Best Fits for Top Available NFL Free Agents After Week 1 of 2023 Preseason
The final wave of NFL free agency is on the way. After two full weeks of training camp and the first week of preseason games, veterans will size up teams to find their next destination as coaches continue to evaluate rosters before final cuts on August 29.
Over the past week, several notable free agents have visited teams, and some of them left without a contract to mull over their options or wait for a better offer.
Barring a spate of key injuries across the league, some veterans may have to settle for a contract that's below their expectations.
With the regular season less than a month away, we'll find the best fit for the top 10 free agents based on roster need, schematic fit and injuries that may influence teams to add reinforcements at shallow positions on the depth chart.
CB Anthony Brown: Cincinnati Bengals
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Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor doesn't seem concerned about Chidobe Awuzie's ability to bounce back from a torn ACL, but the lead skipper has yet to give a timetable for the veteran's cover man's return.
Last week, Taylor spoke to reporters about Awuzie's progress from injury (h/t SI.com's Russ Heltman).
"We're not going to rush him into team drills until I feel like it's time to do that. But the reason for that is he's so experienced in our system and played a lot of football for us that we feel like, at the right time, when he comes back, he'll be mentally ready to hit the ground running in terms of the scheme and all those types of reps."
In June, The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. wrote that Awuzie "looks like a near lock" to play in the Bengals' season opener against the Cleveland Browns, but Taylor's comments give off a different impression.
Even if Awuzie is able to suit up for Week 1, he may be on a limited snap count. If that's the case, Anthony Brown can handle starting responsibilities opposite Cam Taylor-Britt on the boundary.
Brown can line up on the outside or in the slot, which makes him a quality short-term asset for the Bengals, who need some experience in the cornerback room after allowing Eli Apple to walk in free agency.
Edge Jadeveon Clowney: Baltimore Ravens
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After two years with the Cleveland Browns, Jadeveon Clowney may remain in the AFC North.
According to CBS Sports' Josina Anderson, the Baltimore Ravens offered Clowney a contract, but he's going to think about his options. One of those options could be the Jacksonville Jaguars, after NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reported Clowney met with the team on Sunday.
At this stage in his career, going into his age-30 term, Clowney will likely sign with a playoff contender. Remember, when he inked a deal with the Cleveland Browns two years ago, they were coming off a playoff appearance. Before the Browns, Clowney went to the postseason with the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans.
As a perennial playoff contender, the Ravens will draw interest from top free agents, though they need veteran pass-rushing insurance.
Early in August, Baltimore placed Tyus Bowser on the non-football injury list; he's still recovering a knee injury that "flared up" according to head coach John Harbaugh.
Because of Justin Houston's departure to the Carolina Panthers, the Ravens may have to rely heavily on Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo to generate pressure off the edge. Keep in mind that the latter missed his rookie campaign on the mend from a torn Achilles.
Though Clowney doesn't rack up a ton of sacks, he's still a complete edge defender who can bolster a shallow unit.
RB Dalvin Cook: Miami Dolphins
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Dalvin Cook may be waiting for the best offer despite the decline of his position on the open market.
Per CBS Sports' Josina Anderson, the New York Jets "didn't sense" that Cook had an immediate plan to sign with a team after hosting him for a visit.
Moreover, NFL insider Dianna Russini believes that the Jets and Cook may not see eye-to-eye on where he would fit in the backfield.
"I think this team is very certain about their identity and who they want playing which roles," Russini said on The Pat McAfee Show (h/t SI.com's Mike Fisher). "And Breece Hall is their guy.
"Would it be nice to have the insurance of a Dalvin Cook-type player on this roster ...? (Cook) wants to be the featured back. You want to be the main guy. So, I'm not sure if both sides are really on the same page with that role."
If Cook wants the primary role with his new team, he may be able to work out a deal with the Miami Dolphins. The four-time Pro Bowl running back would start over Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr and rookie De'Von Achane.
In recent years, Mostert has struggled to stay healthy, and he's going into his age-31 term. Wilson hasn't recorded more than 176 carries in a single season.
