By Sean Gannon

With the offseason in full swing and the Franchise Tag deadline looming (March 8th). It’s time to take a look at the top 10 Free Agents of the 2022 offseason.

1. Devante Adams, WR Green Bay Packers

No one has been as good as Devante Adams when it comes to catching the football the way Adams has, and it seems no one can cover him. Coming off of back-to-back 1,300+ yard 10+ touchdown seasons which notched him first-team All-Pro honors in both 2020 and 2021, there isn’t a receiver that’s remotely as good. Adams finds himself unique with Aaron Rodgers potentially leaving the Packers; does he want to follow Rodgers? Adams/Rodgers has proven to be one of the best quarterback-wide receiver combo in the NFL, and Adams might not want to leave one of the best quarterbacks in football. Green Bay wants to keep Adams around long-term, and they will find a way to sign him. However, if he hits the market, he will be the most sought-after free agent in 2022 and expect a massive payday for the best in the business.

2. Terron Armstead, T New Orleans Saints

Armstead has been a solid tackle for the past few years, and the Saints put a lot of money into Ryan Ramczyk the last offseason, so he might not be around. However, maintaining the offensive line could be something the Saints are hoping to do, so don’t be shocked if he stays in New Orleans. That being said, a quality offensive lineman is always a massive boost to an offense struggling with pass protection. In addition, some teams with a subpar offensive line or young quarterbacks who need growth could be in the market for the protection.

3. J.C Jackson, CB New England Patriots

I know that this could be a stretch for Jackson, but I want a defensive player in the top five. Jackson has had 16 interceptions in the last two seasons, getting 9 in 2020 and 8 in 2021. He has been elite when it comes to man-to-man coverage, which is hard to find in the NFL, posting an outstanding 90.1 grade according to PFF. That said, he has struggled when it comes to playing in the zone. Therefore, an essential factor for Jacksons’ decision will be picking a team needs to be that they will emphasize his strength and place him in man coverage more than zone.

4. Brandon Scherff, G Washington Football Team

Quality offensive linemen are hard to find in the NFL, and Scherff can both run block and pass protect. In 2021 Scherff didn’t allow a single sack and only gave up 20 quarterback pressures. He comes with some injury concern; he hasn’t played an entire season since 2016 and hasn’t played in more than 14 games since 2017. During that time, though, he does have three straight Pro-Bowl appearances and a first-team All-Pro nod in 2020. Washington franchise tagged him last season, and there have been few efforts to extend him to a long-term contract. Teams looking to help out their run game and are willing to pay big could be in the market for a top offensive guard in the NFL.

5. Chris Godwin, WR Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Yes, there is a concern with Godwin coming off of the ACL tear and how he will look, but after watching Cam Akers tear up defenses five months after tearing his Achilles, I think you can have hope in players with tons of talent coming back from injury. I’ll buy in on Chris Godwin. He is a Superbowl champion with tons of experience in the playoffs and has produced his entire time in the NFL. Also, before his injury, Godwin was 98-1,103-5TD. He was having an incredible season and was going to have one of his best ones yet. It wouldn’t surprise me if he opts to stay in Tampa Bay, they love him, but you never know what’s going to happen in the NFL.

6. Jessie Bates, S Cincinnati Bengals

Bates has been consistent since joining the NFL in 2019 and was a key factor to the defensive success of the Bengals incredible run this year. Notching over 80 total tackles in each of his first three years and already accumulating 12 interceptions (2 in the playoffs in 2021, including one interception in the Super Bowl). Bates is up there with some of the top names likes Mathieu, Smith, Byard, and Hyde. I don’t see him leaving the Bengals, and I don’t think he wants to go after the Super Bowl run they put together this season. A franchise tag could be in place for him from Cincy, but should he choose to leave and sign a big contract elsewhere, teams are going to be lucky to have him.

7. Chandler Jones, Edge/OLB Arizona Cardinals

Jones has been the model of consistency since entering the league in 2012 and has been an absolute wrecking machine for the Cardinals. He’s notched 107.5 sacks in his career (71.5 coming in the six years with Arizona) and has eclipsed over 17 sacks in a season twice during that span. Jones is 31 and is coming off of a down year against the run, PFF ranks his run defense at 40.4, so I understand the concern. However, any team would be happy to have his dominating presence on the defensive line and ability to change the course of a game with a strip-sack. Communications about an extension with Arizona seem to be in a stalemate, and teams need quality edge rushers. Jones could see a two-year deal for a team looking to sure up their defense and make a playoff run.

8. Mike Williams, WR LA Chargers

After his time in Clemson, Mike Williams had the season we were all waiting for, posting a great 76-1,146-9, getting career highs in yards and catches. In his first season as the Chargers offensive coordinator, Joe Lombardi brought out the best in their 5th-year wide receiver. Williams played under his 5th-year option giving him a solid $15.8 million in earnings. Coming off of his best season, he could be looking to cash in big for a team that needs wide receiver help. It appears both LA and Williams want to stay together but inking him to a significant long-term deal might be difficult for the Chargers given his lack of production some years. That being said, the decision to franchise tag him could be the perfect move to buy some time before signing him to a big deal. If not, Williams will get to test the free-agent market and sign elsewhere.

9. Marcus Williams, S New Orleans Saints

New Orleans has had a top 10 defense the last few years, and Williams has been a massive contributing factor to their defensive success. He’s accumulated over a 70.0 grade from PFF over the previous five years and has 15 interceptions during that span. Williams can be a considerable contribution to struggling secondary’s, but with defensive-minded Dennis Allen as the new head coach, he may want to retain Williams and keep his defense together as much as possible going forward. But with the New Orleans Saints sitting at $-70 million in cap space, they might not be able to get a deal done.

10. Ryan Jensen, C Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jensen has played in over 1,000 snaps in each of the last five seasons and has experience in different kinds of offensive schemes (played for both Baltimore and Tampa Bay). He comes with playoff experience (won Super Bowl 55) and has posted 73.0+ PFF grades in the last three seasons. Jensen is a reliable run and pass blocking center. We saw teams like Arizona and the Los Angeles Chargers make big splashes in free agency last year to secure their center position and help their young growing quarterbacks. Jensen will be sought after from teams with an immediate upgrade on the offensive line. The Bengals did let up 19 sacks in the playoffs, and Burrow was sacked 51 times during the regular season (most in the NFL). So I will leave that right there.