Not only did Pro Football Focus rank the top 75 free agents in 2015, seven of their analysts offered predictions on where they all will sign. For our purposes, let's take a look at the predicted landing spots for the Baltimore Ravens' free agents:
LB Pernell McPhee (Ranked No. 19 overall): Indianapolis Colts. Other teams mentioned: Tennessee and Detroit. The Colts are the popular choice here because of Chuck Pagano's history with the Ravens. My pick is the Oakland Raiders, who have $56 million in cap space and tied for the second-fewest sacks in the NFL last season. New Raiders coach Jack Del Rio will want to upgrade his defense, and what better way than to pair McPhee with Khalil Mack.
WR Torrey Smith (No. 30): No consensus. Teams mentioned: Cleveland, Carolina, New England, Miami, New York Jets and Ravens. My pick is the Jets. New York will only have one starting-caliber receiver after it parts ways with Percy Harvin, and Eric Decker is a possession receiver. Smith can complement Decker and stretch the field for a Jets passing attack that managed just 15 completions on passes that traveled at least 20 yards in the air last season (tied for third worst in the NFL). I wouldn't rule out the Jaguars, who have a lot of money to spend.
RB Justin Forsett (No. 42): Ravens. Other team mentioned: Dallas. The prevailing feeling is that the Ravens will make Forsett a priority. The Ravens know he fits in their offense, and they're probably not impressed with the other options in Forsett's price range. Even though the Ravens are likely picking a running back early in the draft, Forsett will be the team's top running back until the rookie gets up to speed (look at how the Bengals brought along Jeremy Hill) and he can share snaps after that. The Ravens also value Forsett as a mentor.
TE Owen Daniels (No. 71): Ravens. Other teams mentioned: Denver, Miami and New York Giants. While many quickly earmarked Daniels to reunite with Gary Kubiak in Denver, my bet is Daniels remains with the Ravens. With Dennis Pitta's uncertain status, the only healthy and experienced tight end on the Ravens roster is Crockett Gillmore. Daniels quickly built a rapport with Joe Flacco, and he stayed fresh throughout because coach John Harbaugh gave him one day off a week.
A few of the Pro Football Focus analysts also predicted the Ravens would sign free agents from other teams, but general manager Ozzie Newsome prefers to sign salary-cap casualties over unrestricted free agents because they don't count against the team's compensatory picks. Here are the UFAs linked to the Ravens:
CB Tramon Williams (No. 25): Allowing the winning touchdown pass in the NFC Championship Game overshadowed Williams' productive season. He was a tough and durable member of the NFL's 10th-ranked pass defense last season. Williams also has 27 interceptions over the past seven seasons. The Ravens probably don't have the cap space for Williams. Even if they did, I'm not sure they could pry him out of Green Bay.
WR Michael Crabtree (No. 62): He never lived up to expectations with the 49ers, but he's a talented receiver who can flourish in the right system. It just won't be in Baltimore. Crabtree is another pipe dream for the Ravens. They don't have the cap space to splurge on a receiver like Crabtree, Randall Cobb or Jeremy Maclin.
CB Walter Thurmond (No. 72): He's a corner who'll have a reduced price after a season-ending torn pectoral muscle limited him to two games last season. Thurmond is considered a top-level nickelback, which makes him an intriguing option. But he would be a risk considering the Ravens' starting cornerbacks, Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb, both have extensive injury histories.