Ranking the Free Agent's for 2015 (Defense)

The NFL regular season is over and it's time for non-playoff teams to start thinking about improving their teams. The best way for an NFL team to upgrade their team is through the NFL Draft, and that's no secret. It's best to draft a talent that fits the scheme that a coach has in place, and grabbing a young player who you can develop and mold into the player you want is an ideal situation for everyone involved. However, the draft isn't the only way to upgrade your team immediately. The other way you can upgrade your team's personnel is through free agency. I'm not a big free agent guy myself. I don't think filling your team with players that other team's coined "not worthy of being here", is the best way to build an immediate winner, but sometimes you can find some real gems in the free agent world (Denver getting Emmanuel Sanders last year for example) that can pay off tremendously. Anyway, here are my current free agent rankings. This list will be updated as teams continue to release players:


(Props to ProFootballFocus.com for helping with this list)

Dustin James' 2015 NFL Free Agent Rankings (Defense):

Edge Defenders

1. Justin Houston (Kansas City Chiefs)

2. Derrick Morgan (Tennessee Titans)

3. Jason Pierre-Paul (New York Giants)

4. Jason Worilds (Pittsburgh Steelers)

5. Jerry Hughes (Buffalo Bills)

6. Pernell McPhee (Baltimore Ravens)

7. Brandon Graham (Philadelphia Eagles)

8. Jabaal Sheard (Cleveland Browns)

9. Arthur Moats (Pittsburgh Steelers)

10. Brian Orakpo (Washington Redskins)

Other Free Agents: James Harrison (Pittsburgh Steelers), Dwight Freeney (San Diego Chargers), Brooks Reed (Houston Texans), Anthony Spencer (Dallas Cowboys), Sam Acho (Arizona Cardinals), Osi Umenyiora (Atlanta Falcons), Marcus Benard (Arizona Cardinals), Greg Hardy (Carolina Panthers), George Johnson (Detroit Lions), Dan Skuta (San Francisco 49ers), Andy Studebaker (Indianapolis Colts), O'Brien Schofield (Seattle Seahawks), Akeem Ayers (New England Patriots), Lawrence Sidbury (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Austen Lane (Chicago Bears), Dezman Moses (Kansas City Chiefs), Jermaine Cunningham (New York Jets), Adrian Clayborn (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Jarius Wynn (Buffalo Bills), Cliff Matthews (Atlanta Falcons), Trevor Scott (Chicago Bears), C.J. Wilson (Oakland Raiders), John Abraham (Arizona Cardinals). Derrick Shelby (Miami Dolphins), Darryl Tapp (Detroit Lions), George Selvie (Dallas Cowboys), Kroy Biermann (Atlanta Falcons), Larry English (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Quentin Groves (Tennessee Titans), Tyson Alualu (Jacksonville Jaguars), Corey Wootton (Minnesota Vikings)

