The Top 25 Free Agents of 2009

5. Ray Lewis, MLB, Ravens: Coming off his 10th Pro Bowl season, Lewis continues to prove he can play at a high level. One of the most instinctive players to ever man the position, Lewis is a productive sideline-to-sideline linebacker with an unrivaled penchant for playmaking. Although history would suggest it is a bad idea to ink an aging linebacker to a big-money deal, Lewis' intangibles and leadership skills will prompt several teams to consider overpaying for the future Hall of Famer.

12. Jonathan Vilma, LB, Saints: The active playmaker enters the market after re-establishing himself as one of the top inside linebackers in the game. Vilma's instincts are superb, and his knack for slipping under blocks allows him to gobble up running backs at a prolific rate. Though some teams will be turned off by his lack of size (6-foot-1, 230), Vilma's overall skills and productivity has him high on many free-agent boards.

(cnnsi.com)