In Today's NFL, Free Agency Officially a Young Man's Game

Federal law regarding age discrimination doesn't really apply to professional football players, mainly because the Age Discrimination in Employment Act does not protect workers below the age of 40, but also because it would be a hell of a thing to attempt to prove in court.

But if you scan the list of starting-caliber players who are still lingering on the free-agent market one month into the new league year, you'll notice that almost all of the proven players who remain unsigned have one thing in common.

They're old, at least by NFL standards. 

There are 15 players remaining on NFL.com's list of the top 99 free agents on this year's market. Some have warts that teams might be incapable of ignoring, but most of them are simply suffering from the realities of ageism. Here's a breakdown of the top 12 players remaining on that list, ranked from high to low.

Safety Reggie Nelson: Ranked 22nd, he's coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he was tied for the NFL lead with eight interceptions. But he remains unsigned, probably because he'll turn 33 in September. 

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick: Ranked 23rd, he's coming off the best season of his career after nearly leading the New York Jets to the playoffs. But he remains unsigned, probably because he's looking for money in the Brock Osweiler range despite the fact he'll turn 34 in the fall. 

Running back Arian Foster: Ranked 30th, the four-time Pro Bowler had more than 1,200 rushing yards while scoring eight touchdowns in 2014. But he remains unsigned, probably because he's rehabbing a ruptured Achilles tendon but also because he'll turn 30 this summer. For a running back, that should make him eligible for AARP.

Defensive back Walter Thurmond: Ranked 37th, he's only 28 but is reportedly contemplating retirement, per Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News.

Defensive end Greg Hardy: Ranked 51st, he's only 27 but has one of the worst reputations in the league. 

Wide receiver Anquan Boldin: Ranked 54th, the three-time Pro Bowler will turn 36 in the fall.

Guard Jahri Evans: Ranked 68th, the six-time Pro Bowler will turn 33 this summer.

Linebacker Mike Neal: It's kind of surprising to see him on this list, even if he's ranked 70th. Neal has started just 29 NFL games and will turn 29 this summer. With no Pro Bowl nods and only 19 sacks in six seasons, he's not worth a lot at that age.

Wide receiver Percy Harvin: Ranked 72nd, he's played for four teams in the last four years and is a huge liability from an injury and behavioral standpoint. Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News reported in the fall that Harvin was contemplating retirement. Of course, he remains unsigned as he prepares to turn 28 next month.

Linebacker Dwight Freeney: Ranked 74th, the seven-time Pro Bowler is 36 years old.

Running back LeGarrette Blount: Ranked 76th, the inconsistent Blount is another massive question mark who will turn 30 in December.

Cornerback Leon Hall: Ranked 77th, the steady veteran will turn 32 in December.

There are exceptions, such as 32-year-old corner Adam Jones, who re-signed with the Cincinnati Bengals for $22 million over three years with $6 million guaranteed, and 30-year-old center Alex Mack, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons for $45 million over five years with $28.5 million guaranteed.

But for every case like that there's a Roddy White, who has been to four Pro Bowls but is 34 and remains unsigned, or a Wallace Gilberry, who has been a steady defensive end throughout his eight-year career but at 31 couldn't find work before signing a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions on Tuesday. In the latter case, that's despite the fact Gilberry's agent, Pat Dye, tells me his client was willing to take less money than he made on his previous contract with the Bengals—"and he was pretty freakin' productive on his last contract."

Gilberry's new deal with Detroit—a one-year, $1.75 million pact—is indeed substantially less lucrative than the three-year, $6.3 million contract he had in Cincinnati. 

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Per numbers from Spotrac, among the 20 players who have signed contracts this offseason worth at least $30 million, only one (Mack) is 30 or older. And in terms of annual salary, the nine highest-paid free agents are all 29 or younger.

It's become clear that the first stage of free agency is where 20-somethings with four or five years of experience—in 2016, guys like Osweiler, Olivier Vernon, Malik Jackson, Janoris Jenkins, Kelechi Osemele, Damon Harrison, Kelvin Beachum, Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Tashaun Gipson, Rodney McLeod, Danny Trevathan and Lamar Miller—land their first major long-term contracts, while the vast majority of those beyond their fifth or sixth season are forced to wait, especially if they have bad reps or play positions with short shelf lives.

Rank (contract value)	Average age	High	Low
Top 25	26.7	31	25
26-50	28.0	33	25
51-75	28.7	34	26
76-100	28.0	34	24
101-125	29.2	41	26

This isn't necessarily a new trend, but it is particularly glaring this offseason (and at this very moment) as agents push to secure contracts for veterans before the market becomes flooded with "upside" and "potential" and "high ceilings."

