Shockingly, the Green Bay Packers cut two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman Mike Daniels. Widely known as one of the better defensive linemen in the NFL, Daniels is undoubtedly set to be a hot commodity and the best free-agent currently available. As Pro Football Focus' Ben Cooper notes:
Daniels finished [2018] with a 78.5 pass-rush grade which ranked ninth at his position. And his high output in previous seasons can’t be understated either. From 2015-17, Daniels had the 13th-best run-defense grade among qualifying interior defenders. In the same span, his pass-rush mark of 83.2 slotted him in eighth at his position. — In crunch time in 2018, he was still the formidable defender of years past. He had a pass-rush win rate of 21.2% in the fourth quarter, which ranked third among qualifying interior defenders.
As ESPN's Adam Schefter mentioned,Daniels would prefer to go to a Super Bowl contender for his age 30 season. Inevitably, a contender would enjoy his game too. With that in mind, here are three teams that may potentially sign Daniels. All three are known to be either Super Bowl, or, at minimum, playoff contenders.
3. Cleveland Browns
The talk of the town has been the Cleveland Browns and their ascension to legitimacy and Super Bowl-contending status. After whiffing on Gerald McCoy to shore up their interior defensive line, Daniels is an excellent consolation prize. Especially considering his ability to stop the run, and their own struggles doing so last season.
A defensive line consisting of Myles Garrett, Sheldon Richardson, Daniels, and Olivier Vernon is equally as terrifying as their bolstered offense. However, there is a question of fit. With the promising Larry Ogunjobi showing continuous progression as a 4-3 DT and Richardson alongside, Daniels may not get a hefty snap share. Though he's more of a 3-4 lineman, his ability to stuff the run would be valuable on first and second downs.
2. New England Patriots
When a free agent wants to sign with a Super Bowl contender, no matter the position — outside of quarterback — the first franchise to come to mind is the New England Patriots. After winning their sixth Lombardi Trophy, they are on top and should earn consideration Daniels' first choice if he wants to go an apparent contender.
Daniels' fit in the Patriots' scheme isn't too questionable. He's played everywhere on the defensive line before; which fits perfectly, considering their usage of the 3-4/4-3 hybrid scheme. The lineman would be an upgrade over nose tackle Danny Shelton and defensive tackle Lawrence Guy. Essentially, along with Michael Bennett, Daniels would help the negate the Patriots' losses in free agency.
1. Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers struggled to stop the run and bring interior pressure in 2018 despite boasting a bonafide edge-rushing duo of Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa. In the draft, Los Angeles' newest team attempted to fix the interior pressure part via the addition of Jerry Tillery. However, he's not known for his prowess as a run-stuffer. They left the position unaddressed throughout the entire offseason outside of the draft.
Daniels would immediately help fix their problems in this area. Though the Chargers run a 4-3, he projects as a seamless fit as a defensive tackle alongside Tillery. The lineman, like with the Browns, may not be a three-down fix, but his block shedding would surely benefit the three aforementioned. As you may know, the Chargers are also thick in the Super Bowl arms race, as Philip Rivers now leads one of his best offensive units and a star-studded defense.
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