2025 NFL interior OL market: Top free agents, best team fits, projected deals for Trey Smith, other veterans
With the Super Bowl now in the rearview mirror, it's time for 31 other teams to gear up and try to catch up with the recently crowned champion Philadelphia Eagles. The talent-acquisition phase of the offseason is about to begin, with free agency first up.
With that in mind, we're spending some time here at CBSSports.com digging into each position group to identify the top available free agents. When we released our rundown of the top 25 offensive free agents last week, that group included 10 interior offensive linemen.
One of them (Zack Martin) retired, so in the space below, we'll add another to the list and call it a top 10. That list is as follows:
(Note: Some players might agree to a new deal between now and the start of free agency).
Smith is widely considered the top overall offensive lineman potentially available this offseason, and either the first- or second-best free agent, period, alongside Bengals wideout Tee Higgins. The Chiefs are increasingly confident that they will be able to retain Smith, but he should have an extremely robust market if they elect not to use the franchise tag on him.
He was a sixth-round pick who did not make all that much on his rookie deal, so he could be looking to break the bank and reset the market in free agency, which would mean that Spotrac's projected average annual value would come in quite a bit lower than his eventual salary. The current top contract among guard's is Landon Dickerson's $21 million per year AAV with the Eagles.
Zeitler and Scherff are veteran stalwarts who have played at a really high level for a really long time, but due to their age they might just be getting one-year, mercenary deals from here on out. (That's what Zeitler got from Detroit last year, for example). Aside from those two, though, the rest of this group of players is either right on the cusp of or right in the middle of their respective prime years.
Dalman, Fries and Daniels missed time with injuries this season, but they've all shown an ability to play at an extremely high level. Becton had a breakout season after attending Jeff Stoutland University in Philly, proving that he could stay relatively healthy and play guard at his size. Myers has been a solid starter at center throughout his career. Jenkins, after kicking inside to guard early in his carer, has shown himself to be a quality starter. And Mekari has the versatility to play pretty much anywhere, but was especially effective as a guard this past season.
As for which teams could be interested in the services of players like these, there are plenty. The Chiefs, obviously, are among that group. So are the Lions and Eagles, whether they intend to retain their top free agents or not. The Cowboys could be in the market for either a center or a guard, though they tend not to spend very much in free agency anymore.
The Dolphins have free agents at basically every position along the offensive line, so they could get in the mix. The Patriots have needs everywhere up front so they can better protect Drake Maye. The Cardinals could use some help on the inside, as could the Bears, who couldn't keep the pocket clean for Caleb Williams last season.
The Bengals, Texans and Vikings could have needs at guard, while the Colts could use a center with Ryan Kelly set to be a free agent. The Jags probably need to revamp their offensive line. The Giants desperately need help on the interior. And the Buccaneers could use a guard if Ben Bredeson leaves town.
In other words, most of the league could use help. So, these guys should have plenty of opportunity to get paid.
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