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These 5 NFL free agents who will get surprising paydays

By Matt Verderame

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Tyrell Williams of Los Angeles Chargers scores his sides first touchdown during the NFL International Series match between Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers at Wembley Stadium on October 21, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Tyrell Williams of Los Angeles Chargers scores his sides first touchdown during the NFL International Series match between Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers at Wembley Stadium on October 21, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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NFL free agency starts on Monday, and there are a handful of players who are going to register surprising paydays, per league conversations.

The NFL free agency tampering period is almost upon us. Come Monday, all 32 teams will start lighting up the phones of agents, trying to find out where they stand in the sweepstakes for said player. In short, it’s madness.

While everybody is already expecting men like Trey Flowers, C.J. Mosley and Le’Veon Bell to cash in, there are some other players worth keeping an eye on.

Through talking within league circles, here are five guys who are going to be paid well beyond what seems to be the general consensus.

5. Za’Darius Smith, EDGE, Baltimore Ravens

With DeMarcus Lawrence, Jadeveon Clowney and Dee Ford being tagged, there’s a thought that pass-rusher market is gone. Not the case. Talk around the league says Za’Darius Smith will cash in on the open market. Smith, 27, notched 8.5 sacks last year with 25 quarterback hits, helping the Ravens win the AFC North. Smith won’t get paid as an elite pass-rusher, but he should settle into the double-digits per season.

4. Denzel Perryman, ILB, Los Angeles Chargers

When Perryman is on the field, he’s one of the best run-stuffing inside linebackers going. It’s really been the injury bug that has hurt him, forcing Perryman to miss 22 games over his rookie deal with Los Angeles. At 26, the former University of Miami star is working with the Chargers to return, but should he hit the market, several teams would be bidding on his services.

3. Rodger Saffold, OG, Los Angeles Rams

Saffold is widely-regarded as the best guard available, but he still goes on the list. Why? Because the national conversation is always on tackles when talking about the offensive line. The Rams have cleared cap space and so retaining him is more of an option than it was a week ago, but he’s still likely to hit the open market. Once there, he’ll have offers that should go well beyond $10 million per year.

2. Preston Smith, DE, Washington Redskins

At 26, Smith is going to cash in. The Redskins are somewhat cash-strapped and are likely letting him walk, allowing the four-year pro to test free agency. In Washington, Smith was a versatile piece who racked up 24.5 sacks and 59 quarterback hits, all while doing a nice job against the run. Flowers is the best defensive lineman on the market, but Smith, who has varying levels of interest from at least 10 teams, is in the mix as the runner-up.

Next: Best NFL player from each state

1. Tyrell Williams, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

When talk starts up about free-agent receivers, Golden Tate and Adam Humphries are getting the most play. However, multiple league sources have told FanSided that Williams will end getting the richest contract of them all. Only 27, Williams has a 1,000-yard season under his belt along with 17 career touchdowns. It’s thought that Williams can be a quality No. 1 receiver if given that role.

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