Chandler Jones, Cardinals (32): Pro Bowl voting is stupid Proof A: Jones has only been selected to four Pro Bowls in 10 seasons despite eclipsing 10 sacks on seven occasions and is second among active players with 107.5 career sacks and first place with 33 forced fumbles. Conor Orr wrote an extensive SI.com free agent preview: “While teams were able to take advantage of the depressed market last year to get their hands on elite pass rushers at bargain prices, Jones will be an exciting litmus test of how much teams will be willing to spend. As one GM put it: He’s older, but he’s elite, and at the peak of popularity is an exceptional draft class. On the one hand, it can be a bargain in the off-season. On the other hand, Jones is smart enough to know his worth and can be worth a lot of money if the win-now clubs aren’t interested in developing an advantage from the ground up.”
Von Miller, Rams (32): Miller, who turns 33 on March 26, hit 9.5 sacks last season: 4.5 in seven games with Denver at the start of the season and 5.0 in eight games after the Rams acquired him for a pick during second and third rounds of the upcoming draft. In four postseason games, he recorded four sacks, six tackles for a loss, and one forced fumble. He is #1 active player with 115.5 sacks. Is Miller really free, given all his hints of returning to Denver?
Haason Reddick, Panthers (27): The 13th pick in 2017 recorded 12.5 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2020 and 11 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in 2021. However, out of 74 cornerbacks with at least 250 passing snaps, he was only 49th in the PFF wins rankings. . He is an underrated defender. In an SI.com free agent preview, Orr wrote, “Reddick is an interesting example of where the market is heading. He fit in well with the blitz-loving Panthers, who tried to create exotic looks and put pressure on them to make up for their lack of secondary characters. But where does he fit in the NFL, which is increasingly trying to step back and focus on coverage? Quarterbacks are getting better at blitz every second. Can Reddick, who has an acceptable retirement percentage in the mid-70s but speed hitting zones and blackout passes, justify the big bucks as an agent of chaos in the backfield?” SIGNED: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES.
Za’Darius Smith, Packers (29): Green Bay released Smith on Monday.
Emmanuel Ogbach, Dolphins (28): Ogba has really turned into an underrated pass rusher. In 2020, he set a career high with nine tackles and 21 quarterback hits. In 2021, he had nine sacks and 24 quarterback hits. He was ranked 41st out of 74 cornerbacks in the PFF win rankings. Ogba has played all 33 games in the last two seasons. He has been 4-3 in all six seasons. RESIGNED: MIAMI DOLPHINS.
Jadevon Clooney, Browns (29): Cloney, a three-time professional bowler, has made some money this season. After recording three sacks in 11 games for Seattle in 2019 and zero sacks in eight games for Tennessee in 2020, he bounced back with nine sacks in 2021 for Cleveland. He was ranked 28th out of 74 cornerbacks in the PFF win rankings. More than just a pass rusher, he will establish a physical advantage.
Derek Barnett, Eagles (25): Barnett, a first-round pick in 2017, has 21.5 sacks and 36 tackles for losses in five seasons. In 2021, he only had two sacks in 16 games. He spent all five seasons on the defensive, going 4–3. He was ranked 43rd out of 74 cornerbacks in the PFF win rankings. As Orr noted, Barnett played alongside top defenseman Fletcher Cox and “never managed to dominate despite the NFC East playing poorly on the offensive line, which also proved to be a black hole for quarterbacks.” However, he is one of the best defensemen in the league.
Uchenna Nwosu, Chargers (25): A second-round pick in 2018, Nwosu got his first chance to start last season and responded with a career-high five sacks, 17 quarterback bats and eight tackles for a loss. Nwosu was ranked 51st out of 74 cornerbacks in PFF winning percentage. Now that the Chargers have been traded for Khalil Mak, he has become expendable. If the Packers had the money, he’d be exactly what they’re looking for in terms of an edge rusher who’s comfortable in cover.
Randy Gregory, Cowboys (29): The greatest ability is accessibility, one wise man (Mike McCarthy) used to say. And therein lies the problem with Gregory. His greatest ability is to throw himself at a passerby. His biggest responsibility is to be inaccessible. Drafted in the second round in 2015 by Dallas, he only started one game in his first six years as a pro. In 2021, he played in 12 games with 11 starts, tied his career high with six sacks, and set a career high with 17 quarterbacks. He ranked 20th out of 74 cornerbacks for most PFF wins. However, he was suspended for 14 games in 2016, all 16 games in 2017, two games in 2018, all 16 games in 2019 and the first six games in 2020. knee surgery. How much money is the team willing to spend on bags or flushing down the toilet?
Gary Gramling wrote in an SI.com free agent preview: “He’s a typical edge rusher entering the market at a time when there’s less blitz and four-man dominance; Gregory could be Trey Hendrickson this year. However, numerous suspensions throughout his career, problems as a running back and the fact that he has never played more than 457 snaps in a season means he poses a huge risk to a multi-year contract.”
Jerry Hughes, Billy (33): On the one hand, Hughes had seven sacks in 2018, 4.5 sacks in 2019 and 2020, and two sacks in 2021. His seven quarterback hits and one tackle per loss were his lowest in a decade. On the other hand, Hughes has missed every single game in the past 10 seasons and ranked 10th in the PFF in pass rush winning percentage among 74 wingers with at least 250 pass rush snaps. Played in 4-3 and 3-4 formations.