Buckle up, folks. It's about to get real.

Monday brings with it the beginning of the "legal tampering period." Teams still can't officially sign free agents. Or even talk to players directly. But they can negotiate with agents—and you can bet the rent that a ton of phones will be ringing across the NFL over the next two days.

Now, some of the best potential defensive targets are already off the board. Linebackers Lavonte David of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Nick Bolton of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Bobby Wagner of the Washington Commanders decided to stay put. So did Cleveland Browns edge-rusher Myles Garrett, whose trade demands evaporated after Cleveland made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

Funny how $40 million a year can sway a guy.

However, there will be dozens of defensive players who could potentially change teams over the next few weeks. And for some of those players, the stakes of their pending decisions about where to play are incredibly high—both for their NFL futures and their IDP prospects.

EDGE Joey Bosa

There was a time when the idea of Bosa leaving the Chargers seemed laughable--he was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2016 after posting 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He quickly emerged as one of the league's best edge rushers, making four Pro Bowls in his first six seasons. He set an NFL record with 19 sacks in his first 20 games. But then the injuries set in—injuries that Bosa told reporters have left him very frustrated in recent years.

"I feel like I've been letting my team down by missing these games," the 29-year-old said. "Letting everybody down, letting coaches down. Letting the organization down. Letting myself down, and it just sucks how these years have gone, the last few years."

Likely staring at a one-year "prove it" deal after missing 23 games the past three seasons, there has been a lot of smoke connecting Bosa to a reunion with younger brother Nick In San Francisco. That may well be about as good as it gets for Bosa—the opportunity to play opposite a player who will command the lion's share of opponent's attention on a team with enough depth on the edge to manage Bosa's snaps in an effort to keep him on the field.

In any case, this is likely Bosa's last chance to re-establish himself as an elite edge-rusher—and not a tale of what might have been.

EDGE Dante Fowler Jr.

There was no shortage of surprises last year in Washington, and among those was the play of veteran edge-rusher Dante Fowler Jr. The 30-year-old topped 10 sacks for just the second time in his nine-year career, and ESPN's Bill Barnwell wrote that the Commanders have some hard calls to make after hitting free agency.

"It's good to be the Commanders, considering how much cap space they have to build around Jayden Daniels. There's a lot of work to be done, though. (Zach) Ertz, (Noah) Igbinoghene, and (Jeremy) Chinn turned out to be great one-year signings by general manager Adam Peters, but after exceeding expectations, they're all going to rightfully want more money this time around," he said. "The most productive one-year signing had to be Fowler. Signed for $3.3 million after spending the past two seasons with coach Dan Quinn in Dallas, he had the best season we've seen from the 2015 No. 3 pick in years. He racked up 10.5 sacks and forced two fumbles. The only regulars in the league with higher sack rates on a per-rush basis were Trey Hendrickson and Nik Bonitto."

Fowler was a great value last year—a waiver add who wound up a solid DL2. But that sack-per-rush rate isn't sustainable for a player we've seen for pushing a decade. With the Commanders already committed to Dorrance Armstrong, he's unlikely to back last year up unless he lands somewhere with a better batterymate.

Plus, a sixth team means he gets a free sandwich.

EDGE Josh Sweat

You gotta say this for Sweat—the man knows timing. Sweat's 2.5-sack performance in Super Bowl LIX sets him up for a massive payday in free agency—Joel Corry of CBS Sports estimated that the 27-year-old could see a deal that lands close to $100 million with $75 million in guarantees.

"Sweat led the Eagles with eight sacks last season," he said. "He made a great closing statement with 2.5 sacks and tied his season high with seven quarterback pressures, according to PFF, in Philadelphia's 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. It's surely going to take more than the three-year, $51.1 million deal, averaging $17,033,333 per year and worth a maximum of $57.1 million thanks to incentives and salary escalators, the Eagles gave edge rusher Bryce Huff last March as a free agent to keep Sweat in Philadelphia."

That's a lot of cheese for a player who has eclipsed eight sacks just once in seven years. Sweat is going to be paid like a top edge rusher, but he has never really been "the guy." If he signs somewhere where the supporting cast is significantly weaker than in Philly, there's a real chance he could be an even bigger boondoggle than Huff was a season ago.

LB Dre Greenlaw

Not that long ago, Greenlaw appeared to be an ascending talent—he had 120 or more tackles in 2022 and 2023. But Greenlaw tore his Achilles tendon in Super Bowl LVIII and played just 34 snaps in 2024. Still, when asked about Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga (foreshadowing), San Francisco general manager John Lynch told reporters the hope is that both will be with the 49ers in 2025.

"Those guys are fantastic players," Lynch said. "Of course, we have interest in bringing them back and we'll work our tails off to try to make that happen, whether it does, can't tell you that. But I think in the near future here, things are kicking off. So yeah, we've been in contact with them and their representatives and we'll continue to be."

That may not be financially feasible, though. Greenlaw's talent is undeniable—he could be the No. 1 linebacker for a team like the Cleveland Browns or Arizona Cardinals (should Kyzir White leave). If that's the case and Greenlaw gets his opportunity to be "the guy," he could be one of the biggest potential value plays at IDP's most important position in 2025.

