Top Defensive Ends:
Age as of 9/1/09. All free agents listed here are done so with an optimistic outlook that a new CBA will be agreed upon. Accordingly, only four accrued seasons are necessary to obtain an Unrestricted Free Agency status on this list.
Julius Peppers, Carolina Panthers (29)
Playing on a franchise tender, an enormous one-year contract, Peppers has continued to play at a high level. He has sacks in his last 3 games and a total of 6 through 6 games. In addition, offenses are finding the least success running to his side. The Panthers could possibly go through the same saga as last offseason with Peppers, especially given the rough season they’ve had so far. He’s a streaky player and teams should be weary giving top dollar, a long extension, and possibly compensation to a player approaching an age where some defensive ends tend to fall off. Peppers has the elite athletic ability to overcome this, but it’s another idea to keep in mind.
Elvis Dumervil, Denver Broncos (25)
The Broncos will have to throw a lot of cash Dumervil’s way to keep him. The league’s leading pass rusher is on pace to break records and has shown a natural transition to OLB, another position many critics said he couldn’t play. Playing a position of great need in any good 3-4 defense, Dumervil will sit with a lot of leverage if a CBA is agreed upon and he is able to become an unrestricted free agent.
Aaron Kampman, Green Bay Packers (29)
Kampman’s transition to OLB hasn’t been the smoothest, but he’s finally starting to find his groove on Capers’ defense in the last few weeks. He has only 2.5 sacks on the year, but has gotten good pressure and many hits throughout the season. In the last few weeks, he’s turned it up a notch because Capers has allowed Kampman to play with his hand in the dirt more often on obvious passing downs. The strengths and weaknesses of Kampman are apparent, but he’s done a pretty nice job doing something he’s not all that comfortable with – standing up. Deciding whether to re-sign Kampman will be the Packers’ most intriguing play this offseason and Kampman’s reaction to continuing to play in the 3-4 will be just as interesting.
Kyle Vanden Bosch, Tennessee Titans (30)
Like the Titans, Vanden Bosch has struggled to get to the quarterback. With only 4.5 sacks in his last 16 games, Vanden Bosch is no longer the feared pass rusher he was a couple years back. He has gotten some decent pressure and a couple hits on the quarterback, but nothing to really show for it. The team has reportedly begun contract talks with his agent, but the two sides could be far apart considering the lack of real production. Still, the Titans do have interest in keeping him in Tennessee.
Leonard Little, St. Louis Rams (34)
Under Steve Spagnuolo, Little has started all 7 games this year, recording 4 sacks and a pick six in the process. For the one time elite defensive end, it’s the most productive season he’s had in 3 years when he notched 12.5 sacks. There’s little left in the tank and it’s unsure whether the Rams will renew his contract at year’s end. Little has been a career-long Ram, so that may factor into his plans if St. Louis does decide to let him walk. He may retire, stay with the Rams or try to land a spot in a rotation for a Championship contender in hopes of adding one more ring to his collection.
Adewale Ogunleye, Chicago Bears (32)
Starting with a pass rushing clinic in the season opener versus Green Bay, Ogunleye is just half a sack off his pace from last year, though he’s gotten all 4.5 sacks in just 2 games. The Bears have Alex Brown, Mark Anderson, and Gaines Adams all at defensive end. If Adams or Anderson emerges down the stretch, the Bears would have less a need for Ogunleye who could be one of the better mid-level veterans on the market.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Mark Anderson, Chicago Bears (26)
Derrick Burgess, New England Patriots (31)
Phillip Daniels, Washington Redskins (36)
Ryan Denney, Buffalo Bills (32)
Ray Edwards, Minnesota Vikings (24)
Jarvis Green, New England Patriots (30)
James Hall, St. Louis Rams (32)
Reggie Hayward, Jacksonville Jaguars (30)
Jevon Kearse, Tennessee Titans (32)
Travis Kirschke, Pittsburgh Steelers (34)
Anthony Montgomery, Washington Redskins (25)
Chike Okeafor, Arizona Cardinals (33)
Marcus Spears, Dallas Cowboys (26)
Darryl Tapp, Seattle Seahawks (24)
Top Defensive Tackles:
Vince Wilfork, New England Patriots (27)
The Patriots acknowledged being unable to keep both of their elite defensive linemen by trading away Richard Seymour, freeing up enough money to retain Vince Wilfork. Wilfork is one of the league’s premier nose tackles and one of the cornerstones for the Patriots’ defense. Once the season ends, the Patriots should start immediately trying to get him under contract so not to give him an option to walk.
Richard Seymour, Oakland Raiders (29)
Seymour has been coined one of the best defensive linemen of the decade and made himself a fixture in Honolulu prior to the last two seasons, including one curtailed by injury. Seymour has the ability and experience of playing 4-3 DT and 3-4 DE. Moving to Oakland, the defensive line has been injected with a burst of energy and has performed pretty well overall. Seymour didn’t seem too excited about being blindsided in a trade to Oakland and I’d be surprised to see him make a full-time switch to a losing team from a winning organization like the Patriots.
Casey Hampton, Pittsburgh Steelers (31)
Hampton has played pretty well this season, just outside of an elite level with a contract set to expire at the end of the year. With a number of teams making the switch to the 3-4 without a proper nose tackle, Hampton’s salary could skyrocket for next season. Great championship teams like the Steelers won’t overpay for players and that could be the case here. Hampton, earlier this season, hinted toward a move away from Pittsburgh if the money suggests it.
Ryan Pickett, Green Bay Packers (29)
Despite some of the Packers struggles, the front 7 has not been one of them. The Packers are one of the better run-stuffing units and a lot of credit should be attributed to the defensive line. Pickett has turned around his career in Green Bay and done a fantastic job at the Nose Tackle position on run downs. He’s one of three underrated Packer defensive linemen who have been as good as any front 3 in the league so far. Keep in mind the Packers drafted B.J. Raji in the top 10 last year, but the team would still be better off extending Pickett to keep both Pickett and Raji well-rested throughout the game.
Johnny Jolly, Green Bay Packers (26)
Like Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly has very quietly put together a great season at defensive end for Green Bay’s front line. Jolly has been very active up front playing contain and peeling off blocks to make plays himself near the line of scrimmage. Keep in mind that the Packers have a number of starters with expiring contracts this offseason, so Jolly could be one of the guys left out. The organization won’t want to commit that much money to just one unit when they have a number of other up-and-comers they need to extend.
Other Notable Free Agents:
Tony Brown, Tennessee Titans (28)
Kendrick Clancy, New Orleans Saints (31)
Barry Cofield, New York Giants (25)
Jason Ferguson, Miami Dolphins (34)
Aubrayo Franklin, San Francisco 49ers (29)
Kedric Golston, Washington Redskins (26)
Tank Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals (27)
Travis Johnson, San Diego Chargers (27)
Fred Robbins, New York Giants (32)
Clifton Ryan, St. Louis Rams (25)
Tank Tyler, Carolina Panthers (24) – Restricted FA
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