7 Best Tier 1 Edge Rushers Hitting the Market This Offseason Part 1

BY ADAM GREENE

I can’t remember any time since I’ve written about or even watched the NFL where this many premier edge rushers were all hitting free agency at the same time. The amount of quarterback sacks we will be counting off over the next series of articles is enough to put any pro passer in traction.

Because of this, I’ve decided instead of building one comprehensive article that takes 10-plus parts to finish, I’ll separate each edge rusher into one of three groups.

TIER 1 are your guys that, in any other year, would be worth a franchise tag to keep. For whatever reason, whether it be the glut of guys hitting the market or their current team’s financial status/roster needs, that’s not happened.

TIER 2 will be comprised of elite NFL pass rushers with maybe a question mark or two that are looking at a solid multi-year deal as they become a cornerstone in a franchise’s plans for the next half-decade.

TIER 3 will be guys looking at short-term, mercenary status. A quick add to a roster that’s likely already deep on a one-year deal to get a defense over the hump.

We’ve got a lot of guys to go through, so let’s get to the list.

1. JADAVEON CLOWNEY, DE, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT

2019: 31 tackles, seven for a loss, three sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception, two defensive touchdowns, three passes defended

Those numbers aren’t indicative of Clowney’s talent level or, really, even the season he had as he only played in 13 games and started 11 for a Seattle Seahawks team that never really figured out how to use him. Clowney is a natural 3-4 outside linebacker the Seahawks tried to fit into a 4-3.

This is the same guy that racked up 53 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in the previous three seasons with the Houston Texans, who could have probably used him instead of shipping him out of town for peanuts in the 2019 offseason.

Where he should end up: Green Bay Packers

Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine got the most out of his OLBs last year, turning Redskins cast-off Preston Smith into a 12-sack machine. Clowney made it clear in his trade demands with the Texans that he wanted to go to a contender. While he’ll command top dollar as a free agent, I don’t see the desire to play for a ring going away.

As for the Packers, their Aaron Rodgers window gets smaller every year. They need to load up now to make a run and putting Clowney opposite Smith might push them over the hump.

2. SHAQUIL BARRETT, OLB, UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT

2019: 58 tackles, 19 for a loss, 19.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, one interception, one defensive touchdown

Man, did Shaq Barrett pick the right time to blow up after signing a one-year prove-it deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season after languishing for years behind Von Miller and Bradley Chubb on the Denver Broncos depth chart.

In his five previous seasons with Denver, Barrett started a total of 14 games and recorded 14 sacks. Last year with the Bucs he started all 16 games and led the NFL with 19.5 sacks. At just 27 years old, Barrett is due a monster payday and somebody is going to fork over the cash.

Where he should end up: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is the perfect example of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Barrett fits the Buccaneers’ defense perfectly and had his best season by a mile in it. Tampa Bay has the cap money (3rd most in the NFL) to make any deal fit. Why lose a guy in his prime that’s flipped the switch when you could make a real run if you add the right quarterback to your roster?

We continue our Tier 1 countdown in Part 2.

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