The NFL free agency cycle has wrapped up its busiest time, but in a sport where games are decided on the margins, there are still some impact pieces available for hire. Who are the top names that can be signed, and what teams are (or should) be in the mix for their services?
Tyron Smith, OT, and Brandon Scherff, G
Tyron Smith was still a competent starting left tackle in his 14th season, no small feat given his age (34 years old) and injury history. However, some cracks started to show. Smith allowed five sacks in 10 games for the New York Jets, the same total he allowed in 43 games from 2019-23 combined.
He continues to be a disciplined tackle, committing three penalties in 2024 and six over 27 games in the last three seasons combined. His age and injury history likely limit him to one-year contracts for the remainder of his career, but Smith is a worthy stopgap for 2025.
Meanwhile, after years of injury woes in Washington, Brandon Scherff has stayed healthy since signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Scherff played all 17 possible games for the third consecutive season after five straight seasons in which he missed at least three games every year.
Scherff didn’t allow a single sack in 592 pass-blocking snaps this season. Among guards, only Trey Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs (665) had more pass-blocking snaps without allowing a sack. Scherff will play most of next season at 33 years old (his birthday is December 26).
Potential Suitor No. 1: New England Patriots
The New England Patriots pretty clearly want to show Drake Maye competence. With additions like Stefon Diggs and Morgan Moses this offseason, my read on this situation is that this is a team looking to be better this year than last but one that views its competitive window with its rookie QB as at least a year away.
Smith would fit that ideal for a unit that allowed pressure at the second-highest rate a season ago. If Maye can build on his rookie season courtesy of an improved supporting cast, look for New England to be more aggressive in terms of young talent entering the 2026 season.
Potential Suitor No. 2: Seattle Seahawks
Seattle was a big shaker this offseason, moving on from Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett while buying high on Sam Darnold and hoping for a bounce-back season from Cooper Kupp.
Agree or disagree with these moves, but the message is clear that this team wants to retool and not rebuild. This was the third-worst offensive line in terms of preventing pressure and when it comes to creating room for their running backs, thus making Smith a reasonable cheap target at this point in the proceedings.
Potential Suitor No. 3: Pittsburgh Steelers
As we sit here today, it’s not clear what Pittsburgh’s plan is at the quarterback position. Instability at the most critical position for a stable franchise is a tough evaluation, but improving their offensive line in a division that owns two top-10 defenses in terms of sack rate would certainly help the recruiting pitch.
The Pittsburgh Steelers ranked 25th in PFSN’s OL+ metric with their ‘D’ letter grade very much being impacted by their second-highest pressure rate allowed against standard defensive fronts.
J.K. Dobbins, RB
J.K. Dobbins’ story is pretty straightforward: There are flashes of upside between injuries that make him an intriguing buy at the right price. It seems as if every running back is an injury risk, but with Dobbins only appearing in 37 regular-season games since being the 55th overall pick in 2020, we are looking at a body that just isn’t positioned to be a bell-cow at the professional level.
Fortunately for him, more teams are going with a committee approach these days, and his 5.2 career yards-per-carry average on 429 attempts suggests that there is something there for a back who turned 26 in December.
Last season, despite the hot start, Dobbins picked up 5+ yards on 31.3% of his carries, a noticeable swing in the wrong direction (2022-23: 38%).
It’s unlikely that any NFL team is going to view him as an every-down back, and with a lack of versatility in his profile (73 career targets), he’s a clunky fit for most offenses, but we’ve seen many different offenses succeed in recent memory. A cheap change-of-pace role could be in store at a cheap price tag.
Potential Suitor No. 1: Cleveland Browns
Reasonable minds can argue about the Cleveland Browns’ direction as a franchise, but they lack backfield options, and Dobbins is at least a reasonable committee option.
Nick Chubb broke his foot in Week 15 last season and cannot be counted on, while Jerome Ford’s status as a bell-cow back is questionable at best (25.9% of his career carries have failed to gain yardage, the highest rate among 59 RBs with at least 200 carries over those three seasons).
If you believe that the Browns will pursue Abdul Carter in the 2025 NFL Draft and make a move to address the QB position, it stands to reason that they will want to bolster their short-term roster depth, and Dobbins can do that at a spot of uncertainty.
Potential Suitor No. 2: Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders signed Raheem Mostert, and he joins Dobbins on the list of “I like what I see in spurts but wouldn’t want to hand him the ball 15+ times for four months” running backs — OK, so maybe such a list doesn’t exist, but you get the idea.
