Ranking the top 25 NFL free agents this offseason
By Ian Wharton
14. Dee Ford, EDGE, Kansas City Chiefs
Possibly the scariest free-agent this season is Dee Ford. Turning 28 and coming off what was easily a career season with 13 sacks and seven forced fumbles, it’s hard to have faith he’ll consistently reproduce that stat line again. Many forget Ford was good in 2016 as well with 10 sacks, but his consistency wasn’t nearly at the level of this year.
The smart money play is for Kansas City to franchise tag him and make him do it again before considering long-term money. His late breakout and injuries might mean he never gets a gigantic multi-year deal. The Chiefs should treat him as a rental in 2019 and plan to replace him with a draft pick.
Projected deal: One year, $17.3 million (franchise tag) or four years, $65 million
Best fits: Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers