Has the 2021 NFL Free Agency Pool Dried Up?
| April 03, 2021 12:45PM |
Top remaining NFL free agents at each position: James Conner, Larry Fitzgerald headline big names left
A look at all of the best players that are still unsigned
By Cody Benjamin
Almost all of this year's top NFL free agents have found new homes or re-signed to familiar ones, but most teams peruse the market all the way through summer and up to the start of the season.
Once the draft comes and goes, plenty of squads turn back to the pool of lingering veterans to fill remaining holes and gather competition for training camp.
With that in mind, here's a look at the top remaining free agents at each position (players' previous teams in parentheses):
QBs
Alex Smith (Washington)
Matt Barkley (Bills)
Nick Mullens (49ers)
Blake Bortles (Broncos)
Nate Sudfeld (Eagles)
Others available: Blaine Gabbert (Buccaneers), Robert Griffin III (Ravens)
With former Giants backup Colt McCoy expected to join the Cardinals as Kyler Murray's No. 2, it's slim pickings at QB. Smith would be a fine mentor but offers little in terms of arm talent these days. Everyone else is a replacement-level No. 2, if not No. 3.
RBs
James Conner (Steelers)
Todd Gurley (Falcons)
Duke Johnson (Texans)
Adrian Peterson (Lions)
Le'Veon Bell (Chiefs)
Others available: Jerick McKinnon (49ers), Wayne Gallman (Giants), Rex Burkhead (Patriots)
WRs
Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals)
Antonio Brown (Buccaneers)
Danny Amendola (Lions)
Golden Taint (Giants)
Cordarrelle Patterson (Bears)
Others available: Alshon Jeffery (Eagles), Damiere Byrd (Patriots), Dede Westbrook (Jaguars)
Still a few notable names left from a deep free-agent WR class. Both Brown and Fitzgerald could be high-floor No. 2s and are best suited for contenders. Taint probably has a little more in the tank than most realize. Otherwise, it's a crapshoot for reserve depth.
TEs
Tyler Eifert (Jaguars)
Trey Burton (Colts)
Marcedes Lewis (Packers)
Jordan Reed (49ers)
Richard Rodgers (Eagles)
Others available: Ricky Seals-Jones (Chiefs), Luke Willson (Jaguars), Jeremy Sprinkle (Washington)
Don't come here looking for a starter. This is a bunch of old or oft-injured vets who, frankly, might stay unsigned into August. Burton is underrated when healthy, and Rodgers finished well in Philly, but there's a reason this crop is still unsigned.
OL
Mitchell Schwartz (Chiefs)
Eric Fisher (Chiefs)
Alejandro Villanueva (Steelers)
Rick Wagner (Packers)
Austin Reiter (Chiefs)
Others available: Jason Peters (Eagles), James Carpenter (Falcons), Bobby Massie (Bears)
The elite blockers are all gone, but if you're desperate for short-term starting experience, you can do a whole lot worse. Schwartz, Fisher and Villanueva would make for decent Day One tackles. Plenty of mid-tier emergency options in this group.
DL
Jurrell Casey (Broncos)
Geno Atkins (Bengals)
Corey Peters (Cardinals)
Tyrone Crawford (Cowboys)
DaQuan Jones (Titans)
Others available: Christian Covington (Bengals), Steve McLendon (Buccaneers), Danny Shelton (Lions)
Much like the other spots, we've got a lot of older or oft-injured vets here, albeit with plenty of starting experience. Teams won't want to dip in here until exhausting draft options, but guys like Casey, Peters and Jones can still be quality 4-3 DTs or 3-4 DEs.
EDGE
Jadeveon Clowney (Titans)
Melvin Ingram (Chargers)
Justin Houston (Colts)
Ryan Kerrigan (Washington)
Olivier Vernon (Browns)
Others available: Aldon Smith (Cowboys), Everson Griffen (Lions), Trent Murphy (Bills)
This might be the strongest remaining group of any free-agent position. Clowney has not lived up to his name for a while, but everyone else here could easily be added as a starter in 2021. Vernon, in particular, probably isn't getting enough love for his return to form.
LBs
K.J. Wright (Seahawks)
Vince Williams (Steelers)
Eric Wilson (Vikings)
B.J. Goodson (Browns)
De'Vondre Campbell (Cardinals)
Others available: Kwon Alexander (Saints), L.J. Fort (Ravens), Sean Lee (Cowboys)
The edge rushers offer more upside, but this group isn't bad, either. Wright and Williams are both short-term solutions at 31, but they can start pretty reliably. Younger options like Wilson and Campbell, meanwhile, should certainly be in starting lineups come fall.
CBs
Richard Sherman (49ers)
Bashaud Breeland (Chiefs)
Casey Hayward Jr. (Chargers)
Steven Nelson (Steelers)
Brian Poole (Jets)
Others available: Quinton Dunbar (Seahawks), Gareon Conley (Texans)
If you need a quick fix on the outside, there are plenty of options here. Sherman is a risky bet because of his age and health, but the floor is high if he's healthy. Breeland and Nelson could easily be one-year flyers and give you 14-16 adequate starts.
Safeties
Malik Hooker (Colts)
Tre Boston (Panthers)
Tashaun Gipson (Bears)
Duron Harmon (Lions)
Bradley McDougald (Jets)
Others available: Ricardo Allen (Falcons), Kenny Vaccaro (Titans), Sean Davis (Steelers)
Not a whole lot of certainty here. The best gamble would be Hooker, who has struggled mightily with injuries but flashed play-making ability earlier in his career. If you need an experienced No. 3 or something, this wouldn't be a bad group to pick from.
