We are days away from the NFL's free agency negotiation window on March 13, when teams can begin discussing contracts with the league's free agents. The 31 teams that didn't win the Super Bowl will spend the coming months bolstering their rosters in order to compete with Patrick Mahomes and the champion Kansas City Chiefs during the 2023 season.
The first major step in the offseason process is free agency. And with free agency on the horizon, we continue to look at the top availble players at each position. Here's a look at the top linebackers hitting the market, both edge rushers and traditional, inside linebackers.
The list of available free agents and snap count percentages are via overthecap.com.
Edge Rushers/Outside Linebackers
| Player | 2022 Team | Type | Snaps | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
UFA | 81% | 28 | ||
UFA | 70.1% | 32 | ||
UFA | 64.3% | 28 | ||
UFA | 58.1% | 29 | ||
UFA | 56.5% | 26 | ||
SFA | 55.9% | 28 | ||
UFA | 53.5% | 26 | ||
UFA | 53.2% | 34 | ||
49ers | UFA | 52.2% | 28 | |
UFA | 48.5% | 26 | ||
UFA | 45.8% | 27 | ||
UFA | 45.4% | 34 | ||
Void | 45.3% | 30 | ||
UFA | 44.8% | 34 | ||
Giants | UFA | 44.7% | 27 | |
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo | Texans | UFA | 44.2% | 28 |
UFA | 43.8% | 26 | ||
Saints | Void | 43.3% | 27 | |
UFA | 43.2% | 29 | ||
| Arden Key | Jaguars | UFA | 40.8% | 27 |
| Justin Hollins | Packers | UFA | 40.7% | 27 |
| Efe Obada | Commanders | UFA | 37.4% | 31 |
| Malik Reed | Steelers | UFA | 37.2% | 27 |
| Justin Houston | Ravens | UFA | 36.3% | 34 |
| Robert Quinn | Eagles | UFA | 35.9% | 33 |
| Bruce Irvin | Seahawks | UFA | 34.6% | 36 |
UFA = Unrestricted Free Agent
SFA = Street Free Agent
Void = Voidable Year Contract
There aren't any superstars in this year's group of edge players and outside linebackers, but there is a solid starter whose sack totals have him in the company of all-time greats. Yannick Ngakoue, who turns 28 in March, has recorded eight or more sacks in each of his first seven seasons, including 9.5 in 2022, his only season with the Indianapolis Colts.
Only four others have done that since individual sacks have been recorded, since 1982: three Hall of Famers (DeMarcus Ware, Derrick Thomas, Reggie White) and Los Angeles Rams defensive Aaron Donald, a future Hall of Famer. If a team needs at least eight sacks and more juice for its pass rush, Ngakoue should be the first call.
Players with 8+ sacks in each of first seven seasons of career (since individual sacks have been recorded in 1982):
| Player | Seasons |
|---|---|
Yannick Ngakoue | 2016-2022 |
Aaron Donald | 2014-2020 |
DeMarcus Ware* | 2005-2011 |
Derrick Thomas* | 1989-1995 |
Reggie White* | 1985-1991 |
* Pro Football Hall of Famer
Lorenzo Carter could be a high-upside add on a one-year, prove-it deal at 27 years old. Samson Ebukam was the San Francisco 49ers' second-best pass-rush option opposite 2022 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa, totaling 5.0 sacks, the second-most on the team. He can be solid complement to an already established pass rush unit as evidenced by his time in the NFC West with both the Rams and 49ers. For contending teams needing help on the cheap, there's a number of established veterans to choose from in this class, including Jason Pierre-Paul, Carlos Dunlap, Jadeveon Clowney, Melvin Ingram, Justin Houston, Robert Quinn and Bruce Irvin.
Inside Linebackers
| Player | 2022 Team | Type | Snaps | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bears | UFA | 99.8% | 28 | |
| Bobby Wagner | Rams | UFA | 99.1% | 32 |
Falcons | UFA | 98.4% | 28 | |
Buccaneers | Void | 95.9% | 33 | |
UFA | 95.1% | 29 | ||
Eagles | Void | 94.1% | 27 | |
Chargers | UFA | 93.4% | 28 | |
Colts | UFA | 85.1% | 27 | |
Seahawks | UFA | 77.4% | 27 | |
Eagles | UFA | 76.3% | 27 | |
Bills | UFA | 72.3% | 25 | |
| Quincy Williams | Jets | UFA | 70% | 26 |
UFA | 69.8% | 27 | ||
UFA | 67.4% | 30 | ||
UFA | 65% | 27 | ||
David Long Jr. | UFA | 63.4% | 27 | |
Steelers | UFA | 61.9% | 25 | |
Dolphins | UFA | 59.4% | 29 |
The inside linebacking group is headlined by the NFL's top two leaders in tackles across the last 11 seasons in Bobby Wagner and Lavonte David. The Rams recently released Wagner just one season into a five-year, $50 million contract due to salary cap issues.
Most tackles since 2012
| Player | Tackles |
|---|---|
Bobby Wagner | 1,523* |
Lavonte David | 1,346* |
1,136 | |
1,092 | |
946 |
*Free agents this offseason
Wagner, an eight-time Pro Bowler and six-time First-Team All-Pro, registered a career-high 6.0 sacks in 2022 at age 32, showing he still has plenty of gas in the tank. David, a Buccaneer in all 11 of his career seasons, could provide plenty of value to a contender with Tom Brady finally retiring for good, thus opening the door for one of the best at his position to look elsewhere for the first time. David Long Jr. could be one of the best values of this class at 26 years old since he is a three-down linebacker who is strong against the run and is a surefire tackler. Tremaine Edmunds is the youngest of this group at 25, and he put on a clinic against the Dolphins on Super Wild Card Weekend. Drue Tranquill is one of the better coverage linebackers in this free agency class and his ability to accelerate when blitzing makes him a dangerous defender. Leighton Vander Esch isn't the same electrifying talent that he was during his lone Pro Bowl season as a rookie in 2018, but his ability to read and react against opposing offenses remains.
