Top Free Agents by Position: Interior Defensive Lineman Edition
Top Free Agents by Position: Interior Defensive Lineman Edition
Defensive Interior Line
Leonard Williams
Chris Jones
Jarran Reed
Arik Armstead
Michael Pierce
Honorable Mention
Ndamukong Suh
Marcell Dareus
Gerald McCoy
Mike Daniels
Derek Wolfe
Chris Jones
This is the biggest name that will be an unrestricted free agent. Chris Jones has shown the ability to not only stop the run but rush the passer and get major pressure from the interior. It is most likely that he will be resigning with the world champion Chiefs. Yet if he does go on the open market then he will be one of the most desirable guys out there. There is plenty of teams that will want his services. Some teams are Bengals, Panthers, Raiders, Falcons, Seahawks, and Buccaneers. If he didn’t go with the Chiefs, I feel like his best fit would be with the Buccaneers. If the Buccaneers can resign Barrett, then the defensive line will be fearsome for them. Pierre-Paul, Jones, Vea, and Barrett will be a scary thing for the NFC south to deal with twice a year.
Leonard Williams
This next guy has shown his true first-round pedigree since entering the league. He had one year some may consider a down year yet, it was more like that due to the inept help around him. Then during this season, he was traded to the Giants and started to show again that force he was when he started his career. He is a great run stopper and has the ability to rush the passer. He has 17.5 sacks in five seasons. He had 12 in his first three years, and that is probably what will hit his bottom line since he only managed 5.5 the last two. Yet if he can be pair with a team that has a good outside rusher then we can expect an uptick in his sack totals soon. If someone is going to sign him, I can see the Giants, Chargers, Broncos, Steelers, Patriots, Texans and Chiefs. I think his best fit is with the Broncos. They might not be able to pay him too well, but they can offer something most teams can’t offer. He can play his natural 5 technique and then slide to the 3 technique when in sub-packages. As well he can also play in between two Pro Bowl rushers on the edges in Chubb and Miller. That combination would be nasty and only help the Broncos when it comes to slowing down the world champion Chiefs and that offense.
Marcell Dareus
This free agent is more of a surprise to some, but to Jaguars fans, not so much. Dareus was a good defensive tackle. He was an immobilizer when it came to the run and he knew just how to clog up the double team for the linebackers. The only thing he has been missing for some time now is his ability to rush the passer. It was supposed to get better as the years went on and he joined a team with dominant edge rushers and some help next to him on the interior, yet he only managed 3.5 sacks in the last three seasons. Even after the trade, his numbers didn’t improve much at all.
At this point, Dareus is a very strong run stopper with limited pass-rush ability. He can help collapse the pocket, but he isn’t going to be the one making hits on the QB or taking him off his spot. He can though be a help for a team with a good to great 3-technique tackle. He also shouldn’t cost that much now that he doesn’t have the pass-rushing skills to match a hefty contract. Teams that should be looking at him are Bengals, Falcons, Eagles, Saints, and 49ers. I think his best fit would be with the Falcons. He can first off help shore up a run defense that has sorely missed a big-bodied guy like him in the middle. He can clog lanes allowing the fast Atlanta linebackers to run to the ball easier. Secondly, he will help Grady Jarrett in terms of the pass rush. As I said before he might not get to the passer himself, but he can still collapse the pocket and allow more one on ones for Jarrett inside. You couple that with the return of McKinley and another passer on the edge and Atlanta finally has a legit defensive line that can do it all.
-By: Darren Braxton
Writer/Interviewer