2018 NFL free agency: Intel on more than 175 noteworthy players - ESPN (blog)

The free-agency frenzy is here.

Teams are permitted to contact and enter into negotiations for players at noon Monday. A contract can be executed at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday when the new league year begins.

So buckle up and prepare for a whirlwind of signings over the next couple weeks as we begin the countdown to the 2018 season.

Here's a close look at some of the notable free agents who will be available to sign on Wednesday.

Read through every position, or skip ahead to the group of your choice:

Quarterbacks | Offensive linemen| Running backs
Tight ends | Wide receivers
Defensive linemen | Linebackers | Defensive backs | Specialists


Quarterbacks

Derek Anderson, QB, Panthers

imageAP Photo/Mike McCarn

Anderson has been the Carolina Panthers' backup quarterback since the team selected Cam Newton with the first overall pick in the 2011 draft. The 34-year-old quarterback came to Carolina after spending the 2010 season with the Arizona Cardinals and the previous four seasons with the Cleveland Browns.

His best season came with the Browns in 2007, when he went 10-5 as the starter and made the Pro Bowl for the only time in his career.

Anderson was 2-0 as the starter at Carolina in 2014 when Newton was injured, but he is 0-2 as a starter since. He played in only three games last season, completing 2 of 8 pass attempts for 17 yards.

Sam Bradford, QB, Vikings

imageAdam Bettcher/Getty Images

The Minnesota Vikings acquired Bradford in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles after Teddy Bridgewater suffered his knee injury before the 2016 season. The veteran quarterback posted the league's highest completion percentage in his first season with the Vikings, and Bradford, 30, looked poised for a breakout year in 2017.

Things didn't go according to plan. While lighting up the New Orleans Saints in the season opener, Bradford sustained a non-contact left knee injury that would doom him for the rest of the season. It was to the same knee where the quarterback had twice torn his ACL, although tests this time revealed no structural damage.

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Bradford made a brief return in Week 5 against the Chicago Bears, but he was pulled before halftime after aggravating the injury. He spent the better part of two months on injured reserve before being activated as Case Keenum's backup during the postseason.

The former Heisman Trophy winner and first-round pick by the St. Louis Rams in 2010 has made $114 million over his career, but injuries have haunted Bradford throughout. He missed half of the 2013 season and all of 2014 after tearing his ACL in back-to-back years.

He's played in all 16 games just twice in his career -- in 2010, when he was an NFL All-Rookie Team selection, and again in 2012.

According to the NFL Network, Bradford has said his knee injury subsided in recent months, allowing him to return to practice ahead of the postseason, and that he "absolutely" intends to keep playing in 2018.

"I think it's been really encouraging for me, mentally, to know that I can go back out there and do it," Bradford said after returning to practice in January. "I'm just happy to be on the field."

Bradford is one of three Vikings quarterbacks who will become unrestricted free agents on March 14.

For his career, Bradford has started 80 games with the Vikings, Rams and Eagles. He has thrown for 19,049 yards, 101 touchdowns and has completed 62.5 percent of his passes. He also has had 57 interceptions and 33 fumbles.

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Vikings

imageScott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire

The 25-year-old Bridgewater was considered a rising star in the NFL before sustaining a gruesome dislocated knee injury during a Vikings non-contact drill just ahead of the 2016 season.

He was sidelined for 14 months during his recovery and placed on the PUP list, where he spent the first six weeks of the 2017 season. He was medically cleared to return to practice and, from Weeks 10-17, served as the backup to Case Keenum. The only game action he saw last season came in the fourth quarter of a blowout victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Vikings chose to not toll Bridgewater's rookie contract, thus allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. Bridgewater said he "definitely" wants to be a starter in 2018.

Bridgewater was selected in the first round of the 2014 draft and set 10 franchise and two NFL records during his rookie season with the Vikings, including becoming the first-ever rookie QB to complete 70 percent of his passes in four straight games.

During the 2015 season, he led the Vikings to their first division title since 2009 and first playoff appearance under coach Mike Zimmer. He also was named to his first Pro Bowl.

Kellen Clemens, QB, Chargers

imageKirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

Clemens has served as the backup for Chargers starting quarterback Philip Rivers the past four seasons.

