Best Landing Spots for Top Remaining Free Agents Ahead of 2023 NFL OTAs
As NFL teams prepare for rookie minicamps and organized team activities, general managers will find ways to fill roster holes following the draft. At this point in the offseason, top free agents may hear about offers on the table from their representatives.
The most accomplished veterans don't mind skipping OTAs as they mull decisions on their next career chapters. Meanwhile, teams can and should be aggressive in signing some of the most notable players on the market.
Based on recent production and accolades, we highlighted the top 10 free agents available and linked them each to their best landing spot based on the team's roster need, the player's familiarity with the play-caller's system and the club's perceived value of the player's position.
QB Carson Wentz: Chicago Bears
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Going into his third season, Justin Fields must make strides under a regime that didn't draft him or else general manager Ryan Poles may take a look at other quarterbacks in 2024. As Fields prepares for a crucial year, the Chicago Bears should target Carson Wentz to fill the No. 2 spot.
According to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, the Bears "did their homework" on Wentz before the Philadelphia Eagles traded him to the Indianapolis Colts in February 2021.
The quarterback market has dried up, and the Bears can sign arguably the best possible backup at the position for a modest price.
If Fields continues to play a big role in the Bears' ground game after rushing for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns last year, he could get banged up and miss time as he did in 2022. As a fill-in starter, Wentz would be an upgrade over P.J. Walker and Nathan Peterman.
Wentz has the athleticism to move in the pocket with the arm strength to push the ball downfield in blustery Chicago weather late in the season. He's a good fit for the Bears' quarterback situation and exactly what they need in a signal-caller if Fields goes down with an injury or struggles.
RB Ezekiel Elliott: Los Angeles Chargers
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Before anyone writes off Ezekiel Elliott as a washed-up running back, let's remember he rushed for 876 yards and 12 touchdowns with the Dallas Cowboys in 2022.
Though Cowboys owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones hasn't ruled out Elliott's return to the team, the 27-year-old can reunite with Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
This offseason, the Cowboys fired Moore months before they cut Elliott. As a play-caller, the former helped the latter put together a Pro Bowl campaign in 2019. During Moore's four-year tenure as the Dallas offensive coordinator, Elliott improved his ball security (one fumble in 2021 and 2022 after 12 from 2016 to 2018 and nine in 2019 and 2020) and logged at least 10 rushing touchdowns in three seasons.
According to running back Austin Ekeler's agent, Cameron Weiss (via ESPN's Adam Schefter), Los Angeles gave Ekeler permission to seek a trade amid a contract dispute. For now, the running back seems prepared to play out the 2023 term with the Chargers.
With the addition of Elliott, the Chargers would have a strong duo. Ekeler can complement him as Tony Pollard did with Dallas under Moore. Los Angeles needs a physical ball-carrier who can take on short-yardage situations, which would keep Ekeler fresh for the duration of a the season.
RB Leonard Fournette: Dallas Cowboys
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As previously mentioned, the Dallas Cowboys haven't dismissed the idea of re-signing Ezekiel Elliott, but what if he finds another team? The Cowboys should consider other tailbacks who have a similar physical running style.
The Cowboys may hesitate to use Tony Pollard in a big role after he fractured his fibula in January. Dallas signed Ronald Jones, but his production has trended in the wrong direction since the 2020 campaign, and he fell to the back end of the Kansas City Chiefs depth chart last year. Rookie sixth-rounder Deuce Vaughn may pick up the third-down role.
Leonard Fournette can split touches with Pollard on early downs, with the latter sharing pass-catching opportunities with Vaughn. Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who replaced Kellen Moore, has a history of keeping multiple running backs active in his game plans.
Fournette can produce in a three-down role if Vaughn isn't ready to play a lot of snaps in the upcoming term. The 28-year-old recorded at least 1,191 scrimmage yards in each of 2021 and 2022 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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RB Kareem Hunt: Washington Commanders
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The Cleveland Browns may be ready to move on from Kareem Hunt for a more explosive addition to the backfield.
Cleveland.com's Terry Pluto reported that the Browns thought Hunt lost some of his speed last season. Still, general manager Andrew Berry hasn't "shut the door" on the 27-year-old running back.
Hunt could show what he has left in the tank as part of the Washington Commanders' backfield committee.
The Commanders released J.D. McKissic, who suffered a season-ending neck injury in October. To fill his pass-catching role, Washington could add to Antonio Gibson's workload, but new assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy may have a different idea.
Bieniemy doesn't have ties to Gibson, but he was Hunt's running backs coach when the ball-carrier led the league in rushing yards (1,327) and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2017.
Hunt may have lost a step, though Bieniemy could have interest in a player who's familiar with his coaching style as he installs his system away from head coach Andy Reid.
WR Jarvis Landry: Buffalo Bills
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Jarvis Landry isn't a flashy playmaker, though he can move the chains.
Last year, Landry suited up for only nine contests (three starts) in an injury-riddled campaign with the New Orleans Saints. Before that, he had at least 52 receptions in eight consecutive terms to start his career.
As Landry prepares for his age-31 season, he is not a high-volume receiver, but the Buffalo Bills wouldn't need him to haul in a ton of passes with wideouts Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis on the perimeter. The club also selected pass-catching tight end Dalton Kincaid in the first round of the 2023 draft.
Following the departure of wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, the Bills need a playmaker in the slot. Landry is less versatile than the former, but he can grind out yards on short-to-intermediate receptions. The savvy veteran has a 65.8 percent career catch rate, so quarterback Josh Allen could confidently target him on crucial third downs.
