Top NFL Free Agents Whom Teams Need to Let Walk Away This Offseason

We're only a few days away from Super Bowl LVI between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams. But in a week's time, the confetti will be swept away from SoFi Stadium, and all attention around the league will be focused on the offseason. 

With the NFL's new league year set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on March 16, free agency is almost upon us. And this year features plenty of big names who could hit the open market, from top wideouts Davante Adams and Chris Godwin to Super Bowl-bound pass-rusher Von Miller and a trio of top left tackles. 

Some of the players set to become unrestricted free agents, like New Orleans Saints left tackle Terron Armstead, have been with the same clubs throughout their entire NFL careers. Others have helped take their teams to Super Bowls, like Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. with the Rams.

But for a variety of reasons, including decreased production or bloated contracts, the time has come for some of those teams to part ways with these big-name players. 

Let's break down six such free agents who could be suiting up for a new team in 2022.

Allen Robinson II appears ready to move on from the Chicago Bears. The team should feel the same way. 

On ESPN Radio's KJM in mid-January, Robinson detailed some of the ways in which his relationship with the team soured after it franchise-tagged him last offseason. He described an "unsettling" change in his relationship with now-former head coach Matt Nagy, whom the Bears fired after this past season.

But overall, Robinson seems to be focusing on his future without the Bears in it. 

"One of 32 teams is going to get a very, very, very, hungry player, whoever that may be," he said.

Robinson had an $18.0 million cap hit this past season, higher than fellow soon-to-be free agents Davante Adams ($16.8 million) and Chris Godwin ($16.0 million). Spotrac projects Robinson to be worth $16.3 million in average annual salary moving forward, which is lower than both Adams ($25.8 million) and Godwin ($18.1 million).

Injuries limited Robinson to only 12 games in 2021, and he finished with only 38 receptions for 410 yards and one touchdown. Rookie quarterback Justin Fields developed a clear rapport with second-year wideout Darnell Mooney this past season, which could make the Bears even more inclined to move on from Robinson this offseason.

If the Bears franchise-tag Robinson again, it would cost about $21.6 million. Instead, expect them to let him walk and sign with a new team.

If he reaches free agency, Stephon Gilmore will be the top cornerback on the open market. 

The New England Patriots traded Gilmore to the Carolina Panthers in October for a 2023 sixth-round pick. He made the Pro Bowl this season after totaling two interceptions, two passes defended and a tackle for loss in eight games with the Panthers (three starts).

The Panthers acquired Gilmore after rookie first-round pick Jaycee Horn suffered a broken foot in Week 3. They also sent a 2022 third-round pick and tight end Dan Arnold to the Jacksonville Jaguars in late September for fellow cornerback C.J. Henderson (the No. 9 overall pick in 2020) and a 2022 fifth-rounder.

Henderson and Horn are set to earn $7.3 million combined next season, while Spotrac projects Gilmore's average annual salary to land at $14.1 million. The Panthers are projected to have nearly $19 million in cap space, so they could retain him if so desired, but they'll likely spend most of that money on a new quarterback instead.

If the Panthers let him walk, Gilmore shouldn't have trouble finding a team willing to pay him $14 million annually. If he wanted to take a hometown discount to remain in Carolina, it would have to be quite large.

Melvin Gordon III's time with the Denver Broncos might wind up being short-lived, but it isn't due to a lack of production.

After signing a two-year, $16 million contract with Denver in March 2020, Gordon tallied 1,904 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground to go with 60 catches for 371 yards and three touchdowns. He played in all but two games over those two seasons, too.

However, the Broncos might have gotten a glimpse of their backfield of the future in their Week 13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

With Gordon sidelined by a hip injury, the duo of rookie tailback Javonte Williams and free-agent signee Mike Boone combined for 137 yards on the ground. Williams shouldered most of that load (102 yards), although Boone added 35 yards on only four carries. Williams also added six receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown.

The Broncos are projected to have $40.4 million in cap space, so they could re-sign Gordon if so desired. But with 17 players set to become unrestricted free agents and a quarterback spot in desperate need of an upgrade, they aren't likely to prioritize re-signing Gordon.

Although Gordon lived up to his contract in Denver, Williams should take control of this backfield moving forward. The Broncos should turn their attention elsewhere before looking to re-up Gordon. 

After winning Super Bowl LV, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pulled off another impressive feat when they managed to re-sign many of their big-name free agents, including defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Fast-forward to today, and Tampa Bay's run is over. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady has announced his retirement, and the Bucs will likely enter a rebuilding period.

With a projected $18 million in cap space this offseason, the Buccaneers aren't likely to prioritize re-signing Suh again. The 35-year-old should focus on getting the highest-paying deal he can to maximize the rest of his NFL career. 

A handful of teams with money to burn could use a player like Suh, a durable and productive pass-rusher who has totaled six sacks and double-digit quarterback hits in each of his last two seasons. The Jacksonville Jaguars had only 32 sacks in 2021 and are projected to have the third-most cap space. The Detroit Lions could also pursue a reunion with Suh, as they're projected to have $24 million in cap space and could take advantage of a changing of the guard in the NFC North if Aaron Rodgers leaves the Green Bay Packers.

The league still has a place for Suh in 2022. But Tampa Bay doesn't. 

The New Orleans Saints are in cap hell, sitting at an estimated $76 million over the cap. That's the worst cap situation in the league by far. 

It's also a new era in New Orleans, with Sean Payton having stepped away as head coach and no clear successor to franchise quarterback Drew Brees. The Saints are about to embark upon a major rebuild, and they need to clear as much salary off their books as they can while they do so.

Left tackle Terron Armstead has spent his entire career with New Orleans and has been a fantastic anchor on its offensive line. However, he's now 30 years old and is set to become an unrestricted free agent.

Spotrac projects Armstead's average annual value on his next contract to be $23.9 million. The Saints won't be able to afford anything close to that without making wholesale changes across the rest of their roster.

Next season, Armstead will likely be suiting up for another team for the first time in his career. 

Odell Beckham Jr. has far outplayed the one-year deal that he signed with the Los Angeles Rams in November. It came with only $1.25 million in guaranteed salary and an additional $3 million in incentives tied to playoff success, many of which he has already met.

Beckham caught 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns during eight regular-season games with the Rams. He's also hauled in 19 catches for 236 yards in a touchdown in their three playoff games to date.

The Rams are 5-1 in games where Beckham has been targeted more than five times, and they're also 5-1 in games where he's scored a touchdown, per Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times. The 29-year-old has set himself up to sign one more lucrative contract this offseason.

It just might not be with the Rams, who are currently projected to be $8.1 million over next year's salary cap. They also have to figure out what to do about pending unrestricted free agents Von Miller and Sony Michel, among others.

With Robert Woods returning from an ACL tear in 2022 to rejoin a stellar wideout group anchored by Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson, the Rams don't necessarily need to pay Beckham what he figures to command elsewhere in free agency.

Salary-cap figures and contract details via Spotrac.