NFL free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft are in the rearview mirror. Training camps are underway, and rosters are largely set.
But no NFL general manager is ever truly satisfied with the makeup of his 53-man squad.
As clubs around the league ramp up for the regular season, front offices will continue to scour the open market, hoping a last-minute addition can unlock additional production.
Let’s run through every team in the NFL and suggest one free agent signing each club should make before Week 1. We’ve considered salary-cap constraints in this exercise, but most players available in July are relatively affordable.
1 Training Camp Free Agent Signing For Every NFL Team
Arizona Cardinals | Sign EDGE Shaq Lawson
Rookie tweener Darius Robinson should help immediately, but the Cardinals don’t have much pass-rushing depth. They declined former first-round pick Zaven Collins’ fifth-year option, signaling their displeasure with his conversion from off-ball to the edge. Dennis Gardeck is a viable rotational piece, but Arizona is banking on more from 2023 second-rounder BJ Ojulari.
Shaq Lawson is still only 30 years old and has played at least 300 defensive snaps each of the past seven seasons. While he’s not a perfect fit as a stand-up outside linebacker in the Cardinals’ 3-4 base package, Lawson could see time as a part-time player.
Atlanta Falcons | Sign EDGE Carl Lawson
The Falcons deployed veteran Calais Campbell as a true edge defender in 2023, watching the 37-year-old lineman produce 6.5 sacks and 17 QB hits. Campbell left for the Dolphins, while fellow pass rusher Bud Dupree signed with the Chargers, leaving Atlanta with Arnold Ebiketie, Lorenzo Carter, and third-round rookie Bralen Trice as their top pass rushers.
After tearing his Achilles, Carl Lawson missed the entire 2021 campaign and was a regular healthy scratch in 2023. In between, he posted seven sacks and 49 pressures for the Jets.
Lawson may never return to the force he was earlier in his career with the Bengals, but he’s a feasible rotational piece.
Baltimore Ravens | Sign OL Connor McGovern
Few teams needed more offensive line help heading into the draft than the Ravens, who lost guards John Simpson and Kevin Zeitler and right tackle Morgan Moses over the offseason. Baltimore added a potential starting right tackle in second-rounder Roger Rosengarten, but there are still voids on either side of center Tyler Linderbaum.
While the Ravens might trust incumbents like Ben Cleveland, Andrew Voorhees, or Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu to take over, Connor McGovern would offer the club far more experience. He’s most recently been a center, but the 31-year-old boasts pro snaps at guard, and Baltimore might have to be willing to get creative.
Buffalo Bills | Sign S Quandre Diggs
Although the Bills could consider bringing in another edge rusher, they could also think about signing a veteran safety like Quandre Diggs, who’s surprisingly still available after being released by the Seahawks in the spring.
Diggs is 30 but hasn’t missed a game since 2019. He played the second-most snaps of any NFL defender last season and handled 200+ more deep safety snaps (1,020) than any other DB.
Diggs’ addition would move Buffalo’s other safeties — Taylor Rapp, Mike Edwards, and second-round rookie Cole Bishop — down a peg, strengthening both the top end and depth of the club’s defensive back room.
Carolina Panthers | Sign CB Eli Apple
The Panthers have three competent cornerback starters in Jaycee Horn, Dane Jackson, and Troy Hill. However, Carolina lacks depth after trading CB Donta Jackson to the Steelers for WR Diontae Johnson in March.
Eli Apple has a mercurial personality and can sometimes be beaten, but NFL teams continue to trust him as a starter. He played 900+ snaps for the Bengals in 2021 and 2022, then saw an 81% snap rate in 10 games with the Dolphins in 2023. Apple would be an upgrade over current Panthers backup corners D’Shawn Jamison and Dicaprio Bootle.
Chicago Bears | Re-Sign EDGE Yannick Ngakoue
Montez Sweat bolstered the Bears’ pass rush after joining the club last October, posting six sacks in nine games. Chicago rarely blitzes, so it needs another edge rusher capable of winning 1-on-1 matchups.
