NFL free agency has hit a slog during the second wave of the open-market spending spree. With several notable free agents still looking for homes, NFL GMs can test their shrewdness by picking up potential starters at a favorable price. Bargain hunting has been a staple of free agency fortune over the years, and there are plenty of worthwhile veterans — including Jadeveon Clowney and Tyrann Mathieu — still searching for jobs.
NFL Free Agency: Bargain hunting for all 32 teams
Teams have already spent wildly in free agency, but dozens of valuable veterans are still left on the market ahead of the NFL Draft. Below are logical bargain targets for each of the NFL’s 32 teams.
AFC East
Buffalo Bills: RB Sony Michel. The Bills are searching for a legitimate complement for Devin Singletary, and two-time Super Bowl winner Michel fits that bill. Michel has given the Bills an up-close look at his skills dating back to his time with the New England Patriots.
Miami Dolphins: NT Eddie Goldman. The Dolphins’ defensive front could use some padding from a depth perspective. While Goldman probably isn’t an ideal starter, he could be a worthwhile backup to Raekwon Davis this season. He’d probably come at a cheap price following Miami’s wild spending spree.
New York Jets: EDGE Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney has been a hired gun over the past few years. The Jets need an improved pass rush and Clowney can certainly help them in that regard. New York has the money and the need to bring in the former first overall pick.
New England Patriots: G Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Duvernay-Tardif just screams “Patriots” based on his profile alone. With Shaq Mason now in Tampa Bay, Duvernay-Tardif could fill his spot as a smart veteran lineman on a one-year deal.
AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals: CB Kevin King. Much like Eli Apple last season, King needs a fresh start on a new squad. King and Apple could battle on their respective one-year deals for the starting cornerback spot opposite Chidobe Awuzie.
Cleveland Browns: LB Anthony Barr. With Barr still out in free agency, he probably wants to sign with a notable contender. He could be an excellent strongside fastball for the Browns to throw at opposing offenses.
Baltimore Ravens: C JC Tretter. The Ravens need an upgrade at center and having a proven veteran like Tretter anchoring the line makes a lot of sense. Signing Tretter to a team-friendly one-year deal is a logical move for a contender.
Pittsburgh Steelers: WR Will Fuller. The Steelers have a pair of solid chain-movers in Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool, but Fuller, an oft-injured but speedy wideout, can take the top off a defense. Fuller might be worth a one-year flier for the ever-evolving Steelers offense.
AFC South
Indianapolis Colts: WR Jarvis Landry. The Colts have largely sat on their cash this offseason. After trading for Matt Ryan, the Colts need to equip him with better weapons across the middle. Landry would be an excellent complement for Michael Pittman.
Jacksonville Jaguars: C Nick Martin. With Brandon Linder retiring, the Jaguars need some competition for Tyler Shatley at center. Ideally, Shatley would beat out Martin for the gig, but the former Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders lineman could provide quality depth behind him and the starting guards.
Houston Texans: TE Eric Ebron. The Texans are lacking in tight end talent, and Davis Mills needs all the help that he can get in the passing game. Ebron is out to prove himself in his next stop, and he could be able to take advantage of a bunch of targets in Houston.
Tennessee Titans: LB Joe Schobert. The Titans could use more reinforcements at inside linebacker after the departure of Jayon Brown. Schobert is still in his prime and could compete for the starting gig opposite Zach Cunningham.
AFC West
Denver Broncos: RB Darrel Williams. With Melvin Gordon likely to head elsewhere, Nathaniel Hackett could use another running back in his stable. Darrel Williams and Javonte Williams could form an impressive Williams duo in Denver.
Los Angeles Chargers: OL Daryl Williams. The Chargers need to continue to build the force field around Justin Herbert. Williams can slip into the mix as the starting right tackle or upgrade the swing spot.
Kansas City Chiefs: LB Rashaan Evans. The Chiefs need to find their successor to Anthony Hitchens in the middle of their defense. Evans is only 26 and is probably looking for a one-year “prove it” deal.
Las Vegas Raiders: DE Trey Flowers. While Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones form a nasty defensive end duo, the depth behind them is lacking. Flowers, who comes from the New England Patriots system, could be an ideal third pass rusher in a rotation.
