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Ranking the Top 10 NFL Free Agents Left on the Market

Kristopher KnoxMar 22, 2019

The 2019 edition of NFL free agency has been a blast so far. Some teams have acquired new starting quarterbacks and a plethora of top-tier defensive talent, while others have traded for elite wide receivers.

Considering the flurry of early moves, it may already feel like free agency is nearly over. However, we're only in Week 2.

While the second wave of free agency isn't likely to feature quite as much drama, plenty of quality players remain available.

Here, we've ranked the 10 best remaining free agents based on factors like past performance, injury history, age, upside and versatility. We're only examining unrestricted free agents, so while restricted free agents and players on the franchise tag may also be on the move this offseason, they aren't included here.

10. RB Spencer Ware

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Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Spencer Ware might be the most underrated remaining free agent. It's easy to forget he carried the load for the Chiefs a few seasons ago, in part because he missed 2017 with a torn PCL.

Ware also missed time last season with hamstring and shoulder ailments, so he carries injury risk. However, he's proved he can be a lead back.

In 2016, Ware amassed 1,368 yards from scrimmage in 14 games. In his two starts for Kansas City in 2018, he totaled 181 yards and a touchdown.

Ware has the potential to be a 1,000-yard back, and he's just 27 years old. Even if a team signs him to be a complementary piece, he can fill that role for several years.

9. CB Morris Claiborne

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Morris Claiborne may not be an elite cornerback, and as the No. 6 pick in the 2012 draft, he spent a disappointing, injury-plagued first five years with the Dallas Cowboys. However, Claiborne revived his career with the New York Jets over the past two seasons.

He missed just two games in that span and started all 30 contests he was healthy for. Last season, he amassed 57 total tackles, two interceptions, a defensive touchdown and an impressive 14 passes defended. These are the numbers of a solid starting cornerback.

There aren't many teams that couldn't use such a player, and it's a little surprising that Claiborne is still available. At 29 years old, he can be more than just a one-year rental.

8. S Eric Berry

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Eric Berry isn't the only free agent with a worrisome injury history, but his is quite significant.

Including the playoffs, Berry has played in only four games over the past two seasons. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the 2017 season opener and dealt with a heel injury for most of 2018.

However, Berry is a proven talent and a potential difference-maker when healthy. The three-time All-Pro also won't turn 31 until the end of the 2019 season.

While teams may want Berry to prove his health on a short-term deal, he could provide several prime years. In his last full season, he amassed 77 tackles, four interceptions and two defensive touchdowns with the Chiefs.

Berry recently visited the Dallas Cowboys but left without a contract. He's expected to schedule more visits, according to Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo Sports.

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7. WR Jordy Nelson

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Wide receiver Jordy Nelson is more than three years removed from the torn ACL that sidelined him for the 2015 season, so he isn't a huge injury risk. However, he is turning 34 at the end of May and is no longer a No. 1 receiver.

Regardless, Nelson could be a great addition to an offense as a complementary pass-catcher. He managed to catch 63 passes for 739 yards and three touchdowns in a lackluster Oakland Raiders offense last season.

Nelson notably came on strong late in the 2018 season as he became more comfortable with the offense. He topped the 75-yard mark in four of his final five games.

If Nelson can land with a contending team with some established receivers in place, he could be the piece that puts it over the top.

6. RB Jay Ajayi

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If Jay Ajayi didn't play a position that is so easy to fill through the draft, he'd likely be higher here. He's only 25 years old, has a 1,200-yard season on his resume and even had back-to-back 200-yard games a few years ago.

However, Ajayi is also coming off a torn ACL and has never been viewed as irreplaceable. He's likely looking at his third team in three years.

Ajayi is a bit of a feast-or-famine back that not every team will view as a starting option. Even during his Pro Bowl season in 2016 with the Miami Dolphins, he had eight games with fewer than 60 yards rushing.

However, Ajayi has a lot of upside, and he could be a steal for a team with a committee backfield. He recently met with the Indianapolis Colts, but the two sides couldn't reach an agreement, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.

5. LB Jamie Collins

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Linebacker Jamie Collins might not be a perennial Pro Bowler, which he seemed poised to become during his time with the New England Patriots.

However, he is still a high-end linebacker on the right side of 30 and has plenty of upside.

Collins started all 16 games for the Cleveland Browns in 2018, amassing 104 tackles, 4.0 sacks, a career-high 13 tackles for loss and an interception.

While Collins can fit into a variety of systems and roles, he has been accused of freelancing in the past, which may explain in part why the Patriots dealt him to Cleveland in the first place. Although he can be boon to just about any linebacker corps, not every team will have the patience to deal with him.

4. DE Muhammad WIlkerson

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Health is a concern with defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, who was limited to only three games in 2018 because of a freak ankle injury he suffered because of an accidental leg whip.

But when healthy, Wilkerson remains a dominant defensive lineman capable of wrecking an opposing game plan. He has two 10-sack campaigns on his resume, and he had 46 tackles, 3.5 sacks and an interception in 13 games two seasons ago.

Wilkerson also won't turn 30 until late October.

There is "mutual interest" between Wilkerson and the Green Bay Packers after his lone injury-shortened season with them, according to ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky. But for now, the eight-year veteran remains unsigned.

3. EDGE Ezekiel Ansah

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Edge-rusher Ezekiel Ansah has shown a ton of promise in the past. He had a career-high 14.5 sacks with the Detroit Lions in 2015 and 12 sacks in 2017.

However, consistency hasn't been his biggest strong suit. He had 15.5 sacks over his first two seasons combined and only two in 2016.

Health is an even bigger concern for Ansah. A shoulder injury cost him nine games last season and eventually landed him on injured reserve.

"Nothing is imminent with DE Ezekiel Ansah, with the Saints or others, because teams want to evaluate his shoulder injury that limited him last season," Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune reported last week.

The 29-year-old Ansah is still in his prime. and he could be a real steal for a team if he's 100 percent healthy.

2. DT Ndamukong Suh

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Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is entering his 10th NFL season, which may cause some teams to shy away from a long-term deal. However, he is still one of the league's most disruptive interior defensive linemen and one of the best players still available on the market.

Suh finished the 2018 regular season with 59 tackles, 4.5 sacks and four passes defended with the Los Angeles Rams. He had another 1.5 sacks in L.A.'s NFC Championship Game victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Any team that lands Suh will immediately get a defensive centerpiece that opposing offenses will have to game-plan around.

Not every team may have a realistic shot at getting Suh, though. His preference is to remain on the West Coast, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport (h/t Rotoworld).

1. S Tre Boston

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In a strong safety market that initially included players such as Tyrann Mathieu, Adrian Amos and Earl Thomas, Tre Boston has flown under the radar a bit. That's a shame, because Boston has quietly been one of the NFL's most active defensive backs over the past two years.

Between 2017 and 2018, Boston racked up 158 total tackles, 17 passes defended and eight interceptions. However, the Los Angeles Chargers didn't bring him back after the 2017 season, and the Arizona Cardinals have allowed him to test the market this offseason.

Not only is Boston one of the top free agents still available, but he's also likely to be a bargain. He played for Arizona on a one-year deal that carried a cap hit of only $2.475 million last season, according to Spotrac.

The 26-year-old Boston could prove to be the steal of the 2019 offseason.

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