The new NFL league year starts Wednesday, March 13th, at 4:00 EST, and with it comes a new free agency period. This free agent class is star studded even after a few expected free agents got new deals. Many players got franchise tagged like Bengals WR Tee Higgins, and Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed to name a few, and others signed multi-year contracts like Mike Evans with the Bucs and Chris Jones with the Chiefs. There are still many more players who will be free to sign with new teams on Wednesday, though. I wrote about where I think each of the top players are most likely to sign and how each will fit with their new teams.
DT Christian Wilkins
Prediction: Houston Texans
Christian Wilkins is one of the 3-5 best defensive tackles in the league and at just 28 years old would give Houston one of its best defensive players for years to come. The Texans should continue to invest heavily in the DL and pairing Wilkins with the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year, Will Anderson Jr., could give the Texans the chance at winning the AFC. With a superstar QB on a rookie deal and a team that has already won a playoff game, Houston should be aggressive going after difference makers like Wilkins, as pieces like him could give them a shot against Kansas City.
Other Potential fits: New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals
EDGE Danielle Hunter
Prediction: Chicago Bears
Hunter is a great pass rusher off the edge and pairing him with in-season acquisition Montez Sweat could be a match made in heaven. The Bears pass rush has been abysmal the last couple years and this pickup, along with Sweat would give them a star duo on the edge. This could also give them the ability to focus on offense with the 9th overall pick, potentially pairing another WR with either Justin Fields or 1st overall pick, Caleb Williams. Hunter would probably also love to go up against his old team, the division rival Minnesota Vikings, twice a year.
Other potential fits: Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders
Kirk Cousins
Prediction: Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons offense is filled with potential superstars, Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. If they could just get a good QB, they would walk into the playoffs, especially in the horrible NFC South Division. Kirk is coming off a torn Achilles, and is 34 years old, which should create great hesitation for most teams, but the Falcons would seem to be desperate for any above average answer after back to back seasons were wasted by abysmal QB play.
Other potential fits: New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings
Russell Wilson
Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers
*Note* Russ signed a 1 year veteran minimum deal with the Steelers last night, but the writing below still holds true, so I'm keeping it.
Russell Wilson was released by the Broncos last week and because of that, he is actually free to sign with any team and does not have to wait for the new league to start on Wednesday. He has already met with both the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He will likely take a veteran minimum deal because the Broncos are paying him $39 Million this year, which allows the Steelers lack of cap space to not be a problem. Russ was also much better last year, and although he’s, at best, a mid-tier starter, the Steelers could and have done much worse than that in recent years. Russ has always been one of the best deep passers in the league, and pairing him with WR George Pickens and a great defense, should be enough for them to make the playoffs.
Other potential fits: New York Giants, Tampa Bay Bucs, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders
Saquon Barkley
Prediction: Baltimore Ravens
Saquon to the Ravens is one of my favorite potential pairings this year. The Ravens need a RB badly after years of injuries derailing the position, and Saquon seems to be the best RB on the market. Saquon, at only 27 years old, could be a long term answer and bring even more explosiveness to the Ravens offense. Following up last year's Odell Beckham signing by bringing in another superstar playmaker, at the RB position, would be a great way at keeping QB Lamar Jackson happy. While Saquon's injury history might be cause for concern in Baltimore, I think Saquon's superstar potential would be too much to pass up. Saquon could take this electric offense to even greater heights, similar to how the 49ers offense was ignited by Christian McCaffrey’s arrival.
Other potential fits: Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, New York Giants
Derrick Henry
Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles
While D’Andre Swift, who is also a free agent, had a great statistical year last season behind the Eagles great OL, his issues with vision and finding the correct hole might have led to the Eagles going away from the run so much late in the season. Philadelphia players and coaches have made it clear that they need to get back to running the ball down people’s throats, and who could be better for that than future Hall of Fame RB Derrick Henry. Henry is 30 years old, which is a little older for the RB position, but people have been waiting for his fall off for a few years now, and he hasn’t shown many signs of falling off yet. Instead, Henry has kept producing at a high level, including last season, when he had 1,167 yards and 12 TD’s for the Titans, behind what was probably the worst OL in the league. Behind the Eagles top tier offensive line, he could be in for a career year. Henry is exactly the player the Philadelphia Eagles need to get back to their run-first identity and get back to their 2022 form.
Other potential fits: Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Chicago Bears
Photos by USA Today Sports (Jay Biggerstaff), AP Photo (Doug Murray, David Zalubowski), Getty Images, NJ Advance Media (John Munson), and the Star Tribune (Anthony Souffle)
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