Editor's Note: With the NFL free-agency signing period starting Friday, Mel rates the top three unrestricted free agents at each position. For a more extensive and detailed breakdown, check out his "Free Agency Data Sheet," which costs $9 and can be ordered online.

QUARTERBACKS
1. Jim Miller, Chicago: Currently in the process of recovering from a separated throwing shoulder suffered in their playoff loss to Philadelphia, he's far from the most gifted pure passer around. But in his first full season as a starter, Miller did complete 57.7 percent of his passes, tossing 13 TDs compared to 10 INTs. Those aren't exactly Pro Bowl numbers, but the Bears could do a lot worse.

2. Gus Frerotte, Denver: A good indication that he's not planning on returning to the Broncos can be found in the fact that he's no longer living in the area. Frerotte wants more of an opportunity to compete for a starting job.

RUNNING BACKS
1. Garrison Hearst, San Francisco: You couldn't have written a better script. After sitting out two seasons, Hearst had his second most productive year as a pro. He led the Niners in rushing (1,206 yards) and finished third in receiving (41 catches).

2. Warrick Dunn, Tampa Bay: Working in the backfield with fullback Mike Alstott, the Bucs never quite figured out how best to use the two in tandem. Not 100 percent physically this past season, Dunn was reduced to being a receiving threat (second on the team with 68 catches).

3. Ricky Watters, Seattle: Played in just five games this past season, after not missing one the previous seven years. With Shaun Alexander eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark, the Seahawks are set in terms of a starter.

FULLBACKS
1. William Henderson, Green Bay: Turned in another good year. Not only did Henderson make his presence felt as a fullback, he also contributed on special teams.

2. Fred Beasley, San Francisco: Viewed as an unsung cog in their offense, I'm told the Niners will make a concerted effort to bring him back.

3. Mack Strong, Seattle: Directly responsible for the success enjoyed by running backs Shaun Alexander and Ricky Watters, he's become more incorporated into the passing game the last two seasons. What will be interesting to watch unfold is how far the Seahawks are willing to go to retain his services.

WIDE RECEIVERS
1. Germane Crowell, Detroit: Established himself as one of the top young wideouts in the league with an 81-catch performance in 1999. Unfortunately, since that point, Crowell has had all kinds of trouble staying healthy. Over the last two seasons, he's missed 16 games.

2. Az-Zahir Hakim, St. Louis: It's safe to assume that he will be wearing a different uniform when training camp rolls around. Among others, the Kansas City Chiefs are expected to make a serious run at him.

3. Jerome Pathon, Indianapolis: Until being lost for the season with a foot injury, Pathon was turning the corner. After three games, he was the team's leading receiver and his 13.8 yards per catch average was a career-best.

TIGHT ENDS
1. Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City: Frustrated by losing and his role in the offense, at the end of the season, the NFL's premier player at the position talked about giving basketball a try -- on a part-time basis.

2. Byron Chamberlain, Minnesota: Unable to put it all together in Denver, he did just that in his first season with the Vikings. Chamberlain not only fit in well on the field, but also in the locker room. The Vikings are moving Jimmy Kleinsasser to TE in order to get him on the field more. Even so, they would like to have Chamberlain back.

3. Stephen Alexander, Washington: Unless he prices himself out of their range, the 'Skins would like to see Alexander return.

OFFENSIVE TACKLES
1. Walter Jones, Seattle: The Seahawks' top priority in free agency is making sure they get a deal done with one of their own. Rewarded for his efforts this season with a Pro Bowl invitation, Jones is the first offensive lineman in team history to play in Hawaii.

2. Tarik Glenn, Indianapolis: He's not a top-echelon LT, but definitely belongs on the next level.

3. Jason Fabini, NY Jets: As a whole, the Jets' offensive line played very well. For Fabini, it was a good year, but not a great one.

OFFENSIVE GUARDS
1. Ron Stone, NY Giants: On the surface -- coming off a trip to the Pro Bowl -- you would think that Stone enjoyed a very good year. But a closer look indicates that his play was far from exemplary.

2. Steve McKinney, Indianapolis: A four-year starter, he's been a solid performer and very durable over that time span. With that being said, two other starters on the offensive side of the ball -- LT Tarik Glenn and WR Jerome Pathon -- are also free agents.

3. Kerry Jenkins, NY Jets: The decision to re-sign J.P. Machado gives them insurance in the event that Jenkins gets a better offer elsewhere.

CENTERS
1. Olin Kreutz, Chicago: One of the top pivots in the game, he wants to be paid as such. The Bears know better than anyone just how good of a player Kreutz is. But they are not going to allow the negotiations to get out of hand.

