The 2020 NFL season is already under way if you’re an NFL general manger or coaching staff as teams prepare for the start of free agency and the draft. The offseason is shaping up to be one of the most active in recent memory as the opportunity for quarterback changes, big name players being traded, and top talents could all be on the move. We’ve ranked and evaluated our top 20 free agents and included their most likely potential landing spots based on team and individual reports.

Teams With Salary Cap Flexibility:

Before we take a look at the top free agents hitting the market, it’s good to know which teams are likely to be active in the pursuit of retaining or signing these players. It was a difficult 2019 season for the Miami Dolphins, but if you’re general manager Chris Grier and head coach Brian Flores you’re pretty excited as Miami has the most cap room with over $93 million along with a bevy of solid draft picks. The Vikings and Steelers are at the bottom of the list and will need to be creative if they want to find a way to work some talent onto their respective rosters. Here is an updated look at the top 15 teams with cap space entering the offseason:

With a closer look at which teams have some room to maneuver the free agent market, let’s take a look at the notable free agents:

1. DT / DE – Chris Jones

The offense gets the recognition in KC, but they’ve got a true difference-maker on the defensive line with DE/DT Chris Jones. In addition to the strong numbers he’s put up the past two seasons, he graded as the second-best performing player in Super Bowl LIV behind only Nick Bosa. With the exception of Aaron Donald, you could make the argument that Jones is the best interior defensive lineman in the league. Jones has publicly stated that he wants to remain in Kansas City as he enters free agency, but commanding a likely price of around $20 million per year, the Chiefs may not be able to afford him. There have been reports the Chiefs could tag him and then try to trade him to an NFC team to receive a first round pick as compensation.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH CHIEFS: 40%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: ARIZONA CARDINALS

2. QB – Drew Brees

Give the Saints some credit for trying to prep for life with Drew Brees by working in Taysom Hill and Teddy Bridgewater, but let’s not get carried away here. With Brees in the lineup this is a Super Bowl contender, without him, they’re going to have to transition their entire approach despite a talented roster overall. His physical characteristics started to show some signs of fading, yet he can still be a top 10 and maybe even top 5 quarterback in the league. There isn’t much mystery on where Brees will play if he returns, only whether or not he will return. While oddsmakers are banking on him coming back with the Saints for one more run, some insiders believe he may be leaning towards retirement.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH SAINTS: 60%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: NONE

3. DE – Jadeveon Clowney

On the national stage Jadeveon Clowney proved once again he’s a beast of an athlete and can absolutely dominate a game when he wants to. Although his numbers aren’t spectacular, he had a nice season and plays a position that gets paid a lot of money for lesser talent than he possesses. The Seahawks want to keep him in the mix and had promised not to slap him with the franchise tag, so will they in fact be able to work out a deal with him? Based on what the price tag will be, it’s the Hawks have a challenge ahead of them in trying to keep the talented defensive end.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH SEAHAWKS: 20%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

4. QB – Dak Prescott

You’ve got to hand it to Dak Prescott and his agent for drawing a line in the sand and looking to become the top paid QB in the NFL. Prescott already rejected a monster contract and now there are some funny rumors about Jerry Jones moving on from his guy for the likes of say a Tom Brady? That’s unlikely as Jones has talked all year about getting a deal done and not letting Dak anywhere close to out of Dallas. There are a lot of options on the table here, yet it will be pretty shocking if Prescott isn’t starting for the Cowboys in week one of next season.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH COWBOYS: 100%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: NONE

5. DE – Yannick Ngakoue

The days of Sacksonville seem a distant memory as the Jaguars defense struggled in 2019. One of the few bright spots continued to be the play of Yannick Ngakoue who was a force on the defensive line against the pass and the run. Much like Jadeveon Clowney, there just aren’t a ton of dominant athletes available at this position making Ngakoue a very intriguing player for a lot of teams. Initially it seemed as though Ngakoue would definitely be on the move, but there is some buzz that the Jags are going to go all-in in an effort to retain him.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH JAGUARS: 30%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: NEW YORK GIANTS, BUFFALO BILLS

6. QB – Tom Brady

The most well-known and interesting free agent just happens to be the greatest quarterback in the history of the game. The difficult part of evaluating Tom Brady is trying to figure out if he finally started to rapidly decline as all players eventually do, or if he simply wasn’t surrounded with enough talent to move the Patriots offense? Brady has kept a good poker face early on making a return to the Patriots just as likely as taking command of another team. Brady’s decision will impact not only New England, but could have ramifications that ripple across the landscape of the quarterback position throughout the league.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH PATRIOTS: 50%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: LAS VEGAS RAIDERS, LOS ANGELES CHARGERS, CHICAGO BEARS

