INDIANAPOLIS – NFL teams awash in disposable income now have a better idea of how to earmark their funds later this month.
“Free agency is a great roster-building tool,” Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort said at the annual scouting combine last week. “We’re right here on the cusp of the two biggest roster-building opportunities for us in free agency followed by the draft.
“We’re going to be active in both of them,” continued Ossenfort, who is projected to have something close to an $80 million bankroll, among the league’s largest this offseason, to lure veteran players.
“We’re going to make smart decisions and things that we think are the right fit for our team, both the person – (their) makeup – and then also schematically, who can help us the most.’
Ossenfort and his peers across the league have less than a week before they can officially begin recruiting that help in earnest. NFL free agents cannot begin signing contracts with new teams until 4 p.m. ET on March 12, though they can engage in negotiations with outside clubs starting next Monday. The passage of Tuesday afternoon’s deadline to apply franchise and transition tags has brought some measure of clarity to the market, Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins and Kansas City Chiefs G Trey Smith – both likely to be among the top five players available this year if they’d been unrestricted – effectively taken off the shelf after both were franchised.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Though Higgins and/or Smith could still be traded down the line, their tags effectively dilute what was already a fairly thin crop of highly desirable veterans. With franchised players excluded, here is USA TODAY Sports’ updated list of the top 25* free agents available in 2025:
WINNERS AND LOSERS: Of NFL’s 2025 franchise tag deadline
1. QB Sam Darnold
Does he bring an element of concern given the arc of his career, despite its 2024 spike? Surely. But is there anyone else on the market with the potential to have such a franchise-changing impact? Good luck finding one. Last season had a suboptimal ending for Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings with convincing losses to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams in Week 18 and the playoffs, respectively. Prior to that, Darnold, 27, was something of a belated revelation six years after he was drafted third overall by the New York Jets – driving the Vikes to the cusp of the NFC’s No. 1 seed during a 14-3 campaign that earned him Pro Bowl recognition for the first time as he passed for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and a 102.5 rating, all easily career bests. And now, with Matthew Stafford no longer unofficially available after redoing his deal with the Rams, Darnold could also be the financial beneficiary of a thin class of quarterbacks in the draft at a time when at least a half-dozen teams seem solidly in the market for an answer behind center – which isn’t to say Minnesota might not lure him back once all is said and done … the Vikings just weren’t willing to do it for $40 million.
2. OLB Josh Sweat
At 6-5, 265 pounds, he’s built to man the edge, whether as a base end or stand-up linebacker. Just 27, Sweat has averaged better than eight sacks and 26 pressures over the last four seasons since he was named a Pro Bowler for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. And, unlike Darnold, Sweat, who already mans a highly coveted post, should get a postseason premium attached to his negotiations as a guy who’s played in two Super Bowls over the past three seasons. All he did in the Super Bowl 59 rollover of the Chiefs was generate 2½ sacks and seven pressures (per Pro Football Focus) of QB Patrick Mahomes – an MVP-caliber performance on the NFL’s grandest stage that could especially make prospective contenders salivate.
3. LB Zack Baun
Relegated to special teams and spot defensive duty during four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, he found a home at off-ball linebacker with Philadelphia in 2024 and absolutely flourished. Rated No. 1 by PFF at his position – if merely the underappreciated defensive version of running back – Baun, 28, blossomed not only into an All-Pro but a Defensive Player of the Year finalist. A tackling machine who managed 3½ sacks for a unit that rarely blitzed while forcing five fumbles in the regular season, he was truly dastardly in coverage – his interception of Mahomes right before halftime of the Super Bowl arguably the final nail in Kansas City’s coffin. Not every team is willing to invest at Baun’s position – even the Eagles had no idea what they were truly getting on a one-year deal that hit the lottery for them. But he could score something in the $20 million-per-year range from those that value his skill set – and that does include Philly EVP/GM Howie Roseman, who seems most interested in retaining Baun among his band of free agents.
4. CB Byron Murphy Jr.
He erupted for the Vikings in 2024, named a Pro Bowler for the first time after recording career highs for interceptions (6), passes defensed (14) and tackles (81) – all while often working on an island given Minnesota’s propensity to blitz. Quarterbacks only managed an 80.5 rating when targeting him. Murphy, 27, should be especially valuable given he’s comfortable lining up wide or playing in the slot.
5. DT Milton Williams
Yet another Philly player in line for a Lombardi bump, Williams excelled in 2024, when he played a career-high 501 snaps and responded with a personal best five sacks to go along with 28 hurries (per PFF). A third-round pick in 2021, the 25-year-old has started 17 times over the past two seasons but appears to be in line for a front-liner’s playing time – and a starter’s money. Given the Eagles’ depth on the D-line, he’s not likely to get that in Philly. But Williams had to be smiling Tuesday, when the Dallas Cowboys rewarded fellow DT Osa Odighizuwa with a four-year, $80 million extension in order to keep him off the market.