[www.cbssports.com]
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2021 01:21PM by Florida_Ram.
A look at all of the best players that are still unsigned
By Cody Benjamin
Almost all of this year's top NFL free agents have found new homes or re-signed to familiar ones, but most teams peruse the market all the way through summer and up to the start of the season.
Once the draft comes and goes, plenty of squads turn back to the pool of lingering veterans to fill remaining holes and gather competition for training camp.
With that in mind, here's a look at the top remaining free agents at each position (players' previous teams in parentheses):
QBs
Alex Smith (Washington)
Matt Barkley (Bills)
Nick Mullens (49ers)
Blake Bortles (Broncos)
Nate Sudfeld (Eagles)
Others available: Blaine Gabbert (Buccaneers), Robert Griffin III (Ravens)
With former Giants backup Colt McCoy expected to join the Cardinals as Kyler Murray's No. 2, it's slim pickings at QB. Smith would be a fine mentor but offers little in terms of arm talent these days. Everyone else is a replacement-level No. 2, if not No. 3.
RBs
James Conner (Steelers)
Todd Gurley (Falcons)
Duke Johnson (Texans)
Adrian Peterson (Lions)
Le'Veon Bell (Chiefs)
Others available: Jerick McKinnon (49ers), Wayne Gallman (Giants), Rex Burkhead (Patriots)
WRs
Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals)
Antonio Brown (Buccaneers)
Danny Amendola (Lions)
Golden Taint (Giants)
Cordarrelle Patterson (Bears)
Others available: Alshon Jeffery (Eagles), Damiere Byrd (Patriots), Dede Westbrook (Jaguars)
Still a few notable names left from a deep free-agent WR class. Both Brown and Fitzgerald could be high-floor No. 2s and are best suited for contenders. Taint probably has a little more in the tank than most realize. Otherwise, it's a crapshoot for reserve depth.
TEs
Tyler Eifert (Jaguars)
Trey Burton (Colts)
Marcedes Lewis (Packers)
Jordan Reed (49ers)
Richard Rodgers (Eagles)
Others available: Ricky Seals-Jones (Chiefs), Luke Willson (Jaguars), Jeremy Sprinkle (Washington)
Don't come here looking for a starter. This is a bunch of old or oft-injured vets who, frankly, might stay unsigned into August. Burton is underrated when healthy, and Rodgers finished well in Philly, but there's a reason this crop is still unsigned.
OL
Mitchell Schwartz (Chiefs)
Eric Fisher (Chiefs)
Alejandro Villanueva (Steelers)
Rick Wagner (Packers)
Austin Reiter (Chiefs)
Others available: Jason Peters (Eagles), James Carpenter (Falcons), Bobby Massie (Bears)
The elite blockers are all gone, but if you're desperate for short-term starting experience, you can do a whole lot worse. Schwartz, Fisher and Villanueva would make for decent Day One tackles. Plenty of mid-tier emergency options in this group.
DL
Jurrell Casey (Broncos)
Geno Atkins (Bengals)
Corey Peters (Cardinals)
Tyrone Crawford (Cowboys)
DaQuan Jones (Titans)
Others available: Christian Covington (Bengals), Steve McLendon (Buccaneers), Danny Shelton (Lions)
Much like the other spots, we've got a lot of older or oft-injured vets here, albeit with plenty of starting experience. Teams won't want to dip in here until exhausting draft options, but guys like Casey, Peters and Jones can still be quality 4-3 DTs or 3-4 DEs.
EDGE
Jadeveon Clowney (Titans)
Melvin Ingram (Chargers)
Justin Houston (Colts)
Ryan Kerrigan (Washington)
Olivier Vernon (Browns)
Others available: Aldon Smith (Cowboys), Everson Griffen (Lions), Trent Murphy (Bills)
This might be the strongest remaining group of any free-agent position. Clowney has not lived up to his name for a while, but everyone else here could easily be added as a starter in 2021. Vernon, in particular, probably isn't getting enough love for his return to form.
LBs
K.J. Wright (Seahawks)
Vince Williams (Steelers)
Eric Wilson (Vikings)
B.J. Goodson (Browns)
De'Vondre Campbell (Cardinals)
Others available: Kwon Alexander (Saints), L.J. Fort (Ravens), Sean Lee (Cowboys)
The edge rushers offer more upside, but this group isn't bad, either. Wright and Williams are both short-term solutions at 31, but they can start pretty reliably. Younger options like Wilson and Campbell, meanwhile, should certainly be in starting lineups come fall.
CBs
Richard Sherman (49ers)
Bashaud Breeland (Chiefs)
Casey Hayward Jr. (Chargers)
Steven Nelson (Steelers)
Brian Poole (Jets)
Others available: Quinton Dunbar (Seahawks), Gareon Conley (Texans)
If you need a quick fix on the outside, there are plenty of options here. Sherman is a risky bet because of his age and health, but the floor is high if he's healthy. Breeland and Nelson could easily be one-year flyers and give you 14-16 adequate starts.
Safeties
Malik Hooker (Colts)
Tre Boston (Panthers)
Tashaun Gipson (Bears)
Duron Harmon (Lions)
Bradley McDougald (Jets)
Others available: Ricardo Allen (Falcons), Kenny Vaccaro (Titans), Sean Davis (Steelers)
Not a whole lot of certainty here. The best gamble would be Hooker, who has struggled mightily with injuries but flashed play-making ability earlier in his career. If you need an experienced No. 3 or something, this wouldn't be a bad group to pick from.
[www.cbssports.com]
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2021 01:21PM by Florida_Ram.
