NFL Capflation, Khalil Mack's Best Fits, More | 4 Downs

Projecting the Best Fits for Top Impending Defensive Free Agents

There is no NFL offseason.

Just 22 days ago, the Philadelphia Eagles hoisted the Lombardi aloft for the second time in franchise history. In nine days, the new league year begins, and free agency officially opens. 

However, the groundwork for many of the deals that will be agreed upon during the “legal” tampering period in two weeks was laid last week in Indianapolis during the NFL Scouting Combine.

It has never been more clear than from my conversations over the past seven days that it’s starting to become an open question just how much the actual workouts on the field are merely an excuse for the league to gather and start negotiating free agent contracts.

“At some point, the training has surpassed the value of the 40 [yard dash],” an NFC personnel executive tells me. “Everyone runs fast, even if they don’t play fast. It’s become little more than a made-for-TV event.”

The real value, as it always has been, in the NFL Combine, is the chance for teams to interview the prospects and the information gleaned from the medical exams each player undergoes upon arriving in Indianapolis.

So, with free agency approaching, we’ll profile and preview some of the biggest names, set expectations for their market, and, after conversations with sources around the NFL, predict the top players' most likely landing places.

Today, we focus on the defense and the impact of a record-breaking salary cap. Next Monday morning, on the eve of the market opening, our attention will shift to the top offensive players available.

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First Down: Khalil Mack’s Top Free Agent Destinations Revealed

This is a tremendous year to be targeting a pass rusher in the NFL Draft.

It might be the deepest position in this year’s class.

This is also a great opportunity for pass-rush-needy teams across the league to drain Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry’s phone battery with offers for former Defensive Player of The Year, Myles Garrett.