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Monday I took a look at one current NFL free agent who has connections to both John Schneider and Pete Carroll in Clay Matthews III, but who are the other options that remain available. While edge rusher is a very important position for teams especially as the league moves more and more towards a passing league, the money the position commands combined with the risk for players to lose their skill and abilities as they age has contributed to a bit of a logjam on the market at the moment.
While other positions, such as wide receiver and offensive line saw players get snatched up almost as quickly as they became available at the opening of free agency, edge rushers have seen little movement in the market once the top names signed. While Trey Flowers agreed to a massive contract with the Detroit Lions very quickly, several names that have either produced at some point, or who have shown some sort of flash of potential remain unsigned and available on the market.
The salaries these players are hoping for have likely not materialized due to their inconsistency, and that combined with the fact that the market is uncertain following the franchise tag application to several of the top edge rushers, such as Frank Clark of the Seattle Seahawks and Demarcus Lawrence of the Dallas Cowboys.
Add in the depth at the position that is expected to be available in the draft in April, and it’s possible that the market could remain stagnant for some time. Thus, let’s take a high level look at a dozen of the names that are available, along with what they did on the field in 2018. As for how to decide which dozen players to look at, I’ll simply hand that task off to Evan Silva, who was kind enough to author the following tweet to make my job easier.
EDGE still the deepest position in what's left in free agency:
— Evan Silva (@evansilva) March 19, 2019
Justin Houston (30)
Ziggy Ansah (29)
Nick Perry (29)
Shane Ray (25)
Clay Matthews (32)
Adrian Clayborn (30)
Derrick Morgan (30)
Vinny Curry (30)
Dion Jordan (29)
Benson Mayowa (27)
Aaron Lynch (26)
Bruce Irvin (31)
So, taking a look at that list of names, here is a table showing these twelve players, their 2019 season age, defensive snaps played, sacks and quarterback hits in 2018.
Free agent edge rushers remaining on the market
Player | 2019 Age | 2018 Snaps | 2018 Sacks | 2018 QB Hits |
---|---|---|---|---|
Player | 2019 Age | 2018 Snaps | 2018 Sacks | 2018 QB Hits |
Justin Houston | 30 | 719 | 9 | 12 |
Ziggy Ansah | 30 | 146 | 4 | 7 |
Nick Perry | 29 | 302 | 1.5 | 3 |
Shane Ray | 26 | 253 | 1 | 1 |
Clay Matthews | 33 | 756 | 3.5 | 12 |
Adrian Clayborn | 31 | 318 | 2.5 | 13 |
Derrick Morgan | 30 | 532 | 0.5 | 4 |
Vinny Curry | 31 | 445 | 2.5 | 7 |
Dion Jordan | 29 | 295 | 1.5 | 6 |
Benson Mayowa | 28 | 550 | 4 | 11 |
Aaron Lynch | 26 | 353 | 3 | 8 |
Bruce Irvin | 32 | 471 | 6.5 | 13 |
Of those dozen names, a quarter of them have suited up for the Seahawks at some point. Those three are obviously Benson Mayowa, Bruce Irvin and Dion Jordan.
So, from the names that are available, most of them are either past their prime or never truly had a prime. Multiple of them have served suspensions, including Irvin, Shane Ray, Dion Jordan and Aaron Lynch. Thus, while none of them is likely to make the All Pro team in 2019, which one would you most like to see in a Hawks uniform for the upcoming season at the right price?