on his Bitcoin fortune, the 11-year veteran is still out there on the free agent market. While he likely isn't the same player we've seen during his prime, the 32-year-old is still a solid force along an offensive line. The main issue surrounding Okung -- and likely a key concern surrounding perspective clubs -- is his durability. He was limited to just seven games in 2020 and that comes after playing just in six contests in 2019.
5. Richard Sherman
Richard Sherman is set to turn 33 at the end of March, but the veteran corner has indicated that he still wants to play for a few more seasons. In five games played in 2020 (missed time due to a calf injury), the five-time Pro Bowler totaled 18 tackles and an interception. At this stage in his career, Sherman is likely best suited to join a secondary where he can serve as a complementary piece but is still a strong contributor when healthy.
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6. Brian Poole
The former undrafted free agent had his best season in the NFL with the Jets, despite playing just nine games. Poole had two interceptions as opposing quarterbacks targeting him recorded just a 61.6 passer rating. After allowing eight touchdowns in 2018 and 2019, Poole didn't allow a single touchdown in 2020 -- allowing just 10.3 yards per completion.
Poole is an intriguing option for teams that need starting help in the secondary, as he can play both cornerback and safety. His market should heat up over the coming days.
7. Ryan Kerrigan
Kerrigan will go down as a legend in Washington after joining the team as the 16th overall pick in 2011 and going on to earn four Pro Bowl nods over the course of his 10-year career. His 95.5 career sacks are the most in franchise history, and he showed no signs of slowing down in 2020.
But at 32, Kerrigan is being viewed now more as a pass-rush specialist and not an every-down performer as his snap count dwindled to a career-low 38 percent in 2020.
8. K.J. Wright
A career Seahawk, Wright piled up 941 tackles, 11 forced fumbles and six interceptions during his decade in Seattle. A Pro Bowler in 2016, Wright helped Seattle win its first Super Bowl along with two NFC titles. In 2020, Wright tallied 86 tackles, two sacks, an interception and a forced fumble while starting in each of Seattle's 16 games. Wright will be 32 before the start of the 2021 season.
9. Bashaud Breeland
Breeland spent the past two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, starting 11 games for the AFC champions at cornerback. He finished with two interceptions and nine passes defensed as opposing quarterbacks targeting him finished with just a 78.3 passer rating. Breeland allowed just 50% of the passes thrown his way to be caught (60 targets), and gave up four touchdowns.
One of the top cornerback options remaining on the market, Breeland is just 29 years old and can start for a team in 2021.
10. Rick Wagner
Wagner was in Green Bay for the 2020 season blocking for the eventual league MVP in Aaron Rodgers. He played in all 16 regular-season games and started in nine of those contests. The 31-year-old also got the starting nod in both of the Packers' playoff matchups, including the NFC Championship Game. However, Green Bay did release Wagner for salary cap purposes back in late February. The former fifth-round pick of the Ravens in 2013 has plenty of experience starting along various offensive lines throughout his career and could be of service to any club that possibly strikes out at filling the offensive tackle hole in the 2021 draft.