6. LT Ronnie Stanley
The two-time Pro Bowler is definitely the most talented blind side protector on the market and just played a full season for the first time in his nine-year career, attributes that should fetch him a fat bag. Stanley is also almost 31 … and just played a full season for the first time in his nine-year career, attributes that may give several teams pause. Still, his value likely got a further bump after the Rams recently took LT Alaric Jackson out of play by extending him for three years.
7. S Jevon Holland
On the plus side, he’ll be 25 at the start of next season and – when on top of his game – is an impact player, whether as a pass rusher or ball hawk, Holland responsible for nine takeaways in his four seasons to go along with five forced fumbles. But consistency has been an issue at times, and he’s missed seven games over the past two seasons. Regardless, good bet Holland lands financially at the summit of the safety market currently topped by Antoine Winfield ($21 million per season).
8. CB D.J. Reed
Still only 28, he also mans a position where demand always outstrips supply. Reed has averaged double-digit passes defensed over the past four seasons even if he’s not necessarily an interception machine (four total over that stretch). But he’s durable and a willing tackler, a trait that distinguishes him from many of his peers. However penalties have been an issue in recent years with the Jets, and he has had the benefit of playing opposite of Sauce Gardner the past three seasons.
9. WR Chris Godwin
He was having a monster season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024 – and on pace for a career year – with 50 catches for 576 yards and five TDs in seven games. But Godwin, who just turned 29, suffered a dislocated ankle in October that obviously required surgery and relegated him to injured reserve. Such a setback is concerning for a middle-aged (by NFL standards) wideout. Yet perhaps it will be offset not only by the fact Godwin can line up anywhere and is tough as nails, but also because he could command more suitors (and money) with Higgins spoken for and this year’s draft not nearly as stocked with high-end wideouts as 2024’s was.
10. LT Cam Robinson
Stanley is more gifted when it comes to safeguarding quarterbacks. But Robinson, 29, is slightly younger and generally more likely to remain in the lineup – though he was suspended four games at the start of the 2024 campaign, while in Jacksonville, for violating the performance-enhancing substances policy before later being dealt to Minnesota. Jackson’s deal, which averages $19 million annually, should also boost Robinson’s market.
11. S Justin Reid
He posted one of his best seasons in years in 2024. Reid, who turned 28 last month, is an extremely bright player, a reliable tackler and has literally been the last line of defense for Chiefs coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, who has counted on him with confidence the past three years. Yet Reid typically doesn’t make a ton of splash plays – i.e., generating turnovers or as a blitzer – so it’s little surprise that K.C. prioritized Smith, especially given the need to safeguard Mahomes.
12. C Drew Dalman
Looking for a highly reliable snapper to anchor your line who’s only 26 and has Stanford smarts? Then Dalman might be your guy, though he did miss eight games last season for the Atlanta Falcons with an ankle injury. Doesn’t mean he shouldn’t get a deal that pays him at least $15 million annually.
*QB Aaron Rodgers
Technically, he’s not a free agent – yet – but he is effectively, permitted to speak with potential employers after the Jets signaled their intention to end their two-year relationship with the four-time league MVP prematurely. Rodgers’ age (41) is just one red flag on what’s a sterling résumé from a football standpoint. Yet despite the off-field baggage he lugs into a locker room, he’s also a quarterbacking savant and a tough one – starting all 17 games despite a litany of injuries to his lower body in 2024. Yet over his final nine starts with the NYJ, Rodgers passed for 218 yards per game with 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions (95.1 QB rating). It wasn’t on par with his Green Bay heyday, but those modestly impressive figures should certainly be sufficient to get him a starting job in 2025 … maybe even with a contender like Pittsburgh given the mutual man crush coach Mike Tomlin and Rodgers seem to have.
13. CB Carlton Davis
A solid player who’s just 28 and has 17 takeaways in seven NFL years. However Davis tends to get banged up, having never played a full season – a broken jaw cutting his 2024 stint with Detroit short at 13 games.
14. WR Davante Adams
Released by the Jets on Tuesday, he’s 32 and two years removed from his most recent All-Pro season. In fairness to Adams, he’s played on two bad teams (Las Vegas Raiders, NYJ) and more than a half-dozen quarterbacks during that period, yet seemed to be recapturing his deadly form in the second half of 2024 after getting reacquainted with Rodgers. Even after a bumpy assimilation following his trade to New York last October, Adams’ numbers projected over 17 games with the Jets would have translated to 104 receptions for 1,320 yards and 11 TDs … which seems like a typical campaign during his peak. His market might actually be more limited by choosing to remain hitched to Rodgers – if that, in fact, transpires – than his ability to, at minimum, perform at a 1A wideout level.
15. S Talanoa Hufanga
Two years ago, he looked (literally) like the next Troy Polamalu, earning All-Pro honors for the San Francisco 49ers while wreaking havoc all over the field. Hufanga has yet to regain that form since suffering a torn ACL late in the 2023 season, but this might be the right time to invest in a guy who recently turned 26.