Interior Defensive Lineman

1. Ndamukong Suh (Detroit Lions)

2. Stephen Paea (Chicago Bears)

3. Damon Harrison (New York Jets)

4. Jared Odrick (Miami Dolphins)

5. Terrance Knighton (Denver Broncos)

6. Dan Williams (Arizona Cardinals)

7. Nick Fairley (Detroit Lions)

8. Tyrunn Walker (New Orleans Saints)

9. Cedric Thornton (Philadelphia Eagles)

10. Sealver Siliga (New England Patriots)

Other Free Agents: Tommy Kelly (Arizona Cardinals), Tom Johnson (Minnesota Vikings), C.J. Mosley (Detroit Lions), Cory Redding (Indianapolis Colts), Ricardo Mathews (San Diego Chargers), Leger Douzable (New York Jets), Karl Klug (Tennessee Titans), Kenrick Ellis (New York Jets), Corey Peters (Atlanta Falcons), Greg Scruggs (Seattle Seahawks), Travian Robertson (Washington Redskins), Josh Price-Brent (Dallas Cowboys), B.J. Raji (Green Bay Packers), Chris Neild (Washington Redskins), D'Anthony Smith (Seattle Seahawks), Fili Moala (Indianapolis Colts), Kevin Williams (Seattle Seahawks), Alan Branch (New England Patriots), Terrence Cody (Baltimore Ravens), Alameda Ta'amu (Arizona Cardinals), Clifton Geathers (Pittsburgh Steelers), Kevin Vickerson (Kansas City Chiefs), Christo Bilukidi (Baltimore Ravens), Mitch Unrein (Denver Broncos), Demarcus Dobbs (Seattle Seahawks), Ishmaa'ily Kitchen (Cleveland Browns), Andre Fluellen (Detroit Lions), Pat Sims (Oakland Raiders), Lawrence Guy (Baltimore Ravens), Da'Quan Bowers (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Letroy Guion (Green Bay Packers), Dwan Edwards (Carolina Panthers), Alex Carrington (St. Louis Rams), Ryan Pickett (Houston Texans), Devon Still (Cincinnati Bengals), Colin Cole (Carolina Panthers), Sione Fua (Cleveland Browns), Mike Patterson (New York Giants), Ahtyba Rubin (Cleveland Browns), Tim Jamison (Houston Texans), Brandon Deaderick (New Orleans Saints), Jerrell Powe (Houston Texans), Jarvis Jenkins (Washington Redskins), Nick Hayden (Dallas Cowboys)

Linebackers

1. Rolando McClain (Dallas Cowboys)

2. Brandon Spikes (Buffalo Bills)

3. Geno Hayes (Jacksonville Jaguars)

4. Craig Robertson (Cleveland Browns)

5. Lance Briggs (Chicago Bears)

6. Jasper Brinkley (Minnesota Vikings)

7. Justin Durant (Dallas Cowboys)

8. Jason Trusnik (Miami Dolphins)

9. Parys Haralson (New Orleans Saints)

10. Mark Herzlich (New York Giants)

Other Free Agents: Akeem Dent (Houston Texans), Ashlee Palmer (Detroit Lions), Nate Irving (Denver Broncos), Jonathan Freeney (Miami Dolphins), Kaelin Burnett (Tennessee Titans), Kelvin Sheppard (Miami Dolphins), Larry Dean (Buffalo Bills), Chris White (New England Patriots), Colin McCarthy (Tennessee Titans), Heath Farwell (Seattle Seahawks), Moise Fokou (New Orleans Saints), Sean Weatherspoon (Atlanta Falcons), Stevenson Sylvester (Buffalo Bills), Will Herring (St. Louis Rams), Rey Maualuga (Cincinnati Bengals), Andrew Gachkar (San Diego Chargers), Jason Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Desmond Bishop (San Francisco 49ers), David Harris (New York Jets), Spencer Paysinger (New York Giants), Chase Blackburn (Carolina Panthers), Nick Bellore (New York Jets), Josh Bynes (Detroit Lions), Jamari Lattimore (Green Bay Packers), Darryl Sharpton (Chicago Bears), Michael Morgan (Seattle Seahawks), Jeff Tarpinian (Houston Texans), Jacquian Williams (New York Giants), Jonathan Casillas (New England Patriots), Jerrell Freeman (Indianapolis Colts), D.J. Williams (Chicago Bears), Mason Foster (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Bruce Carter (Dallas Cowboys), Steven Johnson (Denver Broncos), Malcolm Smith (Seattle Seahawks), Casey Matthews (Philadelphia Eagles), Emmanuel Lamur (Cincinnati Bengals), Dane Fletcher (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Ramon Humber (New Orleans Saints), Josh Mauga (Kansas City Chiefs), J.T. Thomas (Jacksonville Jaguars), Larry Foote (Arizona Cardinals)

