NFL Free Agents 2015: Stay or Go for Top Free-Agent Names

The empty liquor bottles have been Gronk-spiked. The duck boats have been put back in winter storage. New England Patriots fans will carry the warm memories of their first Super Bowl championship in a decade, and the subsequent crazy parade, through the rest of the snowy winter. The glorious 2014 campaign is over, and now they can comfortably rest before the 2015 grind begins.

For most of the rest of the NFL, 2014's been over for weeks, even months, and 2015 can't get here fast enough.

At 4 p.m. on March 10, the new NFL league year begins, and all the expiring contracts metaphorically vanish in a poof of fax toner. All the free agents are free, and the gold rush begins. Them thar hills are especially glittery this season, as a mother lode of young All-Pros and Pro Bowlers had career years in contract years.

Will their current teams scrape together enough cash to keep them around? Or, will they let the market overpay for players due to regress a little? Will teams use the money saved to poach another player, or keep their other free agents at home? Do the players desperately want to finish what they started—or have they been counting down the days until they can bolt for greener pastures?

Bleacher Report has taken a long, hard look at all the top free agents and their current situations, and decided who should stay and who should go.

DeMarco Murray

It's not often a serious Super Bowl contender lets the NFL Offensive Player of the Year hit the market, but that just might be what happens in this epochal 2015 free-agency class.

Officially, per David Helman of the Dallas Cowboys' team site, superstar tailback DeMarco Murray thinks "'it's too early' to worry about contract negotiations." Unofficially, one does not rush for 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns in a contract year without at least pondering one's worth on the open market.

As foundational as Murray was to the Cowboys' run this season—he garnered two votes for The Associated Press NFL MVP—he may be allowed to leave.

Between Murray's extraordinary potential payday, the Cowboys' host of key free-agents-to-be and the lingering possibility that native Texan Adrian Peterson may become available, a megadeal locking Murray up may be impractical.

From a ruthless numbers perspective, Murray's just carried what was (by far) the biggest workload of his life. The Cowboys aren't likely to get that level of production again. Murray said on The Dan Patrick Show (via Jon Machota of The Dallas Morning News), "The money is irrelevant to some degree," and, "It's about winning a Super Bowl."

The question is can Murray help make another team a Super Bowl champion for more money than Dallas will offer?

Verdict: GO

Bryan Bulaga

Of all the big names and big talents on the Green Bay Packers, Bryan Bulaga doesn't rank high on the list. Yet, the former first-round pick was the fourth-best right tackle Pro Football Focus graded in 2014 and is a key member of the Packers offensive line.

That's especially impressive when you remember Bulaga suffered an ACL tear in the 2013 preseason, causing him to miss the entire 2013 regular season. As detailed by Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Bulaga shed 15 pounds during rehab to take stress off the knee, then added 20 lean pounds to get into the best shape of his life.

In his absence, 2013 fourth-round pick David Bakhtiari earned the permanent left tackle job, so Bulaga flipped back to right tackle and earned an outstanding plus-10.8 pass-block grade. That slotted him second among all right tackles, and above some renowned pass protectors such as the Houston Texans' Duane Brown.

Bulaga told Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he "can't predict the future. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."

After falling achingly short of the Super Bowl, Bulaga should have all the motivation in the world to stay in Green Bay, and the Packers would have a very hard time replacing him. Even if it means letting other players such as receiver Randall Cobb walk, they should make every effort to keep him.

Verdict: STAY

Justin Houston

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Justin Houston has always been scary off the edge, but in 2014 he became every quarterback's worst nightmare. 

With NFL-best tallies of 22 official sacks—and 56 hurries, per Pro Football Focus—Houston wasn't just the most productive pass-rusher in football, he was historically dominant. PFF charted Houston with the fourth-best run-stuffing grade among 3-4 outside linebackers; the three players graded above him combined for just 16 sacks.

Houston has been the arrowhead of the Kansas City Chiefs' back-to-back top-10 scoring defenses. The cap-strapped Chiefs, though, may have to choose between him and fellow pass-rusher Tamba Hali, also set to be a free agent. Hali told Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star he wants to stay in Kansas City, and that "if money is going to be a hindrance in doing that, we’ll find a way."

Houston told ESPN's First Take (via Joel Thorman of SB Nation Chiefs blog Arrowhead Pride) that the Chiefs can win a Super Bowl "but we need some more pieces." Can they afford to keep Houston and add pieces?

With 2014 first-round pick Dee Ford waiting in the wings, and defensive backs Eric Berry and Ron Parker also needing to be re-signed, it's hard to see the Chiefs bringing both Houston and Hali back. Yet, if Hali's willing to take a significant paycut and a possibly reduced role, the three of them could again make AFC West quarterbacks wish they could stay in bed.