Edge Frank Clark: New Orleans Saints
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In recent years, the New Orleans Saints have invested a lot in young defensive ends, but it hasn't paid off.
In 2018, the Saints traded up 13 spots from No. 27 to select Marcus Davenport. He struggled to stay healthy and became a part-time starter on the edge before the team let him depart in free agency this offseason. New Orleans selected Payton Turner in the first round of the 2021 draft, and he's suited up for just 13 games because of injuries. The club picked Isaiah Foskey in the second round of this year's draft.
Clearly, the Saints value the defensive end spot. Cameron Jordan will turn 34 years old in July, and his contract is set to void at the end of the 2023 campaign. While Turner and Foskey hone their craft, New Orleans should pursue a proven playmaker for the short term.
Opposite Jordan, Frank Clark could command a lot of attention on the edge. They would form one of the top pass-rushing tandems in the league.
If the Saints don't re-sign Jordan in 2024, Clark can take over the veteran role with Turner and Foskey in the early stages of development. Though Clark's sack numbers have dipped over the past four years, he still recorded at least 24 pressures in each of those seasons and made the Pro Bowl from 2019 to 2021.
Edge Leonard Floyd: Atlanta Falcons
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This offseason, the Atlanta Falcons overhauled their defense with several veteran additions (h/t Spotrac). They can make one more notable move to solidify the revamped unit.
The Falcons signed edge-rusher Bud Dupree, but he's missed at least five games in each of the past three seasons. Leonard Floyd has been more productive and reliable in the same time frame.
As a matter of fact, Floyd would be the Falcons' best pass-rusher in recent years. He's recorded at least nine sacks in each of the last three seasons. Atlanta hasn't had a player match or eclipse that number since Adrian Clayborn in 2017.
Like Falcons edge-rusher Lorenzo Carter, Floyd played college football at Georgia and is from Atlanta. As 2022 second-rounder Arnold Ebiketie grows into a bigger role, Floyd can impact the pass rush for a team that had the league's lowest pressure rate (14.6 percent) last year.
Edge Yannick Ngakoue: Chicago Bears
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In two years with the Chicago Bears, general manager Ryan Poles has traded edge-rushers Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn, but that's not a knock against him. Both players have aged, and the former played only seven games in his final season with the team in 2021.
However, Poles must find quality replacements to bolster the pass rush. In 2022, rookie safety Jaquan Brisker led the club with just four sacks, and Trevis Gipson's sack total dropped from seven to three.
Yannick Ngakoue would provide an immediate boost to the defense. At 28 years old, he is in his prime and coming off a 9.5-sack campaign with the Indianapolis Colts.
Ngakoue isn't a complete edge-defender, having missed 9.4 to 23.3 percent of his tackles in each of the previous five seasons. With that said, the Bears added Andrew Billings and rookie defensive tackles Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens to plug holes in their 31st-ranked run defense. They can allow Ngakoue to do what he does best: get after the quarterback.
LB Kwon Alexander: Las Vegas Raiders
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Take a minute to look at the Las Vegas Raiders' linebacker group. You'll see Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo at the top of the depth chart with Luke Masterson, Darien Butler, Amari Burney, Curtis Bolton, Kana'i Mauga and Drake Thomas listed as backups.
Among those players, the Raiders don't have a quality starter. None of them has extensive experience in a lead role. Spillane and Deablo have made 16 and 13 starts. In coverage, they allowed passer ratings of 109.2 and 123.6 (out of a possible 158.3) last season. As the primary defender targeted, Deablo gave up three touchdowns in coverage.
After going undrafted, Masterson and Butler played less than 31 percent of the defensive snaps in the 2022 term. Mauga didn't touch the field during the regular season. Bolton is a special teamer who played one defensive snap. Burney and Thomas are late-draft or undrafted rookies.
The Raiders need linebacker help, and Kwon Alexander looks like an ice-cold glass of water in the middle of the desert.
Alexander has suffered various injuries throughout his career, but he suited up for every game with the New York Jets last season, recording 69 tackles and six for loss while missing just 5.5 percent of his tackles.
Even more appealing to the Raiders should be that Alexander hasn't allowed a touchdown in coverage since 2020. He will turn 29 years old in August and could be a low-cost, high-reward acquisition for a club that needs a three-down defender in the middle of its defense.
S John Johnson III: Los Angeles Chargers
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In March, Nasir Adderley retired. Though he had an expiring contract, his abrupt departure left the Los Angeles Chargers with a question mark at safety.
Alohi Gilman and JT Woods, a 2022 third-rounder, will likely compete for more playing time alongside Derwin James Jr., but the Chargers still need veteran insurance. When healthy, James performs at All-Pro and Pro Bowl levels, but he hasn't played a full season since his 2018 rookie term. The star missed three games in 2022.
To shore up a weak area of the defense, especially when James isn't on the field, the Chargers should sign John Johnson III.
Johnson can play both safety spots and line up in the slot. Furthermore, he's familiar with head coach Brandon Staley, who was his defensive coordinator when the Los Angeles Rams ranked No. 1 in points and yards allowed in 2020. In that season, Johnson led the Rams in tackles (105) and allowed a 73.2 passer rating in coverage without giving up a touchdown.
Johnson would fill one of the Chargers' roster needs and fits their defensive system.
Player contract details via Over the Cap unless otherwise noted.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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