Believe it or not, it’s time to start thinking about Free Agency. The beginning of the Free Agent Signing Period starts at midnight on February 29th. These rankings were comprised regardless of free agent status (i.e. Restricted or Unrestricted) but the status is indicated as “RFA” for “Restricted Free Agent” and “UFA” for “Unrestricted Free Agent” to the right of the player name. The definitions of each are as follows:

UFA: A Player who has at least four years experience at the expiration of a contract can sign with any team with no compensation to his former club.

RFA: Restricted free agents have three years of experience at the end of their contracts and must be tendered an offer sheet before April 15. The player's current club has seven days to match the offer, or the player's rights revert to the team that tendered the sheet. Teams are awarded compensatory draft picks based on the quantity and quality of restricted free agents it loses to other squads in the previous year's free-agent period.

Top Five Free Agent Offensive Tackles

1. Flozell Adams - UFA- Though it seems like he has been around forever, Adams is still just 31 years old. A Pro Bowler in four of the last five years, Adams should be a lock to get the kind of money Cowboys’
teammate Leonard Davis got in last year’s free agent market.

2. Jordan Gross- UFA- The #8 overall selection in the 2003 NFL Draft. He started every game for the Panthers that season at right tackle, and did not miss a single offensive play. He allowed only three sacks all season, and was an anchor on the offensive line that sent the Panthers to Super Bowl XXXVIII. Ha started all 16 games in each of the last five seasons.

3. Travelle Wharton - UFA- A versatile performer who can play either tackle or guard, Wharton recovered from tearing his ACL and MCL in the first game of the 2006 season to start all 16 games at left tackle in 2007.

4. Jason Fabini- UFA- Fabini was drafted by Bill Parcells when he was with the Jets in 1998 and followed him to Dallas for the 2006 season which has some people guessing his next stop may be Miami. Has played all16 games in seven of ten seasons.

5. Sean Locklear- UFA- Though Locklear played 16 games at right tackle in 2007, he broke into the league as a guard out of NC State in 2004. With the Seattle line not getting any younger around Locklear, look for Seattle to make a big push to retain his services.

Best of the Rest:
6. Max Starks- UFA
7. Todd Steussie- UFA
8. Trai Essex- RFA
9. Stacy Andrews- UFA
10. Chris Kemoeatu- UFA