With franchise tags behind us, now we get to really dive into NFL free agency in earnest. The official signing window won’t open until March 16, but we’ll know a lot about who is going where prior to that.
That’s because of the hilariously named “legal tampering period,” which allows teams to begin contacting, and negotiating with players 48 hours prior to the start of free agency. Names can’t be put to paper formally until that March 16 date, but oftentimes the biggest names hitting the market have a very good idea of where they’re going to sign.
Today we’re looking at the six best players at each offensive position. Let’s take a look at which premiere players are on offer, and discuss how these groups looks as a whole.
Quarterback
- Jameis Winston
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Mitch Trubisky
- Marcus Mariota
- Jacoby Brissett
- Andy Dalton
Understand why so many teams are clamoring to trade for quarterbacks now? Honestly, it’s a very shallow group of potential passers this year. Jameis Winston could very well re-sign with the Saints, but when he’s leading the group you know it’s not great.
What we’re really looking at here is a group of bridge players. Winston, Bridgewater, Mariota, Brissett and Dalton are not really starting caliber QBs at this point — but they could help a team waiting to develop a rookie.
Notice I left Mitch Trubisky out of this list. It’s because he’s really in a class of his own. Trubisky hasn’t even shown enough to be considered a reliable bridge QB, but there is a small sliver of hope that maybe the Bears destroyed him, but he still has starting potential. It’s not a sound plan to sign him in the hopes he’ll become “the guy,” but someone is going to do it.
Running Back
- Melvin Gordon
- Leonard Fournette
- James Conner
- Cordarrelle Patterson
- Sony Michel
- Rashaad Penny
Based on production alone, Cordarelle Patterson is the best in this class. With 618 rushing yards and 548 receiving yards he proved to be an amazing all-purpose weapon in Atlanta’s offense. However, I don’t have him No. 1 here because he’s not really a true running back, in the strictest sense of the word. It would take an offense that wants a player with his skills to make it work.
The safe option here are Gordon, Fournette and Conner — all of who are good-to-decent starting caliber backs in the traditional RB mold. The gem of this list to me is Rashaad Penny. He’s young, dynamic, and if he can stay healthy (a big if because he’s been bitten by the injury bug) he’d be the best rusher in this class.
Wide Receiver
- Allen Robinson II
- Juju Smith-Schuster
- Odell Beckham Jr.
- Michael Gallup
- Christian Kirk
- D.J. Chark Jr.
With Davante Adams franchise tagged and Mike Williams re-signing with the Chargers, these are the best players we have left. It was an atrocious down season for Robinson II in Chicago, but it really wasn’t his fault. The Bears offense was a dumpster fire, and he never meshed with Andy Dalton.
Juju Smith-Schuster was a victim of circumstance too, and I expect he can return to being a Top 15 receiver on a team that can use him the right way. Seriously, put him on the Chiefs and he’s going to eat teams alive.
OBJ serves as the reliable veteran here, though I expect he’ll end up returning to the Rams, unless someone is willing to throw huge money at him.
Offensive Line
- Terron Armstead
- Brandon Scherff
- Ryan Jensen
- Laken Tomlinson
- Connor Williams
- James Daniels
Good news Bengals! It’s a great year to need offensive linemen and have a whole lot of money. I don’t expect Cincinnati to throw their entire purse at the line, but a significant amount should go here.
Obviously Terron Armstead is the big prize. He will command huge money in free agency, and be worth every penny. Brandon Scherff is the top guard who can add some nastiness to a line, and Ryan Jensen is the best center available — after anchoring the middle for the Buccaneers.
Tight End
- Rob Gronkowski
- Zach Ertz
- Evan Engram
- Gerald Everett
- Maxx Williams
- C.J. Uzomah
It’s Gronk, it’ll be Gronk for a while until he hangs it up. At this point he’s not a top-tier, every-down tight end, but nobody is better at making big catches in the end zone. I expect he’ll sign with a Super Bowl contender and make a run at another ring, because why not?
A young team needing a quality starting tight end should perhaps look to the draft here. Ertz, Engram and Everett are all fine players but should be considered the 4th or 5th weapons on whatever team takes them, not a focal point.
It’s a relatively weak year for tight end both in free agency and the draft, typified by how many teams used their franchise tags on the position — with the Browns, Dolphins, and Cowboys all retaining their players.
Who is the gem of this free agency on offense?
The easy answer is Terron Armstead. He is the absolute best offensive player on the market, and he’ll get paid like it.
That said, I think I like Juju Smith-Schuster the best here. He likely won’t command massive money, especially if Amari Cooper is released by Dallas (as he’ll jump to the No. 1 WR), and that could make Juju a really nice pickup for a team with a solid receiver or two, simply looking to add more weapons. I think he can make a huge impact in that role.