NFL Free Agents Who Must Be Re-Signed

As we know, there's nothing truly free about free agency. Some very good football players are about to get paid.

That is certainly the case if you are an NFL team not willing to part with some of your better performers.

So here is a look at 10 potential free agents we don't expect to see on the opening market come early March.

In other words, these are the biggest prizes that could become available come March 15 but likely won't, mainly because their teams would be unwise to let them get away—especially with nothing in return.

Why these particular 10? The combination of performance, age and impact on their teams and/or units is impetus as to why they should remain with their current employers. Of course, all of these players can be re-signed by their teams or be given the "franchise" or "transition" tag to retain their rights.

We have listed our choices in team alphabetical order. For your convenience, the fine people of Spotrac have made available the complete list of unrestricted free agents, so feel free to form your own opinion on who would be your selections.

In some instances, players like safety Eric Weddle of the San Diego Chargers aren't expected to re-sign with their teams. Other clubs, most notably the Kansas City Chiefs, have more than one prominent potential free agent to deal with. And we will make sure we make note of that in our analysis.

There's nothing like a little early window shopping. But keep in mind that the merchandise may not be available in a month or so.

K Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

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It was a down year for the Baltimore Ravens, a perennial playoff contender under head coach John Harbaugh that fell to 5-11 in 2015.

Even usually reliable kicker Justin Tucker had a few issues, failing on seven of his 40 field-goal attempts this season—although it should be pointed out that six of those misses came from 50-plus yards. But that was a surprise considering Tucker had missed only six 50-plus-yard field-goal tries in his first three NFL seasons (14-of-20).

In four seasons, the former Pro Bowler has hit on 87.8 percent of his three-point attempts and has yet to miss a point-after attempt (139-of-139). He's a vital part of a team that has played its share of close games over the years.

G Richie Incognito, Buffalo Bills

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Although the club once again failed to reach the playoffs, Buffalo Bills general manager Doug Whaley had to be happy with the play of his team's offense this season.

But now the executive has to concern himself with the fact that the two players on the left side of his offensive line, tackle Cordy Glenn and guard Richie Incognito, are potential unrestricted free agents. And re-signing them both is certainly a priority.

"It's imperative," Whaley said on WGR Sports Radio 550 in Buffalo, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. "When you look at that position as a whole, you like to have those guys with some continuity and playing together and basically playing like one. The longer they’re together, the better they're gonna be."

While Glenn was Pro Football Focus' ninth-ranked tackle in 2015, only Denver's Evan Mathis graded out better than Incognito when it came to run-blocking this season.

"And for us to have them in Year 1," added Whaley, "to have us leading the league in rushing, that's a pretty high mark and a good standard, and we want to keep that. Those two guys, I think, are the key for us taking the step forward next year."

That run-blocking note is significant, which is why bringing back Incognito (who went unsigned in 2014) is vital.

CB Josh Norman, Carolina Panthers

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He did not knock down a pass or grab an interception, but don't be fooled into thinking Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman wasn't productive in his team's 31-24 playoff win over the Seattle Seahawks.

The four-year pro totaled five tackles and had one of the five sacks of Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson. Arguably the league's best cornerback this season, Norman finished 2015 with 56 stops, four interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), a pair of fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles and a team-high 18 passes defensed.

That's quite a resume for a potential free agent. And there's no doubt a team on the verge of reaching the Super Bowl would love to keep Norman, linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis and defensive tackle Kawann Short (among others) together as long as possible.

WR Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears

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This season, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler came a long way under the guidance of offensive coordinator Adam Gase and quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains. The latter takes over for Gase, who is the latest head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Now, Cutler is certainly hoping wide receiver Alshon Jeffery doesn't get away this offseason. Between injuries and the absence of Brandon Marshall (traded to the New York Jets during the offseason), the fourth-year wideout wasn't his usual Pro Bowl self. While he finished with a team-high 54 catches and club-best 807 receiving yards, Jeffery totaled just four touchdowns and played in a career-low nine games.

So long as Jeffery is re-signed (highly likely) and remains healthy and wideout Kevin White can bounce back from a lost rookie year, the Bears passing attack should be in good hands.

OLB Von Miller, Denver Broncos

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No team in the NFL gave up fewer total yards and fewer passing yards than the Denver Broncos in 2015.

Paced by outside linebacker Von Miller and his team-high 11 sacks, Wade Phillips' talented unit led the NFL with 52 sacks during the regular season and dropped Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger three times in last week's 23-16 playoff victory.

This season, Miller also forced four fumbles and recovered three. In five seasons with the Broncos and a total of 72 regular-season contests, Miller has racked up 60 sacks and 16 forced fumbles.

Last week, Denver re-signed defensive end Derek Wolfe, and it also has potential free-agent defensive end Malik Jackson to worry about. But Miller is the priority here.

