After the free agent roller coaster from Monday to Wednesday, things have finally slowed down in the NFL. But the market is not totally barren! So let’s look at some notable names still looking for a new home in 2023.
Best of the Rest
The top players left in the NFL free agency market.
Lamar Jackson (QB): The Ravens placed the non-exclusive tag on Jackson so that any team can negotiate with Jackson. Whether or not anyone is willing to meet his demands and send two first-rounders to Baltimore remains to be seen. At this point it seems like everyone has 1-2 QBs on the roster or they’re in a position to draft one. So, I wouldn’t bet on a team stepping up to try and land Jackson.
Bobby Wagner (LB): The Rams moved on from Wagner after just one season. Still, the veteran linebacker had a heck of a season in 2022. Wagner earned second-team All-Pro honors while totaling 140 tackles (10 for loss) and six sacks, second-most in the NFL among off-ball LBs.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson (DB): Gardner-Johnson will join the handful of Eagles defensive players who departed Philadelphia after their Super Bowl run. Gardner-Johnson transitioned from nickel to safety last season and logged six takeaways, tied for the best mark in the league.
Leonard Floyd (Edge): The former Bears linebacker was another Rams cap-shedding casualty. Floyd has 29 sacks, 59 quarterback hits and 157 pressures over the past three seasons.
Isaac Seumalo (G): Seumalo can play both guard spots and center. With Jason Kelce returning to Philadelphia and Cam Jurgens penciled into Seumalo’s guard spot, he’s not likely to return. There’s a pretty good interior offensive lineman in a market where plenty of teams could use that type of player.
Offense
Notable names left on the board for teams looking to make upgrades or depth additions on the offensive side of the ball in the NFL free agency market.
Adam Thielen (WR): Thielen probably won’t be available much longer in a weak wide receiver market. The veteran wideout is a red zone threat who could slot in nicely as a No. 3 on most teams and even a No. 2 on some teams.
Odell Beckham Jr. (WR): OBJ is the only one holding OBJ back from being signed already. Reports have the veteran wide receiver searching for upwards of $20 million per year, even though he hasn’t played since he tore his ACL in the Super Bowl over a year ago. When he realizes that he’s not getting that money, he’ll be signed. Or, he holds out, and someone suffers an unfortunate injury, necessitating a team to meet his demands.
Dalton Schultz (TE): I thought Shultz could be a nice fit with the Bears. Apparently, they did not. A return to the Cowboys isn’t out of the question at this point.
Isaiah Wynn (T): He was pretty bad in 2022, but he had three really good seasons with New England previously.
Dalton Risner (G): Risner started 62 during his first four seasons, all at left guard. Risner was all-rookie in 2019. He’s a reliable and consistent performer on the interior.
D.J. Chark (WR): Chark is a young wide receiver who can do damage in the vertical game. He’s probably the best wide receiver left on the market for a team looking for a low-cost, high-upside addition to their wide receivers room.
Mecole Hardman (WR): Hardman always seemed like he was on the cusp of becoming a big-time weapon for the Chiefs, but just hasn’t taken that step. He had six touchdowns in eight games last season before battling abdominal and pelvis injuries.
Donovan Smith (T): Like Wynn, Smith stunk in 2022 but has a pretty significant body of work that points to that being an outlier season.
Connor McGovern (C): PFF ranked McGovern 11th among centers in 2022 and ninth in 2021. He’s not a Pro Bowler, but he’s reliable and consistent.
Ezekiel Elliott (RB): Someone is going to pay Zeke to finish off their backfield tandem. I’m just glad it wasn’t the Bears.
Defense
Notable names left on the board for teams looking to make upgrades or depth additions on the defensive side of the ball in the NFL free agency market.
Marcus Peters (CB): Peters has 32 career interceptions but suffered a significant knee injury in 2021 and was up and down in 2022. There should still be some interest in the 30-year-old ballhawk, though.
Yannick Ngakoue (Edge): Ngakoue has at least eight sacks in every season of his career and 9.5 in 2022. Someone sign this man.
A’Shawn Robinson (DT): Robinson tore his meniscus in Week 11 and missed the rest of the season but is on track for a healthy offseason. He’s one of the better run-stuffers in the league and will look even better when he’s not doing it next to Aaron Donald.
Justin Houston (Edge): Houston recorded a team-high 9.5 sacks in 14 games and another sack in the playoffs for the Ravens. He’s 34 and not an every-down player anymore, but he’s got value.
Terrell Edmunds (S): Edmunds is coming off of a career-best season with the Steelers. Edmunds has been used mostly as a box safety. However, he has covered tight ends frequently for the Steelers.
Greg Gaines (DT): Like his linemate in Los Angeles A’Shawn Robinson, Gaines can stuff the run with the best of them.
Matt Ioannidis (DT): Ioannidis played out a one-year contract with the Panthers last season and while he only logged one sack, he did rack up nine QB hits.
Drue Tranquill (LB): Did you think I wasn’t going to throw a Notre Dame guy in here on St. Patrick’s Day? Tranquill doesn’t just get the ND mention, though. He was darn good in all three phases for the Chargers in 2022.
Jadeveon Clowney (Edge): Clowney is an excellent run defender. However, he has trouble staying on the field. He was a late signing in each of the last two seasons.
Rock Ya-Sin (CB): Anyone looking for a solid-not-great No. 2 CB at a low price point? Look no further.
Just Missed …
A few names that missed the cut but would be nice additions to a team’s depth chart.
Ben Jones (C)
Eli Apple (CB)
Bud Dupree (Edge)
Melvin Ingram (Edge)
Sean Murphy-Bunting (CB)
NEWSLETTER
