High-priced and budget free agents at every position

• Cashing in after a championship: Eagles defensive linemen Milton Williams and Josh Sweat figure to be two of the most attractive names on the market.

• One more chance: Jameis Winston could be a buy-low candidate for a team looking for competition at quarterback.

Estimated Reading Time: 9 minutes

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The primary goal of every team in free agency is to improve their roster with the hopes of contending during the next season and beyond. The constraint of a salary cap makes that task more difficult. Given that resource scarcity, it’s good to identify players who will be paid a top-of-market price as well as those who bring value at a bargain.

We’ll break down one player in each category at every position.

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Quarterback

High-priced: Sam Darnold

Darnold finally showed some of the potential that made him the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. His 80.7 PFF overall grade in 2024 ranked 13th among qualified quarterbacks. Until his final two games of the season, Darnold played excellent football under Kevin O’Connell. The question will be whether he can channel that success elsewhere and how much it will cost.

Budget: Jameis Winston

Winston displayed his usual high-variance style of play as he made 12 big-time throws and 18 turnover-worthy plays across his nine appearances in Cleveland. He is certainly unafraid of any moment, and the Browns’ offense looked its best with him at the helm. Winston is squarely in the high-end backup category with the ability to fill in for multiple starts.

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Running Back

High-priced: Najee Harris

Given that he will be just 27 years old next season with four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons under his belt, Harris is likely to get decent money as a competent early-down option. His 77.5 PFF rushing grade this past season nearly mirrored his 77.2 mark from 2023.

Budget: Ty Johnson

Johnson played a valuable third-down role for Buffalo last season and figures to give the Bills or somebody else that same type of value again in 2025. He finished 2024 with the 10th-best receiving grade among running backs.

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Wide Receiver

High-priced: Chris Godwin

Godwin was on the way to perhaps his best season before suffering a season-ending leg injury in Week 7. His 85.7 PFF receiving grade was the second best of his career, and his efficiency after the catch was off the charts. Still just 29 years old, Godwin can be a dangerous and versatile weapon for any offense.

Budget: Joshua Palmer

Palmer isn’t the flashiest player, but he has recorded a PFF receiving grade in the mid-to-high 60.0s in every season of his career and is still just 25 years old. He earned a solid 90.8 PFF receiving grade on 10-plus yard targets in 2024. Palmer still fits on plenty of teams as a good third or fourth option in the passing game.

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Tight End

High-priced: Juwan Johnson

The tight end market is thin this year, but Johnson could attract some attention going into his age-29 season. He set career highs with 50 receptions, 548 yards and a 71.3 PFF receiving grade this past season, despite New Orleans’ turbulent quarterback situation.

Budget: Evan Engram

Engram could be a good buy-low candidate as someone who is just one year removed from posting a career-high 963 receiving yards. In limited work this past season, he still earned a 70.2 PFF receiving grade, the third best of his career, while dropping just one of his 61 targets.

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Offensive Tackle

High-priced: Cam Robinson

In a quickly thinning tackle market, Robinson is likely to have a good market as an experienced left tackle who has earned at least a 61.0 PFF overall grade in five consecutive seasons. His play was a bit inconsistent in 2024, but he also played for two different teams after being traded from Jacksonville to Minnesota during the season.

Budget: Morgan Moses

Moses played through injuries to have another solid season in 2024. His grading profile is dragged down mostly by two tough games against Nick Bosa and Greg Rousseau that bookended his season. Even so, he finished the year with a solid 69.2 PFF pass-blocking grade. He’s a fine option as a one-year stopgap at right tackle.

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Offensive Guard

High-priced: Will Fries

Fries was on his way to a breakout season in Indianapolis before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 5. There is some risk associated with signing him, but his 86.9 PFF overall grade this season was outstanding and he will be just 27 years old during the coming season. With Trey Smith already off the board, Fries will have several suitors.

Budget: Matt Pryor

Pryor has mostly served as a backup during his career, but he started all but two games last season in Chicago and turned in a solid 69.9 PFF overall grade. His pass protection was the highlight of his season, as he earned a 78.1 PFF grade in that facet to rank fifth among qualified guards. Pryor is a sneaky depth option at the least with starting potential.

