The NFL season still has its biggest game left on the schedule, but many are looking ahead to what this year’s crop of free agents could offer teams looking to upgrade their roster for 2025. NFL free agency can be a wild ride for players and teams alike, and this year should be no different. Penn State has several alumni who are about to go through this process, but two in particular stand out as top available players.
Pro Football Focus recently released their list of top free agents for 2025, and former Nittany Lions Chris Godwin and Will Fries were ranked inside the top 15 offensive players. They ranked 4th and 24th respectively on their top 100 free agent list and 3rd and 13th among just offensive players. Both players suffered injuries that cut their 2024 seasons short, but they were having excellent seasons that should earn them significant contracts.
Godwin has played his entire NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after being selected 84th overall in the 2017 NFL draft. He has been a reliable target for Tampa with four 1,000-yard seasons and over 7,000 receiving yards in his eight seasons with the team. Despite suffering a dislocated ankle seven games into the season, Godwin is just 28 years old and should command a high price for any team looking to improve their receiving core.
Fries has had a much different career so far in the NFL. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft, only playing in three games as a rookie. He got his first opportunity to start in his second season, ultimately playing in 16 games and starting nine of them. He became a full-time starter in 2023 but struggled with penalties and inconsistency. 2024 was by far his best season, but a broken tibia ended his season after just five games.
While it would be best if they were coming off of healthy seasons, Godwin and Fries showed enough in 2024 to be among the highest-paid free agents of the 2025 offseason. If they turn out to be anything close to what fellow Penn State alumni Saquon Barkley has been for the Philadelphia Eagles this season, they will be worth every penny.
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