Yes, in three weeks' time, 253 prospects will be drafted, and just as many will be signed as undrafted free agents. Even though the majority of those new arrivals won't wind up on Week 1 rosters, more rookies will join the league than veterans will retire, at least by choice. As a result of that displacement, dozens of well-known and highly regarded veterans will be jobless in 2016 despite the fact their numbers would seem to indicate that shouldn't be the case.

Of course, teams naturally would prefer to wait to see which holes they're able to fill at a lower cost in the draft, which is why there's a strong chance a lot of the players listed above remain on the market throughout the month of April.

After the draft last year, notable veterans Tarell Brown, C.J. Mosley, Quintin Demps, Red Bryant, Chris Johnson, Freeney, Pierre Thomas and James Jones all found homes. But many—including stalwarts Wes Welker and Brian de la Puente—had to wait until the 2015 season started before getting a chance.

And many never got another chance at all.

Cue the "in memoriam" roll for Anthony Collins, Justin Blalock, Santonio Holmes, Osi Umenyiora, Shaun Phillips, Thomas DeCoud, Reggie Wayne, Dan Connolly, Chris Myers, Mathias Kiwanuka and Bernard Pollard.

This year's list of veteran pro football casualties might be even larger.

Player	Contract (guaranteed)	Age	Pro Bowls
Malik Jackson	5 years, $85.5M ($42M)	26	0
Olivier Vernon	5 years, $85M ($52.5M)	25	0
Brock Osweiler	4 years, $72M ($37M)	25	0
Janoris Jenkins	5 years, $62.5M ($28.8M)	27	0
Kelechi Osemele	5 years, $58.5M ($25.4M)	26	0

"The premium that's being put on younger and presumably more likely to stay healthy players is at an all-time high," said Dye. "My growing sense is it's very pervasive that it's all about getting younger and healthier, and sometimes those things run hand in hand. There's no doubt that in this era, there's a lot less value put on very seasoned veterans than there was when I first got in this business."

This serves as a reminder that this is indeed a business first and foremost. Players are commodities that teams look to buy low and sell high on, which is why you sometimes see older players getting no love despite the fact they've come off career years.

That's the case with Nelson, who in 2015 had eight picks, two fumble recoveries, 50 tackles and was graded by Pro Football Focus as the league's fourth-best safety in coverage. He hadn't even been strongly linked to anyone before reportedly meeting with the Oakland Raiders this week, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Safety	PFF coverage grade	Interceptions
1. Charles Woodson	12.2	5
2. Malcolm Jenkins	10.8	2
3. Eric Berry	8.2	2
4. Reggie Nelson	8.0	8
4. Earl Thomas	8.0	5

The 2007 first-round pick has missed just six games in nine years and none in the last two, but does that indicate he'll succumb to the law of averages in 2016? It appears the Bengals are considering that possibility.

"There's no doubt that these teams are so much more advanced in terms of their quantitative analytics in analyzing the likelihood of injury at 30, 31, 32, 33, whatever," said Dye. "A player that gets hurt, the team has to pay that salary for the year. It's a real consequence."

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Is Nelson being sold high? Did the Jacksonville Jaguars buy Gipson low? He wasn't a Pro Bowler and had six fewer picks than Nelson last year, but the Jags signed him to a five-year, $36 million deal during the first week of free agency. Meanwhile, McLeod, who has just five interceptions in his four-year career, landed a five-year, $35 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.

But both Gipson and McLeod are seven years younger than Nelson.

And it happens at every position. Just look at the 25-year-old Osweiler (four years, $72 million with $37 guaranteed) versus the 33-year-old Fitzpatrick, who hasn't signed despite posting superior numbers.

Or look at Evans versus relative unknowns at guard.

Evans was a Pro Bowler from 2009-2014 and earned positive PFF grades in 2015 despite battling knee and ankle injuries. Prior to last season, the four-time first-team All-Pro had missed just two starts in nine years. But his downward trajectory can't be denied by those who are crunching the numbers, which explains why he was released by the New Orleans Saints and remains on the market despite being healthy.

Meanwhile, interior offensive linemen Osemele, Brandon Brooks and J.R. Sweezy—none of whom has been to a Pro Bowl—all landed five-year free-agent contracts worth at least $30 million and at least $14 million guaranteed.

The difference, again, is that all three are entering their age-27 season, while Evans is 32.

"I certainly believe that if Jahri were 27 instead of 32 he would have been one of the top guys on the market based on his play alone, but age has been a factor for NFL guys forever and it's just a reality of how the league works," said Jerrold Colton, who represents Evans. "There is without question a reluctance for teams to give long-term contracts to older guys."

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon