Tim Fuller/USA Today Ndamukong Suh is among the top players who can become free agents this offseason.
With NFL free agency beginning March 10, ESPN Stats & Information will examine some of the biggest issues surrounding the 2015 free-agent class.
This year’s free-agent class is highlighted by its star power. Among the top players who might be available are three-time first-team All-Pro Ndamukong Suh and the NFL’s 2014 leaders in rushing yards (DeMarco Murray), sacks (Justin Houston) and receiving touchdowns (Dez Bryant).
The class features 67 players who have been named to a Pro Bowl, 21 who have been named first-team All-Pro by The Associated Press at some point in their careers (including five in 2014) and four coming off franchise record-breaking seasons (see below).
Notable Players In Prospective 2015 Free-Agent Class
History could be an indicator of whether the biggest names find new addresses:
DeMarco Murray: The NFL’s leading rusher one season has never started the next season on a different team after moving via free agency. The most recent player who led the NFL in rushing and started the next season on a different team was Bill Dudley, who was traded from the Steelers to the Lions before the 1947 season.
Dez Bryant: Since unrestricted free agency began in 1992, Muhsin Muhammad is the only player to lead the NFL in receiving touchdowns and start the next season on a different team. Muhammad was released by the Carolina Panthers and signed by the Chicago Bears in 2005.
Demaryius Thomas: Among the 30 previous occurrences of an NFL player recording 1,500 receiving yards in a season, there have been no instances of the player starting his next season on a different team. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Muhammad has the most receiving yards (1,405) of any player to start the next season on a different team.
Justin Houston: Among the 32 players to lead the NFL in sacks since sacks became an official stat in 1982, two players started the next season on a different team. Most recently, Jared Allen was traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Minnesota Vikings between the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Kevin Greene was the other; he was released by the Panthers after the 1996 season and signed with the San Francisco 49ers.
Top 10 Free-Agent Signings Since Free Agency Began (1992)
The period with the most significant free-agent moves might have been the offseason between the 2005 and 2006 seasons.