Top pass rushers Shaq Barrett (Bucs), Romeo Okwara (Lions) kept off NFL free-agent market by re-signing with their teams
Two of the best potential defensive free agents in the NFL will not hit the market after all as Shaq Barrett has re-signed with the Bucs and Romeo Okwara has with the Lions.
The "legal tampering period" in NFL free agency opens at 4 p.m. ET Monday, so it is going to be a hectic day around the league with plenty of signings leaked even though nothing can be made official until Wednesday afternoon. However, the free-agent market just lost two of its potential best pass-rushers with outside linebacker Shaq Barrett re-signing with the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Bucs and end Romeo Okwara doing the same with the Detroit Lions.
Tampa Bay already seems to have won the offseason by somehow managing to keep receiver Chris Godwin (franchise tag), and linebackers Barrett and Lavonte David despite the salary cap being about $16 million less than it was last season. That Tom Brady reworked his contract helped clear up a lot of cap space.
Barrett was considered the top free-agent edge rusher as he led the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2019 in being named to his first Pro Bowl and had eight in 15 games last season while playing on the franchise tag – four more sacks in the playoff run (he terrorized Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl). Barrett reportedly got a four-year deal with up to $72 million that includes $36 million fully guaranteed. The Bucs are +900 second-favorites at William Hill Sportsbook to win Super Bowl 56. Will the Bucs try to bring back free-agent running back Leonard Fournette, too?
Detroit opted not to franchise Pro Bowl receiver Kenny Golladay for some reason but is keeping Okwara on a three-year, $39 million deal. The 25-year-old was undrafted out of Notre Dame in 2016 and began his career with the Giants but did very little there. He landed in Detroit ahead of the 2018 season off waivers and had a breakout 2020 campaign with a career-best 10 sacks and three forced fumbles.
The Lions are still going to be terrible next season as they rebuild after letting Golladay walk and trading Matthew Stafford. The SportsLine Projection Model forecasts Detroit to win an NFC-low 4.9 games in 2021 – that's using only the known 16 opponents for the Lions. There will be a 17th game made official for every team at some point soon.
CBS Sports' Pete Prisco ranked Barrett as the No. 6 overall potential free agent on the market and Okwara at No. 21. His top edge rusher now is Cincinnati's Carl Lawson at No. 18.Â
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