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Whether it’s through a new contract or via the franchise tag, here are the upcoming free agents we’re not expecting to make it to negotiations with other teams in March. Bengals WR Tee Higgins has already received the tag.

As is typical with NFL free agency, we’re expecting a lot of the top names to be retained before they’re allowed to test the market.

• Kansas City Chiefs DT Chris Jones
• Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins
• Kansas City Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield
• Carolina Panthers DE Brian Burns
• Jacksonville Jaguars DE Josh Allen
• Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson
• Baltimore Ravens DT Justin Madubuike
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers S Antoine Winfield Jr.
• Miami Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins
• New England Patriots OL Mike Onwenu
• Los Angeles Rams G Kevin Dotson
• Baltimore Ravens G Kevin Zeitler
• Indianapolis Colts CB Kenny Moore
• Dallas Cowboys CB Stephon Gilmore
• Houston Texans TE Dalton Schultz

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We’re going to go a bit outside of the box here and suggest the Cardinals surprise everyone and throw a huge contract at Evans that he cannot refuse since the team has that kind of money to spend.

The Kansas City Chiefs are a definite possibility here, but what if they can’t fully give Evans the deal he wants? The Cardinals easily could.

Paired with a possible Marvin Harrison Jr. pick in the draft, the one-two combo of Evans and MHJ could boost the Arizona passing game substantially for Kyler Murray.

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As the Vikings try to extend Cousins and wide receiver Justin Jefferson, we’re guessing Hunter will be the odd man out.

We’re betting the Rams will push all the chips in on Hunter to give Los Angeles the top-flight pass rusher it desperately needs to push for the NFC once again after a rebound season in 2023. He’ll sign a huge 3-year deal in our estimation with Los Angeles to pair quite nicely with Aaron Donald.

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Chicago made a strong addition to its defensive line with Montez Sweat at the NFL trade deadline last fall, and we’ll predict the cap-flushed Bears add Williams to strengthen the Chicago front with more veteran savvy.

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We’ll predict the Chiefs will sign the long-time Cowboys tackle to anchor the left side of the line in Kansas City. It’ll be a perfect spot for the veteran Smith to chase a ring with Patrick Mahomes and company, and he’d be an upgrade over 2023 starter Donovan Smith.

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Luvu is going to land a huge contract in free agency, and the Titans both lead the league right now in available cap space per Over the Cap and have a massive need at inside linebacker. It’s a match made in Heaven.

New Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson would probably love to have a versatile piece for the Tennessee defense like Luvu, who is quite good in coverage and can also rush the passer. It’d be a very smart investment.

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We love the idea of Barkley heading down to Houston to pair with the ascending Texans and quarterback C.J. Stroud. He’d be the perfect compliment to the electric Houston passing game and help establish the Texans as one of the leading contenders in the AFC this fall.

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Ridley entered the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and played for Dan Quinn, who is now the coach of the Commanders. Washington could use another reliable receiver for its future quarterback who we’re guessing they’ll acquire in the draft.

Familiarity with Quinn leads Ridley to Washington here, as he’d form a formidable three-head monster at receiver with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. The Commanders have the money to get this done.

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The Falcons desperately need an alpha pass rusher, and Greenard would fit nicely in Raheem Morris’ defense and hails from Georgia. He could return home on a nice 4-year deal and anchor Atlanta’s pass rush.

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We’re on the fence for if the Colts will use the franchise tag on Pittman, but let’s assume he makes it to free agency.

We’re guessing a team like the Patriots would swoop in and offer him a massive contract to lead the team’s receiving room for whomever is starting at quarterback for them in the fall (we’re guessing a rookie).

Pittman is a true WR1, and he’d be a nice fit for the new-look Patriots.

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Again, we’re expecting the Commanders to be very active in free agency with so much cap space, and the team traded away its two top rushers in Montez Sweat and Chase Young last season.

Adding an ascending player like Huff on a 4-year deal would make a lot of sense for Washington’s future as it retools its defensive line. He played for Jeff Ulbrich with the New York Jets, who is an old Falcons co-worker of Dan Quinn. It’d make a lot of sense for both parties to get this done.

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The Titans need a space-eating defensive tackle to pair with Jeffrey Simmons, and Reader would be a really sound fit for that role.

New Titans coach Brian Callahan and Reader both spent the last few years with the Cincinnati Bengals, so there would be immediate familiarity. Again, the Titans have tons of cash to spend, and they could easily sign Reader if they so choose.