Some will say that if you have two partial pieces at a position, you have none, but NFL teams are more willing now than ever to commit on a two-back system, and the Raiders could pencil that in for a season while they try to determine their franchise’s direction (Mostert: one-year, $1.255 million deal).
Potential Suitor No. 3: Chicago Bears
D’Andre Swift has an out in his deal after this season, and while the Chicago Bears loaded him up with work last season (295 touches), his 3.8 yards per carry weren’t exactly the efficient threat that they were hoping for.
Even with Swift struggling, Caleb Williams ranked 18th in play-action yards per pass, proving that he can thrive with even the smallest amount of defensive deception (34th in yards per non-play-action pass). The Bears aren’t likely to compete at a high level in the loaded NFC North this season, but allowing their QB to develop with a little more help will likely be a priority, and this signing could help with that.
Keenan Allen, WR
Yes, Keenan Allen saw his yards per route run decline by a full yard in 2024 from 2023, but he was part of a brand new offense that was working with a rookie quarterback while sharing the field with a talented receiver room. He was also in a loaded division that put pressure on this offense to be more aggressive than they otherwise would have been.
If Allen stays in Chicago, it’s hard to like his prospects of bouncing back (2024: 70-744-7) in a meaningful way. Rome Odunze showed signs of development as his rookie season wore on and is positioned to be used next to DJ Moore much more frequently as this team looks to build a future around Williams.
He posted his lowest on-field target share since his rookie season, and continually being phased out is likely in store. That said, he is a polished route runner who has scored at least six times in seven of eight seasons and ran downfield more in 2024 than in any of the previous four seasons.
Allen has spent over half of his snaps in the slot in five straight campaigns and, if signed into a very specific role, could make a positive impact entering his 13th season. He used to be a system-proof route winner — he can still make a difference, but not without the help of savvy scheming.
Potential Suitor No. 1: Los Angeles Chargers
I’m not an investigative reporter, but a veteran like Allen has some say in where he lands, and his thoughts have become a little clearer in recent days.
The Los Angeles Chargers have made it clear with their activity this offseason that they want to ramp up their offense, and while Allen isn’t the playmaker he once was, this team doesn’t need him to be. Ladd McConkey is pretty clearly a WR1 for years to come, while the Mike Williams/Quentin Johnston duo offers field-stretching upside.
So, why not add a chain-moving veteran who has plenty of reps under his belt with the franchise quarterback?
Potential Suitor No. 2: Green Bay Packers
Josh Jacobs sounded like fantasy football managers across the globe by wanting the Green Bay Packers to add a bona fide WR1 in what has the potential to be an explosive offense.
Is Allen that? Almost certainly not, but his stability could allow the other receivers on this roster to fill a role in which they are slightly more qualified. He is a sure-handed option for a Packers team that dropped the sixth-most passes in 2024 and is coming off a season in which he earned 14 end-zone targets, his most since his rookie season.
A true WR1 is no longer available; adding a pass catcher that can help sustain and finish off drives is all you can ask for at this point in the offseason.
Potential Suitor No. 3: Detroit Lions
Could the rich get richer?
The Detroit Lions don’t need a receiver, but my wife doesn’t need any more plants, and … well, here we are, with me typing in the garage because my office has been repurposed into a greenhouse.
The idea is that (at the right price) if some is good, more is better. The Lions are in win-now mode and will be looking for some offensive stability with Ben Johnson taking his talents to Chicago. Jameson Williams cleared 1,000 yards last season (career: 16.8 yards per catch), and Amon-Ra St. Brown has established himself as one of the game’s best; after that, the WR room lacks depth.
Williams is going to do his thing, and that’s not going to change, but the upticking average depth of target (aDOT) and St. Brown’s declining slot usage is something that I find interesting. Could Detroit elect to put a veteran like Allen in the slot in their base sets (over 50% slot usage in five straight seasons) as a way to negate the impact of Johnson’s creativity leaving town?
I’m not ruling it out for a franchise thirsty for high-end success that held down the top spot in our NFL power rankings for extended stretches a season ago.
Calais Campbell, DT
Calais Campbell turned 38 in September but remained an effective player in his 17th season. Campbell started all 17 games for the Miami Dolphins and recorded 5.0 sacks. His 10.3% pressure rate was virtually identical to the 10.8% rate he recorded with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023.
Beyond rushing the passer, Campbell remained an effective player on early downs. He recorded a tackle on 21.7% of his run-defense snaps. That was the highest rate of any defensive lineman to play at least 100 snaps against the run in 2024.
