There were a few weeks of downtime after the Kansas City Chiefs took home the Lombardi trophy -- unless, of course, you've joined the XFL wave -- but the football schedule is set to ramp up again in the coming weeks. The NFL combine is followed two weeks later by the opening of free agency, allowing teams to go after proven commodities with their available cap space. That's an opportunity the NFL draft doesn't necessarily provide.
However, with that opportunity comes risk, as making the wrong or right moves in free agency can push a franchise to sink or swim. That's where Pro Football Focus comes in, and we're here to help.
Keeping cap situations in mind, this list gives all 32 teams one free agent not already on the roster whom they should pursue this offseason. Franchise tags and in-house extensions will take some of them off the market, but if each of these players does become available, there should be at least one interested suitor.
Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills: Edge Robert Quinn
2019 team: Cowboys | Age: 30
While the top of the edge market is filled with talent and potential, all of those options come with some risk at their projected price range. It might be tough to get value on those high-end contracts. Quinn is an option in the next tier that will leave the Bills some more money to attack other holes on their roster. After leading the NFL with a 93.6 overall grade on defense in 2013, Quinn had a few more strong seasons before his career hit a lull. He has had a rejuvenation of sorts in recent years, though, and his 78.3 pass-rushing grade in 2019 ranked 17th among qualifying edge defenders. (Note: We originally had Jaguars edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue matched with the Bills here, but Jacksonville is planning to franchise tag him.)
Miami Dolphins: Edge Shaquil Barrett
2019 team: Buccaneers | Age: 27
There aren't many players who improved their stock more than Barrett did during the 2019 season. It wasn't necessarily because he played a whole lot better than he had in previous years; he just had more opportunity to show what he could do in a full-time role with the Buccaneers. He used that opportunity to end the season as the league leader in sacks. When it comes to resources, the Dolphins have more than any other team in the NFL, and their top edge rusher (Vince Biegel) had just 33 pressures last season -- 48 fewer than Barrett had. Needless to say, they could use someone with his talents.
New England Patriots: TE Hunter Henry
2019 team: Chargers | Age: 25