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The Patriots need a left tackle, and the team may need to look to free agency to get one as the third-overall pick will likely go to a quarterback. They’ll have plenty of money to do so.

Williams could go back to playing left tackle in New England and prove his positional value on the left side of the line to help a rookie quarterback (if the Patriots indeed go that route).

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Pollard feels like the perfect player to go chase a ring with the Chiefs and add a dynamic presence to the Kansas City backfield with Isiah Pacheco. We could see Pollard taking a bit of a discount to make this happen and join the best team in the NFL to try for a Super Bowl.

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Stone joins Luvu and Reeder on our list to sign with Tennessee, as he reunites with his defensive backs coach from the Baltimore Ravens in Wilson, who is now the defensive coordinator with the Titans.

He’d add a ballhawking element to the Titans secondary that needs help after trading away longtime starter Kevin Byard last fall.

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The Raiders need a player like Dugger in their secondary in the worst way, and he’d be an excellent fit for Patrick Graham’s defense and give the Las Vegas secondary some stability at safety next to Tre’von Moehrig in 2024.

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Young would be a great fit on the Cardinals defensive line, one that desperately needs a player of Young’s caliber to help its continued growth.

Prying him away from the NFC West’s San Francisco 49ers wouldn’t hurt, either, and Arizona has the money to lure him to Glendale.

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If the Colts can’t get something done with Pittman, Brown could be a really nice fallback option to pair with Josh Downs and Alec Pierce for young quarterback Anthony Richardson in the Indy offense.

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Oh, did we mention the Titans? Tennessee will be spending aplenty this offseason, and Awuzie spent time around Callahan while he was the offensive coordinator with the Bengals.

He’d be the second Cincy player in this prediction list to join Callahan in Music City with Reeder, and he’d give the Titans a true starter at cornerback.

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McKinney could reteam with his old Giants teammate Jabrill Peppers in New England to give the Patriots a dynamic pair of safeties for new coach Jerod Mayo. It’d be a really nice splash for this New England defense.

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The Lions have a surprising amount of cap space for an NFC contender, and adding a quality cornerback in Fuller would be really nice for a secondary that looks set at safety but could use help at Fuller’s position.

It’d be a very wise investment for a Lions team that doesn’t have too many needs and can contend for a Super Bowl right now.

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The Seahawks don’t have a ton of cap space, but we could very easily see new Seattle coach Mike Macdonald convincing Queen to come out to the West Coast and help anchor a young, hungry Seahawks defense.

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The Dolphins have some serious cap space problems, and Hunt is the kind of very good player that they might not be able to keep.

Washington, on the other hand, would very likely be thrilled to throw some money Hunt’s way to have him improve the team’s offensive line just in time for a rookie quarterback.

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People have been expecting Henry to eventually land with the Ravens for some time now, and it just makes too much sense for it to happen. He’d be a fantastic addition to a Ravens offense that is Super Bowl-ready.

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The Titans trade one former Alabama running back for the other and complete their spending frenzy on our list with Jacobs to lead the team’s backfield. He’d pair nicely with Tyjae Spears to keep the Tennessee running game a strength as the team develops quarterback Will Levis.

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Another good player that Miami may lose because of cap constraints, Van Ginkel would help give New England a boost in the pass rush with outside linebacker Josh Uche possibly leaving for a new team. He knows the AFC East well after spending the past few seasons with the Dolphins, too.

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Smith would be a fantastic addition for the Texans if Greenard leaves, as he’d give the Houston defensive line a proven veteran who can support Will Anderson Jr. in getting after the quarterback.

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The Chiefs need to get a good receiver in free agency. If they can’t land Evans (they don’t here), Davis could be a really nice deep threat option for Mahomes in the passing game. He might even lower his asking price just a bit to join the Chiefs after losing to them so many times as a Buffalo Bill.

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Ekeler doesn’t go far to find his next team, as he stays in the AFC West and joins the Raiders, who lose Josh Jacobs to the Titans in these predictions. Ekeler would be an excellent addition to the Raiders, and he’s got ties to new Las Vegas general manager Tom Telesco.

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If Wagner wants to keep playing for a playoff contender, the Eagles would be a phenomenal fit. He’d provide his stalwart play and sterling leadership for Vic Fangio’s defense, and he could help Philly make it back to the Super Bowl if all goes right elsewhere.

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White could revamp his career with the Rams, as the team has a need at linebacker and could use a veteran like White who still has room for growth.