NFL free agency continued on Tuesday with the second day of the legal tampering period. While today’s action didn’t feature as many high-end players coming off the board as Day 1, 65 of Pro Football Network’s top 100 free agents are already off the market.
Let’s run through the best remaining free agents without contracts in place and find a few potential landing spots for each player. As a reminder, no free agent deals can become official until the start of the 2024 league year at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 13.
Who Are the Best Remaining NFL Free Agents After Day 2 of the Legal Tampering Period?
1) Calvin Ridley, WR
Franchise tags and extensions lopped off the top of the 2024 free agent wide receiver market. Ridley, the best pass-catching option left on the board, is reportedly deciding between re-signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars or joining the New England Patriots, although a mystery team could be involved.
Ridley is 29 years old, but he’s coming off the second-best receiving line (76-1,016-8) of his career. Jacksonville already signed fellow free agent WR Gabe Davis and has Christian Kirk and Zay Jones under contract.
Best fits: Patriots, Jaguars, Texans, Colts
2) Chase Young, EDGE
While Young didn’t look as dominant after a midseason trade from the Washington Commanders to the San Francisco 49ers, he’s still a 24-year-old former No. 2 overall pick with stretches of dominance on his resume.
Young may not be in line for the $20 million salary he might’ve collected had he kept up his early-season play. But it will only take one team leaning on its predraft evaluation for the former Ohio State star to get paid.
The Panthers, Saints, and Titans are all expected to meet with Young this week, indicating his market could be heating up.
Best fits: Panthers, Saints, Titans, Ravens
3) Jonah Williams, OT
Williams will probably never make a Pro Bowl or an All-Pro roster. But he’s a 26-year-old former first-round pick who can play reliably at left or right tackle. That’s worth a lot of money in today’s NFL.
Since missing his rookie year and six games of the 2020 campaign, Williams has played every offensive snap for the Bengals. That sort of option is rarely available on the free agent market.
Best fits: Titans, Jets, Cardinals, Patriots, Cowboys
4) Arik Armstead, DT
Armstead is the only street free agent on our list, having been released by the San Francisco 49ers after declining a pay cut.
He’s already 30 years old, but Armstead ranked ninth among DTs in pass-rush win rate and 12th in pressures in 2023. A long-term deal might be out of the question, given his age. However, Armstead should be able to command a lucrative short-term salary from a team that needs an interior presence.
Best fits: Bears, Lions, Bengals, Packers
5) Kendall Fuller, CB
Clubs searching for high-end corners might ask about the price of Kansas City Chiefs franchise player L’Jarius Sneed. But dip down a tier or two, and Fuller might be the best option on the board.
Cornerback wasn’t a strong free agent group to begin with and became less so when Sneed and Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson were tagged (Johnson has since been extended).
Fuller is still only 28 years old as he wraps up a four-year, $40 million deal with the Washington Commanders. He’s been a consistent option throughout his career with the Commanders and Chiefs, and his slot/boundary versatility could be attractive.
Best fits: Colts, Falcons, Raiders, Steelers, Buccaneers
6) Kamren Curl, S
Curl is undoubtedly targeting something close to the four-year, $68 million deal fellow free agent safety Xavier McKinney landed from the Green Bay Packers on Day 1 of legal tampering.
Still a vastly underrated defender, Curl can line up just about anywhere in the back end and offer high-end coverage ability. It certainly wasn’t his fault that Washington gave up more points than any team in the NFL last season.
Best fits: Commanders, Steelers, Panthers, Titans, Giants
7) DJ Reader, DT
Had he not suffered a torn quad tendon in November, Reader might’ve scored a significant contract within hours of the legal tampering period opening.
But that injury — the second of his career — might’ve put a damper on his free agent stock. The Cincinnati Bengals want him back, but other teams are interested, too. Reader is one of the NFL’s best run pluggers, and his sheer size allows defenses to deploy fewer bodies in the box.
Best fits: Bengals, Lions, Titans, Colts
8) Tyron Smith, OT
Smith, 33, comes with plenty of age and injury concerns and hasn’t played a full slate since 2015. But he’s an elite left tackle, especially as a pass blocker when healthy.
While he may have to accept less than he feels he’s worth, Smith should find a decent contract on the open market. Teams that consider themselves “all-in” on the 2024 season — like the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints — might make sense.
Best fits: Jets, Chiefs, Commanders, Saints
9) Hollywood Brown, WR
An average 2022-23 line of 59-642-4 wasn’t the best platform for Brown’s free agency, but NFL teams are constantly looking for explosive plays in the passing game. Brown offers speed on the outside and could become a weapon in a better offensive environment.
The teams that miss out on Ridley might take another look at Brown as free agency progresses.
Best fits: Ravens, Colts, Cardinals, Patriots
10) Mekhi Becton, OT
After injuries limited him to just one game from 2020 to 2021, Becton finally managed to stay healthy for 16 games this past season. He missed one contest and part of another after spraining his ankle, but any intrigued team has to be encouraged by Becton’s stretch of availability in 2023.
As long as he stays in shape, Becton has all the tools to be a high-end left tackle.
Best fits: Jets, Cowboys, Titans, Patriots, Bengals, Commanders
11) Trent Brown, OT
Brown struggled to maintain consistency with the Patriots last season and ultimately made only eight starts. He’s 31 years old and has dealt with nagging injury issues, but 6-foot-8, 307-pound dancing bears don’t come around very often.
Teams may be willing to live with Browns’ up-and-down nature, if only because competent offensive tackles are tough to locate.
Best fits: Bengals, Jets, Patriots, Commanders, Chiefs
12) Julian Blackmon, S, Indianapolis Colts
Blackmon set career highs in starts (15), interceptions (four), pass breakups (eight), and tackles for loss (five) in 2023, posting his best season in his platform campaign. He’s a solid fit as the single-high safety in Gus Bradley’s Cover 3-dominant game plans.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Free Agents by Position
The Colts have the cap space to re-sign Blackmon, and they’ve shown no willingness to turn things over to former third-round pick Nick Cross, who played roughly a quarter of Indy’s defensive snaps this year.
Best fits: Colts, Panthers, Commanders, Jets, Panthers
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