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Center

High-priced: Drew Dalman

Dalman has developed into one of the best centers in football and should have suitors who run outside-zone schemes. He ranked fifth in the NFL in PFF overall grade and sixth in PFF run-blocking grade in 2024 among qualified centers. Look for teams like Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle to have an eye on Dalman if Atlanta can’t retain him.

Budget: Coleman Shelton

Shelton put together a respectable season as the Bears‘ starting center, with his 66.4 PFF overall grade ranking 14th at the position. He was one of just 11 centers to earn at least a 65.0 PFF grade as a run blocker and a pass protector.

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Interior Defender

High-priced: Milton Williams

After a terrific season and Super Bowl performance that led to him posting a league-leading 91.7 PFF pass-rush grade, Williams is sure to cash in on the open market. While he left something to be desired as a run defender this season, he played at an adequate level in that department the previous two years. Emerging pass-rushers don’t often hit the open market at 26 years old, so Williams will be a hot commodity.

Budget: Poona Ford

Ford experienced something of a breakout this past season with the Chargers, finishing third among qualified defensive tackles in PFF run-defense grade. He may not light up the traditional stat sheet, but he’s the type of early-down player who makes a defensive unit much better.

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Edge Defender

High-Priced: Josh Sweat

Like his teammate Milton Williams, Sweat is looking to cash in after Philadelphia’s Super Bowl victory. He has finished four of the past five seasons with at least a 70.0 PFF overall grade and has averaged more than 62 pressures over the past three. Expect edge-needy teams like Tennessee and Arizona to bid for his services.

Budget: Derek Barnett

Barnett operated effectively as Houston’s third defensive end in 2024 behind Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. He’s found a sweet spot, playing roughly 400 snaps in each of the past two seasons. From Week 11 through the end of the 2024 season, Barnett posted an 86.1 PFF overall grade to rank sixth among qualified edge defenders.

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Linebacker

High-priced: Dre Greenlaw

Five of PFF’s top six free agents at linebacker re-signed with their respective 2024 teams, leaving Greenlaw as the most attractive option remaining. There’s no doubting Greenlaw’s track record, but he played just 34 snaps this past season after tearing his Achilles last February. However, From 2019 to 2023, Greenlaw was a top-15 linebacker in the NFL. Somebody will certainly take a chance on him as he continues to be further removed from his injury.

Budget: Tyrel Dodson

Dodson may have a specialized role as a coverage linebacker, but he’s proven himself able to fulfill it on multiple teams. He’s ranked third among qualified linebackers in PFF coverage grade in each of the past two seasons. There are questions about how much he can handle in the run game, but Dodson should be considered a valuable asset regardless.

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Cornerback

High-priced: D.J. Reed Jr.

Reed is likely to attain one of the larger contracts among this year’s group of free-agent cornerbacks. His consistency at a position of high variance stands out. Reed has earned at least a 70.0 PFF coverage grade in six straight seasons. He’s also a competitive player at the catch point who has broken up 29 passes over the past four seasons.

Budget: Isaiah Rodgers

Rodgers certainly isn’t a household name, but his production in a rotational role could warrant a chance to start. He served as the Eagles’ third outside cornerback this past season after missing 2023 due to suspension. Across his 421 snaps, he earned a 73.2 PFF overall grade that placed him among the top 25 qualified cornerbacks in the NFL.

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Safety

High-priced: Jevon Holland

Holland endured his lowest-graded season in the NFL in 2024, but that shouldn’t depress his market as the top safety available. He posted an elite 90.4 PFF overall grade in 2023 and profiles as a similar player to Jessie Bates III when he departed Cincinnati in free agency a couple of years ago.

Budget: Julian Blackmon

Blackmon has established himself as a solid, if unspectacular, starter over the past two seasons, posting PFF coverage grades of 72.6 and 73.5 in 2023 and 2024, respectively. He should fit nicely into a single-high defense after playing the vast majority of his snaps at free safety this season as opposed to his prior more versatile role.