Will Suh hit the open market and if so will he become the NFL’s richest defender?
The 2015 NFL free agent class looks very solid on paper. With more than a few headliners this could be an interesting offseason. That said, don’t expect many of these top names to leave for the ‘greener’ pastures of the NFL free agent market. The free agency start kicks off at 4 P.M. EST on March 10. It figures to be interesting, as always as we could see the richest contract for a defensive player come with Ndamukong Suh looking to break J.J. Watt’s 6-year, $100 million deal. Below is the list of impending free agents.
| Rank | Player | Team | Position | Age |
| 1 | Justin Houston | Kansas City Chiefs | OLB | 26 |
| It’s very rare that a pass rusher of Houston’s ilk hits the market. Expect KC to do everything they can to re-sign the league’s sack leader. | ||||
| 2 | Ndamukong Suh | Detroit Lions | DT | 28 |
| Suh could actually make his way to the open market. Look for a bank breaking deal to come for a guy that could change the face of a defense. | ||||
| 3 | Demaryius Thomas | Denver Broncos | WR | 27 |
| No chance Thomas is leaving Denver. Look for John Elway to open up the checkbook for the 27-year old Thomas | ||||
| 4 | Dez Bryant | Dallas Cowboys | WR | 26 |
| Much like Demaryius Thomas, I can’t see Dez leaving Dallas. The writing has been on the wall for a new deal for a couple of months and I fully expect it to come long before the bell tolls on the free agency period. | ||||
| 5 | Darrelle Revis | New England Patriots | CB | 30 |
| It’s becoming a yearly exercise for Revis to hit free agency. Revis has a $20 million option in New England and could restructure to stay put. | ||||
| 6 | Jason Pierre-Paul | New York Giants | DE | 26 |
| JPP hasn’t regained his early career pass rush numbers but he’s still an all around force on the defensive line. Expect the 26-year old to convince another team to spend big on a boatload of talent. | ||||
| 7 | Julius Thomas | Denver Broncos | TE | 27 |
| Will Denver be able to keep both of Peyton Manning’s top targets? Elway sure will try. | ||||
| 8 | DeMarco Murray | Dallas Cowboys | RB | 27 |
| Murray is a stud but he’s a 27-year old RB. Dallas would love to have him back but Dez Bryant’s new deal could stretch them too thin. | ||||
| 9 | Randall Cobb | Green Bay Packers | WR | 25 |
| Cobb’s versatility and reliability could get him a new contract in Green Bay. The 25-year old isn’t likely to leave the confines of Lambeau or Aaron Rodgers. | ||||
| 10 | Jerry Hughes | Buffalo Bills | OLB | 27 |
| After being run out of Indy on the “bust train” Hughes has fairly quiet become an impact pass rusher. | ||||
| 11 | Mike Iupati | San Francisco 49ers | OG | 28 |
| Iupati is one of the best at his position in the league. I can’t see SF breaking the bank for a guard, so look for Iupati to wear a different uniform next season. | ||||
| 12 | Jeremy Maclin | Philadelphia Eagles | WR | 27 |
| Maclin resurrected himself after a devastating knee injury. Maclin has excelled this season despite shoddy QB play. | ||||
| 13 | Pernell McPhee | Baltimore Ravens | OLB | 26 |
| McPhee has shown he can pressure the QB fairly consistently since entering the league. 26-year old pass rushers get paid, so expect McPhee to look for a big deal on the open market. | ||||
| 14 | Bryan Bulaga | Green Bay Packers | OT | 26 |
| Bulaga has been very solid in 2014, after spending two years on IR. His injury history is cause for concern but 26-year tackles that played the way Bulaga did this season are hard to come by. | ||||
| 15 | Greg Hardy | Carolina Panthers | DE | 27 |
| Hardy is a risk because of the off-the-field issues but there’s no doubt he’s a game changer as a pass rusher. | ||||
| 16 | Jared Odrick | Miami Dolphins | DT | 27 |
| 17 | Devin McCourty | New England Patriots | S | 28 |
| 18 | Torrey Smith | Baltimore Ravens | WR | 26 |
| 19 | Jason Worilds | Pittsburgh Steelers | OLB | 27 |
| 20 | Terrance Knighton | Denver Broncos | DT | 29 |
| 21 | Brian Orakpo | Washington Redskins | OLB | 29 |
| 22 | Nick Fairley | Detroit Lions | DT | 27 |
| 23 | Jabaal Sheard | Cleveland Browns | OLB | 26 |
| 24 | Michael Crabtree | San Francisco 49ers | WR | 27 |
| 25 | Brian Hoyer | Cleveland Browns | QB | 29 |