QB Brock Osweiler, Denver Broncos

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After taking over for an injured and ineffective Peyton Manning in the second half of the season, Brock Osweiler is once again the Denver Broncos' backup quarterback…at least for now.

The top-seeded Broncos saw the four-year pro go 5-2 as a starter the last seven weeks, and he finished with 10 touchdown passes and six interceptions in 2015. Will the club re-sign him? That should be a no-brainer.

Although Manning is getting ready to try to lead to the team to its eighth Super Bowl appearance and second in three years, the league's all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes turns 40 years old in March.

For the season, Osweiler completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 1,967 yards, and he ran 21 times for 61 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked 23 times this season but lost only one of his four fumbles. Of course, three of his seven total turnovers came in Week 17 against the Chargers, which is one reason head coach Gary Kubiak inserted Manning back into the lineup.

Still, Osweiler has shown enough to be the Broncos' quarterback of the future sooner than later.

FS Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs

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Less than one year after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry was back on the field in 2015. When it was all said and done, the inspirational defender finished third on the team with 61 tackles, knocked down 10 passes and recorded two interceptions. He's headed to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his career.

Along with inside linebacker Derrick Johnson and outside linebacker Tamba Hali, Berry is one of numerous Kansas City defenders who could hit the open market this offseason. So will Berry return to Kansas City in 2016, along with some of his other teammates? The answer is not so simple.

"Obviously, this is family," Berry said after the Chiefs' season ended, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. "At the same time, we will sit down and talk about it when we talk about it, but right now I'm just thankful for my teammates, my coaches and everybody that has something to do with me being back on the field this year. This is something special. Like I said, we'll talk about it."

There's no doubt plenty of football left in Berry, and it is more likely than not he will be back with the Chiefs. Who else will the team re-sign in 2016?

DE Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets

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"The simple answer is yes, we'd very much like to have Muhammad back in the organization."

Those were the words of New York Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, as he recently wrapped up the team's 10-6 season, one that fell just short of a playoff appearance but saw the club win six more games than in 2014.

As you will also recall, Muhammad Wilkerson broke his right leg in New York's season finale at Buffalo, a 22-17 loss that kept the Jets out of the playoffs.

Will we indeed see Wilkerson back in a New York Jets uniform? More importantly, will he be healthy?

"He should be ready for camp," added Maccagnan, who according to Cimini did mention the possibility of putting the talented defender "on the physically unable to perform list for the start of training camp in late July."

Wilkerson led the team with 12 sacks in 2015. This was a club that ranked fourth in the NFL in yards allowed and second only to the Seahawks in rushing defense. Add in defensive line incumbents such as Sheldon Richardson, Damon Harrison and Leonard Williams, and the Jets are loaded in this area and hope to remain so.

RB Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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As a rookie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012, talented running back Doug Martin ran for 1,454 yards (11 touchdowns) and finished third in the league with 1,926 yards from scrimmage. He was a budding star on a team looking for offensive help.

Derailed by injuries the next two years, the former Boise State standout totaled only 950 rushing yards and three scores in 17 games. It appeared Martin could be playing his final season with the franchise, especially if he failed to stay healthy once again.

This season, Martin rebounded in a big way as he finished second in the NFL with 1,402 yards—just 83 short of league leader Adrian Peterson. And just as Peterson was a big help to quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and the playoff-bound Minnesota Vikings this season, Martin made life a lot easier for rookie signal-caller Jameis Winston.

Not only did only four teams in the league gain more total yards than the Buccaneers in 2015, Martin was the leader of the NFL's fifth-rated ground attack—hence the club's offensive balance.

Last offseason, the Bucs failed to pick up the fifth-year option on Martin, but look for him to re-up with the club sooner than later. It's hard to fathom that former offensive coordinator turned new head coach Dirk Koetter would be happy without the four-year pro in his backfield.

QB Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins

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After two seasons of turmoil at the quarterback position, the Washington Redskins have indeed found their man in 2012 fourth-round pick Kirk Cousins. Now, they need to get him under contract.

"The best thing for them, if they're comfortable with what [Cousins] is or what they expect him to do, is the long-term deal," said National Football Post and CBS Sports NFL salary-cap analyst Joel Corry to Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post. "Kirk Cousins isn't going to come cheap, and the money that he gets might shock some people."

The fourth-year signal-caller completed a league-best 69.8 percent of his passes this season, throwing for 4,166 yards and 29 scores compared to just 14 turnovers—including only 11 interceptions. Washington overcame a 5-7 start to win its final four games and capture the NFC East for the first time since 2012.

In his final three regular-season contests, Cousins threw 11 touchdown passes without an interception. Sacked six times in the 35-18 loss to the Packers in the Wild Card Round, the improving signal-caller threw for 329 yards and one score and ran three yards for another touchdown.

For the Redskins, a little stability at the quarterback position is certainly welcomed.

All free-agent information courtesy of Spotrac. Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro-Football-Reference and ESPN.com. All player ratings courtesy of Pro Football Focus.