We’ve been in NFL Free Agency for almost a full week and after a series of actions during the negotiation window, the pace has slowed. But many talented players remain unsigned.
Recognizable names continue to search for the right fit and financial arrangement that will allow them to continue on the next leg of their football journey. Some might find these situations any day now. Others may have to wait longer when the market calms down.
Here’s a look at 10 of the best players still out there.
Best remaining available: the athleteTop 150 Free Agents
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Rank, the athleteTop 150 Free Agents: Number 1.
Baltimore franchise-tagged the Ravens star, so he’s not technically a free agent who can sign with whatever team he chooses. However, it is believed that Baltimore would receive bids for the unanimous 2019 NFL MVP. So far it has been quiet on this front. But if a team really wants to change their fortunes and land a game-changing face in the franchise, they should pick up the phone and really take Jackson off the market.
Teams that may need: Falcons, commanders.
GO DEEPER
Lamar Jackson’s market remains unclear as the new league year is set to begin
LB Bobby Wagner
Rank, the athleteTop 150 Free Agents: #5
Father Time has nothing against the longtime Seattle Seahawks linebacker, who had his 11th straight 100+ season as a member of the LA Rams at the ripe old age of 32 last year. Wagner (140 tackles and 10 for a loss) also added a career-high six sacks, plus two interceptions and five pass separations.
Teams that may need: bills, lions.
DB CJ Gardner-Johnson
Rank, the athleteTop 150 Free Agents: #11
Any team looking for a turnover machine should seriously consider adding the fast-rising Gardner-Johnson to their secondary. After going to safety, Gardner-Johnson secured the NFL lead with six interceptions while also notching 67 tackles for the Eagles.
Teams that may need: Eagle, Bengal.
EN Frank Clark
Rank, the athleteTop 150 Free Agents: #23
The three-time defensive end of the Pro Bowl has seen his sack production decline, but he remains an active and effective pass rusher. He had five sacks and 13 quarterback hits for the Chiefs last season and will be 30 this year. But in the right situation, he could make his mark.
Teams that may need: Chiefs, Browns.
WR Adam Thielen
Rank, the athleteTop 150 Free Agents: #28
The nine-year Vikings veteran turns 33 this year, and his 113-catching season in 2018 is in retrospect. However, he remains a reliable and consistent contributor with 70 receptions for 716 yards and six touchdowns in 2022.
Teams that may need: Cowboys, bills.
WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Rank, the athleteTop 150 Free Agents: No. 29
His recovery from a cruciate ligament rupture took longer than he’d like, but he’s reportedly healthy and eager to help another team chase a Super Bowl. Though he’s still working his way back into football shape, Beckham looked pretty good in the practice session he held for teams last week, according to several talent assessors, who spoke on condition of anonymity so they wouldn’t telegraph their teams’ plans. Beckham’s dominant days are behind him. But it could still serve as a reliable #2 option.
Teams that may need: Cowboys, chiefs.
Dalton Schultz spent his entire five-year career with the Cowboys. (Andrew Nelles / USA today)
TE Dalton Schultz
Rank, the athleteTop 150 Free Agents: #30
Talented tight ends aren’t always easy to find, so teams shouldn’t wait too long to sign Schultz, who has averaged 10 yards per catch for the Cowboys over the past two seasons. After a 2021 season in which he recorded 78 catches for 808 yards and eight touchdowns, Schultz had 57 receptions for 577 yards and five touchdowns on 89 goals last year. A change of scenery would probably do Schultz good.
Teams that may need: Packers, commanders.
Rank, the athleteTop 150 Free Agents: No. 35.
He’s not considered an elite pass rusher, but Ngakoue is very good and very consistent, averaging 9.3 sacks a year over his seven seasons in the league. Last season, the 27-year-old recorded 9 1/2 sacks and eight tackles for a loss in 15 games for Indianapolis.
Teams that may need: 49ers, dolphins.
RB Kareem Chase
Rank, the athleteTop 150 Free Agents: No. 136.
Having shared time with Nick Chubb for the past four seasons in Cleveland, Hunt is eager for the opportunity to be a feature again and he’s fresher than some of the other veterans on the market. It’s a deep running back draft class, but if a team decides to sign a veteran, Hunt might be their best bet.
Teams that may need: bills, chargers.
RB Ezekiel Elliott
Rank, the athleteTop 150 Free Agents: NO.
The Cowboys released Elliott this week and released him as a Post-1. labeled June Cut. He no longer boasts of the juice he once had, but there is a place for him in the NFL, especially on a team that boasts a two-man rushing attack. Elliott is still very effective in short range situations where he can use his power. Despite a career-low average 3.8 yards per carry last season, Elliott was one of only eight NFL backs with more than 10 rushing touchdowns (12).
Teams that may need: bills, bears.
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(Top Photo by Odell Beckham Jr.: Harry How/Getty Images)