7 Bargain-Bin NFL Free Agents Who Can Solve Roster Issues in 2024
The 2024 edition of NFL free agency will officially begin on March 13. That date will bring with it a flurry of activity, as teams race to throw money at the league's top free agents.
However, the biggest contracts don't always yield the best values. Teams often get the best deals by waiting until the second or third waves of free agency and making bargain additions at areas of need.
Last offseason, for example, the Baltimore Ravens waited until August to sign pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney to a modest one-year, $2.5 million contract. Clowney went on to record 9.5 sacks, helped Baltimore field the league's top scoring defense and helped push the Ravens into the AFC title game.
Similar bargains will inevitably be found in 2024.
Here, we'll dive into seven of this offseason's best potential bargains—players who have fallen out of favor with their current teams, failed to live up to draft expectations or for whom age or injury will likely lead to a low-cost, prove-it deal. We'll also identify some top potential landing spots based on team needs and projected cap space.
QB Jacoby Brissett
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Teams in need of a quarterback will have some intriguing options in free agency this offseason. Kirk Cousins tops the list of impending free agents, followed closely by Baker Mayfield, who's fresh off reviving his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Both Cousins and Mayfield should receive fairly sizeable contracts, as could Gardner Minshew, who was a Pro Bowl alternate for the Indianapolis Colts.
Between the likely starters and dedicated backups sits Jacoby Brissett. He signed with the Washington Commanders last offseason on a one-year, $8 million deal and never got a chance to start over second-year signal-caller Sam Howell.
Brissett was poised to start in Week 17, but he suffered a hamstring injury in practice and didn't end up playing. The 31-year-old last started in 2022 for the Cleveland Browns, and he's likely to again receive a bargain-level contract in 2024.
However, Brissett has shown that he can be a quality bridge starter in the past. He posted a respectable 88.9 QB rating for the Browns and was even better (146.8 rating) for the Commanders in limited action last year. He would be an ideal addition for a team looking to select a rookie with a high draft pick or with uncertainty at the position.
Washington, which has the No. 2 overall pick and appears poised to move off of Howell, would be wise to re-sign Brissett. He would also make sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who plan to bring in competition for Kenny Pickett this offseason.
A return to Cleveland would also be logical, given the injury uncertainty surrounding Deshaun Watson (shoulder) and the revolving door Cleveland had at quarterback before landing on Joe Flacco late in the season.
TE Harrison Bryant
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Back in 2020, the Browns used a fourth-round pick on tight end Harrison Bryant. The 6'5", 230-pound pass-catcher was a solid contributor in each of his first three years—he topped 230 receiving yards in each campaign—before he fell out of the offensive game plan this past season.
Aside from being an occasional red-zone threat, Bryant was rarely featured. He played a career-low 33 percent of the offensive snaps this past season and finished with just 13 catches for 81 yards, although three of those catches went for touchdowns.
Bryant's dip came after Cleveland signed Jordan Akins in the 2023 offseason and paired him with budding star David Njoku.
Now, Bryant is likely headed for a contract at or close to the league minimum. However, that doesn't mean he can't help a team in need of tight end help. He has a good amount of physical upside, won't turn 26 until April and is a proven goal-line threat (10 touchdowns in four seasons).
Bryant would make the most sense for a team short on cap space and/or a team that only needs temporary help at the tight end position. The Minnesota Vikings are firmly in the latter category, as they have an elite tight end in T.J. Hockenson who suffered a torn ACL and MCL in December. Adding Bryant would give Minnesota an insurance policy at the position early in the 2024 season.
Bryant could also make a lot of sense for the Los Angeles Chargers, who could lose Gerald Evereett in free agency and who are projected to be $44.0 million over the salary cap.
RB J.K. Dobbins
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As was the case in 2023, the running back market will be filled with notable names. The likes of Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, D'Andre Swift, Austin Ekeler and Derrick Henry figure to command attention in the early goings of free agency.
Meanwhile, Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins is likely to be a free-agent afterthought because of injuries. He missed all of the 2021 season with a torn ACL, appeared in only eight games the following season and then suffered a torn Achilles one game into his 2023 campaign.
Dobbins is almost sure to command a one-year, prove-it deal, likely at the league minimum. Whichever team takes a flier on him could be getting a steal, provided he can stay healthy. The 25-year-old is a capable dual-threat who combines power and explosiveness.
For his career, Dobbins has averaged an impressive 5.8 yards per carry. Following his return from a second knee injury in 2022, he racked up 397 rushing yards in his final four games.
Because of his injury history, Dobbins is best suited for a team with at least one established back already on the roster. The Green Bay Packers, for example, could take a chance on Dobbins as a complement to Aaron Jones instead of re-signing AJ Dillon.
Similarly, the New York Jets could kick the tires on Dobbins as a complement to Breece Hall after the Dalvin Cook experiment failed to pan out.
A cheaper free-agent option like Dobbins would be perfect for the Jets and Packers, who are projected to have $7.6 million and roughly $350,000 in cap space available, respectively.
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DL Javon Kinlaw
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San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw failed to play up to his first-round draft status during his first three seasons in the NFL. That prompted San Francisco to decline the fifth-year option on his rookie contract last April.