LB Jamien Sherwood

When the 2024 season began, Sherwood wasn't even expected to be a starter for the New York Jets. But once C.J. Mosley got hurt, Sherwood didn't just fill in. He thrived—to the tune of a league-leading 98 solo stops. Tom Pelissero of NFL.com believes that career year could lead to a fat payday for the 25-year-old.

"There's intrigue with Sherwood, a fifth-round pick (No. 146 overall) of the Jets in 2021 who recorded a career-high 158 tackles in 2024," he wrote. "PFF charted Sherwood with the 11th-best grade in run defense (77.1) among qualified linebackers. And he just turned 25 in January. If Baun and Bolton can push up the linebacker market, Sherwood stands to benefit, with a contract potentially in the neighborhood of $12 million a year."

If a team pays Sherwood that kind of cheese, it won't be as a complimentary piece—it will be as a defensive cornerstone. And while Sherwood was great last year, he started just seven games over his first three seasons combined and could land somewhere where the starter opposite him isn't the caliber of Quincy Williams. Money may be the most important thing to Sherwood, but fit with a new team is what will most matter to IDP managers.

LB Kyzir White

White isn't a great linebacker, but he's a consistent, capable starter who posted 137 total tackles last year—the second-highest total of his seven-year NFL career. While talking to reporters, the soon-to-be 29-year-old told reporters that he still has room to grow as a player.

"I still got a lot to do. I am not an All-Pro yet; never been to the Pro Bowl," White said. "I don't really care about goals; I am trying to be the best version of myself. Obviously, it would be nice to have those goals and accomplish them, but I don't feel like I am a failure because I don't go to the Pro Bowl. All-Pro would move me a little bit more, but I just want to be the best version of myself and ultimately just win games, being the best teammate I can be."

Even after Bolton, David, and Wagner stayed put, it's still a deep free-agent class at linebacker—and White isn't among the top-five options available. That could mean a potential bargain for a cap-strapped team. But it could also mean White being relegated to second-fiddle status on a new team—and his fantasy value taking a sizable hit.

S Julian Blackmon

After opening the season as the Colts' box safety, Blackmon was forced to switch spots with Nick Cross after a shoulder injury. That caused a significant downswing in Blackmon's fantasy production, but while speaking to reporters, the 26-year-old said he's healthy again and eager to reverse last season's downturn.

"At the end of the day, I don't want to make an excuse," Blackmon said. "There's still fans that come out and watch us and expect that if we're out there, we're going to put our best foot forward and play. That's what I tried to do, and sometimes it didn't show up in the way I hoped it would. I don't think I played terrible compared to what I was dealing with. I think a team that values somebody that's healthy that can put up stats in a way that they're not, then I would think that anyone would be like, 'OK, yeah, let's go see what he can do.'"

Blackmon has already demonstrated an ability to play both safety spots and rack up tackles when he's closer to the line of scrimmage. The question will be whether free-agent suitors view Blackmon as a deep or box safety—and how many view the sixth-year veteran as an every-down starter.

S Jeremy Chinn

Last year was a career revival for Chinn—after falling out of favor in Carolina and barely playing in 2023, Chinn played full-time for Dan Quinn with the Washington Commanders last year, tying a career-high with 117 total tackles. Per ESPN's John Keim, there's optimism that Washington and the 27-year-old will be able to work out an extension.

"Safety is always an interesting one in free agency. I'm not sure what he's going to command, but you look at Kam Curl last year; people were throwing out crazy numbers, and he didn't even come close to that." Keim said. "So, what will Jeremy Chinn get? And he's a really good fit in this defense. Size gives him the ability to play the hybrid spot. I could see him getting a multi-year deal. It definitely sounds like they would like him back."

Frankly, that's the best case for Chinn—he looked as good in Dan Quinn's scheme as he has since bursting into IDP prominence as a rookie. But we have already seen one team miscast Chinn in roles that didn't suit his skill-set and crushed his IDP value. It can't be ruled out that it will happen again. 

S Talanoa Hufanga

Hufanga has gone from a surefire star in the making (97 stops and first-team All-Pro honors in 2022) to a player whose career is at a crossroads. However, ESPN's Matt Bowen thinks Hufanga is still one of the top free agents available, ranking him as a top-20 free agent and the No. 3 safety available.

"Injuries have limited Hufanga to 17 games over the past two seasons. However, the former All-Pro is a natural disruptor when he's healthy. In 49 career games, Hufanga has 7 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 defensive touchdown. He is at his best in a defined coverage scheme that allows him to play in split-field alignments and spin down to roam the front.

There's something of a theme with the safeties with the most to gain (or lose) in free agency—scheme. Hufanga has the versatility to man either safety spot, but his huge 2022 campaign came in a year where he was regularly close to the line of scrimmage. Landing somewhere like the Chargers (who play both safeties deep regularly) would be less than ideal.

Gary Davenport ("The Godfather of IDP") is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow him on Twitter (Can't make him call it X) at @IDPSharks.