We're getting closer and closer to the official start of the 2024 NFL season. The new league year is a mere two weeks away, and when it rolls around, teams will get their chance to start gearing up to dethrone the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
As we get ready for free agency, we are taking a look at the positional markets, gauging the best available, how much they could command and where they might end up. In the space below, we are going to focus on the edge rushers.
This is an important position, as getting after the quarterback is one of the most important roles in all of football. And there's a pretty good group of edges available this offseason, starting with a pair of stars about to hit their prime, but also including a bunch of rotational players who could prove highly useful.
Here's our top 10, listed in reverse order (10-1).
(Note: Some players might agree to deal between now and the start of free agency).
| Player | 2023 Team | Position | Snap % | Age | Previous AAV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10. Mike Danna | Chiefs | EDGE | 69% | 27 | $0.9 million |
| 9. Chase Young | 49ers | EDGE | 60% | 25 | $8.6 million |
| 8. Josh Uche | Patriots | EDGE | 29% | 26 | $1.3 million |
| 7. Za'Darius Smith | Browns | EDGE | 55% | 32 | $11.7 million |
| 6. Leonard Floyd | Bills | EDGE | 54% | 32 | $7.0 million |
| 5. Jadeveon Clowney | Ravens | EDGE | 56% | 31 | $2.5 million |
| 4. Jonathan Greenard | Texans | EDGE | 55% | 27 | $1.1 million |
| 3. Bryce Huff | Jets | EDGE | 42% | 26 | $4.3 million |
| 2. Danielle Hunter | Vikings | EDGE | 89% | 30 | $17.0 million |
| 1. Josh Allen | Jaguars | EDGE | 79% | 27 | $5.7 million |
Luckily for us, Spotrac has contract projections for all 10 of these players, ranging from Clowney (one year, $7.2 million) to Allen (five years, $119.9 million, $23.9 million AAV). The remaining players all fall in between those two poles, with salaries and deal terms varying depending on their age and productivity to date.
Players like Young (one year, $13 million), Floyd (two years, $16.2 million, $8.1 million AAV), Uche (two years, $16.7 million, $8.3 million AAV) and Smith (two years, $24.9 million, $12.4 million AAV) are projected for short-term deals reflecting either age (Floyd and Smith) or their limited track record (Young) or role (Uche, who is basically a pass-down specialist). Meanwhile, 26-year-old Huff, who has been productive in a rotational role, gets four years, $36.8 million, $9.2 million AAV, and Greenard, who is coming off a breakout season with 12.5 sacks, gets four years, $53.8 million, $13.4 million AAV. Danna, who has been a solid contributor for the two-time defending champs, has a projection of three years, $50.3 million ($16.7 million AAV).
And the star trio gets projected near the top of the market. It's three years, $60 million ($20 million AAV) for Hunter, five years, $108.7 million ($21.7 million AAV) for Brian Burns and the aforementioned five years, $119.9 million ($23.9 million AAV) for Allen.
Note: Burns was franchise-tagged by the Panthers.
Here's a look at the current top-10 edge rushers in terms of both total contract value and average annual value.
| Total Value | AAV |
|---|---|
| Nick Bosa, $170 million | Nick Bosa, $34 million |
| Khalil Mack, $141 million | T.J. Watt, $28 million |
| Joey Bosa, $135 million | Joey Bosa, $27 million |
| Myles Garrett,$125 million | Myles Garrett, $25 million |
| Von Miller, $120 million | Montez Sweat, $24.5 million |
| T.J. Watt, $112 million | Rashan Gary, $24 million |
| Bradley Chubb, $110 million | Khalil Mack, $23.5 million |
| Montez Sweat, $98 million | Maxx Crosby, $23.5 million |
| Rashan Gary, $96 million | Bradley Chubb, $22 million |
| Maxx Crosby, $94 million | Leonard Williams, $21 million |
If Spotrac's projections prove spot on, Allen would check in sixth in total contract value and seventh in average annual value, while Burns would slot in eighth and ninth, respectively.
Our free agency preview lists the Cardinals, Falcons, Ravens, Bills, Panthers, Bears, Browns, Broncos, Lions, Packers, Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Chiefs, Rams, Vikings, Saints, Giants, Jets, Eagles, Seahawks, Titans and Commanders as being among the teams that could use help on the edge this offseason. That's 23 out of 32 teams, or nearly 75%. And the Titans, Bears, Commanders, Colts, Texans, Lions and Cardinals all have $50 million in cap room or more. In other words, these guys are going to get paid in a big way.