7. LB – Shaq Barrett

It’s not overly surprising that Shaq Barrett put together a nice season as a full-time starter in Tampa Bay, however just how strong of a campaign he turned in was pretty unexpected. Barrett was a disruptive force for opposing quarterbacks and his sack total is going to net him one of the biggest offseason paychecks in the NFL. Bruce Arians has publicly claimed that he’s not letting Barrett out of Tampa, and Barrett has mentioned he would be willing to give them a discount due to wanting to play in Florida with no income tax.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH BUCCANEERS: 90%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: NONE

8. QB – Ryan Tannehill

Speaking of players who earned themselves a huge pay day, congratulations to quarterback Ryan Tannehill who due to the ages of the other free agent QBs may be the most valuable signal-caller on the market. Despite a performance that wasn’t so impressive during the Titans playoff run, Ryan Tannehill played at a Pro Bowl level once inserted as the starter and reminded the league why he was drafted by the Dolphins. The Titans believe Tannehill can be the face of their franchise moving forward and would like to keep their offense intact. If the two sides can’t work out a long-term deal, it’s very possible the Titans would use the franchise tag on Tannehill.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH TITANS: 90%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: NONE

9. TE – Hunter Henry

There are only a handful of true game-changers at the tight end position in the NFL and as the Chiefs and 49ers showed us in the Super Bowl, they can be key to an offense. Hunter Henry has played behind Antonio Gates and more recently battled through some pretty serious injuries, all while flashing signs of being an elite tight end in the process. In the right offense a healthy Henry could be a 1,000 yard receiver and a prime red zone target. At only 26 years old, it’s possible the Chargers would like to keep Henry despite moving on from Philip Rivers, but this one has the feel of a player on his way to a new team.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH CHARGERS: 30%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: GREEN BAY PACKERS, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, MIAMI DOLPHINS

10. OG – Joe Thuney

The Patriots offensive line struggled a bit in 2019 with offensive guard Joe Thuney standing out as the consistent and best of their group. Thuney earned Pro Bowl honors, which could be argued, but there is no denying he is the most coveted guard heading into free agency. He’s been durable and solid in pass protection and has improved as a run blocker. The Patriots would likely prefer to have him back, however with the money that Thuney will be offered and the Pats history of letting high-priced free agents walk, it’s probable that he’ll be playing with another team next season.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH PATRIOTS: 20%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: NEW YORK JETS, CINCINNATI BENGALS

11. WR – Amari Cooper

Proven wide receivers are pretty coveted and Amari Cooper has a slew of teams interested in bringing in the former first round pick. Cooper is a bit of an enigma as a number one wideout as he looked unstoppable in certain games, and was completely awol in other contests. Jerry Jones had initially stated that he would do anything to keep Cooper on the Cowboys, but cooled from that rhetoric a bit at the end of the season. It seems as though Jerry will want to find a way to pay and keep Cooper so we’re going to go with that as the most likely scenario, although it’s been rumored teams such as the Eagles, Colts and Bills are all interested in his services.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH COWBOYS: 80%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, BUFFALO BILLS

12. WR – A.J. Green

Had A.J. Green not missed the entire 2019 season with a bit of a fluke ankle and foot injury it’s possible he would be the most sought after wide receiver. His size, speed and early career are nearly unmatched and if he can return to form after sitting the year out one team is going to be very fortunate to have him. The big question mark is obviously whether or not he will be able to return to play at the level that fans are accustomed to seeing. With Tyler Boyd and Auden Tate stepping up in Cincinnati and a team in transition, there is a decent chance Green will be on the move despite the fact he said he’d be willing to play under the franchise tag for an $18 million salary.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH BENGALS: 40%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: BUFFALO BILLS, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, DENVER BRONCOS

13. OT – Anthony Castonzo

There are two main reasons why Anthony Castonzo is not higher on this list of free agents. Castonzo has strongly hinted that he is likely to retire and not return at age 32 for next season. That age is the second reason, as 32 is the magic number when linemen often start to lose their agility and power. If Castonzo does decide to keep playing, he’ll be highly desired as quality left tackles are the most precious commodity in the league outside of the quarterback position. The Colts have indicated they’ll try to convince Castonzo to keep chugging along with them so if he plays he may not change addresses.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH COLTS: 60%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: ARIZONA CARDINALS, HOUSTON TEXANS

