Free agency is less than a week away, meaning there are certainly players slated to hit the market who will get sizable deals.
However, it's not always about the big names when it comes to free agency.
ESPN's Ben Solak went through the list of free agents and identified 14 players who he believes could be steals of the offseason wherever they land.
Solak's list included 10 defensive players, beginning with cornerback Carlton Davis III.
Davis played 13 games for the Lions last season before landing on Injured Reserve. But he was productive when he played, notching 11 passes defensed, two interceptions, one forced fumble and two tackles for loss.
For Solak, Davis showed he could be a No. 1 cornerback and could benefit from finding a specific style of defense.
Solak wrote:
"His play in 2024 was still that of a scheme-versatile corner with sufficient press-man skills… A defense that asks Davis to play a little more zone will better fit his skill set."
Solak also had another cornerback on his list in Paulson Adebo, who saw his season cut short by injury this past year but could be an intriguing option wherever he lands.
Adebo has been a heavily productive player and a ballhawk, notching 10 career interceptions and 43 passes defensed throughout his four seasons.
Solak wrote:
Twenty-eight passes defended in only 22 games. That's the sixth most by a defensive back in the past two seasons, and everyone above him played at least 25 games… Adebo is a high-risk, high-reward player who will draw flags on late downs and extend opponent drives. But the risk isn't that terrible: He has given up only two touchdowns over the past two seasons, giving up a passer rating of only 61.6 as the nearest defender in coverage, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
Offensively, Solak's mentioned guard Will Fries, who is slated to hit the market after four seasons with the Colts. Fries played in five games last season and finished the regular season with Pro Football Focus' third-best offense grade (86.9) among players with at least 250 offensive snaps.
The ESPN analyst believes Fries has the potential to make a big difference.
Solak wrote:
A relative unknown in the larger NFL scope, Fries — a 2021 seventh-rounder out of Penn State — won the starting right guard job in just his second season. He is not the most physically imposing blocker the league has ever seen, but he's quick, technically sound and still has enough power to uproot smaller defensive tackles. From Week 10 in 2022 (when he won the job) to Week 5 in 2024 (when he fractured his fibula), Fries was clearly one of the best young guards in football.
Solak also listed Poona Ford, who is among the 28 Chargers scheduled to hit free agency next week.
Ford provided high-level play along the interior for the Chargers last season after signing a 1-year deal.
And for Solak, Ford is a valuable player who can slot in anywhere and be productive.
Solak wrote about Ford:
You know who is always good? Ford. He's not an elite pass rusher or truly dominant nose tackle, but his versatile frame allows him to play anywhere from nose to 3-tech, eat some double-teams and win with quickness to create splash plays. Ford was on a near-minimum one-year deal with the Chargers, but he was integral to their defensive approach. He should get a nice pay bump on a team (the Chargers or otherwise) that asks their defensive tackles to switch between one-gapping and two-gapping.
As always, there will be multiple waves of free agency, not just the initial frenzy.
Chargers General Manager Joe Hortiz showed as much last offseason when he focused on value and overall team building in his first few months in charge.