Sure, Cook would lose touches to Mostert and Wilson with all three tailbacks active, but in the prime of his career, he would command 15-20 touches per game because of his dynamic playmaking ability as a ball-carrier and pass-catcher.
RB Ezekiel Elliott: Los Angeles Chargers
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Unlike Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott is no longer an explosive playmaker, though he can grind out a tough three-yard gain on third-and-short and finish drives.
Elliott finished the 2022 season with a career-low 3.8 yards per carry, but he also scored 12 touchdowns, punching in nine of those scores from within five yards of the goal line.
The Los Angeles Chargers have a high-volume pass-catching running back in Austin Ekeler, who's seen 221 targets over the past two years.
Los Angeles has tried to find a complementary ball-carrier to complement Ekeler. Kalen Ballage, Justin Jackson, Isaiah Spiller and Joshua Kelley failed to seize the role, which has hurt the team's ground attack. Over the last two seasons, Ekeler has seen an uptick in his rushing workload, but the Chargers ranked 21st and 30th in rushing for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, respectively.
Elliott knows offensive coordinator Kellen Moore's system from their time with the Dallas Cowboys. He shouldn't have an issue picking up the offense as the early-down and short-yardage ball-carrier.
RB Leonard Fournette: Indianapolis Colts
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Leonard Fournette may have another issue other than the declining running back market.
Paul Perillo of the Patriots' official website appeared on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak & Bertrand (h/t SI.com's Geoff Magliocchetti) and revealed why New England might have allowed Fournette to leave its facility without a deal.
"I've had a couple of people tell me he wasn't in the best of shape," Perillo said.
If that's true, Fournette could see his quiet market as a warning sign. When in good shape, he can handle a decent workload. Since 2020, Fournette has recorded an increasing number of touches and finished with 262 in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers backfield last year.
The Indianapolis Colts should sign Fournette (if he's in shape) before they kick off the season in September. They're in a contract dispute with star running back Jonathan Taylor, who, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, requested a trade after a meeting with owner Jim Irsay.
Irsay pushed back on running backs who wanted to rehash the league's collective bargaining agreement.
On top of a contract impasse with Taylor, the Colts won't have running back Zack Moss in uniform as he recovers from forearm surgery.
The Colts signed running back Kenyan Drake, and Deon Jackson looked impressive in a few games last season, but Indianapolis may need a backfield platoon to fill Taylor's void.
S Duron Harmon: Minnesota Vikings
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Harmon had a solid 2022 campaign with the Las Vegas Raiders last season, recording a career-high 86 tackles, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two interceptions with a pick-six.
The Raiders decided to go younger at safety with the addition of Marcus Epps and rookie fifth-rounder Chris Smith II, though Hamon's veteran savvy could be an asset for another team that needs help in the secondary.
The Vikings lost a battle-tested veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson to the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency. Furthermore, 2022 first-rounder Lewis Cine may need another year before he flashes his full potential.
In Week 4 last season, Cine suffered a compound fracture in his leg, which sidelined him for the remainder of the campaign. As one would expect, he didn't look impressive in live-game action for the first time in about 10 months.
While the Vikings shouldn't give up on Cine, they can add a plug-and-play veteran while the young safety finds his way as a pro. Harmon makes sense for Minnesota because he's familiar with defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who served as his position (safeties) coach between 2013 and 2015 in New England.
RB Kareem Hunt: Washington Commanders
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Kareem Hunt made his free-agent rounds. Over the past week, the New Orleans Saints (h/t ESPN's Jeremy Fowler), Indianapolis Colts (h/t ESPN's Adam Schefter) and the Minnesota Vikings (h/t NFL Network's Tom Pelissero) have hosted him for a visit.
However, Hunt could sign with a team that showed interest in him a couple of months ago.
According to CBS Sports' Josina Anderson, the Washington Commanders made "preliminary inquiries behind-the-scenes" on Hunt in June.
Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy served as Hunt's running backs coach when the latter won the 2017 rushing title with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Washington can feature Antonio Gibson primarily in a pass-catching role to open up carries for Hunt, who would split rush attempts with Brian Robinson. The three running backs could become a big part of the Commanders offense while Jacoby Brissett or Sam Howell build connections to their pass-catchers.
Also, with head coach Ron Rivera airing out player concerns about Bieniemy's coaching style, Hunt's familiarity with the "intense" coordinator may help quell some apprehensions in the locker room.
G Andrew Norwell: Atlanta Falcons
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Andrew Norwell has only been a free agent for a few weeks. The Washington Commanders released him before their veterans reported to training camp. He had been on the team's physically unable to perform list since May.
If Norwell is healthy enough to practice, he should find a new home before Week 1 of the upcoming season. Though the veteran guard is far removed from his 2017 All-Pro campaign, he's a low-end starter with almost a decade of experience primarily at left guard.
Norwell could bolster the interior of the Atlanta Falcons offensive line with Matt Hennessy battling a leg injury.
Head coach Arthur Smith told reporters that the team will evaluate Hennessy day to day.
"We're just going to see day to day. [I'm] kind of stating the obvious, when you're dealing with something that's recurring, you know, we go day to day. We'll just treat it and see how the week goes. A lot of times, guys get other opinions, but we're just going to be safe with it and see where it goes...Matt's trying to win a job. But we got to be smart, he's got to make the best decision and we have to do what's right for the team."
Matthew Bergeron could earn the starting job at left guard, but he's a rookie who's making the transition from tackle to the interior, which may come with a lot of growing pains. Instead of rushing him into the starting role out of necessity, Norwell could fill a short-term void.
LB Kyle Van Noy: Las Vegas Raiders
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Two weeks ago, the Las Vegas Raiders worked out linebacker Jaylon Smith, per The Score's Jordan Schultz, but he signed with the New Orleans Saints. Based on the Raiders' depth chart, they need veteran experience in the middle of their defense.
Divine Deablo and Robert Spillane are slated to lead Vegas' linebacker group. They have started in 29 games combined. Luke Masterson and Darien Butler will go into their second season after playing mostly on special teams last year. For comparison, Smith has 69 career starts.
Maybe the Raiders want an experienced leader at linebacker similar to Denzel Perryman, who signed with the Houston Texans after two seasons (one Pro Bowl year) in Vegas.
Kyle Van Noy fits the bill, and he can still add some versatility.
While Van Noy isn't going to provide much in pass coverage, he gets into the opponent's backfield. Over the previous two seasons, Van Noy has registered 32 pressures, 10 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
Rookie first-round defensive lineman Tyree Wilson has yet to practice while recovering from foot surgery. Last week, the team activated rookie third-round defensive tackle Byron Young off the non-football injury list. With two rookies up front getting off to a slow offseason start, the Raiders should add veteran reinforcements to bolster their front seven.
QB Carson Wentz: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Based on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first preseason game, Baker Mayfield clearly has a lead on Kyle Trask for the starting quarterback job. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the former looked sharp, and the latter turned the ball over (an interception) in a rough outing.
If the Buccaneers want to challenge Mayfield, they should bring in another veteran to compete with him.
Tampa Bay has a couple of Pro Bowl wideouts in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin who can make big plays in the passing game. The club needs to make sure it has the best signal-caller to optimize its receiver talent.
The Buccaneers can replace John Wolford with Carson Wentz to give Mayfield stiffer competition. With the addition of Wentz, offensive coordinator Dave Canales would also have a backup plan in case Mayfield sputters as he did with the Carolina Panthers at the beginning of the previous season.
Wentz has been inconsistent with his decision-making in the pocket and often overlooks easy throws for big plays. On the other hand, he can at least stretch the field with two high-end wideouts and escape the pocket when the offensive line has a breakdown. Mayfield doesn't have those playmaking qualities in his skill set. Tampa Bay must expand its quarterback options.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
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