As a 31-year-old who tore his ACL in late October, Stefon Diggs seems unlikely to earn anything more than a one-year deal in free agency. For a Houston Texans team with roughly $530,000 in cap space and a lack of wide receiver depth, that could lead to another short-term deal with Diggs. Diggs had a solid run as the Texans’ primary slot receiver before his injury. Although his counting stats were down, his 73% catch rate was his highest since 2020, and his 1.84 yards per route were in line with his 2023 season.
After forcing his way out of Philadelphia, Reddick then took a long time to suit up for the New York Jets, only playing 10 games. When he did get on the field, the numbers were not that impressive, with just one sack, an 11.6% pressure rate, and a 6.4% tackle rate. Reddick’s upside is clear, having had double-digit sacks in each of the previous four seasons. Durability is a big plus, as Reddick played over 800 snaps in three of the last five seasons and hit 791 in a fourth.
Before playing all 17 games in 2024, Stanley had played only 31 out of 68 possible games the previous four seasons. Moreover, he wasn’t playing at a starter level in that span, allowing a 7.8% pressure rate. At 31 years old in March, it’s not inconceivable that Stanley could perform at a high level for the next two to three seasons if he receives a shorter term deal. Additionally, the Ravens don’t have a succession plan for Stanley, as backup swing tackle Josh Jones is also a free agent.
Bobby Wagner just keeps marching on, and he remains among the very best at the middle linebacker position. He finished with a 22% tackle rate on run plays. In terms of the passing game, Wagner finished with a 27.4% pressure rate, with two sacks and five QB knockdowns. In coverage, he had an 89.3 passer rating allowed, with just a 65.8% completion rate allowed. He did give up a touchdown in coverage and 8.6 yards per completion, but the numbers were still more than respectable.
Dante Fowler Jr. is one of the more interesting names on this list. His 10.5 sacks are the highest number of any free agent pass rusher this season, and he ranked eighth in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate (20%). Ultimately, Fowler can be a difference-maker, but questions about consistency remain. He had just 17.5 sacks over the previous four seasons and did not have more than 36 pressures in any of those four seasons.
Chase Young appears to be getting better as his NFL career goes on, with back-to-back years with 66 pressures and pressure rates of 14.7% and 14.6% in those two seasons. One element where Young deserves a lot of respect is that he plays a lot of snaps, with 697 this year after 699 last year. Among defensive ends, that 697 ranks 16th, but within that group, only Trey Hendrickson has a lower tackle rate than Young’s 7.8%.
A long-time starter for the Seahawks, Packers, and Chiefs, Reed turned 32 in December but still played all 17 games for the third time in the last four seasons (eight starts). Reed regressed from 7.5 sacks in 2023 to 4.5 sacks in 2024, but actually increased his total pressures (43 to 48) and pressure percentage (9.5% to 12.9%). He averaged 37.4 snaps per game, down from 48.5 last year and his fewest since his rookie season in 2016.
Teair Tart only has 3.5 sacks in five seasons. However, he demonstrated early-down value with the Chargers in 2024, recording a tackle on a career-high 17.7% of his run snaps. He also had five tackles for loss, with four of them coming in the run game. Tart turns 28 at the end of February but has played on three consecutive one-year deals. His lack of pass-rushing value could consign him to a similar fate this offseason.
Darius Slayton has nevertheless been a clear-cut starter for most of his six years with the New York Giants. And while he’s far from a marquee free agent, Slayton has enough value that the Giants should consider keeping him in place as they build an infrastructure for their new quarterback. Even in a woeful offense, Slayton averaged 0.22 EPA per target, not far off from Nabers’ average of 0.28. Slayton would be a solid stopgap to give a rookie quarterback a reliable second target beyond Nabers.
After six Pro Bowl seasons in 11 years with the Chargers, Keenan Allen’s first year with the Bears was considerably rockier. The veteran struggled to find chemistry with Caleb Williams, averaging the lowest catch percentage (57.9%) and fewest yards per route (1.4) of his career. Allen was also only targeted on 22% of his routes, the fewest since his rookie season in 2013. A surprising level of red-zone production goosed his touchdown total (seven), but that belies his actual impact on the Bears’ offense.