2. Jeremy Newberry, San Francisco: A Pro Bowl alternate, Newberry has developed into a very good starting pivot. And he's still improving.

3. Cory Raymer, Washington: Remains a solid, dependable starter. Over the past couple of seasons, the Redskins have had a lot of instability at the guard position.

DEFENSIVE ENDS
1. Leonard Little, St. Louis: By far the Rams most effective pass rusher, he enjoyed a breakout year in 2001. Little finished third in the league with 14.5 sacks.

2. Renaldo Wynn, Jacksonville: Known for his ability to stop the run, Wynn also generated some heat on the quarterback (career-high 5.5 sacks) this past season.

3. Kenard Lang, Washington: Forced to start at defensive tackle this past season due to the Redskins' troubles in the middle, he is much better suited to play DE.

DEFENSIVE TACKLES
1. La'Roi Glover, New Orleans: After registering 17 sacks in 2000, he saw that number drop to eight this past season. The latter is much more indicative of his career. While Glover is very adept at using speed and leverage to gain an advantage over offensive linemen, he can be overpowered at the point of attack.

2. Grady Jackson, Oakland: Even prior to teammate Darrell Russell's recent troubles, re-signing Jackson was considered a priority. Now it becomes that much more critical.

3. John Parrella, San Diego: Figures to re-sign at very reasonable dollars. What Parrella lacks in flash, he makes up for with consistency.

INSIDE LINEBACKERS
1. Jeremiah Trotter, Philadelphia: They don't come much better than Trotter. As if he needed more bargaining power, Trotter earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl.

2. Sam Cowart, Buffalo: When in top form, one of the better inside linebackers in the game, he's coming off a torn Achilles tendon.

3. London Fletcher, St. Louis: His play tailed off some the latter part of the season, but overall Fletcher turned in a good year. The perfect fit for what the Rams are looking for in a middle linebacker.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
1. Jason Gildon, Pittsburgh: Management's No. 1 priority is making sure he's wearing a Steelers uniform when training camp opens. Their top difference-maker on the defensive side of the ball, Gildon reached double-digit sacks (12) for the third time in four years.

2. James Farrior, NY Jets: The subject of criticism heading into the 2001 season, he certainly picked the right time to have a breakout year. A young man who is just beginning to come into his own, Farrior really took to the defensive scheme.

3. Kevin Hardy, Jacksonville: Until being placed on IR with a knee injury, he was playing good football.

CORNERBACKS
1. Duane Starks, Baltimore: Despite not being in the best financial shape, the Ravens will try to re-sign him. Starks has peaks and valleys through the course of a season, but the good, by far, outweighs the bad.

2. Brian Kelly, Tampa Bay: Supplanted 2000 Pro Bowler Donnie Abraham early in the season as the starting left cornerback. Kelly lacks the pure cover skills of Abraham, but the Bucs felt that he gave them better all-around play at the position.

3. Walt Harris, Chicago: Re-signed to a one-year deal last offseason, you can expect Harris to be with another team when the 2002 campaign gets underway. He's never developed into the player that was hoped for.

SAFETIES
1. Shaun Williams, NY Giants: Was playing at a Pro Bowl level the early part of the season before tailing off thereafter. A starter at free safety, there is a feeling among those close to the situation that he's best suited to play the strong side.

2. Lance Schulters, San Francisco: Combines with Zack Bronson to give the Niners very solid play from the safety position. A Pro Bowler in '99, he hasn't been able to reach that level the last two seasons, but is still highly regarded.

3. Tony Parrish, Chicago: Teams up with second-year pro Mike Brown to give the Bears a very formidable 1-2 punch at safety. It appears, however, that very soon we will be talking about this tandem in past tense.

PUNTERS
1. Matt Turk, Miami: Enjoyed a bounce back year. His 37.6-yard net average was the second best in the NFL.

2. Sean Landeta, Philadelphia: Still going strong after 17 years in the league, Landeta's 43.5-yard average was his best since '96.

3. Kyle Richardson, Baltimore: Will probably get more money elsewhere. The 2001 season wasn't exactly his best.

PLACEKICKERS
1. Jason Elam, Denver: One of the game's premier kickers, the Broncos would love to have him back. But they realize he's going to be a hot commodity in free agency and probably price himself out of their range.

2. Adam Vinatieri, New England: His performance in the playoffs, capped off by the game-winning 48-yard field goal in the Super Bowl, will forever have him etched in the minds of football fans across the world. It's also safe to assume that Vinatieri will earn a few more dollars than he did in 2001.

3. Morten Anderson, NY Giants: Turned in another good year, connecting on 23 of 28 field-goal attempts. The Giants have a youngster waiting in the wings by the name of Owen Pochman.