NFL free agency 2024: 10 most intriguing names, and where we think they'll wind up

With the negotiating window opening on Monday and new deals able to become official on Wednesday, there will be plenty of big-name players making big-time moves in the next few days. Here is a look at 10 of the most intriguing and compelling free agents — including two big ones from the New York market — along with some predictions on where they might end up:

Saquon Barkley, RB

Unable to reach a deal with the Giants after what has essentially been about 16 months of negotiating, the running back will head to the open market to have his value decided. That’s a complicated calculus given his age (27), position and injury history. It’s not foregone that his days in New York are over, but more than likely someone will step up and pay him more than the Giants have been willing to offer.

Prediction: Philadelphia

Kirk Cousins, QB

The 35-year-old veteran was playing some of the best football of his career before suffering a torn Achilles in October. It’s a daunting injury to overcome at any age (don’t let the Jets tell you otherwise!) and suitors for Cousins will have to approach with caution and a backup plan. But he should be able to help any of the quarterback-starved franchises that populate the league and lift them to playoff contenders.

Prediction: Atlanta

Chris Jones, DT

Kansas City passed on using the franchise tag on the centerpiece of their dynastic defense because it would have cost them a staggering $32 million straight up against the cap. Given his age (29) and production, there is a good chance Jones winds up topping Aaron Donald ($31.6 million average annual salary) as the highest-paid player at his position. Kansas City already has three Super Bowl titles thanks in part to Jones; will they want to pay that kind of money for the possibility of a few more?

Prediction: Kansas City

Bryce Huff, Edge

There is an old NFL adage: The more you can do, the more valuable you are. But what if you do just one thing? Even if you do it really really well? That’s what the league has to decide regarding Huff, whose per-snap pass-rush numbers the last two years with the Jets were Hall of Fame-worthy but who wasn’t able to crack their every-down player rotation. It may not be worth it for another team to throw millions at him to find out what he can do, which is why the most likely destination for him is with the team that knows his strengths and weaknesses the best.

Prediction: Jets

Justin Simmons, S

The safety market has changed dramatically in the past week with a slew of releases including Simmons, a two-time Pro Bowler, being freed up by the Broncos along with Kevin Byard from the Eagles, Quandre Diggs from the Seahawks, and Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde from Buffalo. That probably means it could take some time to sort through the market before the top players start getting offers (and it also buys time for a team like the Giants to come to terms with Xavier McKinney if that’s what both sides want).

Prediction: Detroit

Mike Onwenu, OL

One of the most versatile offensive linemen on the market, an excellent guard who shifted seamlessly back to tackle for the Patriots last season, he can become a cornerstone for any team looking to overhaul its front five. Anyone know a team in that position? Yes, he’d be an ideal signing for the Giants as a possible replacement for Evan Neal at right tackle or, if Neal manages to regain some consistency, a buff interior blocker. The Giants are now in their second decade of trying to fix their O-line and adding Onwenu would be a fine way to begin the latest attempt at it.

Prediction: Giants

Chase Young, Edge

Once the prize of his draft class — remember when the Giants had to “settle” for LT Andrew Thomas rather than Young? — Young’s career was derailed by injury in Washington before a midseason trade to the 49ers that did little to spark a rebirth in him. He still brings a lot of raw talent at age 24, plays a highly-valued position, and somewhere out there is a coach who believes he can harness all of that. In a free agent class that also incudes Danielle Hunter, Jonathan Greenard and Za’Darius Smith at his position, Young will probably have to settle for a one-year prove-it deal.

Prediction: Pittsburgh

Russell Wilson, QB

Anyone interested in a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the veteran’s minimum (thanks to offsets from bloated contract he signed with the Broncos two years ago) to be a bridge starter or backup? Anyone? The bigger question than where Wilson winds up is how he and his notoriously gung-ho personality will adapt to what is sure to be a very new, diminished role for him. It’s hard to see him being a chill vet the way another player in a somewhat similar position, Joe Flacco, was for the Browns last season. Wilson is not the quarterback he was in Seattle any longer, but he’s also probably not the one he was in Denver either.

Prediction: Indianapolis

Gabe Davis, WR

Probably the most well-rounded of the receivers on the market and the most capable of being someone’s true No. 1 (Calvin Ridley comes closest to him). He’s shown an ability to click with a top-tier quarterback during his tenure in Buffalo and if he’s smart he’ll find himself an opportunity to play with another one even if it is on a contract with a little less money or years.

Prediction: Cincinnati

Tyron Smith, LT

There aren’t a lot of great left tackles flooding the market this year, but Smith’s decade as one of the best at his position (and one of the most underpaid the last few years) puts him at the top of the list. The one drawback for him is his age (33) which means he’ll probably be pursued by a team that needs a steady veteran to protect its franchise QB.

Prediction: Kansas City

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.