16. CB Charvarius Ward
Like Hufanga, Ward, 28, is coming off a disappointing season with the Niners. However given he was dealing with a knee injury and, more importantly, the death of his 1-year-old daughter, Ward’s struggles were more than understandable. He was a dominant player in previous seasons and very well could be again.
17. QB Russell Wilson
If you want a Super Bowl-proven quarterback with a different set of issues than Rodgers’, then Mr. Unlimited might be your guy. Wilson was named a Pro Bowler for the 10th time this season … though only after enough AFC quarterbacks declined the invitation. Overall, his passing numbers in 2024 (63.7% completion rate, 2,482 yards, 16 TDs, 5 INTs, 95.6 rating), his first in Pittsburgh, were generally in line with his career norms on a per-game basis. But the 36-year-old’s late-season decline (which bookended a training camp calf injury that cost him six regular-season starts) also mirrored the downfall of the Steelers, who lost their final five games and weren’t even competitive in most of those. He’s basically no longer a threat with his legs, either, which can amplify his tendency to struggle from the pocket. Still, Wilson might still find an opportunity to start – a reunion with Pete Carroll in Las Vegas? – even if those days appear decidedly numbered.
18. QB Justin Fields
If you want a younger passer with scads of talent – and a far more pronounced ability to make plays with his legs than Darnold – rather than a veteran, then Fields, who turns 26 on Wednesday, might be your guy. Though Wilson initially justified Tomlin’s decision to bench Fields, many never understood the logic given how well he played while winning four of his six starts to begin the 2024 campaign. And Fields showed noticeable improvement along the way, earning his teammates’ trust while adding what seemed an ideal dimension to OC Arthur Smith’s offense given his dynamic ability to make plays outside the pocket. Seems like there’s a much stronger chance Pittsburgh would choose to run it back with Fields in 2025 than Wilson.
19. DE Chase Young
Despite the outlandish pre-draft comparisons in 2020, he’ll never become the next Lawrence Taylor. But the Saints may have hit on something, solely using Young as a situational pass rusher in 2024. He responded with 5½ sacks and a career-best (by far) 34 pressures. Young, still only 25, may not break the bank, but he should do better than having to settle for another one-year deal.
20. RB Rico Dowdle
Is he the next Saquon Barkley? Hardly. But Dowdle, 26, did explode for a career-best 1,328 yards from scrimmage (on 274 touches) when Dallas finally gave him a chance to play in 2024 – and the Cowboys almost certainly would have been better off had they given him more reps rather than force Ezekiel Elliott into the rotation early in the season. Newly promoted head coach Brian Schottenheimer has already expressed his hope that Dowdle, who ran with maximum effort after finally getting his NFL opportunity, returns. But he might fetch more money – whether as a starter or change-of-pace back – elsewhere … and might be especially attractive given his relative lack of usage (387 career touches) since the Cowboys signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2020.
21. RB Najee Harris
22. LB Nick Bolton
He’s unlikely to sniff whatever Baun rakes in. But Bolton has been a staple in K.C. the past four seasons, his touchdown in Super Bowl 57 the turning point of that contest. And for anyone looking to steal a little Chiefs magic, why not poach a productive backer who will celebrate his 25th birthday Monday?
23. OLB Khalil Mack
His age (34) will almost certainly suppress what’s left of his earning power. Nevertheless, he has been a Pro Bowler in nine of his 11 NFL season – and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 – and was ranked by PFF as the fifth-best player on the edge in 2024. Mack has always been stout against the run, however his 2023 sack total (17) plummeted to six last season while his 22 pressures were barely half the previous year (36). He should certainly be an asset to a contender, but it’s a stretch to ask him to anchor a defense at this juncture.
24. G/T Mekhi Becton
The 11th overall pick of the 2020 draft, he rarely came close to fulfilling his potential with the Jets, who expected Becton, 25, to be their long-term left tackle. But, not all that surprisingly, his career was revived in Philadelphia by O-line guru Jeff Stoutland, who shifted the massive (6-7, 363) blocker inside to guard. Becton might have priced himself out of Philly, but he will do much better financially after earning $2.75 million during his year with the Eagles – maybe far better if another team wants to give him another shot at the blind side.
25. OLB Haason Reddick
Between 2020 and ’23, he averaged better than 12½ sacks and nearly 36 pressures per season, eye-popping numbers for teams looking for pass-rush enhancement – and precisely why the Jets traded for Reddick last year. However his obstinate holdout in 2024 didn’t shed him in the best light, and that was exacerbated by his complete lack of production (1 sack and 7 pressures in 10 games after he reported to the team). Reddick will be 31 in September, and his relative age and low snap count last season might create a better market for him than, say, Mack’s. But hard to believe there won’t be a buyer-beware label Reddick will have to overcome.
All NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.