Campbell has talked about considering retirement in past seasons, and there’s no word yet on if he plans to play an 18th season in 2025. Last year, he didn’t sign with the Dolphins until June 18.
Potential Suitor No. 1: Arizona Cardinals
Yeah, yeah, yeah — the Arizona Cardinals already paid to bring in Josh Sweat this offseason, but if this team wants to compete in a division that feels reasonably open, there are plenty of holes to fill on a defense that allowed a league-high 3.56 yards per carry to opposing running backs after contact.
Potential Suitor No. 2: Cincinnati Bengals
Much like the Cardinals, the Cincinnati Bengals are a team that feels set on one side of the ball. They brought back B.J. Hill (three years, $33 million) this offseason, something that I expect to be just the beginning of their capital spending on defense.
This is a win-now team that ranked inside the bottom 10 a season ago in both pressure rate and yards allowed per carry after first contact. Campbell isn’t a long-term solution, but with 2025 in mind, he fits the bill.
Potential Suitor No. 3: Detroit Lions
When you’re in a position of power, you buy insurance to cover what you have instead of focusing on acquiring more. That general principle is true in most walks of life, and the Lions could opt to go that way here.
This team looked like a Super Bowl favorite before Hutchinson’s injury, and while they were still dangerous following it, they struggled to function at that same elite level. Detroit brought back Levi Onwuzurike for another season, seemingly with this thought in mind, but I don’t think that rules them out of showing interest in Campbell. Extreme depth could help them overcome the loss of their coordinators this offseason.
Za’Darius Smith, EDGE
While it was always a possibility, Za’Darius Smith was a somewhat surprising cut by Detroit and raises some question marks about how he should be viewed as a free agent. Entering his age-33 season, there’s naturally a concern, and his pedigree means the price could be high. However, we are talking about a player who has missed two games in the last three years and has 24.5 sacks in that timeframe.
A 15.9% pressure rate in 2024 does not scream “must sign,” but given that he played nearly 600 snaps, had a solid pressure top sack conversion rate, and a tackle rate greater than 10%, there is still a lot to like about him.
As a one-year signing, Smith can be a valuable impact player for any contending team. The fact that he has been on four teams in four years makes you wonder if there is some kind of red flag, but he is certainly still talented enough to play a role. There should be plenty of suitors for him this offseason, even if it is just a one-year deal.
Potential Suitor No. 1: Los Angeles Rams
It was always going to be difficult to try to get by on the defensive end immediately following the Aaron Donald era, given the lack of draft capital, and it showed in a unique way last season.
As expected, the Los Angeles Rams posted a below-average pressure rate when not blitzing, an area where Donald’s presence was missed in a direct manner. They were, however, elite in terms of generating heat when blitzing (fourth in pressure rate). They were able to scheme up successful situations.
The addition of Smith would, theoretically, bolster a spot of weakness, and that would only strengthen their upside when bringing the heat. Los Angeles is going to be in win-now mode as long as Matthew Stafford is on this roster, and a move like this would elevate their defensive ceiling.
Potential Suitor No. 2: Cincinnati Bengals
If the Bengals aren’t circling the waters for every affordable defensive piece, it could be considered roster-building malpractice. This unit had plenty of weaknesses, and Smith would certainly help in what could prove to be a cascading sort of way.
Cincinnati was the ninth-worst defense last season in creating pressure when not blitzing. Smith would rectify that and, given the attention he demands, could make this team more successful when blitzing.
At the end of the day, Joe Burrow and Company put pressure on opposing offenses to function at a high level. If this defense can trend toward the league average, this team will instantly become a threat to make a deep playoff run.
Potential Suitor No. 3: Kansas City Chiefs
You’ll notice a theme with these high-ranked free agents who remain without a deal: the elite teams are going to be more likely to pounce. It’s a simple risk/reward equation, as the best teams can board the downside to chase the upside while lesser teams are less apt to make that decision.
The Kansas City Chiefs ranked 27th in sack rate last season when not blitzing, a damning that has forced this defense to get more aggressive with each passing season.
Kansas City Blitz Rates:
- 2022: 25.6%
- 2023: 28.6%
- 2024: 29.9%
The three-peat didn’t happen, but that doesn’t mean that the dynasty era in Kansas City is over, and a move like this would allow for more play-calling versatility on the defensive side than they had a year ago.
Tyler Lockett, WR
The writing was on the wall for Tyler Lockett (33 years old in September) after a breakout season from Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Now, the veteran receiver looks to wear a different jersey for the first time in his career.
