1. DE Julius Peppers

81 sacks in 8 years in his year makes him an extremely dominant defensive end, especially considering his above average size against the run and his ability to play the pass, 6 picks and 44 deflections in his career. However, he’ll be a lot more expensive than Aaron Kampman (see below) and he wants to play in a 3-4 and I have some concerns about his ability to fit into that scheme. However, there’s no denying he’s the most dominant unrestricted free agent on the market.

6 years 91.5 million 42 guaranteed Chicago 

2. DE Aaron Kampman

Only 3.5 sacks this year, but this was because he didn’t fit the Packers’ new 3-4 scheme. He is still an amazing defensive end in a 4-3 scheme with 43.5 sacks from 2005-2008. Even in this thin market, Kampman could be very cheap for what he can do for a team.

4 years 26 million 10 guaranteed Jacksonville 

3. MLB Karlos Dansby

Unlike most of the unrestricted free agents on the market, Dansby is young. He doesn’t turn 29 until November. He has made an impact in Arizona every year of his career and has three straight years of 90 tackles or more. He has experience in both a 3-4 and a 4-3 and has the size and skill set to fit both.

5 years 43 million 22 guaranteed Miami 

4. CB Leigh Bodden

I’d move him up if he weren’t so horrible in a zone scheme in Detroit in 2008. The Patriots made a brilliant move by signing him. He fit their scheme perfectly and he would fit other teams will if they ran a similar man scheme. He’s one of the top 5 best man to man shutdown corners and Chad Ochocinco even said he’s the best man to man corner in the league. If you have the right scheme, he’ll be an amazing addition and command a large contract.

4 years 22 million 10 guaranteed New England 

5. WR Derrick Mason

He’d be rated a lot higher if he wasn’t 36 and didn’t retire for about a week last July. He is the most underrated wide receiver in the league and has been for the entire decade. He has 1000 yards or more in 8 of his last 9 seasons despite playing for the Titans and Ravens, two of the most notoriously conservative teams in the league in terms how much they throw the ball. He has some of the surest hands and in the league and is a phenomenal route runner. He never was much of an athlete, so you don’t have to worry about him losing his speed. He could play at a high level for 2-3 more years, the question is, does he want to?

2 years 8 million 3.5 guaranteed Baltimore 

6. MLB Gary Brackett

Undersized at 5-11 235, but a very smart player with excellent leadership abilities and good consistency with at least 99 tackles in each of the last 5 years. The Colts appear to be the front runners to resign him, but there’s a chance he doesn’t. The biggest issue with him is lack of scheme versatility. I don’t think he can play a 3-4.

5 years 33 million 12 guaranteed Indianapolis 

7. S Darren Sharper

A smart veteran with a ring and a ton of experience, he turned the Saints’ defense around by himself this year (with some help). He led the league with 9 picks and averaged 41.8 yards per interception return and even scored 3 times by himself. He’s a ballhawk, but he’s also amazing in coverage. He would be an upgrade to any defense, the only issue is, for how long? Sharper turns 35 next season and I’d be concerned about giving him more than a 2 year deal.

8. CB Dunta Robinson

He’s fast and would be a good fit in a zone style defense, but he has hands of stone, 7 picks since 2004, and 0 all last year, and has some character concerns. I think he gets a reputation as a #1 corner, but 65.9% of the passes thrown on guys he was responsible for were completed last year and he’s also one of the more penalized defensive backs in the league. I think someone will overpay him.

6 years 57 million 25.5 guaranteed Atlanta 

9. WR Antonio Bryant

The talent is there, 1009 yards in 2005 and 1248 yards in 2008, but is the motivation? Chances are, if you give him a longterm deal, it won’t be. He’s still young, 29 in a couple of weeks, but you have to worry about his character concerns plus past concerns about injuries.

4 years 28 million 12 guaranteed Cincinnati 

10. WR Terrell Owens

Owens proved that he could still be a decent addition to a team in the second half last year with 548 yards in 8 games, but he only had 281 in his first 8 games. He caught only 55 passes, the least in any full season since his rookie year. Some of that could be blamed on the quarterbacks and on his primary role as a downfield decoy. If he were the #1 option on a team with an above average quarterback, he very well could have had another 1000 yard year. However, that being said, he’ll turn 37 in December and he hasn’t done anything to prove to me that, at that age, he deserves any more than a one year deal. 

1 year 2 million Cincinnati