2017 NFL Free Agents: Predicting Where Top Unsigned Players Land

The frenzy may have slowed nearly a week into the NFL's free-agency period, but there are still plenty of big-name players looking for a new team. 

NFL teams continue to host free agents, with some top targets taking multiple meetings at this point in the process.

Some position groups have been exhausted faster than others; currently, there is a plethora of defensive tackles and running backs still available. 

Knowing what we do about each team's estimated available cap space as well as reports of meetings and interest, we can make some informed predictions about where the best players still on the market will be playing in 2017.

DT Dontari Poe

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With a week having passed since the beginning of the NFL's "legal tampering" period, top defensive tackle free agent Dontari Poe remains unsigned. 

However, Poe has had multiple meetings with NFL teams and appears to be close to making a decision. 

As CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported Sunday, Poe left his visit with the Indianapolis Colts without a deal.

On Monday, the nose tackle was headed to Jacksonville to meet with the Jaguars but, as La Canfora revealed, Poe also scheduled a visit with the Atlanta Falcons immediately afterward. He won't be making any contract decisions until that visit has concluded. 

One team that absolutely seems to be off Poe's list? His former team, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs signed defensive tackle Bennie Logan on Monday, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported, which seems to indicate the end of the Poe era in Kansas City. 

In terms of who will land Poe, you can always place some stock in the fact that the final team with which a player meets can leave the strongest impression. Most importantly, however, the Falcons are contenders who appear to be just a couple key defensive pieces away from Super Bowl LII.

If the money's right, Atlanta seems like a no-brainer for Poe.

Prediction: Atlanta

TE Jared Cook

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Tight end Jared Cook's story with the Green Bay Packers isn't going to have a happy ending. When negotiations stalled between the player's reps and Green Bay brass, general manager Ted Thompson uncharacteristically signed two replacements: Martellus Bennett and Lance Kendricks. 

Ouch. 

That means Cook is now the premier tight end available on the market. He proved to be incredibly beneficial to Green Bay's offense in 2016 even though he didn't produce huge numbers; his 377 yards and touchdown were punctuated by six catches of 20-plus yards and 19 first downs in just 10 games. 

Now, Cook could go elsewhere in the NFC. The 29-year-old is visiting with Green Bay's conference rival Seattle, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

The Seahawks don't have a ton of cap space remaining, at about $17 million per Spotrac, but they have enough to get a deal done. Tight end Luke Wilson is a free agent, so Seattle could be looking to replace his role in the offense.

Prediction: Seattle

RB Adrian Peterson

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At 31 years old, Adrian Peterson isn't the player he once was. The veteran running back has played in only 20 games over the last three seasons thanks to a suspension in 2014 and a knee injury in 2016. 

However, Peterson could still be an attractive free-agent signing for the right team, and he's already conducted a few visits around the NFL. 

Peterson visited with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday but left without a deal, per ESPN's Josina Anderson.

However, that doesn't mean a whole lot. According to NFL Network, the Seahawks are also expected to host running backs Jamaal Charles, Latavius Murray and Eddie Lacy this week, and it seems reasonable they won't offer a contract to anyone until their data-gathering process is complete. 

Another team that could contend for Peterson's services? Try the AFC's New England Patriots. According to Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald, Peterson, who is looking for a ring, would potentially be willing to take a pay cut to land with a contender like New England. 

Peterson's name has also been connected with the Oakland Raiders, but, according to ESPN's Adam Caplan, the "interest level is more on his end."

Seattle is having younger rushers with less baggage in for visits, and it seems unlikely it will value Peterson's potential higher than theirs. Bill Belichick has never really valued the running back position. With the information we have, it seems possible Peterson ends up right where he started: with the Vikings. 

Prediction: Minnesota

LB Dont'a Hightower

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Dont'a Hightower has flirted with plenty of NFL teams during free agency, but when it comes down to it the linebacker remains unsigned. 

Hightower was arguably the most crucial defensive piece for the New England Patriots in their championship-winning 2016 season, with 65 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, a safety and two passes defensed. 