While Bears general manager Ryan Poles said Friday he’s “comfortable” with his team’s DE options opposite Sweat, Chicago could stand to add another body alongside DeMarcus Walker, Dominique Robinson, Jacob Martin, and fifth-round rookie Austin Booker.
Bringing back Yannick Ngakoue, who started 13 games for the Bears in 2023 before breaking his ankle in Week 14, should make sense for the upstart NFC North franchise. His speed-based game complements Sweat’s power-centric approach, and Ngakoue shouldn’t cost anywhere near the $10.5 million he earned for Chicago last season.
Cincinnati Bengals | Sign CB Jerry Jacobs
The Bengals appear content to let former Michigan teammates DJ Turner II and Dax Hill compete for their CB2 job opposite Cam Taylor-Britt. But Turner had coverage lapses during his 2023 rookie campaign, while Hill is converting from safety. In a potential Super Bowl season, should Cincinnati think about more depth?
Signing an established veteran to block Turner and Hill probably doesn’t make sense, but the Bengals could consider an option like former Lion Jerry Jacobs. While he fell out of favor in Detroit and was eventually non-tendered as a restricted free agent, Jacobs started 29 games over the past three seasons. The Arkansas product visited the Falcons and Vikings in May.
Cleveland Browns | Sign CB Adoree’ Jackson
The Browns are among the few NFL teams with no apparent weaknesses remaining on their roster after one week of free agency. Still, no roster is perfect, and Cleveland could use additional CB depth behind starters Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson, and Greg Newsome.
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Adoree’ Jackson would be a strict backup for the Browns and would have to accept a steep pay cut from his $13 million annual salary with the Giants. He’s still only 28 years old, so Jackson may be willing to wait for an injury before finding a new home. But Cleveland could be a worthwhile destination if he hasn’t landed somewhere by Week 1.
Dallas Cowboys | Sign RB Latavius Murray
The Cowboys reunited with Ezekiel Elliott this summer, adding him to a backfield that also includes Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Royce Freeman, and others. Dallas, arguably the least active NFL team of the 2024 free agent period, should consider signing another RB before the season begins.
Now 34 years old, Latavius Murray was the oldest running back in the NFL last season. He signed with the Bills in May and became a contributor after fellow RB Damien Harris suffered a season-ending injury in Week 5. Murray became Buffalo’s No. 2 back, taking 96 touches for 419 total yards and four touchdowns.
Denver Broncos | Sign C Mason Cole
The Broncos are staging a center competition after watching free agent Lloyd Cushenberry walk out the door in March. 2022 fifth-round pick Luke Wattenberg will battle 2023 seventh-rounder Alex Forsyth for the starting job, while veteran Sam Mustipher is also on the roster.
Still, it’s worth wondering whether Denver rookie QB Bo Nix would be better off with a more experienced player handling the pivot. Mason Cole is 28, can play center and guard, and has 73 starts and 4,300 career snaps under his belt.
The Broncos could still hope Wattenberg or Forsyth emerges, but Cole could be valuable insurance.
Detroit Lions | Sign WR Michael Thomas
It’s almost baffling that Detroit didn’t add a receiver in free agency or the draft, especially after losing Josh Reynolds, who played the second-most snaps among Lions WRs in 2023. The Lions have plenty of weapons in RB Jahmyr Gibbs, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Sam LaPorta, but the club is hoping for a Jameson Williams breakout.
Admittedly, we’re unsure if Michael Thomas is a cultural fit for Dan Campbell’s club; Thomas had multiple clashes with Saints management that might not fly in Detroit. But he could be worth a shot for the Lions and should come relatively cheap.
While it’s been five years since Thomas caught an NFL-record 149 passes, Detroit wouldn’t be asking him to serve as a WR1.
Green Bay Packers | Sign QB Ryan Tannehill
Almost every NFL team has its quarterback room in order as training camps begin. Ryan Tannehill won’t be a starter in 2024, but he might have difficulty even landing a backup gig.
The Packers stand out as a potential landing spot for the 35-year-old Tannehill. Green Bay has one of the worst backup QB situations in the NFL. Sean Clifford, a 2023 fifth-round choice, attempted exactly one pass (a 37-yard completion) in his rookie campaign.
