2018 NFL Free Agency DeMarcus Lawrence headlines crop of free-agent pass rushers

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After a franchise quarterback and maybe a Pro Bowl left tackle, the most important player on an NFL roster is the pa s rusher. The other positions, in general, are relatively easy to fill; you can find replacement-level-or-better talent at running back and receiver, along the interior line and in the secondary. But without a competent and consistent pa s rush, everything else defensively breaks down -- even the best cover cornerbacks aren't expected to blanket receivers for more than three seconds So with free agency only a few weeks away, we'll look at some of the most important players on the field: edge rushers. And if you didn't share that opinion before Super Bowl LII, surely changed your mind in the two seconds it took for him to get to and change the complexion of the game. The ' 2014 second-round pick has impeccable timing. Lawrence waited until his contract year to go off. In 16 starts, he had 14.5 sacks, one pa s defended and four forced fumbles. Those eye-popping numbers came a year after he managed just one sack in nine games in an injury-shortened season. In 2015, Lawrence racked up eight sacks in 16 games, but played in just seven games as a rookie in 2014. The pattern -- injuries limiting his playing time one season followed by dominating performances the next -- have to be a concern for would-be suitors. Those suitors include the Cowboys, who could use the franchise tag on Lawrence to see if he's capable of back-to-back dominating seasons. graded Lawrence as the NFL's second-best pa s rusher in 2017 behind only . Because edge Alex Collins Jersey rushers are at a premium, Lawrence won't come cheap -- the tag price will be around $17.4 million for 2018. According to , Lawrence's calculated market value is a five-year, $70.4 million deal ($14 million annually). Other teams desperate for edge rushers help include the , , and , four teams who ranked at the bottom of ' pa s-rushing efficiency metric. Ansah's 14.5 sacks in 2015 ranked third in the league but a nagging ankle injury derailed his effectivene s in 2016. He bounced back last season, logging 12 sacks in 14 games and now new coach Matt Patricia must decide if he wants to use the franchise or transition tag on Ansah or let him hit free agency. If Patricia thinks Ansah can replicate his 2015 and 2017 succe s he may want to keep him. (The struggled to get after the quarterback all season, a reality that was painfully obvious in the Super Bowl when wasn't sacked once.) According to , Ansah's calculated market value is a four-year, $53.1 million contract ($13.2 million annually). Clayborn set a career-high for sacks in 2017. He had 9.5 in 16 games with the , topping his previous best, 7.5, which he set as a rookie in 2011 with Tampa Bay. If Clayborn played the Cowboys every week, he would be the first NFL player to sign a billion-dollar deal. He sacked when the teams met in November but had only had 1.5 sacks over the final nine games. Given that Clayborn will be 30 in a few months, and has struggled with consistency, he'll likely be looking at a middle-of-the-road contract. That said, given that demand for pa s rushers outstrips supply, he shouldn't have trouble finding work. Shaq Barrett Barrett isn't your prototypical edge rusher. In fact, he's an outside linebacker in the ' scheme but at 6-2, 250 pounds, he was virtually unblockable last season. He mi sed much of training camp with a hip injury Freddie Swain Jersey but played in all 16 games and had four sacks and two forced fumbles. PFF ranked him 30th among all pa s rushers, which was ahead of Ansah and . We like to make a big deal about 39-year-old ability to dominate players 15 years his junior but Peppers, who is 38, somehow gets lost in the mix. The No. 2 pick in the 2002 draft will be in the Hall of Fame exactly five years after he calls it a career, but until then he'll be in demand, even if only for situational pa s-rushing purposes. He had 11 sacks last season in Carolina and hasn't had fewer than seven sacks in a season since 2007. Alex Okafor The ' 2013 fourth-round pick had eight sacks in 2014 but had just 5.5 over the next two seasons. He signed a one-year deal with the before the 2017 season and registered 4.5 sacks in 10 games before a torn Achilles tendon sidelined him for the year. Okafor said in December that he'd love to return to New Orleans but it's unclear if the feeling is mutual, especially since Okafor may not be fully healthy in time for the start of the season. Murphy ranked 25th among all edge rushers in 2016, when he had nine sacks and three forced fumbles. But he suffered a torn ACL in August and mi sed all of 2017. Even without Murphy, the ranked fourth Michael Dickson Jersey in adjusted sack rate so they could be willing to let him walk in the offseason if his asking price is deemed too high. But even if Washington isn't interested, a fully healthy Murphy, who is just 27, will be in demand. Ealy is just 26 though it seems like he's been around much longer than that. The Patriots traded for him last offseason and dumped him before the regular season. Ealy was claimed by the , where he had just one sack in 14 games. He began his career in Carolina in 2014, and his best performance came on the biggest stage in 50 against and theBroncos when he had three sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a pa s defended. Had the Panthers found a way to win, he would have been a legitimate MVP candidate. Ealy has 15 sacks in his career, though he has never started more than nine games in a season. Jordan is 27 years old, originally the third-overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, and has played in just 31 games over that time. He spent the 2015 season on the reserve/suspended list and the 2016 season on the reserve/non-football injury list. The , who drafted him, released him in March 2017. He signed with the a month later. Jordan appeared in five games last season and logged a four sacks and a forced fumble. He the part and in the right situation he can flourish. Finding the "right situation" hasn't been easy and NFL teams aren't generally in the babysitting busine s. That said, Jordan may have to sign a one-year prove-it deal, which could be attractive for teams looking for immediate help with with minimal financial risk. : He had 12.5 sacks in his first two seasons but character questions have dogged him the last two seasons when he had 2.5 total sacks. Just 24, Lynch has the physical tools to be a difference maker. James Harrison: He'll be 40 in May but was the Patriots' best pa s rusher in the playoffs. He'll come cheap but remains effective as a situational player. : He had 10 sacks in 2016 but managed just two last season. Ford, 26, looks the part but has yet to live up to expectations. : He had 22 sacks in 2013-2014 but back-to-back Achilles' injuries sidelined him for 2015-2016. Finally healthy, Galette had three sacks last season for the Redskins. : Like Harrison, the 37-year-old Freeney is a situational specialist capable of still getting after the quarterback.
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