Mason's top 10 edge rusher free agents

Lawrence appears likely to receive the franchise tag after a breakthrough 2017 season that included the first double-digit sack season of his career. The season saw him shake off a frustrating 2016 season in which he missed four games because of a suspension and started just three times, finishing with one sack. Lawrence had more sacks last year (14.5) than in his first three seasons combined (9.0). But the most revealing number on Lawrence is the 52 quarterback hurries he posted last year, playing him sixth in the league, according to Pro Football Focus. (Greg Trott/AP Images)

Ansah came up big in his fifth-year option season, posting his second double-digit sack campaign in the last three years. Inconsistency from season to season remains a concern regarding Ansah, as his seasons of 14.5 sacks (2015) and 12 sacks (2017) sandwiched a 2-sack performance in 2016. That could lead the Lions to allow Ansah to test the market, where he is likely to command an average per-year salary easily reaching eight figures. (Detroit Lions/AP Images)

Murphy's 2017 was a disaster. He had a four-game suspension for a PED violation and then tore his ACL and MCL in the preseason opener, ending his season. The team that signs the Stanford product will get a player who was just beginning to reach his potential in 2016, notching nine sacks and three forced fumbles in a sub-package role. Murphy proved to be a good complement to Ryan Kerrigan and could find similar success as a bookend to an elite pass rusher. At 259 pounds, Murphy can operate in 3-4 and 4-3 schemes and should be a good value signing. (Aaron M. Sprecher/AP Images)

A torn Achilles tendon brought a premature end to a season in which he he was one of the reasons behind the dramatic improvement of New Orleans' defense, posting 4.5 sacks, 21 hurries and four passes defensed. He also improved his work against the run, making himself into a true every-down defender. At 27, Okafor has put four disappointing seasons in Arizona behind him, and he should maintain his production from his season with the Saints if he can recover from the torn Achilles. (Bill Feig/AP Images)

In his NFL youth, Peppers was a freakish athlete the likes of which had not been seen coming off the edge. He has maintained enough of his speed and quickness to go along with his reach and array of moves to become the first 37-year-old to post a double-digit sack season since Bruce Smith in 2000 and the fifth in NFL history. (The other four -- Smith, Reggie White, Kevin Greene and Chris Doleman -- are Hall of Famers.) The presence of one of the league's best linebacking corps and strong interior defensive-line presences allowed him the chance to work one-on-one, and he capitalized. If he leaves for another team, he might not find the going so easy, but all signs point to him playing with Carolina if he wants to return for a 17th season. (Mike McCarn/AP Images)

After missing 28 games to injuries in his first four seasons, Clayborn has played in all but three games over the last three seasons with the Falcons, and he hits the market off of a career-high 9.5 sacks last year in a rotational role. At 280 pounds, Clayborn projects better to a 4-3 alignment than a 3-4 scheme. (Ryan Kang/AP Images)

He's not a true edge rusher -- certainly not as he was projected to be when the Browns used the sixth-overall pick on him in 2013 -- but he has settled in as a solid pass rusher and an above-average linebacker in coverage. He heads into free agency off of the best half-season of his career, and could be a solid buy-low option with some untapped upside. (Nick Wass/AP Images)

At 31, Barwin isn't the pass-rushing threat he was four years ago, posting five sacks in each of the last two seasons -- one each with the Eagles and Rams. Barwin can hold his own in pass coverage when necessary, and he could provide value to a locker room in need of the steady veteran presence that he would provide. (Aaron M. Sprecher/AP Images)

If Super Bowl 50 had turned out another way, Ealy might have a Super Bowl MVP trophy on his mantle. As it turned out, the two-sack game he posted in the Panthers' 24-10 loss to Denver was the apex of his career to date. He posted just one sack last season with the Jets after the Patriots traded for him and subsequently released him. (Aaron M. Sprecher/AP Images)

In Lynch's first two seasons (2014-15), he notched 12.5 sacks and 69 quarterback hurries (per Pro Football Focus) and looked as if he would become one of the league's best young pass rushers. But a four-game suspension in 2016 for a violation of the league's substance-abuse policy derailed him, and the 6-foot-6, 270-pounder has never gotten back on track. A calf injury prevented him from having an opportunity to get on the field for extensive work when injuries struck the 49ers last year. Lynch looks like the textbook example of a player who could benefit from hitting the reset button with a fresh start in a new city. (Terrell Lloyd/AP Images)