When does NFL free agency begin?
NFL free agency really starts on Feb. 15, when teams are allowed to exercise the franchise or transition tag on one player. Several of the top unrestricted free agents with be tagged as franchise players.
That locks them into a one-year deal — their salaries are no less than the average of the top five players at their position, with fully guaranteed money. Players tagged for a second consecutive year will earn at least a 20 percent bump from their 2016 salary.
Players not tagged by 4 p.m. ET on March 1 will head to NFL free agency. March 7 is the beginning of the "legal tampering" period of free agency, when teams can begin negotiating with representatives of free agents to the point of agreeing to terms.
When the 2017 league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on March 9, the free agency and trading period officially opens, and all contracts can become formalized.
MORE: Mock Draft 2017
NFL free agents 2017: top unrestricted players
The unsigned (so far) class of 2017 has some big offensive names, but the core of most valuable studs lie on defense. Here is Sporting News' ranking of the best 20 unrestricted free agents, who can sign with new teams without restriction unless franchise-tagged before the deadline.
1. Le'Veon Bell. RB, Steelers: He's still only 24 and is arguably the game's most indispensable back. Pittsburgh will keep him around — the only question is whether it's willing to give him his desired long-term deal given some durability concerns.
2. Eric Berry, S, Chiefs: At 28, he's in his prime as a playmaking leader. Kansas City can't get by with tagging him again. It's time to reward him and lock him up before he takes his great wares elsewhere.
3. Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Patriots: The 26-year-old stud is coming off a terrific all-around season, stamped by his game-changing play vs. Matt Ryan in Super Bowl LI. New England should want to make sure he's not going anywhere, but the history of Bill Belichick and high-value defensive players (see Jamie Collins, Chandler Jones) is unpredictable. Hightower is less interchangeable and more "in the system" than those guys were, however.
4. Melvin Ingram, OLB, Chargers: It was the Joey Bosa Show getting the most attention for the now bolting Bolts, but Ingram, a first-rounder who battled major injury early in his career, has put together back-to-back terrific full seasons, totaling 125 tackles, 18.5 sacks, 11 passes defensed and seven forced fumbles. He can dominate the market at only 27.
5. Kawann Short, DT, Panthers: Short wasn't quite as nasty for Carolina this past season as he was during the team's Super Bowl 50 run, but the now 28-year-old remained a stud as an inside pass rusher and run stuffer. He's a priority re-signing for the team.
6. Chandler Jones, OLB, Cardinals: Arizona won this trade with the Patriots, but now the trick is trying to keep the rising 26-year-old's services. Jones kept up nicely with the transition to a different edge-rushing position with 11 sacks, only slightly off his work as an end in New England.
7. A.J. Bouye, CB, Texans: Bouye had flashed before but really broke out as a strong cover corner in 2016. He was well-rounded and all over the field, with his 16 passes defensed, INT, sack and 64 tackles. At 6-0, 191 pounds, the 25-year-old also has great size to make him well worth it.
8. Kevin Zeitler, G, Bengals: Kelechi Osemele and Alex Mack proved last year how much impact a new interior offensive lineman can have on a team. Zeitler, 26, is the best right guard in the NFL not named Marshal Yanda or Zack Martin.
9. Brandon Williams, DT, Ravens: The Giants had arguably the best free-agent signing last season with former Jets nose tackle Damon Harrison. Williams is the same kind of linchpin against the run for Baltimore, only with much of Short's pass-rush pop. That will make everyone want to pay up, including the Ravens. Not bad for a 27-year-old small-schooler.
10. Stephon Gilmore, CB, Bills: Gilmore was inconsistent in coverage in 2016, with some big games on the ball and others in which he got torched. He's still too talented and too big (6-1, 190 pounds)a cover man at age 26 to not be highly coveted by everyone. With Buffalo needing to pay fellow corner Ronald Darby soon, it could easily lose Gilmore to another bidder without tagging him.
11. Calais Campbell, DE, Cardinals: Campbell remains a 3-4 freak at 6-8, 300 pounds, as he had his best season since 2013 with eight sacks and six passes defensed. The fact that he'll turn 31 before the start of the 2017 season is the real concern on what kind of deal Arizona or another team might give him. He might be too rich for the Cardinals; watch out for the Broncos for the Denver native.
12. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Bears: When Jeffery, 26, is healthy, he's one of the best big-play receivers in the game. But there always seems to be some sort of lower body issue keeping him out of action, including hamstring and calf injuries the past two seasons. That's only the reason he's down here. There's a good chance, because of that recent history and with his team not in position to afford a luxury keeper, Chicago lets him walk.
13. Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins: Cousins didn't take any major leaps, but he showed enough in 2016 for Washington to accept that he's the best it can get in the third-tier veteran QB market. After he made $19.953 million with the franchise tag last year, it would be smarter for the Redskins to go long-term with him. For Cousins, 28, he shouldn't mind "betting on himself" again with another tag, because that comes with $23.94 million, all guaranteed.
14. Terrelle Pryor, WR, Browns: This might seem high for a guy who just switched positions, but getting to 77 catches for 1,007 yards and four TDs in Cleveland was very impressive. At 6-4, 223 pounts, he has found his NFL calling at age 27. The Browns will make him a priority after locking up Collins, and they can also afford the estimated wideout tag of $16 million if needed.
15. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, Giants: There are reasons to be up with JPP, because he did have seven sacks in 12 games, showing the hand injury is behind him. Some of that same young athletic pass-rushing freak is there at age 28. But he's coming off a core muscle injury and has been out there in full for only three of his six non-rookie seasons. Because of that durability concern, a short-term deal is the best investment in him.
16. Nick Perry, OLB, Packers: Green Bay had been waiting a long time for Perry to break out as an edge pass rusher, and he finally did so with a team-high 11 sacks in 2016. It was well timed for the 26-year-old's contract year. There is a mild concern is that the element was a bit flashy, and his value is more of just a steady player against the run.
17. Dontari Poe, DT, Chiefs: Poe got most of his attention offensively for his two "fat guy" touchdowns against the Raiders and Broncos. But at 6-3, 246 pounds, he has fallen short of his defensive potential from the nose position the past two seasons. With Kansas City needing to worry about Berry most, Poe is likely to find a new home as a 26-year-old.
18. Martellus Bennett, TE, Patriots: Bennett will turn 30 on March 10, a day after free agency begins. He had a strong first year with New England, tallying 55 catches for 701 yards and seven TDs. He remains a good run blocker, too. He played through it banged up, however, and was coming off a injury-marred final season with the Bears in 2015.
19. T.J. Lang, G, Packers: The other strong right guard on the market will turn 30 in September. Lang had a good 2016 and avoided the need for major surgery on the two injuries that plagued him, to his foot and to his hip. He's a very good run blocker and is solid enough in pass protection.
20. Trumaine Johnson, CB, Rams: Los Angeles didn't get good returns by keeping him with a franchise tag over Janoris Jenkins, as Johnson's on-ball playmaking fell sharply for now ex-coordinator Gregg Williams. At 6-2, 208 pounds, however, he is type of big defensive back that new coordinator Wade Phillips would like to have in single coverage. With Johnson, 27, already high on the corner market, he's set up to be a worthy free agent for L.A. or someone else in 2017.