Which Top NFL Players Could Be on New Teams Next Season?

Player movement is an integral part of the NFL offseason. The only constant is change from the time the Super Bowl ends to when the next regular season kicks off.

This year, numerous successful veterans had to uproot and re-acclimate themselves. Alex Smith, Jarvis Landry, Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, Richard Sherman and Kirk Cousins all shifted allegiances before April's draft even occurred. 

The same type of movement can be expected to repeat starting in the spring, whether due to ill-fitting contracts, roster overhauls or any number of other reasons. 

Here are 10 well-known individuals likely to be switching franchises after hitting dead ends at their current stops.

QB Joe Flacco

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An argument will inevitably ensue about Joe Flacco's status as a top NFL quarterback.

The reality is he's a competent starting signal-caller and likely a sought-after option if/when the Baltimore Ravens release him this offseason. 

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Flacco will be among the "most talked-about free agents of 2019" and "coveted" by other teams. 

Technically, Flacco isn't a free agent. Not yet, anyhow. The Ravens can save $10.5 million by releasing the franchise's all-time leading passer. 

He would be entering the market at the right time. He became the NFL's highest-paid player when he signed a six-year, $120.6 million deal in 2013 after the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII with the quarterback being named the game's MVP. 

He's now positioned to be the top available quarterback for needy teams this coming offseason, since the top two prospects, Oregon's Justin Herbert and Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins, have yet to declare and the available veteran crop isn't all that exciting. 

Flacco turns 34 years old next month—which means he still has a few good starting years left with the experience to help a struggling franchise in need of quarterback help.

QB Nick Foles

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Nick Foles' value is heating up at the right time again. Something about how he performs under pressure should have Foles going from the Philadelphia Eagles' backup quarterback to another squad's starter. 

When the Eagles appeared to be down and out due to two different Carson Wentz injuries (a torn ACL last year and a stress fracture in his back this season), Foles came to the rescue. Last season, the backup-turned-starter put together a legendary postseason performance which culminated in being named Super Bowl LII MVP. 

Wentz's return all but sealed Foles' fate with the franchise until another injury placed the 29-year-old back in the lineup again. Foles completed 77.4 percent for 270 yards against the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams to keep the Eagles' playoff hopes alive on Sunday. 

"He's just always ready," running back Wendell Smallwood said, per NJ.com's Zack Rosenblatt. "He's just one of those guys, we're confutable whenever he's in. He's got our back and he knows we got his back."

The Eagles and Foles have a mutual contract option after this season worth $20.6 million. As it currently stands, Philadelphia can't pick up the option, since it's a projected $12.4 million over next year's salary cap. 

So he's headed elsewhere to win games in crunch time. 

RB Le'Veon Bell

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Running back Le'Veon Bell has all but burned all 446 bridges found in Pittsburgh. His willingness to sit out the entire season in a contract dispute didn't garner any allies. 

"What do you do? Here's a guy who doesn't give a damn," team player rep Ramon Foster said before the regular season began, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette. "I guess we'll treat it as such. I just hate it came to this." 

Once Bell chose to forfeit the entire season by failing to report and not signing his franchise tender by Nov. 14, teammates gleefully picked apart the running back's locker. 

Bell gave up $15.4 million in guaranteed money, because he felt the Steelers never presented a long-term deal worth his actual value. 

"I'm playing for strictly my value to the team," Bell said in March, per ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler. "That's what I'm asking. I don't think I should settle for anything less than what I'm valued at."

Now, another team will have to meet the running back's demands. It could be difficult, since Bell's replacements—James Conner and Jaylen Samuels—have performed so well. Even so, a team will rationalize signing the almost 27-year-old to a significant contract because he's both a great rusher and a legitimate second or third option in the passing game. 

DT Grady Jarrett

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The allure of a mega-deal will be floated before Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett this offseason. 

Jarrett should be the hottest commodity on the open market because interior defenders who can be consistently disruptive are rare.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jarrett posted the highest pass-rush grade of any interior defender over the last four weeks. Sure, Aaron Donald's league-leading 16.5 sacks dwarf Jarrett's six. However, a pass-rusher's effectiveness isn't based purely on sacks. The ability to consistently apply pressure and create havoc in the backfield is every bit as important, if not more so. 

Jarrett is a force and should be handsomely compensated as a result. He'll enter free agency at 25 years old with a special skill set. An upcoming contract should rival those signed in recent years by Malik Jackson, Kawann Short and Geno Atkins signed in recent years—which places him in the $14.5-$16.5 million per year range. 

The Falcons weren't proactive in re-signing Jarrett before the season, and the organization will have to pay to keep him in town. A player with his ability to take over games doesn't come around too often.

Jarrett can drive up his overall worth by testing the market and letting a bidding war ensue. 

DT Ndamukong Suh

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Major decisions are looming for the Los Angeles Rams front office. Three major contract situations involving quarterback Jared Goff, safety Lamarcus Joyner and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will have profound impacts on one another. 

Currently, the Rams have a projected $37.6 million in salary-cap space entering the 2019 league year. The number could quickly dissipate. 

First, Goff enters his initial window to discuss a long-term extension. He hasn't played well as of late, but there's no question he's the team's franchise signal-caller.

Joyner, who received the franchise tag this season, is scheduled to enter free agency. The 28-year-old defensive back is a valuable piece to the puzzle due to his scheme versatility. 

Then there are the smaller deals needed to retain guard Rodger Saffold, edge-rusher Dante Fowler Jr., cornerback Troy Hill and linebackers Ramik Wilson and Cory Littleton (restricted). 

