Mark Craig's 10 NFL free agents to target

NFL free agency technically begins Monday with two days of "legal tampering." Teams can start signing players at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Here are 10 free agents to watch.

Age in Week 1: 26

The 6-3, 248-pounder would have been franchise-tagged if Tennessee wasn't so run heavy. Smith's numbers have increased every season, leading to last year, when his 41 catches produced 25 first downs and eight touchdowns. He's a red-zone mismatch who also averages 6.8 yards after the catch.

Age in Week 1: 28

Dependable, reliable, and possibly the safest pickup in free agency. There's not much to dislike about a sturdy left guard who hasn't missed a start since the Patriots drafted him in 2016. That's 80 regular-season games and 10 playoff games, including three Super Bowls and two championship rings.

Age in Week 1: 30

Yeah, he turns 30 in July. But it's not every year that a first-team All-Pro offensive lineman is free to test the market. Pro Football Focus ranks him seventh on its list of free agents still available. He did miss three games last year, but those are the only games he's missed the past four seasons.

Getting a super productive 24-year-old in free agency doesn't happen every day. Some might view last year's 8.6-yard average on 97 catches as a red flag that Smith-Schuster can't be an outside threat. But he averaged 15.8 yards as a rookie and had a 1,400-yard season in 2018. And did we mention he's only 24?

Age in Week 1: 26

Let's go outside the box and list a returner on this list. Hey, returners are valuable players, too, as Vikings fans have found out the hard way recently. In four seasons, Agnew has returned 74 punts for an 11.6-yard average and four touchdowns, and 64 kickoffs for a 25.8-yard average and one touchdown.

Age in Week 1: 26

If the Saints' salary cap wasn't so out of whack, a 26-year-old coming off a 13½-sack season wouldn't be hitting the open market. He's athletic but also powerful at 6-4, 270 pounds. He had only 6½ sacks his first three seasons, but that's because he didn't become a starter until last year.

Ranked among Pro Football Focus' premier run-stuffers, this 6-3, 318-pounder has not missed a start since being drafted in the second round out of Alabama four years ago. He can help a team struggling to stop the run, but he's also known for being able to play both interior spots in a 4-3.

Age in Week 1: 28

The Bucs reportedly are negotiating with Barrett, one of their Super Bowl LV heroes. He won't come cheap. His play has skyrocketed him financially. He arrived in Tampa on a one-year, $4 million prove-it deal in 2019. He has 31½ sacks and a Lombardi Trophy since then. So, he's proven it — and then some.

Age in Week 1: 25

Pro Football Focus' fifth-ranked safety in 2020 helped the Rams lead the league in total defense and fewest points allowed. He's also the best safety available after others were franchised. The 6-foot, 209-pounder missed 10 games in 2019 but didn't miss a game in his other three seasons.