The Packers are a viable Super Bowl threat in 2024; rostering a veteran QB2 like Tannehill behind Jordan Love makes more sense than an inexperienced passer like Clifford.
Houston Texans | Sign G Greg Van Roten
After letting Steven Nelson walk in free agency (and eventually watching him retire), the Texans threw dollars and draft picks at their CB2 hole opposite 2023 breakout Derek Stingler Jr. Second-round rookie Kamari Lassiter looks like the early favorite to start, while free agent signings Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson are also in the conversation.
With Houston set at the corner, the club can turn its attention to the offensive line. The Texans are counting former first-round guard Kenyon Green, who struggled in his 2022 rookie campaign and missed all of 2023 with a shoulder injury.
Greg Van Roten is hardly a star, but the 34-year-old was effective in 17 starts for the Raiders last season. Houston is a realistic Super Bowl contender and should plan for all contingencies, especially with a veteran like Van Roten still available.
Indianapolis Colts | Sign CB Stephon Gilmore
Surprisingly, the Colts failed to draft a cornerback until the sixth round, when they landed Marshall’s Micah Abraham with pick No. 201. Indy CBs Jaylon Jones, JuJu Brents, and Darrell Baker each allowed a passer rating of at least 99.1 in 2023, so a veteran addition isn’t out of the question.
Indy already knows Stephon Gilmore, having signed him in 2022 before trading him to the Cowboys in 2023. A reunion could make sense. Gilmore is 33 but proved capable of holding up in man coverage for Dallas last year.
Jacksonville Jaguars | Sign EDGE Emmanuel Ogbah
The Jaguars signed DT Arik Armstead to push the pocket from the interior, but they still need more options behind EDGE starters Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. Journeyman Trevis Gipson, and recent draft picks Yasir Abdullah and Myles Coles would be the team’s top backup pass rushers if the season started today.
At 6’4″ and 275 pounds, Emmanuel Ogbah has the size and power the Jaguars are looking for in their third edge option. He managed 5.5 sacks for the Dolphins in 2023 despite rushing the passer fewer than 150 times.
Kansas City Chiefs | Sign CB Akhello Witherspoon
Trent McDuffie made first-team All-Pro last season, and Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo can develop cornerbacks as well as anyone in the NFL. It’s hard to call CB a weakness for a team that pumps out competent defensive backs with Kansas City’s regularity.
However, after trading L’Jarius Sneed to the Titans in March, the Chiefs added just sixth-round CB Kamal Hadden. Jaylen Watson and Joshua Williams, neither of whom has hit a 60% snap rate through two NFL campaigns, will be relied upon as full-time starters in 2024.
Akhello Witherspoon could be the perfect fit in Kansas City. While he started 17 games for the Steelers in 2023 and allowed a 75.7 passer rating, Witherspoon has spent most of his career as a backup. He’d likely be comfortable sitting behind the Chiefs’ incumbent trifecta and would represent estimable depth.
Las Vegas Raiders | Sign EDGE Charles Harris
2023 Raiders first-round pick Tyree Wilson is expected to spend more time on the interior in 2024 after thriving there near the end of last season. While Wilson could be more productive at DT, his position switch will leave Las Vegas with few EDGE options behind starters Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce.
Charles Harris saw his snap count for the Lions plummet last year and was injured in 2022. However, he posted seven sacks and ranked 20th in pass-rush win rate among edge rushers as recently as 2021.
The Raiders might actually feel comfortable giving Crosby a breather once in a while with a veteran like Harris around.
Los Angeles Chargers | Sign S Jayron Kearse
The Chargers probably won’t consider a high-profile safety like Justin Simmons or Quandre Diggs, given that they still have Derwin James on the roster and re-signed Alohi Gilman this offseason. Still, they could use more options in the back end. Tony Jefferson, who was out of the NFL in 2023, is Los Angeles’ top backup safety.
Jayron Kearse hasn’t generated any known free agent interest this offseason, so he should be cost-effective. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be useful. Kearse has plenty of experience in Big Nickel packages if new Chargers DC Jesse Minter wants to deploy that personnel grouping in 2024.