NFC East
Washington Commanders: S Terrell Edmunds. With Landon Collins leaving town, the safety depth chart is a bit underwhelming for the Commanders. Edmunds could be an ideal option to pair opposite Bobby McCain. He could battle with Kamren Curl in camp.
Dallas Cowboys: LB Anthony Hitchens. A reunion in Arlington? Sure, why not? The Cowboys need to beef up their middle linebacker depth and Hitchens still has a lot left in the tank.
Philadelphia Eagles: S Tyrann Mathieu. The Eagles have struck out on some high-priced free agents this offseason, but Mathieu could be quite the addition if both sides could reach a logical short-term deal. Mathieu isn’t the game-changer he once was, but his versatility, attitude, and overall toughness should mesh well with Jonathan Gannon’s secondary. Mathieu is the perfect upgrade/replacement for Rodney McLeod.
New York Giants: RB Phillip Lindsay. The Giants are strapped for cash but need some Saquon Barkley insurance. Lindsay, a former Pro Bowl back, would be a logical, cheap option to serve as a veteran backup plan for Barkley, especially if the running back is dealt or continues to deal with injuries.
NFC North
Chicago Bears: WR Cole Beasley. Justin Fields needs all the help he can get, and the Bears’ wideout depth chart is putrid at the moment. Sure, Beasley is aging and on the wrong side of 30, but he still can be a trusty target over the middle for the second-year QB.
Detroit Lions: DT Larry Ogunjobi. The Bears failed Ogunjobi during his physical last month, wiping out a massive Day 1 free agent deal in the process. The Lions could benefit from that mishap by signing Ogunjobi to a one-year “prove it” deal, beefing up their line in the process.
Green Bay Packers: WR A.J. Green. The Packers have had some tough luck at wideout this offseason. That said, pairing Green with Aaron Rodgers could be a nice way to mitigate the passing-game turnaround. Green bounced back in a big way last season with the Arizona Cardinals and clearly still has gas in the tank. Signing a one-year deal with a contender that has a top-tier QB is an ideal way to go out.
Minnesota Vikings: S/CB P.J. Williams. The Vikings are light on depth in the secondary and Williams, a former first-round pick, can play free safety, cornerback, and nickel. While he might not be a prime starter, Williams can provide depth at multiple spots.
NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: TE Rob Gronkowski. Yes, this is a bit of a cop-out, but Gronkowski belongs in Tampa Bay. With Todd Bowles now in charge and Tom Brady likely to stick around, it’s time to bring Gronk back into the fold.
Atlanta Falcons: RB Melvin Gordon. The Falcons badly need playmakers on offense and Gordon is still a valuable asset in a running back rotation. Gordon, Mike Davis, and Cordarrelle Patterson would provide support for Marcus Mariota and Kyle Pitts.
Carolina Panthers: TE Kyle Rudolph. No matter who is at QB, the tight end position should be important for the Panthers. Pairing Ian Thomas with Rudolph seems to be an ideal outlook at this point in free agency.
New Orleans Saints: OT Duane Brown. The Saints need a stopgap starter at left tackle after losing Terron Armstead to the Dolphins. Brown is an older player, but so was Andrew Whitworth when he signed with the LA Rams a few years ago. We all saw how that turned out.
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers: LB Nick Kwiatkoski. The 49ers are lacking linebacker depth at this point in the offseason. Kwiatkoski is a versatile defender who can play all three spots in San Francisco’s defense. He recently played in a similar defense in Las Vegas.
Arizona Cardinals: WR Keelan Cole. After losing Christian Kirk to the Jaguars, the Cardinals could add Cole to the mix as an interesting deep threat. With DeAndre Hopkins recovering from a season-ending injury, surrounding Kyler Murray with veteran talent is paramount at wideout.
Los Angeles Rams: P Riley Dixon. The Rams are stacked throughout their roster, but they are still looking for a punter after dropping longtime ace Johnny Hekker. Dixon is coming off a rough year with the Giants, but he could bounce back playing in a dome for most of the season.
Seattle Seahawks: OT Eric Fisher. While Fisher had an up-and-down campaign with the Colts last season, he’s a year removed from a major knee injury and should perform considerably better this year. Fisher could serve as a stopgap left tackle for Seattle.