Arguably the most talented free agent on the market this year is still available. He plays at a premium position and has shown the ability to produce at an extremely high level. Greg Hardy or “The Kraken” (after the mythical sea monster) as he has been referred to is not only one of the most talented players in free agency, but also in the NFL.

Hardy has the size (6-foot-4 and 275 pounds), athleticism and strength that every single team wants in a 4-3 defensive end or 3-4 outside linebacker. Hardy showcases extremely quick hands and a nifty double hand swipe to beat opposing offensive tackles on a consistent basis. He seamlessly bends around the edge and demonstrates an ability to dart inside to win as well.

Why would a player with this type of talent still be on the open market?

With the NFL’s newfound stance against domestic violence, a man, who was charged and convicted of assaulting his partner, isn’t exactly the most sought after person at this time of the year. It should be noted that the charges were then dismissed after the accuser failed to show up to court.

Couple that with the fact that Hardy is likely facing a suspension of a game or two in 2015 and you see why a lot of teams are scared off despite his immense talent.

Nevertheless, Hardy is too talented to be on the street for much longer as you don’t find elite pass-rushers on the open market very often.

A few teams would figure to be interested in Hardy’s services at the right price. One of those team’s general manager discussed how he could justify bringing Hardy under the fold.

“We’d have to do some research into it,” Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said. “We haven’t really been into a whole lot of discussion about it, but you know our philosophy here. We feel like if a player shows remorse, is trying to get better, it’s not our job to judge. We are going to try to help anybody, not only on the field, but off the field. If they can be productive in our culture, if they can be productive in our community. Like I said all of us have made mistakes some probably a lot more than others. I am probably in that category, too. We just take it case by case and see where it’s at.”

The fact of the matter is that Hardy would be a huge help to the Jaguars defense. They failed to get much production from the defensive end or Leo position last year and Hardy would quickly remedy that fix. He could play the Leo and quickly attack upfield and attack his gap with vigor or he could be more disciplined at defensive end and make a similar impact there.

The Jaguars have made quite the splash thus far in free agency with the additions of Jared Odrick, Jermey Parnell and Julius Thomas; Hardy would be the cherry on top.

Another team who should be interested in Hardy is the Dallas Cowboys. While Jason Garret is lauded for his “right kind of guy” approach to free agency and the draft, they have shown that they aren’t afraid to take a chance on an extremely talented player with questionable character.

Hardy would be the perfect piece to play opposite of DeMarcus Lawrence and his acquisition would go a long way toward improving the Cowboys porous pass rush in 2014. Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli’s scheme is heavily reliant on the defensive line getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks on their own and with Hardy in the fold, it would be the first time that they would have a fighting chance since Marinelli joined the team.

The last team who appears to be a great fit for Hardy is the Detroit Lions. Even though the Lions have two young pass-rushers in the fold with Willie Young and Ezekiel Ansah, they are always in the market for more, especially with Ndamukong Suh in Miami and Nick Fairley likely leaving via free agency. With the absence of Suh and Fairley in the middle, it will be even more important that Detroit organically generates pressure off the edge.

In the Lions’ defensive scheme, Hardy would be able to utilize his speed and flexibility off the edge much more than he even did in Carolina. In Carolina, Hardy played mostly as a 5- or 6-technique defensive end, which made it a tad more difficult for him to get around the edge as he had an acute angle to the offensive tackle’s outside shoulder. However, in Detroit, Hardy would play as wide as the 9-technique defensive end, which would give him an advantageous angle to utilize his speed and athleticism off the edge.

Even though Hardy put up 34 sacks while in Carolina, he would likely put up even more ridiculous numbers with Detroit.

Whichever team decides to take a chance on “The Kraken,” will be taking a gamble. Talent doesn’t always win games, but when you have a player like “The Kraken” it certainly doesn’t hurt.