2015 NFL Free Agents: Highlighting Biggest Names on Free-Agent Market

The 2015 NFL free-agent class is a phenomenal collection of players. At seemingly every position, there is a Pro Bowler, a former Pro Bowler or a player who could make a significant impact on a new team and command plenty of cash out on the open market.

NFL free agency is a rigid system, and the signing period won't begin until March 10. Not every player will hit the open market, as teams will be desperate to come to agreements with their top stars well before other franchises get a crack at them.

Still, it's not too early to take a look at six of the biggest names who could hit the open market and reshape whichever franchises are lucky enough to secure their signatures.

Ndamukong Suh, DT, Detroit Lions

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The Detroit Lions will have to cough up a great deal of cash if they want to re-sign Ndamukong Suh before March. The overpowering defensive tackle can expect to command plenty of money out on the open market, per NFL.com's Chris Wesseling: "Suh is just 27 years old and cruising toward his third first-team All-Pro selection. It's not every year that a players of his caliber and pedigree reaches the open market. For that reason, Suh is almost certain to top Watt's six-year, $100 million extension with the Texans."

However, team president Tom Lewand is confident the team can keep Suh in Michigan.

"He wants to have success in the NFL, obviously, but he wants to do that with us," Lewand told WDIV's Flashpoint, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "And I think that -- I think there's a very, very good chance that we can get something done with him in the next few weeks."

Suh spearheaded an elite Lions defense in 2014. He racked up 53 total tackles and 8.5 sacks in 2014, all while commanding a staggering amount of double-teams. The Lions ranked ninth in the league in quarterback rating allowed (84.0), per ESPN.com, and first in rush defense.

Detroit has a huge decision to make. If it throws money at Suh, it will almost certainly have to watch its other star defensive tackle, Nick Fairley, walk.

Should Suh display ambivalence about returning to Detroit, it's quite possible the Lions focus on retaining the cheaper Fairley and then restock this crucial position through the draft.

Justin Houston, OLB, Kansas City Chiefs

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

If Watt didn't exist—trust me, I don't want to think about that either—Justin Houston would've been the talk of the NFL last season.

The insatiable linebacker made a run at the single-season sack record to minimal fanfare. He finished with 22 sacks, including four in the Chiefs' final game of the season against San Diego, half a sack shy of Michael Strahan's record.

Season	G	TKL	SACK	FF	INT	PD
2011	16	56	5.5	1	0	4
2012	16	66	10	1	1	6
2013	11	44	11	1	0	4
2014	16	68	22	4	0	5

Heading into his fifth year in the league, the 26-year-old Houston might be as safe an investment as one can find in the NFL. He's proven to be quite durable and has improved with each passing year.

It's imperative the Chiefs retain Houston, even if that means slapping the franchise tag on him. Pass-rushers are at a premium in the pass-happy NFL, and Houston is second-best in the league at this particular skill behind Watt. If he does hit free agency, watch out; someone is going to make him a very rich man.

Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Dez Bryant has been an impact No. 1 wide receiver from the moment he stepped into the league. Finally set to break free from his rookie contract, the Dallas Cowboys are going to have to ante up if they want to retain the Pro Bowl wideout, who finished with 88 receptions for 1,320 yards and a league-leading 16 receiving touchdowns this season.

The Cowboys have gotten excellent production on the cheap from Bryant. He was a $3.1 million cap hit in 2014, per Spotrac. Naturally, fans will be anxious to see what exorbitant sums the mercurial wideout demands, but they can take heart in some of Bryant's recent comments.

In a video interview with NBC 5's Pat Doney, Bryant stated that he is "a Cowboy at heart. It's Cowboys forever."

Jerry Jones will have to open up his deep pockets for Bryant's signature, but it's an investment well worth making for the Cowboys, especially considering the status of the next player on this list.

DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys

Mark Tenally/Associated Press

Arguably the league's best running back, DeMarco Murray is perhaps playing in the wrong era. At just about any previous point in NFL history prior to the last five years or so, Murray's impending free agency would be the story of the offseason, with just about every team in the league clamoring for his services.

However, with NFL's move to a passing-dominated league, coupled with a growing awareness of the toll playing running back takes on the body, Murray isn't quite as valuable as one might suspect.

The 26-year-old tailback carried the ball a staggering 392 times in 2014, racking up 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns. It was good enough to earn him the AP Offensive Player of the Year Award but maybe not a big-money contract.

