NFL free agency kicked off Monday with the first day of the legal tampering period, and teams were not waiting to add talent to their rosters. Forty-two of Pro Football Network’s top 100 free agents are already off the board, but plenty of veterans are still available on the open 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 1 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, is unlikely to return to Jacksonville after the Jaguars signed Gabe Davis to a three-year deal worth $39 million on Monday.
Ridley is 29 years old, but he’s coming off the second-best receiving line (76-1,016-8) of his career. He’s the best receiver available on the board, and if Davis can collect $13 million annually, Ridley might be shooting for $20 million.
Best Fits: Patriots, Texans, Colts, Falcons, Panthers, Lions
2) Danielle Hunter, EDGE
Hunter being without a team as Day 1 comes to a close is relatively surprising. It’s not as if the edge market cratered. Brian Burns was traded to the New York Giants before landing a mammoth extension, while Bryce Huff, Jonathan Greenard, Za’Darius Smith, and Andrew Van Ginkel all earned multi-year deals.
Although Hunter undoubtedly overperformed his underlying metrics en route to a career-high 16.5 sacks, he still finished ninth among edge rushers in pass rush win rate while posting a 12% pressure rate.
Best Fits: Bears, Commanders, Falcons, Rams
3) 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.
Best Fits: Ravens, Jaguars, Seahawks, Jets, Panthers
4) 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 a reliable 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
5) 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: Texans, Bengals, Bears, Seahawks, Lions
READ MORE: Top Free Agents By Position
6) 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: Rams, Colts, Falcons, Raiders
7) 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, Texans, Panthers, Titans, Giants
8) Patrick Queen, LB
Frankie Luvu, Jordyn Brooks, and Azeez Al-Shaair agreed to new three-year contracts on Monday, but Queen is still on the board after his Baltimore Ravens deal expired.
Hypothetically, teams could be concerned that Queen, a former first-round pick, only lived up to his draft billing once he started lining up next to All-Pro LB Roquan Smith. The easiest fit is with the Seattle Seahawks, who now employ Queen’s former DC, Mike Macdonald, as their head coach.
Best Fits: Seahawks, Titans, Cardinals, Raiders, Steelers
9) DJ Reader, DT
Had he not suffered a torn quad tendon in November, Reader might’ve scored a significant contract with hours of the legal tampering period.
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 blockers, and his sheer size allows defenses to deploy fewer bodies in the box.
Best Fits: Bengals, Lions, Texans, Titans, Colts
10) 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
11) Marquise 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: Panthers, Ravens, Colts, Cardinals, Patriots
12) 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, Titans, Patriots, Bengals, Commanders
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