It’s almost June, but several high-profile NFL free agents remain available. Here’s what a team rostering the top unsigned players at each position would look like:
Ryan Tannehill
Tannehill’s days as a full-time starter are likely done, but the 35-year-old is an interesting option for teams looking for an experienced backup. The Pittsburgh Steelers considered signing him earlier this year but ultimately brought in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Sixty-six QBs started a game in 2023, and given how important backups have become, Tannehill could be helpful on a contender with limited QB depth. The former first-round pick – who lost his starting role on the Tennessee Titans midway through last season – has started 156 career games, including in the playoffs.
Dalvin Cook
Kareem Hunt
The options for free-agent running backs are very limited. After several star tailbacks landed lucrative deals early in free agency, only veterans past their primes who didn’t look good in 2023 remain.
Cook, 28, rushed for only 214 yards (3.2 per carry) with no touchdowns in 15 games with the New York Jets. He failed to make an impact upon joining the Baltimore Ravens later in the season, so it’s hard to believe he has anything left in the tank. The four-time Pro Bowler is two years removed from a 1,400-yard, 10-TD season in his final year with the Minnesota Vikings.
Hunt scored nine rushing touchdowns for the Cleveland Browns last year while sharing the backfield with Jerome Ford after Nick Chubb went down with an injury. Hunt – a former NFL rushing yards leader – also found the end zone twice in the playoffs but finished the campaign with 3 yards per carry.
Michael Thomas
Hunter Renfrow
Thomas is unlikely to regain his 2019 Offensive Player of the Year form at age 31, but he could still contribute as a possession receiver on a team looking for depth. A two-time NFL receptions leader, Thomas set a single-season record with 149 catches in 2019 but hasn’t played a full season since due to injuries. He caught 39 passes for 448 yards and one touchdown in 10 games with the New Orleans Saints last year.
Renfrow wasn’t a great fit on the Las Vegas Raiders with coach Josh McDaniels and was released this offseason as a salary-cap casualty after posting 25 receptions, 255 yards, and no touchdowns in 2023. Once one of the league’s top slot receivers, Renfrow is only 28 and three years removed from a 1,000-yard campaign.
Logan Thomas
Thomas turns 33 in July but showed he still has something left in the tank after finishing last season with 496 yards and four touchdowns on 55 receptions despite playing in a Washington Commanders offense that struggled at quarterback. The 6-foot-6 pass-catcher also posted a 93.7 passer rating when targeted, the second-best mark of his career.
LT David Bakhtiari
LG Greg Van Roten
C Connor Williams
RG Halapoulivaati Vaitai
RT Charles Leno Jr.
On paper, this O-line looks pretty good.
Bakhtiari is a premier lineman when healthy but has only played 13 games since 2021. Leno, D.J. Humphries, and Donovan Smith are among the other interesting options available at left tackle, but the choices at right tackle are sparse. We thus moved Leno there for this exercise. The 32-year-old – who has 141 career starts – played 13 games for the Commanders in 2023 and finished as a top-20 tackle in pass-blocking, according to PFF.
The only reason Williams is unsigned is likely the torn ACL he sustained in December. Williams, 27, enjoyed arguably his best NFL year in 2023 with the Miami Dolphins before going down. At guard, Vaitai is another case of a veteran who’s looked good when on the field but struggles to stay healthy. A 2023 Week 1 starter for the Detroit Lions, the veteran blocker has allowed only one sack in his last 712 pass-block snaps. However, he’s played just 21 games since 2021. Finally, Van Roten was PFF’s 12th-best guard in pass protection last season. He turned 34 this year but remains in great form after starting 17 games at right guard for the Raiders. The 6-foot-3 lineman also played left guard in the past.
Calais Campbell
Lawrence Guy
Campbell may be turning 38 this year, but the six-time Pro Bowler had a pretty good year with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023, recording 56 tackles (10 for loss), 17 QB hits, and a team-high 6.5 sacks. Campbell’s leadership and veteran presence can be a big asset to a contender in 2024.
There aren’t many solid defensive tackles available, but Guy offers plenty of experience at age 34. The veteran defender, who spent the last seven seasons with the New England Patriots, has 177 games played and one Super Bowl title under his belt.
Yannick Ngakoue
Emmanuel Ogbah
Ngakoue racked up four sacks in 13 appearances for the Chicago Bears last year. The former Pro Bowler remains a liability in the run game but can be an interesting rotational pass-rusher on a team looking for depth up front. The 29-year-old ranks ninth in the NFL in sacks since 2016.
Ogbah, 30, was cut by the Dolphins as a cap casualty this offseason. In the last two campaigns, the former second-round pick hasn’t come close to replicating his consecutive nine-sack seasons in 2020 and 2021, but he did amass 5.5 sacks and even an interception while playing just 25% of Miami’s defensive snaps in 2023.
Zach Cunningham
Shaquille Leonard
Cunningham started 10 games and recorded 85 tackles (two for loss) for the Philadelphia Eagles last season. Pass coverage remains an issue, but he’s still an above-average run defender ahead of his age-30 season.
Leonard lacked consistency in recent years, and his playing time decreased before the Indianapolis Colts released him in November. In 14 appearances for the Colts and Eagles combined last season, the 28-year-old amassed 88 tackles (four for loss) and one sack. Those aren’t terrible numbers, but they mark a huge drop-off for a defender who claimed All-Pro nods in his first four NFL seasons, including three first-team selections.
CB Stephon Gilmore
CB Xavien Howard
S Justin Simmons
S Tashaun Gipson
DB Steven Nelson
Plenty of interesting defensive backs remain available.
Simmons is the best free agent left on the market. The Denver Broncos waived him as a cap casualty in March after he produced a solid campaign with 70 tackles, eight pass breakups, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles in 15 games – good for a second-team All-Pro nod. One of the most reliable safeties of his generation, the two-time Pro Bowler tops the NFL with 30 interceptions since entering the league in 2016.
Gipson turns 34 in August and is no Justin Simmons, but age was just a number for him in 2023. He recorded 60 tackles, three pass breakups, and one interception to help the San Francisco 49ers build a premier defensive unit. The former Pro Bowler was an important part of the Niners’ secondary and started 39 games over the last two seasons, including in the playoffs.
At corner, Gilmore deserves special attention after a strong campaign with the Dallas Cowboys. The 2019 DPOY still thrives in single coverage – he allowed a 55.8% completion rate and an 82.7 passer rating in 2023. He also had 13 pass breakups and two interceptions. Signing the five-time Pro Bowler to a short-term deal should be a no-brainer for any contender ahead of his age-34 season.
Howard, 30, hasn’t been as good as Gilmore, but the former Dolphins corner can still be a quality starter if healthy. He’s posted at least 12 pass breakups in the last four seasons, and his 29 interceptions since 2016 are the second-best mark in the NFL. Finally, Nelson was a key starter for the Houston Texans last year and had four interceptions. The 5-foot-11, 194-pounder is a reliable, experienced corner with solid coverage ability. He’s played at least 90% of defensive snaps each season since 2018.
Our All-FA team may have limited offensive firepower, but it’d be hard to score against this secondary. Still, if the NFL season started today and the over/under for our squad was, say, 3.5 wins, we’d take the under. Leave your predictions in the comments.
