As of 1 p.m. PT, the 2020 free agency signing period is officially open. On Monday, the "legal tampering" period began where clubs could initiate negotiations with players' representatives. Those deals became official at the start of the new league year on Wednesday.
Kwon Alexander, Tevin Coleman and Daniel Brunskill were free agents last season and each played vital roles in San Francisco's success in 2019. The 49ers can officially continue to build their roster with the addition of those players who have become Unrestricted Free Agents following the expiration of their 2019 player contracts.
Take a look at 25 of the top free agents according to NFL.com, their free agency status, along with a note on their production in 2019.
1. QB Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) *franchise tagged March 16
Prescott is coming off of a career season where the quarterback finished second in the NFL with 4,902 passing yards and a 65.1 completion percentage to go along with 30 touchdowns to 11 interceptions in 2019.
2. WR Amari Cooper (Dallas Cowboys) *agreed to terms with Cowboys March 16
Cooper led the Cowboys in receptions (79), receiving yards (1,189) and touchdowns (eight) last season en route to his fourth Pro Bowl appearance in the last five years.
3. DL Jadeveon Clowney (Seattle Seahawks)
Clowney was a difference-maker in his first season with Seattle, despite posting just three sacks in addition to 13 quarterback hits, 31 total tackles, two fumble recoveries and an interception in 13 games.
4. DL Shaq Barrett (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) *franchise tagged March 16
Barrett is coming off of a breakout campaign in 2019 where he led the league with 19.5 sacks and earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl.
5. DL Yannick Ngakoue (Jacksonville Jaguars) *franchise tagged March 14
The 24-year old edge rusher posted eight sacks to go along with a team-high 13 tackles for loss, tied for the ninth-most among all defensive linemen in 2019.
6. S Justin Simmons (Denver Broncos) *franchise tagged March 13
Pro Football Focus ranked Simmons as the best safety in the league in 2019. He registered four interceptions to go along with 15 passes defended last season, both career highs. Simmons allowed just 25 receptions from 47 targets for 239 yards and no touchdowns.
7. QB Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee Titans) *agreed to terms with Titans March 15
The reigning Comeback Player of the Year led the Titans to the AFC Championship Game, throwing for 2,742 yards and 22 touchdowns in 12 games.
8. CB Byron Jones (Dallas Cowboys) *agreed to terms with Miami Dolphins March 17
In his fifth season with the Cowboys, Jones forced an incompletion rate of 15.1 percent, ranked 22nd among cornerbacks, and he held opponents to a 22nd-ranked 11.0 yards per reception, according to PFF.
9. DL Arik Armstead (San Francisco 49ers) *agreed to terms with 49ers March 16
Coming off of his best season with the 49ers, Armstead led the team with 10 sacks in addition to 18 quarterback hits, 54 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles over 16 games in San Francisco.
10. G Brandon Scherff (Washington Redskins) *franchise tagged March 15
Scherff earned the sixth-highest run-blocking grade among qualified guards according to PFF in 2019.
11. G Joe Thuney (New England Patriots) *franchise tagged March 16
Thuney allowed just 16 pressures on 693 attempts in 2019, the third-highest pass-blocking grade in the league (87.4), according to PFF. The durable offensive lineman has only missed 20 snaps throughout his four-year NFL career.
12. WR A.J. Green (Cincinnati Bengals) *franchise tagged March 16
Green was sidelined the entire 2019 season after suffering an ankle injury during training camp.
13. RB Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans) *franchise tagged March 16
Aiding Tennessee to their first AFC Championship appearance since 2002, Henry led the league in rushing with 1,540 yards to go along with 16 touchdowns while averaging 102.7 yards per game in 2019.
14. QB Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints) *agreed to terms with Saints March 16
Brees announced his return for his 20th NFL season via an Instagram post last month. The 41-year old quarterback recorded the second-highest completion percentage of his career (74.3) while completing 378 passes for 2,979 yards and 27 touchdowns to just four interceptions in 2019.
15. LB Cory Littleton (Los Angeles Rams) *agreed to terms with Las Vegas Raiders
Coming off one of his best seasons in his fourth year in the NFL, Littleton was regarded as PFF's eighth-best inside linebacker in 2019. Littleton amassed 134 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, five quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.
16. QB Tom Brady (New England Patriots) *finalized agreement with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The six-time Super Bowl champion completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 4,057 yards and 24 touchdowns to eight interceptions in 16 games.
17. DL Matthew Judon (Baltimore Ravens) *franchise tagged March 13
Judon registered a career-high 9.5 sacks and 33 quarterback hits in 2019 in addition to 54 tackles and four forced fumbles.
18. S Anthony Harris (Minnesota Vikings) *franchise tagged March 16
Regarded as Minnesota's top defensive back, Harris recorded career-highs in tackles (60), passes defended (11), interceptions (6) and registered his first-career pick six last season.
19. TE Hunter Henry (Los Angeles Chargers) *franchise tagged March 13
Henry finished the season with career highs in receptions (55) and receiving yards (652) despite missing four games with a knee injury.
20. DL Bud Dupree (Pittsburgh Steelers) *franchise tagged March 16
Dupree posted career highs in tackles (68), sacks (11.5) and forced fumbles (4) in his fifth season with the Steelers.
21. T Jack Conklin (Tennessee Titans) *agreed to terms with Cleveland Browns
After missing the start of the 2018 season with an ACL injury, Conklin started all 19 games in Tennessee and was a key part in Henry's league-leading success in 2019.
22. QB Philip Rivers (Los Angeles Chargers) *agreed to terms with Indianapolis Colts
In his 16th NFL season, Rivers completed 66.0 percent of his passes for 4,615 yards and 23 touchdowns to 20 interceptions in 2019.
23. T Anthony Castonzo (Indianapolis Colts) *agreed to terms with Colts March 15
Castonzo played all 1,077 offensive snaps in 2019 and allowed just three sacks on the year.
24. CB Chris Harris Jr. (Denver Broncos)
In his ninth season with the Broncos, Harris Jr. is coming off of a down year in Denver. The corner posted 56 tackles, six passes defended, a forced fumble and interception on the year.
25. QB Jameis Winston (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Winston became the eighth quarterback in NFL history to surpass 5,000 passing yards in a single season, leading the league with 5,109 yards. He was second in the NFL with 33 touchdowns on the year, however threw a league-high 30 interceptions in 2019.