Los Angeles Rams | Sign LB Kwon Alexander
Kwon Alexander tore his Achilles in November and is unlikely to be ready for the start of the 2024 NFL season. But that could work for the Rams, who need more options alongside Ernest Jones at off-ball linebacker.
Los Angeles is expected to compete for a playoff spot again this season, and Alexander should be healthy by the end of the campaign. He could become something of a de facto trade deadline acquisition for Sean McVay’s team and would compete to steal snaps from LB Christian Rozeboom.
Miami Dolphins | Sign OL Halapoulivaati Vaitai
While the Dolphins signed mobile center Aaron Brewer, brought back Isaiah Wynn to compete at guard, and signed versatile free agent Jack Driscoll, Mike McDaniel’s squad still needs more options on the interior.
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Injuries limited Halapoulivaati Vaitai to just six games and three starts for the Lions over the past two seasons. However, he can play both tackle and guard. Vaitai’s flexibility could be critical for Miami, who faces injury questions with LT Terron Armstead and may not be ready to put second-round rookie Patrick Paul in the starting lineup if health questions arise.
Minnesota Vikings | Sign WR Hunter Renfrow
The Vikings needed another pass catcher even before Jordan Addison risked suspension by being arrested for DUI earlier this month. Tight end T.J. Hockenson (ACL, MCL) might not be ready for Week 1, while Minnesota’s slot options — Brandon Powell, Trent Sherfield, and Jailen Nailor — are uninspiring.
Two years removed from a 103-1,038-9 line, Hunter Renfrow played just 35% of Vegas’ offensive snaps in 2023. Renfrow wouldn’t immediately overtake Powell et al. in Minnesota’s slot, but he’d be a far more experienced choice than what the Vikings currently have on their roster.
New England Patriots | Sign G Phil Haynes
While left tackle is a concern for the Patriots, Jerod Mayo’s team also has a problem at left guard. Cole Strange tore his patellar tendon in 2023 and could miss the start of next season. Fourth-round rookie Layden Robinson could be an option at LG, but New England might also think about a veteran solution.
Phil Haynes started eight games for the Seahawks in 2023 before being sent to injured reserve with an issue of his own. He wouldn’t necessarily displace Robinson or other young players the Pats want to get a look at, but Haynes could be in the club’s guard mix. He met with the Dolphins in March but didn’t sign.
New Orleans Saints | Sign OT D.J. Humphries
The Saints ended right tackle Ryan Ramczyk’s 2024 season before it began by placing him on the reserve/PUP list this week. First-round rookie Taliese Fuaga is set to line up at left tackle after playing solely on the right side at Oregon State. Trevor Penning, New Orleans’ 2022 Round 1 selection, is expected to play RT.
Suffice it to say the Saints need additional tackle options. D.J. Humphries tore his ACL in January and may not be ready for Week 1. Still, he could be available later in the season, allowing New Orleans to reconfigure its front five depending on how Fuaga and Penning are faring.
New York Giants | Sign RB Jerick McKinnon
Jerick McKinnon played 535 offensive snaps and hauled in 51 receptions for the Chiefs in 2022, but his role dwindled in 2023. His snap rate was nearly sliced in half, while the 31-year-old spent time on injured reserve late in the season before being activated for Kansas City’s eventual Super Bowl victory.
Despite his age, McKinnon doesn’t have much wear and tear. He’s only carried the ball 660 times in his NFL career, instead doing most of his damage as a pass catcher. That’s a role he could play for Daniel Jones and Co. next season.
New York Jets | Sign S Justin Simmons
Justin Simmons is probably the most talented player remaining on the open market. The 30-year-old was named a second-team All-Pro in four of the past five seasons and will offer 108 games worth of starting experience to his next club.
That team could be the Jets, who would deploy Tony Adams and Chuck Clark as starting safeties if the season began today. Adams has only started for one year, while Clark missed last season with a torn ACL. Gang Green is all-in for 2024 — why not add a playmaker like Simmons to tie a bow on the roster?
