The luster of NFL free agency wears off rather quickly when the season gets started and, generally, one or two years into big-money deals that are signed for players switching teams. With teams getting smarter about locking up their players sooner and the ability to franchise tag players for a year or two, rare does a truly game-changing player at a position of value and under the age of 30 actually hit the free agent market.
Taking a look at the top of this year’s free agent class, there is just one player who will play all of next season under the age of 30 who didn’t receive the franchise tag: DT Christian Wilkins.