There’s one name at the top of our 100 best free agents list that’s going to be getting a lot of attention over the next few days. Tony Romo’s fate still hangs in the balance. The Cowboys have yet to officially release him, something that was originally reported as a foregone conclusion. Now they may be trying to trade him.
NFL free agency 2017: best players still available
It was a really busy first day of free agency, but there’s still plenty of talent to be had on the market.
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The market for Romo may still take some time to really line up. Once it does, you can expect a bunch of other dominoes in the quarterback market to start falling.
But for now, he’s the best free agent on the market, and he’s not even technically a free agent.
Moving away from the quarterback position, there are still some good players available at a variety of positions.
Let’s take a look.
Offensive linemen: Blockers were big winners on the first day of free agency, but for teams that didn’t manage to land help in that department, there are some solid players left. For tackles, there’s Kelvin Beachum and Ryan Clady, either of whom could start for a team. T.J. Land tops the list of interior linemen still available, thought it sounds like the Seahawks are hot on his heels.
Receivers: I still can’t believe the Browns, with enough cap space to facilitate salary dumps for the Texans, haven’t re-signed Terrelle Pryor. Someone will snap him up soon enough if they don’t. Michael Floyd could be an intriguing option for a team willing to give him a flyer.
Tight ends: Martellus Bennett is still out there. The Jags, 49ers, and Raiders are said to be interested. Is Jared Cook going back to Green Bay or not?
Running backs: It’s a tough time to be a veteran running back, but that’s been true for almost a decade now. Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles have the name recognition, but can they be effective as role players? Eddie Lacy could be a nice addition, if a coach feels like he can keep him, um, healthy.
Quarterbacks: Besides the aforementioned Romo, there’s also Jimmy Garoppolo, who is not a free agent but could be had for the right price. Hey, Jay Cutler is available now! And if Mike Glennon can get someone to pay him $15 million a season, then Colin Kaepernick should be able to do the same.
Pass rushers: The best of this bunch mostly got re-signed by their current teams. But there are some good options available starting with Jabaal Sheard, who had five sacks with the Patriots last year. His former teammate there, Chris Long, is also available.
Defensive linemen: I’m really shocked that Dontari Poe is still available, but he won’t be for long. Three-down nose tackles are hard to find in today’s NFL. Johnathan Hankins is only 24 and can be one the best interior linemen when he’s healthy.
Linebackers: The Patriots are trying to re-sign Dont’a Hightower, but he’ll have other suitors to drive up the price. Lawrence Timmons is out there too.
Cornerbacks: There’s a lot of depth left at this position, but if your team is looking for a true cornerstone kind of guy, the draft is a better bet this year. Morris Claiborne, Brandon Carr, and Price Amukamara are out there and could all be decent starters.
Safeties: T.J. McDonald’s arrest in January hurt his free-agent value, but he’d be a great addition for a team in need of a strong safety. He’s the best player out there at that position.
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