Cornerbacks

1. Kareem Jackson (Houston Texans)

2. Chris Culliver (San Francisco 49ers)

3. Sterling Moore (Dallas Cowboys)

4. Brandon Flowers (San Diego Chargers)

5. Perrish Cox (San Francisco 49ers)

6. Rashean Mathis (Detroit Lions)

7. Tramon Williams (Green Bay Packers)

8. Antonio Cromartie (Arizona Cardinals)

9. Patrick Robinson (New Orleans Saints)

10. Antwon Blake (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Other Free Agents: Chris Cook (San Francisco 49ers), Brandon Harris (Tennessee Titans), Josh Gordy (Indianapolis Colts), Josh Thomas (Detroit Lions), Charles Tillman (Chicago Bears), Mike Harris (New York Giants), Javier Arenas (Atlanta Falcons), Alan Ball (Jacksonville Jaguars), Aaron Ross (Baltimore Ravens), Teddy Williams (Jacksonville Jaguars), Danny Gorrer (Baltimore Ravens), Davon House (Green Bay Packers), Byron Maxwell (Seattle Seahawks), Walter Thurmond (New York Giants), Justin Rogers (Washington Redskins), Jarrett Bush (Green Bay Packers), Mike Jenkins (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Tony Carter (Denver Broncos), Terence Newman (Cincinnati Bengals), R.J. Stanford (Miami Dolphins), Sherrod Martin (Jacksonville Jaguars), Brice McCain (Pittsburgh Steelers), Sherrick McManis (Chicago Bears), Chimdi Chekwa (Oakland Raiders), Darius Butler (Indianapolis Colts), Carlos Rogers (Oakland Raiders), Zackary Bowman (New York Giants), James Dockery (Carolina Panthers), Tarrell Brown (Oakland Raiders), Josh Wilson (Atlanta Falcons), Kyle Wilson (New York Jets), Cassius Vaughn (Detroit Lions), Buster Skrine (Cleveland Browns), Chris Owens (Kansas City Chiefs), Jimmy Wilson (Miami Dolphins), Leonard Johnson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Phillip Adams (New York Jets), Robert McClain (Atlanta Falcons), Bradley Fletcher (Philadelphia Eagles), Ike Taylor (Pittsburgh Steelers), Antoine Cason (Baltimore Ravens), Charles Godfrey (Atlanta Falcons), Chykie Brown (New York Giants), E.J. Biggers (Washington Redskins), Shareece Wright (Tennessee Titans)

Safeties

1. Devin McCourty (New England Patriots)

2. Tashaun Gipson (Cleveland Browns)

3. Patrick Chung (New England Patriots)

4. Dawan Landry (New York Jets)

5. Mike Adams (Indianapolis Colts)

6. Da'Norris Searcy (Buffalo Bills)

7. Nate Allen (Philadelphia Eagles)

8. Darian Stewart (Baltimore Ravens)

9. Will Hill (Baltimore Ravens)

10. Sergio Brown (Indianapolis Colts)

Other Free Agents: Jeromey Miles (Baltimore Ravens), Jim Leonhard (Cleveland Browns), Kurt Coleman (Kansas City Chiefs), Jaiquawn Jarrett (New York Jets), Danieal Manning (Houston Texans), Kendrick Lewis (Houston Texans), Jeron Johnson (Seattle Seahawks), Jamarca Sanford (New Orleans Saints), Dwight Lowery (Atlanta Falcons), Isa Abdul-Quddus (Detroit Lions), Rodney McLeod (St. Louis Rams), Rahim Moore (Denver Broncos), Stevie Brown (New York Giants), Sean Richardson (Green Bay Packers), Robert Golden (Pittsburgh Steelers), Duke Ihenacho (Washington Redskins), Colt Anderson (Indianapolis Colts), Tommie Campbell (Jacksonville Jaguars), Delano Howell (Indianapolis Colts), Ray Ventrone (San Francisco 49ers), Johnson Bademosi (Cleveland Browns), Louis Delmas (Detroit Lions), Taylor Mays (Cincinnati Bengals), Major Wright (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Danny McCray (Chicago Bears), Larry Asante (Oakland Raiders), Kelcie McCray (Kansas City Chiefs), Brandon Meriweather (Washington Redskins), Chris Conte (Chicago Bears), Quinton Carter (Denver Broncos), Will Allen (Pittsburgh Steelers), Charles Woodson (Oakland Raiders), C.J. Spillman (Dallas Cowboys), Quintin Demps (New York Giants), Marcus Gilchrist (San Diego Chargers), Ron Parker (Kansas City Chiefs), Brandian Ross (Oakland Raiders), Antrel Rolle (New York Giants), George Wilson (Tennessee Titans), Ryan Clark (Washington Redskins)