As a result, the soon-to-be 32-year-old Suh could be the odd man out. The five-time Pro Bowl defender is still a quality player, but his career may have reached the point of diminishing returns after the Rams invested $14 million in this year's performance. His 3.5 sacks so far this season would be a career low. 

DE Brandon Graham

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Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham got his championship ring. Now, it's time to get paid (again). A windfall is unlikely to happen in the City of Brotherly Love. 

The defender, who turns 31 years old in April, is finishing the last season of a four-year, $26 million deal he signed prior to the 2015 campaign. At Graham's age, this will likely be the last time he can maximize his worth by testing free agency. 

The Eagles really don't have an option to re-sign him, since they're already over the projected 2019 salary cap. 

Graham, meanwhile, remains a prolific pass-rusher despite his understated sacks totals. He often collapses the pocket and forces quarterbacks to move off their spots or into other defenders. He's a disruptive presence and a good run defender. 

Complete edge defenders are always in demand. Graham has been a staple on defense for nine seasons. He's given everything to the organization. It doesn't have anything to give back at this point, and his next move should be to the highest bidder.

"I'm on my way out in probably five years, so I think that it's just a different situation for me," he said in November, per NJ.com's Zack Rosenblatt. "I just believe that whatever's coming to me is gonna be there anyway."

DE Ezekiel Ansah

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The Detroit Lions are better off without Ezekiel Ansah. He's a constant injury concern, not an ideal scheme fit and his production is no longer worth the contract. 

None of the previous points mean his career is done. It's just done in Detroit. 

"We know his skill set. We know what he's capable of," teammate Ricky Jean-Francois said, per the Detroit Free Press' Shawn Windsor. "You just wish you could see it a whole season. And not just in bits and pieces. But just with those bits and pieces, you see a helluva player. You see a great pass-rusher. You still see a Pro Bowl D-end. If you second-guess it, just flip on the film and see what he's done."

The Lions placed the franchise tag on Ansah knowing his potential. Yet, injuries once again got the best of the 2013 No. 5 pick. The defensive end suffered a shoulder injury in Week 1, missed the next seven games, returned only to injure the shoulder again in Week 14 and be placed on injured reserve. 

Ansah hasn't played a full 16-game slate since the 2015 campaign. 

Meanwhile, the Lions are still looking for an edge-rusher with Devon Kennard, Romeo Okwara and Eli Harold (another pending free agent) accumulating 17.5 sacks. 

Another hopeful organization with plenty of salary-cap space to burn can take a risk on Ansah. The Lions already know he's not the answer. 

LB Clay Matthews

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Where Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews lands is entirely up to how he wants to approach free agency.

Matthews could remain with his current team at a reduced price after carrying an $11 million-plus cap hit each of the last five seasons. However, this approach seems unlikely. 

"I'm told that the Green Bay Packers reached this conclusion (that his production was waning) some time ago," long-time Packers beat reporter Bob McGinn wrote in September. "I'm also told that, if the season were to end today, they have no intention of re-signing Matthews after his contract expires at the end of the season."

The 32-year-old defender has registered 4.5 sacks so far this season. 

The 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the Year also has to decide what position he prefers. Is he an inside or outside linebacker? What systems does he fit?

Edge-rushers are far more valuable than off-the-ball linebackers, of course. But a lack of production and his age don't bode well. 

The Packers are about to enter a pseudo-rebuild under the direction of a second-year general manager and new head coach. Matthews shouldn't be in the long-term plans. Maybe he can make the veteran move of signing with a contender or on-the-verge squad in need of experience. 

LB Jamie Collins

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Sometimes, production doesn't match a player's salary. Cleveland Browns linebacker Jamie Collins falls into this category, even though he's been quite good. Collins leads the team with 92 total tackles and 11 tackles for loss. Two factors aren't working his favor, though. 

Financial flexibility will be the driving force behind his potential release.

Collins is the NFL's highest-paid off-the-ball linebacker on an annual basis. He averages slightly more than the Carolina Panthers' Luke Kuechly. The Browns will be on the hook for $11.8 million next season if he's retained. If released, Cleveland saves $9.25 million in salary-cap space. 

The linebacker's effort has been called into question as well. Cleveland.com's Doug Lesmerises asked interim head coach Gregg Williams about Collins' perceived lack of effort, and Williams skirted the question by naming some of the player's strengths while ignoring the actual topic. 

When Collins is fully invested, he's among the league's best linebackers. But his disappearing act is tiresome. Collins will make plays because he's a gifted athlete, but the Browns are in a position to release him, and they likely will after overpaying who they thought would be a consistent difference-maker. 

S Earl Thomas

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Earl Thomas' relationship with the Seattle Seahawks ended on a sour note.

One of the greatest players in franchise history couldn't help but lash out after suffering a broken leg in the Seahawks' Week 4 contest against the Arizona Cardinals. 

The moment seemed to destroy any possibility of Thomas, who is a pending free agent, returning to the Seahawks for a 10th season, especially after he demanded a trade or a new contract before the season.

"If you're risking your body to deliver all of this value to an organization, then you deserve some sort of assurance that the organization will take care of you if you get hurt," Thomas wrote for the The Players' Tribune during his holdout. "It's that simple."

It would be hard for anyone to return based on those circumstances. The Seahawks' potential loss will be another franchise's gain. 

"He's in a good space right now," teammate Bradley McDougald said of Thomas, per the Tacoma News Tribune's Gregg Bell. "Just getting his body back right, and he's dying to get back on the field."

At 29 years old, Thomas is still the standard-bearer for free safeties. He was the NFL's best defensive player through the first three weeks too, according to Pro Football Focus. 

A six-time Pro Bowl performer in his prime and still the best at his position is about to hit the open market all because the Seahawks wouldn't discuss a new deal this past offseason.