NFL Free Agency: Who are the 25 best players on the market?

20. ILB Blake Martinez

Martinez has been a tackling machine for the Packers, with over 140 total tackles and more than 90 solo take-downs in each of the last three seasons (first or second in the league in total tackles all three seasons). Over the last four seasons, Martinez’ 512 total tackles trails only Seattle’s Bobby Wagner (597 total tackles).

Over the last two campaigns Martinez has added some passing rushing juice, with eight combined sacks. In 2019, among 60 off-the-ball linebackers to play more than half of their team’s run snaps, Pro Football Focus credited him with the fourth-most run stops (37).

Under the same 50 percent of the snaps criteria, but in passing snaps, PFF graded Martinez 16th in snaps per reception among 47 qualifiers. His number of missed tackles was high (16), but Martinez was still a top-20 linebacker for PFF in tackling efficiency (58 qualifiers who played at least half of overall snaps).

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Martinez is set to seek at least $10 million per year in free agency. The Packers reportedly want to pay him a little less than that — in the $8 million per year range depending on the structure of a deal.

As an every-down linebacker who can cover and get after the quarterback a bit as well as stifle the run, Martinez will get paid by someone. It’s unclear if that someone will be Green Bay, but general manager Brian Gutekunst doesn’t seem likely to engage in a bidding war.