The flurry of free agency news has slowed as teams have now spent most of their available cap space and are waiting for the NFL Draft. That shouldn’t be confused with the idea there are no good players left on the market, which is what we’re going to look into now.
At this point we’re going to see some small, seemingly insignificant deals to fill gaps. Often times, that’s where NFL teams can find the best value. Here are the 10 best NFL free agents remaining in the market, regardless of position..
No. 1: Stephon Gilmore, CB
It’s wild to imagine Gilmore is still on the market, but I don’t think it’s because he’s being ignored by any stretch of the imagination. The 31-year-old cornerback languished on a terrible Panthers roster in 2021 after being traded by New England, and at this point he’s looking to win another ring.
Unless there’s some crazy money thrown at him, I think Gilmore will have his pick of any number of teams in need of secondary help. The Buccaneers, Rams, Bengals and Chiefs all make a ton of sense — with the Raiders being a big dark horse in this as they Hoover up talent in hopes of making a major run.
No. 2: Bobby Wagner, LB
How is this man not signed yet? I know we’ve de-emphasized the traditional 4-3 middle linebacker, but Wagner is as good as anyone to have played the position ... ever.
Hell, if I’m a team that has the money I’m signing him just to be a leader on the defense and have everyone learn from him by osmosis. Wagner is the type of player who married raw athleticism with unreal understanding of football principles to become the most reliable linebacker in the NFL over the last decade.
Talks indicate he’s looking for around the $11M mark, which might scare a lot of teams off — especially those without much liquidity left, but I think Wagner is worth it. Someone is going to get a steal.
No. 3: Tyrann Mathieu, S
I’m a sucker for playmakers, and I don’t know if there’s a better pure defensive playmaker left in free agency that Mathieu. The Chiefs were forced to let him walk due to cap constraints, meaning someone is going to get a difference maker. Sure, he can’t play every-down, but that doesn’t matter.
No. 4: Odell Beckham Jr., WR
OBJ is still weighing his options, and nobody is going to sign him who isn’t going for a ring. I still feel like when the dust settles he’ll return to the Rams, but that’s a lot murkier after Los Angeles signed Allen Robinson.
Indianapolis is a chance here, as is a team like the Chiefs, especially after trading away Tyreek Hill.
No. 5: Akiem Hicks, DT
A strong, reliable defensive tackle with a Pro Bowl pedigree? I don’t care that he’s 32-years old at this point. His injury-shortened 2021 is probably a large reason why he hasn’t been signed yet, but when he was on the field Hicks was as reliable as ever.
No. 6: Jadeveon Clowney, DE
Clowney is a solid rotational pass rusher at this point in his career. The most unfortunate thing is that he never lived up to his lofty billing out of college, and I think that stigma follows him around. If you know what to expect then you’ll get a nice third down pass rusher who an come on the field and cause some disruption.
No. 7: Duane Brown, OT
Brown is old, nobody is going to get it twisted — but he’s also a mega reliable player who would fit perfectly on a team like Indianapolis. The Colts need a big presence on the offensive line and some much-needed leadership.
No. 8: Rob Gronkowski, TE
I expect he’ll either just hang it up, or wait until the end of camp and sign with the Buccaneers. Gronk is too smart to practice, so I think he’ll party for most of the summer, then stroll in and finish with 500 yards and 6-10 touchdowns. That’s just his M.O. at this point.
No. 9: Eric Fisher, OT
Another offensive lineman who should find a team. I’m shocked that at 31 a team hasn’t been willing to overpay him just to bring him in and get a 2-3 year bridge.
No. 10: Patrick Peterson, CB
The third player on the secondary in this list, we still haven’t seen Peterson be signed. It makes all the sense in the world he’d return to the needy Vikings, but I think this is another smart rotational move for a team to get some solid corner depth.
Honestly, I’m a little shocked a team hasn’t elected to try and convert Peterson to safety to extend his career. That feels like the most logical move here.