Murray may be heading into his prime, but the number of touches he piled up is essentially a flag on his resume.

MMQB contributor Andrew Brandt noted in October 2014 how running backs have proven to be dubious investments in recent years:

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With the shortest shelf life of all NFL positions, management knows a running back’s end of the line comes earlier in the career arc than other positions. There is data to prove it, with a graveyard of bad second and third contracts given to running backs such as Eddie George, Jamal Anderson, Corey Dillon, Shaun Alexander and Edgerrin James to name a few. More recently, top-of-market deals given to players such as Chris Johnson, Michael Turner and Steven Jackson have proven to be poor investments.

"

With the Cowboys focused on retaining Bryant, Murray is a good bet to hit the open market. He's going to find a handful of suitors, no doubt, but don't expect anyone to offer him any long-term contracts filled with guaranteed money.

Darrelle Revis, CB, New England Patriots

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Darrelle Revis might've been a more interesting free-agent story had the Patriots not won the Super Bowl, but one has to wonder why he would move on from the team at this point.

The 29-year-old shutdown corner re-established himself as one of the league's best at his position after something of a lost season in Tampa Bay. NESN.com's Doug Kyed tracked how well individual Patriots fared in coverage this season; Revis' numbers stand out amongst his fellow cornerbacks:

Player	Rec	TGTS	YDS	TD	INT	CMP %	YDS/ATT	RTG	Cov Snaps
Darrelle Revis	37	78	532	2	2	47.4	6.8	67.9	650
Logan Ryan	31	55	456	2	2	56.4	8.3	80.6	328
Brandon Browner	29	55	423	2	1	52.7	7.7	82.6	388
Malcolm Butler	17	29	278	3	0	58.6	9.6	125.4	107
Kyle Arrington	23	44	277	1	0	52.3	6.3	79.5	320
Alfonzo Dennard	16	23	221	2	1	69.6	9.6	111	142

New England would be crazy not to re-sign him, but there could be a surprise suitor in the mix, per ESPN's Adam Schefter:

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Darrelle Revis will have no shortage of AFC East suitors if he becomes a free agent this offseason. The Jets are expected to pursue Revis to see if they can bring him back to New York, sources told ESPN. The Jets have already been preparing how to best make their run at Revis.

As if that weren't intriguing enough, former Jets head coach Rex Ryan -- still disappointed his former team didn't bring Revis back last year when it had the chance -- also wants to try to bring the Pro Bowl cornerback to the Bills, sources told ESPN.

"

The thought of Revis heading to Buffalo is indeed intriguing. He would be a fantastic back-end addition to a defense that featured perhaps the league's nastiest pass rush. Life is already miserable for quarterbacks when playing Buffalo. Throw Rex Ryan's defensive schemes and Revis into the mix, and you have a recipe for true agony.

It's a delightful fantasy for Bills fans, but New England just delivered Revis his first Super Bowl win. One could easily imagine them heading back to the big game next season. The Bills and Jets? Not so much.

Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos

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The Denver Broncos have undergone some major changes this offseason. Gone is head coach John Fox, who has been replaced by an ally of John Elway, Gary Kubiak. Offensive coordinator Adam Gase followed Fox to his new home in Chicago.

Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is no longer with the team; he's now head coach of the Oakland Raiders. All of this flux at the top leaves the Broncos' future in serious doubt. That future becomes even more opaque if the team can't re-sign star wideout Demaryius Thomas.

The fifth-year pro out of Georgia Tech has been fantastic over the past three years. Yes, his statistical explosion coincides with the arrival of legendary quarterback Peyton Manning, but 295 catches and 35 receiving touchdowns is impressive in any context.

Some teams might be wary of his true abilities, but he may have proved his worth at the tail end of the 2014 season by putting up big games despite shaky play from a fading Manning.

Date	Opponent	REC	YDS	TD	Manning QBR
11/16	STL	7	103	0	32.9
11/23	MIA	10	87	3	91.3
11/30	KC	6	63	1	61.8
12/7	BUF	2	11	0	51.8
12/14	SD	6	123	1	93.2
12/22	CIN	7	115	0	24.1
12/28	OAK	8	115	0	73.5

With tight end Julius Thomas also a looming free agent, the Broncos might not have enough dough to satisfy both of these elite pass-catchers. Julius Thomas' production fell off at the end of last season as he dealt with nagging injuries. This perhaps makes the elder Thomas the wiser investment this offseason.