Availability hasn’t been an issue (15+ games played in every NFL season), but his ability to win downfield is stuck in reverse; that has resulted in a steep yards-per-route decline (2.36 in 2021, 1.94 in 2022, 1.61 in 2023, and 1.10 in 2024 — 66th of 72 receivers who earned at least 60 targets).
His 13.6% on-field target rate a season ago followed four straight years north of 21%. We could be looking at a voice-in-the-room type of addition for a team that is already comfortable with its nucleus of pass catchers.
Potential Suitor No. 1: Denver Broncos
Lockett’s name holds more value than his play these days, but joining a young offense could be an interesting addition with Sean Payton’s willingness to get creative.
At this point, there’s little risk involved. Courtland Sutton is the unquestioned top threat in this offense, and Marvin Mims Jr. showed tremendous potential over his final five games of last season (341 yards and five touchdowns) as the WR2.
But who is to say that Lockett can’t be an accent piece? He has experience with a mobile quarterback and would, at the very least, add depth to this roster. Heck, even if you are doubting his potential to produce at a viable level, he could serve as a mentor for another sub-6’0″, sub-190-pound receiver in Mims.
Potential Suitor No. 2: Tennessee Titans
I’m presuming that Cam Ward is the Tennessee Titans’ QB of the present and future. He’s not likely going to be put into a position to significantly succeed out of the gates, so why not get a veteran presence in the locker room that probably pencils in as the WR2 in the short term (Treylon Burks or Van Jefferson currently hold that role)?
Lockett may no longer impact winning at a high level, but he should be able to impact signal caller development, and that figures to be the name of the game in Tennessee over the next 12 months.
Potential Suitor No. 3: Dallas Cowboys
There are decent odds that the Dallas Cowboys plan on addressing the receiver position with their first pick in the NFL Draft, but if they view Lockett as a reasonable Band-Aid that allows them to address other needs for an owner that is always in win-now mode, why not?
CeeDee Lamb was the only Dallas receiver to reach 50 catches a season ago – he missed a pair of games and still had 22 more catches than any other WR had targets in this offense. With Dak Prescott back in the fold, this team is going to want to be competitive, and to do that, they are going to have to add talent at the receiver position one way or another.
Amari Cooper, WR
Amari Cooper turns 31 in June and will have to prove that Father Time isn’t calling his number if he is to land a featured role for a competitive team in 2025.
We saw him thrive with the then-Oakland Raiders to open his career (over 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons), catch a career-high 92 balls in Dallas in 2020, and find the end zone nine times with Cleveland in 2022.
Cooper has over 10,000 career receiving yards and has been labeled as the go-to option for most of his pro career — those were all the reasons we thought the Buffalo Bills acquiring him could elevate a tortured franchise. It didn’t happen.
After scoring a touchdown in his debut with the team (if you recall, it was on a play where Keon Coleman clearly showed him where to go post-huddle), Cooper saw just two end-zone targets for the rest of the year, a 10-game stretch that included their playoff run.
At his peak, Cooper was a strong possession receiver with scoring upside, even in limited offenses — by the end of 2024, it wasn’t clear that he was either. With his inability to stay on the field for a Buffalo team desperate for proven production at the position, there is plenty of doubt about the level of gas left in the tank.
With experience and size, Cooper will draw interest from some teams, but he’s going to have to take a reduction in both pay and role. His struggles with the Bills will likely result in underwhelming contract offers. However, that means there’s not a ton of risk in rolling the dice in the short term, but there also may not be the upside that has been attached to his name in the past.
Potential Suitor No. 1: Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars cut Evan Engram and Christian Kirk this offseason. Trevor Lawrence is under contract through 2030, and any team that is committed long-term to a quarterback is going to do what they can to make him successful.
Cooper was anything but a valuable piece last season, and that’s something that he will feel in his pocketbook, but what does Jacksonville have to lose? They are void of options next to Brian Thomas Jr. when it comes to pass catchers (Dyami Brown and Parker Washington are next up on the depth chart) and are coming off of a season in which they posted the 13th worst defensive season since 2019 (per PFSN’s Defense+ metric).
Potential Suitor No. 2: Atlanta Falcons
These older and unsigned receivers are positioning themselves to be more of a coach-on-the-field type than a true difference-maker. Drake London and Darnell Mooney return as Atlanta’s top options in the passing game, but any team looking to develop a young quarterback will take all the help they can get.
