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The NFL Combine may be dominating the football world this week, but before the players being measured and tested this week have a chance to get drafted, the league’s 32 teams will go through the free agency process, trying to round their rosters into appropriate shape so that they can draft the best players possible rather than merely to fill needs.
In just over two weeks’ time, the new league year will begin, and plenty of players around the league will change teams. We’ve spent the past couple weeks previewing all aspects of free agency, and in the space below, we’ll look at the top 10 interior defensive linemen who are set to hit the open market.
This has become an increasingly important position in recent years as teams have begun to value interior pressure nearly as much as edge pressure, and players who can rush the passer from the inside are now highly valued. Run defenders still have a role to play as well, but if you get you a man who can do both, that’s ideal.
Here’s our top 10, listed in reverse order (10-1).
Spotrac projects a three-year, $85.45 million deal ($28.48 million AAV) for Jones. That would make him the second-highest-paid interior defender in the league behind only Aaron Donald, and the third-highest-paid defender overall behind Donald and Nick Bosa. There is “growing optimism” that Jones will re-sign in Kansas City, per recent reports, and this type of deal could make that happen.
Madubuike and Wilkins also command sizable deals, with the former checking in at four years, $81.28 million ($20.3 million AAV) and the latter projecting for four years, $80.98 million ($20.2 million AAV). They are each franchise-tag candidates if they can’t come to an agreement with their respective teams ahead of free agency.
Williams (three years, $50.16 million ($16.7 million AAV) and Reader (three years, $44.75 million ($14.9 million AAV) come in slightly behind that duo,…
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Author : Jared Dubin
Publish date : 2024-03-01 14:38:09
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