[Hman]

First look at the potential 2020 NFL free-agent class: 25 names to know


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There is no better time to drool over an NFL free-agent class than a full year away from its opening. There are no franchise tags or last-minute contract extensions to diminish the group this far out, so we can just ... well ... drool for now. And if there was ever a potential class to get excited about, it's the one projected for 2020.


Roughly one-fourth of the NFL's starting quarterbacks are approaching the final years of their contracts. Sure, it's hard to imagine many, if any, of them actually reaching the open market, but this is the time for dreaming, right? And a handful of big-name receivers and defensive assets are also currently set to be on the market in a year's time.
As the 2019 class fades into its second and third tiers, let's take a way-too-early look at the top 25 names potentially available for 2020 free agency, separated into three groups to sharpen our awareness of what the business of football will look like over the next 12 months.


Note: This list does not include first-round picks from the 2016 draft, including quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, whose teams likely will pick up their fifth-year options for 2020.

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QUARTERBACKS

A good chunk of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL are currently set up for free agency next offseason, but it's possible none of them will ever reach that point. Here's the top eight.


1. Russell Wilson

Team: Seattle Seahawks | Age entering 2020 season: 31
At the peak of his career and with one Super Bowl championship already on his resume, Wilson would be the most desirable player in this class from a procurement standpoint. His passing has steadily improved, and he set a career-high with a 110.9 passer rating last season.



2. Philip Rivers

Team: Los Angeles Chargers | Age entering 2020 season: 38

If you're going to sign a 38-year-old quarterback, Rivers might be your guy. He hasn't missed a start in his career, even after tearing his ACL in the 2008 postseason. And to this point, there is no evidence of a big fade. Rivers' 71.2 Total QBR in 2018 was the third-highest of his career.

3. Tom Brady

Team: New England Patriots | Age entering 2020 season: 42
Always overlooked! If there weren't a "4" in front of his age, Brady would be atop this list. But it's not impossible to imagine Brady changing teams at the end of his career, knowing the Patriots' history of cold-blooded personnel decisions and Brady's fierce desire to push the laws of nature.
4. Drew Brees

Team: New Orleans Saints | Age entering 2020 season: 41
Brees' contract voids on the final day of the league year, making him a free agent but also leaving the Saints with a $21 million dead money charge for 2020. That alone is enough to incentivize the Saints to re-sign him, but it's also worth noting that they have a potential replacement in backup Teddy Bridgewater. Will the Saints pay more than $20 million to a 41-year-old quarterback? And should they?




5. Ben Roethlisberger

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers | Age entering 2020 season: 38
It seems clear that the Steelers chose Roethlisberger over Antonio Brown (and Le'Veon Bell). But what if the true answer is "none of them"? Roethlisberger led the NFL with 5,129 passing yards last season but also threw a league-high 16 interceptions.
6. Dak Prescott

Team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2020 season: 27
As a fourth-round draft pick in 2016, Prescott doesn't have a fifth-year option to worry about. There is every reason to think the Cowboys want to commit long term, but the question is whether Prescott agrees to a deal in the coming months or if he pushes into the offseason in order to maximize his leverage.


7. Marcus Mariota

Team: Tennessee Titans | Age entering 2020 season: 26
Though much younger than most of the players in this group, Mariota has struggled the most with injuries. He also has accuracy issues and hasn't yet shown he can be an elite-level decision-maker. The Titans would be wise to get into the 2019 season before making any long-term decisions.




8. Jameis Winston

Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Age entering 2020 season: 26
Suspended and later benched last season, Winston has a great opportunity to revitalize his reputation -- and earn a big pay day -- under new Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians. Written another way, if Winston can't break out with Arians, it probably isn't happening.

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PLAYERS UNDER THE 2018 FRANCHISE TAG

It's possible that some members of the 2019 franchise tag class will play out this season under the tag, and thus be eligible for free agency again next year.

1. DeMarcus Lawrence, DE

Team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2020 season: 28
If Lawrence plays on the tag for a second consecutive season, in essence earning $37.7 million over two years, he would likely seem headed into the 2020 market. But the Cowboys would like to re-sign him before then.


2. Jadeveon Clowney, DE/LB

Team: Houston Texans | Age entering 2020 season: 27
It's worth watching to see if the Texans are tempted to emulate the Kansas City Chiefs, who traded franchise-tagged pass-rusher Dee Ford to the San Francisco 49ers.




3. Frank Clark, DE

Team: Seattle Seahawks | Age entering 2020 season: 27
The Clowney question is also worth asking about Clark. Would the Seahawks consider trading him? There will always be a market for pass-rushers.

4. Grady Jarrett, DT

Team: Atlanta Falcons | Age entering 2020 season: 27
There have been no public indications that the Falcons and Jarrett are close on a long-term contract. He could very well be back in this position next year.

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OTHER POTENTIAL TOP FREE AGENTS FOR 2020

With the quarterbacks and the tagged players out of the way, what other big names might be available next March? A few star receivers top the list.

