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Best free agent defensive players in 2024: Ranking the top 10, projected value, team fits originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Defense wins championships, right?
That’s what free-agent defenders will be telling teams at the negotiating table this offseason, especially after a loaded Kansas City Chiefs unit helped secure another Super Bowl earlier this month.
While there’s a potentially loaded crop of defensive players who could hit the open market, that group could dwindle during the franchise tag period. Clubs will be doing all they can to hammer out extensions before free agency begins, but they can use the tag in the worst-case scenario.
Before any teams have used the franchise tag, here’s a breakdown of the 10 best defensive free agents and where they could end up next season:
2023 review: The five-time Pro Bowler showed no signs of decline in 2023. Jones, 29, racked up 10.5 sacks and was named First-Team All-Pro for the second straight season. In turn, the Chiefs boasted their best defense in the Patrick Mahomes era with Jones as the centerpiece for their second straight Super Bowl win.
2024 prediction: Kansas City Chiefs. Jones boldly proclaimed at the Chiefs’ parade that he wasn’t going anywhere, which likely didn’t make his agent all that happy. But Jones should return to Kansas City, either via the franchise tag ($32.16 million) or with a long-term extension.
2023 review: Talk about making the most of your contract year. Allen posted a career-best 17.5 sacks in 2023, seven more than his previous high. He was an absolute game-wrecker for the Jaguars with 66 combined tackles, 33 quarterback hits and 17 tackles for loss — all career-highs.
2024 prediction: Jacksonville Jaguars. There’s almost no chance that the Jags let Allen reach the open market, with the franchise tag as a fallback option if they can’t get an extension done. General manager Trent Baalke has said that Allen will be a Jaguar next year, one way or another, and there’s no reason not to…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/best-free-agent-defensive-players-132724965.html
Author : NBC Sports Chicago
Publish date : 2024-02-23 13:27:24
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