However, the inside linebacker only played 13 games last season after missing four in each of the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Those injuries could be the reason why Hightower remains unsigned nearly a week into free agency. 

Per Ian Rapoport, Hightower visited the New York Jets and the Tennessee Titans, but both teams remain convinced he'll re-sign with the New England Patriots.

And Jason La Canfora reported that "there's a very strong perception among other teams" that New England will re-sign Hightower to the tune of $10 million per year. 

After trading two key defensive pieces in Chandler Jones and Jamie Collins, it's logical that the Patriots would want to retain their home-grown talent in Hightower.

Prediction: New England

DT Johnathan Hankins

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

The New York Giants don't seem to have a lot of competition when it comes to re-signing defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins before another team gets to him. 

The defensive tackle market has been strangely calm throughout free agency, though there was a ripple of movement on Monday when the Kansas City Chiefs signed defensive tackle Bennie Logan.

Hankins only played nine games in 2015, but the season before that he had his most productive year, with 51 combined tackles, seven sacks and three passes defensed, as well as a forced fumble. He wasn't quite as good in 2016, with four fewer sacks, but the rest of his numbers were similar. 

A starting-caliber nose tackle can be hard to find, and for that reason Hankins should have more suitors.

At this point, however, with no real action to speak of, we can only assume he'll be staying in New York.

Prediction: New York Giants

RB Jamaal Charles

Colin E. Braley/Associated Press

As mentioned previously, one of the running backs who will be competing with Adrian Peterson for a spot in Seattle's backfield is 30-year-old veteran Jamaal Charles. 

When Charles has been healthy and played full or nearly full seasons, his production has been off the charts. In every year the 30-year-old has played at least 15 games, save his rookie season, he's totaled more than 1,000 yards and at least five touchdowns, with as many as 12 scores in 2013. 

However, injuries have been a legitimate concern for Charles as of late. He played only eight games combined in 2015 and 2016 due to a torn ACL, which required multiple surgeries. 

Charles hasn't been linked to many teams in addition to Seattle, and it seems clear that the Chiefs are not interested in re-signing the veteran.

Though Charles is older than Eddie Lacy and Latavius Murray, who will also visit the Seahawks, he may be more affordable. And unlike Peterson, Seattle may be able to sign Charles to a longer-term deal. 

Prediction: Seattle

CB Brandon Carr

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The Dallas Cowboys have two big-name free-agent cornerbacks in Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne.

The latter is likely to sign with the Baltimore Ravens, as Zach Metkler of GZ Sports Report reported. And while Claiborne may be the bigger target, there's no question that Carr still has something left to give an NFL team in need of secondary help. 

Carr hasn't missed a single NFL game in his nine-year NFL career. Though he didn't give the Cowboys the return on their investment they were hoping for over the last five seasons, he did experience an uptick in his performance in 2016. Carr posted 61 combined tackles, nine passes defensed and an interception. 

Connor Hughes of NJ.com reported Monday that the New York Jets, who have been quiet in free agency thus far, have expressed interest in Carr. 

New York needs major help in the secondary. And they lost out on free-agent corner Marcus Cooper when he signed with the Chicago Bears. A Jets-Carr union makes lots of sense. 

Prediction: New York Jets

WR Anquan Boldin

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Veteran wideout Anquan Boldin made headlines on Monday when he announced that he would return for his 15th NFL season, as ESPN's Jim Trotter shared. 

Boldin may be 36 years old, but he can still rack up touchdowns. He led the Detroit Lions in scores in 2016, with eight, in addition to 584 receiving yards on 67 receptions. 

Anyone who has followed Boldin's career knows that he had some of his most productive years with the team that drafted him, the Arizona Cardinals. The wide-receiver-needy Baltimore Ravens could also look to bring Boldin back into the fold. 

With the information we have now, it's safest to assume that the Lions find a way to re-sign the wideout. Detroit knows he can be productive in their offense, and the team is on the upswing after narrowly missing a chance to claim the NFC North title from the Green Bay Packers in 2016. 

The Lions will want to keep the pieces that made them strong last season if at all possible. 

Prediction: Detroit