1. Michael Thomas, WR

Team: New Orleans Saints | Age entering 2020 season: 27
Thomas has caught more passes in his first three seasons (321) than any player in NFL history. The Saints' perennially tight salary cap situation will make this negotiation interesting.

2. A.J. Green, WR

Team: Cincinnati Bengals | Age entering 2020 season: 32
Injuries have cut short two of Green's past three seasons, and suddenly he is in his early 30's. Does he want to finish his career with the Bengals? Or does he hope for another landing spot?

3. Amari Cooper, WR

Team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2020 season: 26
Set to play in 2019 on his fifth-year option, Cooper is primed for a contract extension if he wants it. The Cowboys gave up a first-round draft pick to acquire him in 2018 and don't want to be limited to a two-year rental.

4. Byron Jones, CB

Team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2020 season: 27
A first-time Pro Bowl player in 2018, Jones was a big part of the Cowboys' playoff push. But he's also part of a crowded set of prominent players who need to be paid. Starting cornerbacks are not cheap.

5. Chris Jones, DE

Team: Kansas City Chiefs | Age entering 2020 season: 26
Jones caught the league's attention with 15.5 sacks last season. Pass-rushers always get paid (unless they are franchised first, which of course remains a possibility for Jones -- or anyone else listed here -- next year).




6. Trae Waynes, CB

Team: Minnesota Vikings | Age entering 2020 season: 28
It took him three years, but Waynes finally earned the Vikings' trust and has been a full-time starter since 2017. But the team has prioritized other defensive starters for extensions, and Minnesota drafted cornerback Mike Hughes last year in the first round as a possible replacement.

7. Jordan Howard, RB

Team: Chicago Bears | Age entering 2020 season: 25
Howard has rushed for 3,370 yards in his first three seasons, but coach Matt Nagy's scheme doesn't emphasize the power running game and might not be the best fit. Howard might have to go elsewhere to get paid.

8. Cody Whitehair, C

Team: Chicago Bears | Age entering 2020 season: 28
A Pro Bowl nod in 2018 puts Whitehair on course for the kind of deal the Buffalo Bills gave free-agent center Mitch Morse, who will earn $28 million over the first two years of the deal. That's a lot for a center, but still cheaper than it would be to sign a left tackle for a team looking to rebuild its line.




6. Trae Waynes, CB

Team: Minnesota Vikings | Age entering 2020 season: 28
It took him three years, but Waynes finally earned the Vikings' trust and has been a full-time starter since 2017. But the team has prioritized other defensive starters for extensions, and Minnesota drafted cornerback Mike Hughes last year in the first round as a possible replacement.

7. Jordan Howard, RB

Team: Chicago Bears | Age entering 2020 season: 25
Howard has rushed for 3,370 yards in his first three seasons, but coach Matt Nagy's scheme doesn't emphasize the power running game and might not be the best fit. Howard might have to go elsewhere to get paid.

8. Cody Whitehair, C

Team: Chicago Bears | Age entering 2020 season: 28
A Pro Bowl nod in 2018 puts Whitehair on course for the kind of deal the Buffalo Bills gave free-agent center Mitch Morse, who will earn $28 million over the first two years of the deal. That's a lot for a center, but still cheaper than it would be to sign a left tackle for a team looking to rebuild its line.




10. Marcus Peters, CB

Team: Los Angeles Rams | Age entering 2020 season: 27
He isn't for everyone, but there is no denying that Peters is a playmaker. His 22 interceptions since the start of the 2015 season leads the league by a margin of six.

11. Hunter Henry, TE

Team: Los Angeles Chargers | Age entering 2020 season: 25
Before tearing his ACL last year, Henry was a rising star as a pass-catcher. Assuming a full return to health, you'll hear a lot about him in 2019.

12. Justin Tucker, K

Team: Baltimore Ravens | Age entering 2020 season: 30
You wouldn't normally see a kicker on a list like this, but Tucker is a generational player at his position. He has converted the NFL's most field goals (237) since the start of the 2011 season and ranks third among qualified kickers in success rate (90.1).

13. Mike Daniels, DT

Team: Green Bay Packers | Age entering 2020 season: 31
Daniels missed six games last season because of a foot injury, but when healthy, he is one of the best interior disruptors in the league. He'll be on the older side when the 2020 market opens, but if he's healthy and available, there would be plenty of interest.
Note: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill is also currently primed to be a free agent for 2020. Hill is one of the NFL's top playmakers but his future is clouded at the moment because of his involvement in two police investigations.
5. Ben Roethlisberger

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers | Age entering 2020 season: 38
It seems clear that the Steelers chose Roethlisberger over Antonio Brown (and Le'Veon Bell). But what if the true answer is "none of them"? Roethlisberger led the NFL with 5,129 passing yards last season but also threw a league-high 16 interceptions.
6. Dak Prescott

Team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2020 season: 27
As a fourth-round draft pick in 2016, Prescott doesn't have a fifth-year option to worry about. There is every reason to think the Cowboys want to commit long term, but the question is whether Prescott agrees to a deal in the coming months or if he pushes into the offseason in order to maximize his leverage.

[Grits n' Gravy]

Wouldn’t shock me if AJ Green is a Patriot this coming season.