NFL free agents 2021: Top 10 offensive linemen
Just how important is the offensive line to a team? Look no further than the Super Bowl. The Bucs had one of the league's best blocking units while the Chiefs were missing their two starting tackles.The result? Tom Brady and the Bucs crushed Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. So, safe to say that teams will want to beef up their offensive lines this offseason to follow the Tampa Bay mold.The Patriots have a pretty good offensive line, but they have a couple of key starters set to hit the open market. That's why two current Pats and one former Patriot are among the top-10 offensive line free agents available this offseason.
Age: 28
2020 stats: 16 games, 16 starts, two sacks allowed, three penalties
Thuney is, once again, one of the best linemen set to hit the market. Last offseason, the Patriots slapped him with the franchise tag, but this year, it looks like they'll let him test the market. Thuney is an iron man who can play any position on the offensive line. He will surely draw interest from numerous teams looking to upgrade their blocking unit and should end up being among the highest-paid guards in the NFL when he inks his new deal.
Age: 29
2020 stats: 13 games, 13 starts, one sack allowed, no penalties
One of the top reasons that Aaron Rodgers had an MVP-type campaign was the performance of his offensive line. Corey Linsley was the best center in football last year and was named an AP All-Pro for his efforts. Linsley has only missed three total games in the last four seasons, so his durability and top-notch play should earn him a contract that pays him among the top centers in the NFL.
Age: 32
2020 stats: 14 games, 14 starts, four sacks allowed, 10 penalties
After sitting out the 2019 season amid a dispute with the Washington Football Team, Williams was traded to San Francisco and took over for Joe Staley at left tackle. The results were excellent, as Williams was able to effectively block for three different quarterbacks while playing in 14 games, the most he had suited up for since 2015. Williams will need to cut down on the penalties a bit, but he is still one of the better tackles in the league and has eight consecutive Pro Bowl nods (in seasons that he has played) to confirm it.
Age: 28
2020 stats: 12 games, 12 starts, two sacks allowed, one penalty
The Patriots saw what life without David Andrews was like in 2019, and it wasn't great. Andrews returned to the fold last year and put forth a great season playing on a Patriots offensive line that was the strength of their offense. New England will let Andrews test the free-agent market to see what's out there, but they probably want to retain him given how important he has been to the success of their offensive line over the years.
Age: 32
2020 stats: 16 games, 16 starts, three sacks allowed, four penalties
Villanueva has long been a good left tackle at the NFL level and he continued to perform last year for the Steelers. With Pittsburgh facing a tough cap situation, they'll have to make a decision on the 6-foot-9 tackle, but considering his durability -- he hasn't missed a game during his six-year NFL career -- Villanueva is one of the safest-looking blockers on the free agent market.
Age: 28
2020 stats: 16 games, 16 starts, three sacks allowed, nine penalties
Williams has fully recovered from the knee injury that sidetracked his 2018 campaign and hampered him a bit through 16 starts in 2019 to become a solid right tackle once again. Williams is versatile enough to play both guard and tackle, so that flexibility will intrigue teams on the open market. The Bills would probably like to keep him considering how well he played at tackle last year. Like the other Williams on this list, Daryl just has to work on cleaning up his penalties a bit.
UPDATE (March 12): Williams re-signed with the Bills ahead of free agency on a three-year deal worth up to $28.2 million.
Age: 29
2020 stats: 16 games, 16 starts, no sacks allowed, three penalties
The Raiders have dismantled their offensive line, as they traded Trent Brown to the Patriots while cutting Richie Incognito and Gabe Jackson. Though he was released, Jackson is still a great starting guard and didn't allow a sack last year. He'll turn 30 in July, but guards can often play well into their mid-30s. So, he should still land a solid contract.
Age: 28
2020 stats: 13 games, 13 starts, two sacks allowed, two penalties
Feiler is another Steelers lineman who has consistently performed over the course of the years. He has made 29 starts the last two years at the tackle and guard spots, and he performed well in his time in both areas.
Age: 27
2020 stats: 16 games, 16 starts, two sacks allowed, three penalties
Karras started in place of David Andrews for the Patriots in 2019 and parlayed that into a starting job with the Dolphins. He was a strong starter for Miami and Brian Flores will probably want to bring him back. In the event that Andrews doesn't return to the Patriots, Karras could make sense as a replacement who already knows the Patriots system.
Age: 26
2020 stats: 14 games, 14 starts, two sacks allowed, one penalty
Pocic came on for the Seahawks last year. The former 2017 second-round pick started 14 games for Seattle and emerged as a quality center. Russell Wilson may have complained about his blocking this offseason, but Pocic certainly wasn't a part of the problem there.