However, Kinlaw flipped the script in 2023 and had a career year. After battling a series of knee issues and producing just 45 tackles and 1.5 sacks over his first three seasons combined, he recorded 25 tackles and 3.5 sacks this past year.
According to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, a strong offseason may have salvaged Kinlaw's career.
"It becomes a question of not how good can he get, but whether he can even play or not," Shanahan said, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. "What he did this whole offseason was as big of a commitment as anyone as I've ever been around."
Because of his draft pedigree, Kinlaw might land a respectable contract in free agency. However, his price point is sure to be much lower than if his first three campaigns had mirrored his 2023 season.
With the 26-year-old only entering his playing prime, he could be a massive bargain. Kinlaw still possesses the traits that made him the 14th overall pick in 2020
Kinlaw would make sense for virtually any team seeking help along its defensive front. The Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, two teams that struggled against the run in 2023, would be logical suitors if Kinlaw's limited resume keeps his asking price low.
Green Bay is set to be up against the cap, while Dallas is projected to be $14.3 million over.
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
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Wide receiver Donovan People-Jones fell out of favor in Cleveland this season, and the Browns traded him to the Detroit Lions at the deadline. Stuck behind the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond, Peoples-Jones failed to make much of an impact in Detroit, finishing with only five catches for 58 yards in eight games.
Peoples-Jones' recent lack of production (155 total yards in 2023) should keep his price point low this offseason. A loaded free-agent receiver class headlined by Mike Evans, Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman Jr. and Calvin Ridley will further push Peoples-Jones into bargain territory.
However, it's worth noting that Peoples-Jones has a tremendous blend of size (6'2", 204 lbs) and speed (4.48-second 40-yard dash) that had him on an upward trajectory prior to this past season. The 24-year-old finished the 2022 campaign with a career-high 61 catches for 839 yards and three touchdowns.
Before the arrival of trade acquisition Elijah Moore, Peoples-Jones appeared poised to be Cleveland's No. 2 receiver of the future. This offseason, he could help a receiver-needy team and do it at a budget-friendly price.
The Cowboys, who could view Brandin Cooks or Michael Gallup as a potential cap casualty this offseason, would be wise to consider Peoples-Jones. Dallas isn't facing a great cap situation and needs to work out an extension for No. 1 receiver CeeDee Lamb.
The Buffalo Bills would also be a sensible landing spot for Peoples-Jones. Buffalo has lacked reliable receiver depth behind Stefon Diggs and is projected to be $51.8 million over the salary cap.
DT D.J. Reader
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Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle D.J. Reader could become a bargain option for two reasons. He's turning 30 in July, and he's coming off a season-ending quad tendon tear that he suffered in December.
Because of both age and injury, Reader may have to settle for a short-term, low-risk contract in 2024. In a free-agent market headlined by Chris Jones, Christian Wilkins, DaQuan Jones and Justin Madubuike, Reader may be viewed as a second- or third-tier option.
That could make Reader a real bargain for whichever team signs him, though, as he remains one of the better run-stopping interior defenders in the NFL. Reader doesn't offer a ton in terms of sack production—he's had only three in his last three seasons combined—but he's a force at the line of scrimmage.
At 6'3" and 335 pounds, Reader is hard to move at the point of attack. He can occupy blockers and swallow ball-carriers at the line. In 14 games this past season, Reader recorded 34 tackles, 20 solo stops and seven quarterback hits.
Teams that need help up front and against the run should be interested in taking a flier on Reader. A return to Cincinnati would certainly make sense, but teams like the Cowboys, Packers and Browns should also consider him.
As previously noted, Dallas and Green Bay both had issues against the run in 2023. Cleveland is projected to be $20.5 million over the cap and may struggle to re-sign impending free agents Shelby Harris, Maurice Hurst and Jordan Elliott.
Edge Josh Uche
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Patriots edge-rusher Josh Uche may be a bit of a forgotten option when free agency kicks off this year. He isn't one of the top names in a market that could feature Josh Allen, Brian Burns, Danielle Hunter, Za'Darius Smith, Leonard Floyd, Jonathan Greenard, Bryce Huff and Jadeveon Clowney.
Uche is also coming off a down campaign, in part because New England played most of the season without No. 1 pass-rusher Matthew Judon (torn biceps).
This past season, Uche recorded just three sacks and 15 quarterback pressures. With Judon healthy and playing opposite him, though, Uche tallied 11.5 sacks and 25 QB pressures in 2022.
Uche would have been in much higher demand had he hit the market last offseason. That doesn't mean he's not worth pursuing this year, though.
At just 25 years old, Uche may only be getting started as a pass-rusher. Pairing him with a proven sack artist could help him return to his 2022 form. He'd be a great addition in Cleveland, where he could partner with Myles Garrett and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.
Uche would also be a logical addition for the 49ers, who have struggled to find a reliable complement for Nick Bosa. San Francisco acquired Chase Young from Washington at the trade deadline, but Young recorded only seven QB pressures in nine regular-season games with San Francisco.
The 49ers traded a third-round pick for Young, but re-signing him isn't a slam-dunk decision since they only have $1.4 million in projected cap space available. Even if San Francisco does retain Young, Uche would be a great low-risk, high-reward addition to the 49ers pass rush.
Cap and contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.
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