Best Landing Spots for Marquee Defenders Left on NFL Free-Agent Market

It's not a good year to be looking for work in the NFL.

Thanks largely to the COVID-19 pandemic that has had team facilities on lockdown for the past few months, there are more proven veteran players still on the hunt for a new team than in any year in recent memory.

It's not every year that an MVP quarterback doesn't have a job in the middle of June.

It's especially true on the defensive side of the ball. Among the defenders who remain without a team are a former No. 1 overall pick, a cornerback who led all NFL cornerbacks in tackles last year and an edge-rusher who has piled up 74.5 sacks over a 10-year career that has included four Pro Bowl nods.

However, as NFL team facilities move toward reopening to players and we (hopefully) get closer to the beginning of training camp, the ice is surely going to thaw for the top free agents still available. There's no shortage of teams that could use the services of another impact defender in 2020—or teams that would be a good fit for those players.

The question is which teams are the best fits for these defensive stars.

Jadeveon Clowney

The crown jewel of the remaining defensive free agents is likely edge-rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who was the first overall pick by the Houston Texans in 2014. Clowney's job search has driven plenty of news over the past couple of months, but if anything, the 27-year-old appears further away from finding a new team than he was in April.

After swinging a trade for Clowney last year, the Seattle Seahawks reportedly offered Clowney $15 million on a one-year deal, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. But according to ESPN's Josina Anderson, the "economic situation" in the Emerald City has changed. Per Florio, the Cleveland Browns were willing to go as high as $18 million a season, but Clowney (so far) has balked at the Browns' overtures. The Tennessee Titans expressed interest in Clowney early in free agency, but Titans general manager Jon Robinson told reporters Thursday that little has happened on that front since March.

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The biggest problem Clowney faces is how he perceives his value versus how the teams who will be paying him do. According to Russini, he lowered his contract demands in April from $20 million a season to $17-$18 million a year.

While he is an immensely talented edge-setter and ferocious run defender who made three straight Pro Bowls from 2016 to 2018, he also has a lengthy injury history that includes microfracture surgery and 21 missed games in six seasons, and he has posted exactly zero years with 10 or more sacks. He wants to be paid like one of the league's best edge-rushers, but he hasn't produced like one.

With that said, the Browns have both the cheddar to give Clowney what he wants ($37.3 million in cap space, per Over the Cap—most in the league) and the willingness to cut the check. It's not known why he balked at the Browns' initial overtures, but generally speaking, when there's one team that's willing to give you what you asked for, the wise course of action is to just say "yes."

Plus, the Browns' uniforms in 2020 are at least 47 percent less ugly than in 2019.

Best Fit: Cleveland Browns

Everson Griffen

Over the franchise's storied history, only three players for the Minnesota Vikings have tallied more sacks than Everson Griffen. Two of those players (John Randle and Chris Doleman) are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The third (Jared Allen) will all but certainly join them in short order.

Griffen's resume isn't quite as impressive as that trio of all-time greats. But over his decade in the league, he has done plenty of damage in his own right. The 32-year-old has tallied three seasons with double-digit sacks and three more with at least eight. He's also been stout against the run, topping 40 total tackles in five of the last six seasons. While Griffen struggled through a down 2018 that included time away from the team while dealing with mental health issues, he rebounded last year with a 41-tackle, eight-sack campaign that earned him his fourth Pro Bowl nod.

Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press

According to The Athletic's Chad Graff, the biggest reason Griffen remains unsigned has less to do with a lack of interest in the veteran edge-rusher and more with the fact he wants to look potential suitors in the eye before deciding where to continue his career:

"Griffen, like many remaining free agents, wants to have in-person visits with teams before deciding where he'll play. Of course, that hasn't been an option for the last two months. But with teams slowly beginning to re-open facilities, his hope is that he'll soon be able to visit different franchises and believes that when he does, there will still be a strong market for him."

Per Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer, the Browns are also interested in Griffen because they apparently really want to move on from Olivier Vernon. But it's another of the Clowney suitors that makes the most sense. There might be teams that can offer Griffen more money than the Seattle Seahawks, but Seattle can offer Griffen a legitimate shot at a deep playoff run. In return, he gives the 'Hawks something they badly need—a proven option who can get after the quarterback.

Best Fit: Seattle Seahawks

Logan Ryan

Certain things don't happen all that often in the NFL. It's not every year that a cornerback tops 100 total tackles in a season. It's not every year that a cornerback racks up 4.5 sacks.

It's definitely not every year that a cornerback does both.

Logan Ryan did those things for the Tennessee Titans last year—and more. The seven-year veteran's 113 total stops led all corners in 2019. Only New York Jets safety Jamal Adams had more sacks among defensive backs. And only two players had more passes defensed than the 18 Ryan piled up last year.

Steven Senne/Associated Press

Multiple reports have connected the New Jersey native with the New York Jets. While Ryan isn't averse to joining Gang Green, he hasn't started house-hunting just yet, as he told NFL Network's Good Morning Football (via ESPN's Rich Cimini):

"The Jets, I mean, it makes a lot of sense because I'm from the area. I went to Rutgers, 20 minutes from there, so I'm familiar with the area. I'm blue-collar. That's how I grew up.

"That would make sense for sure, but ... I'm trying to do what's best for my family and everything like that. Obviously, there's a lot of rumors out there. I can't confirm any of it because I'm obviously still not signed. We'll see."

Much like with Clowney, the biggest sticking point with Ryan appears to be money. According to Cimini, Ryan is believed to be seeking a contract that pays about $10 million a season. That's a lot of scratch for a cornerback who allowed five touchdown passes last year and a passer rating against of almost 90.

The longer Ryan remains unsigned, the more likely those demands will come down. Assuming that's the case, there's another team with a similar color scheme that could use his help on the back end.

The Philadelphia Eagles boosted the secondary in a big way this offseason with the acquisition of Darius Slay, but whether it's at corner opposite Slay or at safety after the departure of Malcolm Jenkins, Philly's 19th-ranked pass defense from a year ago could absolutely use Ryan's experience and versatility.

Best Fit: Philadelphia Eagles