14. RB – Derrick Henry

One of the best players on this list, Derrick Henry enters the offseason as a prized talent, at what is often an under-valued position. While it’s certainly a fact that you can find quality running backs in the third and fourth rounds of the NFL draft, players like Henry have vaulted above your every day running back in the league. His performances in the second half of the season and playoffs were record breaking as his combination of size, power and speed are unmatched in the game. The Titans may end up using the franchise tag on Ryan Tannehill which limits what they can do with Henry. They could apply the transitional tag but that doesn’t guarantee they can keep him. Despite the intrigue of going to another team, if the Titans can get the pay where Henry wants it competitively, there’s a good chance he’ll stay put in Tennessee.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH TITANS: 60%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: MIAMI DOLPHINS, WASHINGTON REDSKINS

15. OG – Brandon Scherff

Offensive guard is possibly the least sexy position on the football field and yet their importance can’t be understated. Brandon Scherff is everything you think of when you picture an NFL guard and that makes him a hot prize this offseason. Scherff isn’t necessarily an All-Pro caliber player, however his toughness and consistency will have several teams vying for his services.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH REDSKINS: 30%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: DETROIT LIONS, NEW YORK JETS, MIAMI DOLPHINS

16. QB – Philip Rivers

Whether you love him or hate him, you have to admit it’s going to be weird seeing someone else play quarterback for the Chargers next season. The Chargers have moved on from Philip Rivers and although retirement is a possibility, Rivers wants to keep playing and despite a poor 2019 campaign will certainly have some suitors. Rivers name has been mentioned with several teams that have solid rosters but are lacking quality quarterback play such as the Raiders, Bears, Buccaneers, Colts and even the Patriots.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH CHARGERS: 0%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: LAS VEGAS RAIDERS, CHICAGO BEARS, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

17. DB – Justin Simmons

In the category of most improved players falls DB Justin Simmons who really blossomed into a high-level safety last year. The Broncos defense over-performed and Simmons evolution was a big reason for that. It’s a bit of a stretch to call him an elite talent at the position, but as the theme carries on, it’s feasible that being a good player should net him a nice pay day. John Elway has stated that they don’t want to let Simmons get away and he’s a franchise tag candidate, something Simmons isn’t thrilled about. It looks like a toss-up on whether or not Simmons stays in Denver at this point.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH BRONCOS: 50%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

18. LB – Matthew Judon

Many teams will be taking a close look at Ravens linebacker Matthew Judon this offseason hoping they can land the next Z’Darius Smith. Before you get too excited at that thought, we’ll go on record to say that Judon is not on the level that Smith was when he departed Baltimore a year prior. That being said, Judon is a solid NFL athlete at a position that teams are always trying to fill. Teams across the league should absolutely want Judon on their roster, but the big question is how much is too much to pay for him?
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH RAVENS: 30%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: DETROIT LIONS, MIAMI DOLPHINS

19. TE – Austin Hooper

Perhaps the most underrated player on our top 20 board is tight end Austin Hooper who is coming off of his best season as a pro. As we mentioned earlier with Hunter Henry, having an upper echelon tight end is a luxury in the league that most teams really want to have and Hooper will give someone that option. Although his blocking is not what you’d want from a traditional tight end, Hooper’s pass catching skills make him a great fit in the modern day era of the position. The Falcons want Hooper to stay and he’s open to being there, however with a lot of money tied up in some big names already, this one could come down to how much Atlanta can afford to spend.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH FALCONS: 50%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: CHICAGO BEARS, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS, GREEN BAY PACKERS

20. OT – Bryan Bulaga

Rounding out our top 20 is right tackle Bryan Bulaga who has received some mixed reviews over the past two seasons in Green Bay. If you like your tackles to be the rough and no-nonsense type of grinders then you’re probably a fan of Bulaga. He’s been a little banged up in recent seasons although he has played through most of the injuries. As is the case with anyone creeping up in the age department, there should be a limit of how much teams are willing to pay him, but if you want a right tackle you can plug right in for the next couple of seasons he’s worth considering. The Packers are the type of organization that would love to keep Bulaga, but they also won’t overspend to do so.
CHANCE HE REMAINS WITH PACKERS: 30%
LIKELY TEAMS HE COULD JOIN: LOS ANGELES CHARGERS, CINCINNATI BENGALS

The Next 10…

LB – Cory Littleton – Rams
QB – Jameis Winston – Buccaneers
DB – Byron Jones – Cowboys
LB – Dante Fowler, Jr. – Rams
RB – Melvin Gordon – Chargers
LB – Bud Dupree – Steelers
DB – Anthony Harris – Vikings
DE – Leonard Williams – Giants
DE – Arik Armstead – 49ers
DB – Chris Harris, Jr. – Broncos

The free agency period officially starts on March 18th, with teams allowed to begin formally negotiating with players on March the 16th. Follow the BetCrushers as we’ll be breaking down all of the important moves and how they can impact wagering on team win totals and NFL future bets.