Philadelphia Eagles | Re-Sign LB Zach Cunningham
Philadelphia typically refrains from heavily investing in linebackers, and this season may be no different. New DC Vic Fangio could try to patch things together with a combination of Devin White, Nakobe Dean, Oren Burks, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and Zack Baun, but the Eagles could also consider a veteran addition.
Known primarily as a run-stopper, Zach Cunningham received the best PFF coverage grade of his career with the Eagles in 2023. He earned less than $2 million with Philadelphia last season, and there’s no reason GM Howie Roseman can’t sign him again this summer if the club’s current LB crop struggles in camp.
Pittsburgh Steelers | Sign CB Bradley Roby
Wide receiver is the Steelers’ most glaring problem as training camp approaches, but the free agent market doesn’t have many viable options.
Instead, Pittsburgh should focus on their defensive backfield, where the club has limited options at slot corner. Relatively anonymous NFL players like Grayland Arnold, Darius Rush, and Cory Trice are expected to compete for nickel duties, so Bradley Roby would represent an upgrade.
The 32-year-old primarily played slot for the Eagles in 2023 but would also become perimeter CB depth for the Steelers behind Joey Porter Jr. and Donta Jackson.
San Francisco 49ers | Sign C Connor Williams
The 49ers ranked 20th in pass-block win rate and 23rd in run-block win rate last year but mostly opted for OL continuity during this offseason. San Francisco re-signed right guard Jon Feliciano and gave right tackle Colton McKivitz an extension through 2025.
The club’s only new addition was third-round selection Dominick Puni, who could theoretically compete for playing time on the interior.
Connor Williams is expected to be available for the start of the regular season after suffering what his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, deemed a “pretty significant” ACL tear in December. Depending on how his medicals check out, the 26-year-old could become an upside play for the 49ers, who could stand to improve over incumbent center Jake Brendel.
Seattle Seahawks | Sign S Adrian Phillips
Seattle doesn’t have many obvious weaknesses on its roster. While the Seahawks could conceivably add another interior offensive lineman, new faces like veterans Laken Tomlinson and Nick Harris and third-round rookie Christian Haynes should provide enough competition at guard and center.
Let’s give the Seahawks more safety depth after they parted ways with Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs this offseason. Adrian Phillips was a full-time starter for the Patriots before moving into a reserve role in 2023. At worst, he’d be a special teams maven in Seattle after playing 321 ST snaps last season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Sign CB Fabian Moreau
The Buccaneers got younger at corner this offseason, trading Carlton Davis III to the Lions for a third-round pick and installing Zyon McCollum as a starter alongside Jamel Dean and slot defender Christian Izien.
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Adding depth to the secondary is a must for Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht. While signing a high-profile option like Stephon Gilmore doesn’t make sense after the Bucs moved Davis in a salary dump, Fabian Moreau should be inexpensive. The journeyman corner started 11 games for the Broncos in 2023 and has played at least 700 snaps in each of the past three years.
Tennessee Titans | Sign EDGE Tyus Bowser
Few NFL teams were as active during the 2024 offseason than the Titans, who brought in veterans like WRs Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, RB Tony Pollard, C Lloyd Cushenberry, CBs L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie, and S Jamal Adams before selecting OT JC Latham and DT T’Vondre Sweat in April’s draft.
The one Tennessee roster spot that didn’t get much attention? The edge, where Harold Landry and Arden Key will return as starters.
New Titans DC Dennard Wilson worked with Bowser — who missed the entire 2023 campaign with a knee injury — in Baltimore. Bowser posted seven sacks as recently as 2021 and could be an affordable depth option for the AFC South hopefuls.
Washington Commanders | Sign OT Donovan Smith
Although the Commanders filled many of their needs in free agency and the draft, they missed out on a Round 1 or 2 offensive tackle. Third-rounder Brandon Coleman will get a shot at protecting Jayden Daniels’ blindside, but some draft analysts viewed the TCU product as an NFL guard.
While Donovan Smith isn’t a world-beater, he’s made 136 career starts. He battled injuries with the Chiefs in 2023 but still appeared in 12 regular-season games before starting four playoff games on the way to a Super Bowl title.