Verdict: GO

Jeremy Maclin

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Jeremy Maclin bet on himself, and he hit the jackpot.

Last season, he turned down a five-year extension from the Philadelphia Eagles in favor of a so-called "prove-it deal": a one-year contract during which he'd have to prove he was worth a much richer long-term extension.

Coming off a 2013 ACL injury and working without his former partner DeSean Jackson, Maclin became the unquestioned No. 1 receiver in Philadelphia—and, in truth, the only downfield option.

His 85-catch, 1,318-yard, 10-touchdown performance was a definitive career high, across the board. The six-year veteran will turn just 27 this offseason, meaning the next five-year deal he signs may not be his last.

Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, in the midst of an ongoing power struggle with executive vice president Howie Roseman, has shown no hesitation in moving on from players he deems not worth the trouble, but the cap-flush Eagles have no reason not to belly up to the bar for Maclin—especially considering how hard he'll be to replace.

Verdict: STAY

Ndamukong Suh

Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press

Ndamukong Suh was long gone.

That was what it looked like throughout 2014, after Suh and the Detroit Lions appeared far apart on extension talks. Suh, by all accounts, has been a relentless worker and a good teammate, but he never quite made Detroit his home the way other Lions have.

The all-business nature of his impending free agency was never more clear than when he told Detroit media, including MLive.com's Kyle Meinke, his agent would be choosing his next team.

"Speak to Jimmy (Sexton) about that, if you really want an answer," Suh said, referring to his agent. "It's Jimmy's decision."

In the wake of the Lions' stunning Wild Card Round loss to the Dallas Cowboys, though, Suh was overcome with emotion. Despite his brilliant individual play, the Lions fell just short. Perhaps that moment galvanized his determination to get it done in The Motor City; the three-time first-team All-Pro re-upping went from long shot to near-lock.

"I think there's a very, very good chance that we can get something done with him in the next few weeks," Lions president Tom Lewand told WDIV radio (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). Given Suh's desire to be the highest-paid defensive player in football, per Birkett, that will mean some sacrifices by both sides—but where there's mutual will, there's a way.

Verdict: STAY

Randall Cobb

"Of course" Randall Cobb wants to come back to Green Bay, per Chris Wesseling of NFL.com. "I think I've made that obvious," he said. With his play in 2014, Cobb proved he's worth every penny the Packers can spare, and maybe then some.

After a rocky first few games had Cobb on the side of a milk carton and the Packers' championship hopes on the rocks, Cobb rekindled the incredibly productive receiver-quarterback connection he shares with Aaron Rodgers. He finished with 91 catches for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns—career bests, all, by far.

Cobb is primarily a slot receiver, but he's a huge home run threat. Here's the problem for Cobb: Aaron Rodgers can throw it to just about anybody, and rookie Davante Adams emerged as a serious threat over the course of 2014.

It's not that Cobb doesn't deserve to get paid, or that the Packers can't pay him. Teams trying to win championships, though, don't cut massive checks on sentiment or inertia—and if the Packers brass think they can score just as many points with or without Cobb, they'll spend that money elsewhere.

Verdict: GO

Rolando McClain

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain was one of the best stories of the 2014 NFL season. Bleacher Report readers already know, because B/R Senior Writer Lars Anderson told McClain's story as well as anyone ever has. 

The one-time Oakland Raider, one-time Baltimore Raven was a desperate acquisition for a Cowboys team that had again lost star middle linebacker Sean Lee to injury. The former No. 8 overall pick still had the elite size and speed that made him a standout at Alabama, and his impact on a Cowboys defense in desperate need of quality tackling can't be overstated. Pro Football Focus graded him its joint eighth-best inside linebacker.

Though fellow linebackers Bruce Carter and Justin Durant are also going to be free agents, McClain is the perfect candidate for re-signing: valuable but not necessarily expensive. McClain, unhappy at two other NFL stops, "feels like he has found a home in Dallas," according to Charean Williams of the Dallas Star-Telegram.

For McClain, a man who lost his primary residence in Alabama to a December house fire, it's hard to see him leaving someplace he's so comfortable. 

Verdict: STAY

Julius Thomas

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

On many NFL teams, Julius Thomas would be the scariest, most talented, most dominant receiving talent on the roster.

Not the Denver Broncos.

Thomas, a red-zone machine whose 12 receiving touchdowns tied him with Rob Gronkowski for No. 1 among tight ends in 2014, has put up Looney Tunes numbers in his two injury-shortened seasons as a starter.