A capable reserve quarterback who knows the offense and is comfortable working with Rivers, Clemens has played sparingly for the Chargers during his time with the team because of Rivers' durability.

Clemens, 34 , completed 12 of 18 passes for 109 yards, a touchdown and one interception in four seasons for the Chargers. More importantly, the Chargers valued Clemens' professional approach on the practice field and in the film room, serving as a sounding board for Rivers.

Clemens is 8-13 as a starter in 12 NFL seasons and shared a 90-minute daily commute with Rivers from San Diego to the team's facility in Costa Mesa, California.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins

imageRobin Alam/Icon Sportswire

Cousins, 29, has been one of the NFL's most productive quarterbacks since becoming the Washington Redskins' full-time starter three years ago. During that time, he ranks fourth in passing yards, sixth in passer rating, seventh in total QBR and eighth in touchdown passes.

Last season, Cousins topped the 4,000-yard mark for the third straight season. He finished with 4,093 yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions -- and a total QBR of 50.5, his lowest as the full-time starter.

The 2012 fourth-round pick went from being the backup to Robert Griffin III to a productive starter during his time in Washington. He started nine games in his first three seasons. In 2015, his first year as the starter, he helped lead the Redskins to the NFC East title by throwing 23 touchdowns to only three interceptions over the final 10 games -- starting with the "You like that?!" comeback win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He finished that season with 29 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a franchise-record 4,166 yards.

After that season, the Redskins and Cousins couldn't agree on a long-term deal, so the team placed the franchise tag on him. Cousins responded by again breaking the franchise record 4,917 passing yards to go along with 25 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. But the Redskins missed the playoffs by losing their regular-season finale at home to the New York Giants.

That led to yet another franchise tag, as Cousins told the Redskins he wasn't ready to commit long term and wanted to gauge the direction of the franchise. It was clear by season's end that both sides wanted to avoid another one-year tag situation. Rather than negotiate a final time with Cousins, the Redskins traded for Alex Smith on Jan. 30, agreeing to a four-year extension with the veteran.

Jay Cutler, QB, Dolphins

imageCliff Welch/Icon Sportswire

Cutler, 34, threw for 2,666 yards, 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 14 games last season after coming out of retirement to sign with the Miami Dolphins.

Cutler, who had agreed to join Fox Sports as a broadcaster, was coaxed out of retirement by Dolphins coach Adam Gase after starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill suffered a season-ending knee injury in August.

After the season, Cutler said he was interested in continuing his career -- but only if he was a team's starter, as he had no interest in serving as a backup quarterback.

Cutler is the Bears' franchise leader in passing yards (23,433) and touchdown passes (154) after playing nine seasons with the team (2009-16). He made his only career trip to the postseason in 2010 with Chicago, leading the Bears to the NFC Championship Game, in which he was forced to exit early because of a knee injury.

In 12 NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos, Bears and Dolphins, Cutler has thrown for 35,133 yards, 227 touchdowns and 160 interceptions.

Chase Daniel, QB, Saints

imageAP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Daniel, 31, has spent nine years as a backup with the Saints, Kansas City Chiefs and Eagles -- making two career starts in Kansas City from 2013-14. But the former undrafted rookie from Missouri is still hoping to prove he can be a late bloomer in the vein of Nick Foles and Case Keenum.

Daniel (6-foot, 225 pounds) originally joined the Saints in Week 1 of the 2009 season after being released by the Washington Redskins after the preseason. He spent four years backing up Drew Brees before signing more lucrative deals with the Chiefs and Eagles.

He thought he might get a chance to start in Philadelphia when he signed a three-year, $21 million deal in 2016, but the Eagles traded up in the draft to select Carson Wentz. Daniel returned to the Saints a year later after asking for his release.

Blaine Gabbert, QB, Cardinals

imageChristian Petersen/Getty Images

In 2017, Gabbert, 28, played for his eighth head coach and seventh offensive coordinator in seven seasons. Next season will be No. 9 and No. 8, respectively.

Gabbert spent the first nine weeks of last season on the inactive list as the Arizona Cardinals' scout-team quarterback. After injuries to Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton, Gabbert started five games for the Cardinals, going 2-3 and throwing for 1,086

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