Michael Penix Jr. showed some promise last season in the 105 passes we saw from him (12.7 yards per completion), but he was intercepted in all three of his starts and is still very much a work in progress.
Cooper would be a low-risk signing that could help expedite the rebuild process via Penix’s growth.
Potential Suitor No. 3: Green Bay Packers
With Christian Watson’s injury, Green Bay is likely to address the receiver position in some capacity before training camp. Jayden Reed is a talented player, but he looks like a version of Deebo Samuel Sr., a versatile weapon whose value is maximized when paired with a target earner.
Is Cooper still that? Only time will tell, but for a team like the Packers that is in a position to compete for a divisional title, they would be wise to prioritize the upside instead of fearing the downside.
Eric Kendricks, LB
Eric Kendricks had a mixed year in 2024. He continued to be an excellent tackler, finishing with career-high numbers against the run (94 tackles) and a 25% tackle rate. However, he struggled against the pass, with just a 10.7% pressure rate and a 101 passer rating allowed. Kendricks allowed a 72.2% completion rate and two touchdown passes.
Kendricks has now allowed over a 100.0 passer rating and a 70% completion rate for four years in a row. He has proven useful in earning sacks, with 6.5 sacks over the past two seasons and 12.5 over the last four years. However, he is a net negative against the pass and is likely reaching the point where he is better suited as a two-down linebacker.
Potential Suitor No. 1: Buffalo Bills
The Bills may move on from Matt Milano; if that’s the case, there would be a vacancy for Kendricks, even in a limited capacity. These teams with a difference-maker at the quarterback position often take an upside swing on the other side of the ball, understanding that if they can find value, their postseason win equity spikes in a major way.
The Bills ranked 23rd in sack rate a season ago after ranking third from 2021-23. They are aware that they don’t need to be the best defense in the league, but if they can trend toward the league average in sack rate, the hope for this franchise to earn their first championship increases.
Potential Suitor No. 2: Cincinnati Bengals
Copy, paste.
The Bengals ought to be involved in all defensive conversations at this point, and Kendricks is no exception. This defense ranked 26th in sack percentage last season (5.9% of opponent dropbacks), and with Trey Hendrickson’s name still on the trade market, adding some depth would be a wise move.
Potential Suitor No. 3: Denver Broncos
Seeing how the market has cooled, could we see an elite defense get into the conversation here? The Denver Broncos posted the third-highest blitz rate in 2024, and if Kendricks accepts more of a specialty role, his remaining skill set could be maximized in a system like this.
Denver brought in Talanoa Hufanga to support its secondary (three years, $45 million). This is a defense capable of covering any pass game, and that allows them to project as uber-aggressive again this year.
Brandon Graham, DE
Given that he will be 37 when the new NFL season begins, Brandon Graham is very much a role player in 2025. However, he can still be a valuable part of any defense, having posted a 13.0% pressure rate and 12.2% tackle rate before getting hurt this year. It is somewhat of a concern that he only has 6.5 sacks in the last two years, but his ability to contribute in the run game makes up for some of that.
Graham will not be an every-down player, having averaged just 23.5 snaps per game over the last two seasons, but his knowledge and ability to make an impact should not be underestimated.
Potential Suitor No. 1: Los Angeles Chargers
Some news isn’t new.
Jim Harbaugh wants to win the battle of the trenches. We assumed this would be the case when he left Michigan, and it not only proved accurate last season, but it has continued to ring true this offseason after bringing back Bradley Bozeman in addition to signing Mekhi Becton and Najee Harris.
Those were all moves to support his run game, and it only seems like a matter of time until he addresses the other side of the ball. The Chargers ranked 28th in yards allowed per carry after contact to running backs last season, positioning them to make an impactful move sooner than later.
Potential Suitor No. 2: Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City had success on the back of their defense last season, and I expect them (similarly to Buffalo) to continue to lean into that side of the ball due to the stability their All-Pro QB brings to the offense.
Cornerback Kristian Fulton signed for two years earlier in the process, and I like the Chiefs to cast a wide net when it comes to building depth on this side of the ball. Health risk is one thing, but there’s not a single team in the NFL that has more of a long-term annual approach than the fightin’ Andy Reid’s.
Potential Suitor No. 3: Buffalo Bills
Did someone say Buffalo? The idea here remains the same: Buffalo has a stable offense and wants to embrace the upside on defense. You’re not building a dynastic defense around Graham, but if he can provide immediate aid to a bottom-10 pressure defense, he’d be worth every penny that he’s paid.