Thomas has caught 108 Peyton Manning passes for 1,277 yards and a whopping 24 scores in those two years, incredibly while starting just 24 of 32 possible games. The problem for Thomas, in terms of building his case for a megabucks extension, is that the operative words in that sentence are "Peyton Manning."

Thomas is a gifted athlete and a lethal red-zone weapon. As Bleacher Report AFC West Lead Writer Christopher Hansen wrote, teammates Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are more effective and productive when he's in the lineup.

However, the Broncos have a ton of pricey players already, some who—including Demaryius Thomas—are free agents themselves. Thomas could well be the next Eric Decker: a key, but hardly irreplaceable, cog in Denver's offensive machine, likely to get more than Denver's willing to pay (and possibly more than he's worth) somewhere else.

Verdict: GO

Justin Forsett

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Justin Forsett had one of the quietest Pro Bowl seasons any running back has ever had. Not only did he rack up 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns to very little fanfare, but he did it at an incredible 5.4 yards-per-carry clip. Per Pro Football Reference, that's better than any other tailback in 2014. In fact, it's the 23rd-most effective season of all time among backs with at least 200 carries.

Part of why Forsett's season came with such little national attention: He did it with the Ravens. Denver Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak, who served as Ravens offensive coordinator in 2014, has often wrung superstar production out of players who are merely very good.

Between Kubiak's zone-based, one-cut running game and the Ravens' powerful offensive line, Forsett often had big running lanes to work with. Pro Football Focus graded the Ravens line as the fourth-best run-blocking unit in football, and Forsett took advantage.

Now that pass-happy offensive coordinator Marc Trestman has taken over, it may seem like Forsett's best bet is on another roster, but he told Tom Pelissero of USA Today Trestman plans to "keep some of the same principles" that helped Forsett be so successful.

Verdict: STAY

Dez Bryant

The Dallas Cowboys cannot let Dez Bryant go, and Bryant won't be better off anywhere else.

Yes, the Cowboys have other free agents to sign, including breakout star tailback DeMarco Murray and nearly every linebacker they have.

None of that matters.

Bryant is, if not the best wide receiver in the NFL right now, one of the very best few. He's completely irreplaceable, he has a longstanding bond with quarterback Tony Romo and he just finished hanging an NFL-best 16 touchdowns on the rest of the league.

Despite logging 381 receptions, 5,424 receiving yards and 56 touchdowns in 75 career games played, he just turned 26 years old in November.

It would be a stressor on the Cowboys' cap to franchise tag him if they can't come to terms on a long-term deal, per Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com, but they could do it if necessary—and if it becomes necessary, they have to do it.

Verdict: STAY

Demaryius Thomas

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Demaryius Thomas is the other hugely dominant receiving threat set to walk away from the Denver Broncos in free agency, though it seems much less likely that he walks than Julius Thomas.

Demaryius Thomas, per Pro Football Reference, led the NFL in receiving targets with 184. He finished second in receptions (111), second in yards (1,619) and tied for 10th in touchdowns (11). At 6'3", 229 pounds, the 2010 first-round pick has prototypical size, strength and speed.

Perhaps a symptom of his maturation as a complete No. 1 receiver, as opposed to a pure deep threat, Thomas' yards-per-completion and touchdowns fell slightly from 2013 to 2014. Perhaps it's a symptom of quarterback Peyton Manning's physical decline.

Either way, the Broncos would be foolish to let the 27-year-old three-time Pro Bowler walk. The Broncos have lots of free agents to re-sign, but have $26.7 million in cap room with which to do it, per Spotrac.com.

Verdict: STAY

Darrelle Revis

The New England Patriots are now on the clock.

What? No, not the draft clock. The clock counting down the days until they must either exercise or decline their club option on cornerback Darrelle Revis.

Revis, for those football fans who've been living on Mauritius for the past eight years, is at least the second-best cornerback in football, and probably the best. Revis was named first-team All-Pro by The Associated Press again this year, his fourth time being so honored.

Should the Patriots pick up their option by 4 p.m. on March 10, Revis stays in New England on a whopping $20 million one-year deal with an effective $20 million cap hit, per Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald.

Should they decline, Revis becomes a free agent—no, the free agent. As Bleacher Report NFL Insider Jason Cole explains in the video above, Revis may be interested in returning to the New York Jets, the team that drafted him, and former Jets head coach Rex Ryan would love to reunite with his partner in crime out in Western New York.

The third option, the one the Patriots will take if they're committed to a repeat (or three-peat!) attempt, will be to sign Revis to a long-term deal before the deadline.

Clock's ticking.

Verdict: STAY