NFL free agency opens at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday March 9. So with the frenzy right around the corner Gregg Rosenthal and Chris Wesseling have combined forces (and their own personal rankings) to come up with NFL.com's Top 10 Free Agents. These are the best players -- across all positions -- on the open market in 2017.
We'll continue to update our Top 10 Free Agents below removing the listed players who are signed and adding certain guys who get released. The rankings are based on answering one simple question: Which player would we want to sign most?
1) Le'Veon Bell Pittsburgh Steelers running back: That's why the Steelers are almost sure to retain him with the franchise tag before working on a long-term deal. (UPDATE: The Steelers have placed the exclusive franchise tag on Le'Veon Bell.) No one runs quite like Bell in today's NFL. (Or yesterday's NFL for that matter.)
2) Kawann Short Carolina Panthers defensive tackle: Coach Ron Rivera might revolt if general manager Dave Gettleman allows Short to leave one year after Josh Norman was shown the door. Short ranks among the most disruptive down-to-down defensive tackles in all of football. (UPDATE: The Panthers have placed the franchise tag on Kawann Short.)
3) Eric Berry Kansas City Chiefs safety: In a league in desperate need of versatile safeties Berry does it all with outstanding intangibles thrown in. An acrimonious contract standoff wouldn't be a surprise after the Chiefs use the franchise tag on him.
4) Kirk Cousins Washington Redskins quarterback: If the 49ers pull off a move for Cousins this offseason the quarterback carousel is going to get weird. In his "prove it" season Cousins proved he's a mid-level starting quarterback. That's worth a lot in today's NFL.
5) Chandler Jones Arizona Cardinals linebacker: The Cardinals are on the record saying they will use the franchise tag on Jones so expect his name to be taken off this list by 4 p.m. ET on March 1 when the tag deadline hits. (UPDATE: The Cardinals have placed the franchise tag on Chandler Jones.)
6) Alshon Jeffery Chicago Bears wide receiver: No. 1 receivers with an uncanny ability to come down with 50-50 balls don't become available often in their prime. Despite injury concerns a PED suspension and a somewhat incomplete skill set Jeffery could become the highest-paid receiver in football.
7) Calais Campbell Arizona Cardinals defensive end: There's no other player quite like Campbell as thoughtful and savvy as he is physically overwhelming at 6-foot-8 300 pounds. Still only 30 years old and able to play in any system he would make a great "get over the hump" piece for a team looking for a title.
8) Brandon Williams Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle: Teams can look for a one-man run-stopping solution in the draft or they can pay Williams money similar to what Damon "Snacks" Harrison earned from the Giants last year.
9) Melvin Ingram Los Angeles Chargers linebacker: Former Chargers general manager A.J. Smith's final first-round draft pick in San Diego evolved into a big difference maker over the last two seasons. (UPDATE: The Chargers have placed the franchise tag on Melvin Ingram.)
10) Jason Pierre-Paul New York Giants defensive end: Ranked in the top 10 on this list for a second straight year JPP should finally get paid like a superstar after proving he can still disrupt post-fireworks surgery. (UPDATE: The Giants have placed the franchise tag on Jason Pierre-Paul.)
1) Le'Veon Bell Pittsburgh Steelers running back: That's why the Steelers are almost sure to retain him with the franchise tag before working on a long-term deal. (UPDATE: The Steelers have placed the exclusive franchise tag on Le'Veon Bell.) No one runs quite like Bell in today's NFL. (Or yesterday's NFL for that matter.)
2) Kawann Short Carolina Panthers defensive tackle: Coach Ron Rivera might revolt if general manager Dave Gettleman allows Short to leave one year after Josh Norman was shown the door. Short ranks among the most disruptive down-to-down defensive tackles in all of football. (UPDATE: The Panthers have placed the franchise tag on Kawann Short.)
3) Eric Berry Kansas City Chiefs safety: In a league in desperate need of versatile safeties Berry does it all with outstanding intangibles thrown in. An acrimonious contract standoff wouldn't be a surprise after the Chiefs use the franchise tag on him.
4) Kirk Cousins Washington Redskins quarterback: If the 49ers pull off a move for Cousins this offseason the quarterback carousel is going to get weird. In his "prove it" season Cousins proved he's a mid-level starting quarterback. That's worth a lot in today's NFL.
5) Chandler Jones Arizona Cardinals linebacker: The Cardinals are on the record saying they will use the franchise tag on Jones so expect his name to be taken off this list by 4 p.m. ET on March 1 when the tag deadline hits. (UPDATE: The Cardinals have placed the franchise tag on Chandler Jones.)
6) Alshon Jeffery Chicago Bears wide receiver: No. 1 receivers with an uncanny ability to come down with 50-50 balls don't become available often in their prime. Despite injury concerns a PED suspension and a somewhat incomplete skill set Jeffery could become the highest-paid receiver in football.
7) Calais Campbell Arizona Cardinals defensive end: There's no other player quite like Campbell as thoughtful and savvy as he is physically overwhelming at 6-foot-8 300 pounds. Still only 30 years old and able to play in any system he would make a great "get over the hump" piece for a team looking for a title.
8) Brandon Williams Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle: Teams can look for a one-man run-stopping solution in the draft or they can pay Williams money similar to what Damon "Snacks" Harrison earned from the Giants last year.
9) Melvin Ingram Los Angeles Chargers linebacker: Former Chargers general manager A.J. Smith's final first-round draft pick in San Diego evolved into a big difference maker over the last two seasons. (UPDATE: The Chargers have placed the franchise tag on Melvin Ingram.)
10) Jason Pierre-Paul New York Giants defensive end: Ranked in the top 10 on this list for a second straight year JPP should finally get paid like a superstar after proving he can still disrupt post-fireworks surgery. (UPDATE: The Giants have placed the franchise tag on Jason Pierre-Paul.)
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