NFL free agent rankings: Nnamdi Asomugha, Jake Long top updated list

Who are the best free agents still on the market?

By Jason Garrison@JasonRG83 Mar 13, 2013, 9:00am EDT

After the first day of free agency, several big-name players have found new homes, but that was just the first wave. There are still plenty of top-flight players available for teams to throw even more money at as free agency continues.

More: NFL free agency tracker

Among the players who have been signed to new teams on Tuesday, wide receiver Mike Wallace, linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, linebacker Paul Kruger, offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus, offensive guard Louis Vasquez and tight end Martellus Bennett top the list. Wallace and Ellerbe found their new home in Miami, Kruger is going to Cleveland, Cherilus is headed to Indianapolis, Vasquez to Denver and Bennett to Chicago.

There are still a lot of big players to be had, though, and the two biggest are likely cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha and offensive tackle Jake Long.

Asomugha, who was released by the Eagles on Tuesday, is one of the premier cornerbacks in the league, even if his time spent in Philadelphia didn't show it. The 10-year veteran is big enough and fast enough to cover any No. 1 receiver in the league in one-on-one coverage and he could shore up a weakened secondary.

Long missed quite a bit of time lately with injuries to both his biceps and triceps, but he's a big, quick and athletic left tackle that can not only open holes for a running back but protect a quarterback's blind side as well. Good tackles are hard to find in the NFL and a team never really knows what it is going to get in the draft. Long is about as sure of a thing a team can have when it comes to the left tackle position.

Anyone looking for help on the right side will find Andre Smith to be the top option. He'll have to overcome questions about his past weight issues. The tackle market is still fairly robust with Sebastian Vollmer and Eric Winston available as well.

Wes Welker is the top free agent wide receiver still available. He has been one of the highest producing slot receivers in the NFL in recent memory and will likely net a large contract as he can help the production of any offense in need of help in the passing game. The big question will be which team can afford him.

Greg Jennings is a close 1b to Welker on the market, and news of the Vikings not pursuing him could portend his return to the Packers or landing somewhere else for less than previously expected.

Behind Welker and Jennings is Danny Amendola, who could be seen as a replacement for Welker in New England, where offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels knows him from their year in St. Louis together.

Cliff Avril is the best pass rusher left available. He has emerged as one of the best pass rushing defensive ends in the league. Due to the fact that this is a passing league, a price can not be put on a defense's ability to rush the passer and, with a guy like Avril, a defense can put a hurt on the opposing quarterback.

Then we get some older guys.

Free agent safety Ed Reed is high up on the list and, as a future Hall of Famer with some years left in him, several teams are likely still interested, especially if he can produce the same way that he did in Baltimore. The same goes for Dwight Freeney, who has made a living when it comes to pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Then we come to Greg Jennings, the former Packers wide receiver who is looking to extend his career for a few more years elsewhere.

The next few names on the list would include Rey Maualuga, Casey Hampton, Dashon Goldson, Steven Jackson, Reggie Bush, Brandon Moore, and many others. Free agency is only just beginning and most teams haven't made their moves yet. Teams will begin to throw their money around soon, though, and these players won't last much longer.