7 Bargain-Bin NFL Free Agents Who Can Solve Roster Issues in 2025
The 2025 NFL offseason is just on the horizon. While the spring headlines will inevitably be dominated by superstars and their free agency decisions, it's savvy, under-the-radar acquisitions made during this period that will win games come January.
Ever since the league implemented a salary cap over three decades ago, it's been imperative for general managers to round out their rosters with budget-friendly veterans. Getting the most out of these low-cost pickups can make all the difference between having the depth to go on a Super Bowl run and missing the playoffs entirely.
With that in mind, let's look at seven impending free agents who won't break the bank but can still plug up a positional hole for the team that signs them. While these players won't command top dollar and several could even be viewed as risky pickups because of injury issues, they have a real chance to move the needle at a bargain-bin price next season.
RB Nick Chubb
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After suffering a gruesome knee injury early in the 2023 campaign, Nick Chubb battled his way back and triumphantly re-emerged in Week 7 of the 2024 season.
While Chubb instantly re-entered the Cleveland Browns' starting lineup, he couldn't regain the form that made him a four-time Pro Bowler. Although the 29-year-old did manage to appear in eight contests for his downtrodden club and occasionally flashed his pre-injury talent—including a two-touchdown performance that led to a 24-19 upset victory over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers—he struggled to contribute at a high level with any consistency.
Chubb is now entering the 2025 offseason with plenty of question marks surrounding his ability to get back to playing high level football. He averaged just 3.3 yards per carry last season—a far cry from the 5.3 yards per attempt he put up in 77 games between 2018 and 2023—and never appeared to get back to full strength before being shut down again with a broken foot in Week 16 .
Due to these poor metrics and injury concerns, Chubb will likely have to settle for a cheap, incentive-laden deal this spring. While he won't make much guaranteed money, Chubb at least has an opportunity to depart the downtrodden Browns and get his career back on track with a contender.
He may not ever be quite the same dynamic player he was before undergoing a pair of reconstructive knee surgeries, but if Chubb makes a complete recovery this offseason and lands with a quality organization, he could quickly return to upper echelon of NFL running backs.
WR Mike Williams
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Mike Williams is another player whose value dipped dramatically following a season-ending injury early in 2023. After coming back from a torn ACL that limited him to just three games that season, Williams attempted to resuscitate his career by signing with the New York Jets. He failed to move the needle with both Gang Green and the Pittsburgh Steelers—the team that acquired Williams at the trade deadline—and is now poised to enter free agency again with far less fanfare.
Despite underwhelming with both Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson targeting him, Williams may not be washed up just yet. The 6'4" pass-catcher is only a few seasons removed from a half-decade stretch between 2018-2022 in which he amassed 4,462 yards and 30 touchdowns on 279 receptions.
Few receivers possess the combination of size, speed and ball-tracking abilities that Williams brings to the table. Even in an underwhelming 2024 season, Williams still managed to post a respectable 14.2 yards per reception—just 1.3 yards off his career average—while working with a pair of past-their-prime signal-callers in flawed offensive systems.
A team desperate for size in the receiving corps and a true red-zone threat could do far worse than kicking the tires on Williams. If he returns 100 percent health and gets utilized correctly in a potent pass-heavy scheme, Williams will be racking up cost-effective scores and making a difference on his cheap projected contract in 2025.
OG Kevin Zeitler
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Kevin Zeitler may not be the same, well-rounded interior offensive lineman he was earlier in his career, but the 13-year veteran showed he still has plenty left in the tank.
Zeitler played a key role in keeping the Detroit Lions' league-leading scoring offense firing on all cylinders this past year. According to PFF, Zeitler allowed just five sacks across 1,047 offensive snaps and earned a highly respectable 86.8 overall grade (including an 87.2 run-block score and 71.8 pass-blocking grade) for his efforts.
Despite his advancing age, the 34-year-old displayed the resilience to start 16 games. Durability hasn't been a concern with Zeitler, as 2024 marked the 10th consecutive year in which the guard saw action in at least 15 games and logged at least 96 percent of the offensive snaps.
Zeitler may be in the journeyman stage of his career—he could soon be joining his sixth franchise since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2012—but he can clearly still perform his duties at a high level.
These contributions will likely come at a bargain price as Zeitler was paid just $6 million for his lone campaign in the Motor City—a price that made him one of the best value signings of the 2024 offseason. He'll likely sign a similar deal this offseason while plugging a key hole within the interior of the offensive trenches for a Super Bowl hopeful.
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TE Juwan Johnson
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Juwan Johnson may not be the most versatile tight end in the NFL, but his size and ball skills should make him a relatively popular free-agent candidate for teams in need of a playmaker at the position.
Johnson is a solid athlete who has shown a knack for coming up with scores during his five years with the New Orleans Saints. He's racked up 18 touchdowns over the last four seasons and averaged a rather impressive 11.1 yards per reception in that span—a stat proving his ability as a downfield threat in addition to being a red-area safety net.
While the 6'4", 231-pounder is a poor blocker and could be limited in certain schemes and situations because of this, he's still a dangerous receiver who will find his way onto the field often thanks to his ability to create mismatches.
A change of scenery could allow Johnson to further blossom as a pass-catching weapon. Landing on a contending team with a capable quarterback could see the 28-year-old easily eclipse relatively pedestrian career-high marks of 50 receptions and 548 receiving yards set in 2024.
Considering the lack of quality veteran options at his position hitting the open market this spring, Johnson may end up agreeing to a deal worth slightly above market value. Regardless, there's a strong chance he outperforms expectations on what should still be a modest, cap-friendly contract and may even reach the double-digit touchdown mark for the first time in his career.
EDGE Josh Uche
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Josh Uche will soon enter free agency for the second time in as many years, although he's unlikely to garner the type of offers he received during his first foray.
Despite amassing 14.5 sacks for the New England Patriots between the 2022-23 seasons, the edge-rusher elected to take an extremely team-friendly $3 million deal to remain in Foxborough for the 2024 campaign. Unfortunately for Uche, he wound up being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs and has been buried on the back-to-back defending champions' bench ever since.
When he's been on the field, Uche consistently posted one of the league's highest pass-rush win rates over the past three seasons. Even during a trying 2024 campaign, he still ranked amongst the top-15 edge defenders in that category prior to being dealt to the Chiefs.
Although undersized at 6'1", 240 pounds—making him a liability against the run—Uche could still be deployed situationally and find immense success in the right packages. Considering he's set to make far less than the two-year, $15 million deal he reportedly turned down before re-upping with the Pats, Uche may ultimately go down as one of the best value signings of the 2025 offseason.
He may not shine unless he catches on with the right team that can hide his flaws in the run game, but Uche is still just 26 years old and has shown he can be a devastating disruptor. Just about every contender that lacks depth on the edge should be interested in bringing Uche aboard at a bargain price.
DL D.J. Jones
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D.J. Jones is one of the more intriguing interior defensive linemen who teams will be able to find on the open market. The six-foot, 305-pounder has shown a knack for plugging gaps throughout his eight-year NFL career and should continue to be an asset—especially against the run—even after turning 30 this offseason.
Jones took a slight step back during his recent tenure with the Denver Broncos but still ranked No. 2 in run stop win rate amongst all defensive tackles in 2024 according to ESPN. While he only recorded one sack on the season—marking the first time since 2018 that he failed to notch at least two—he still occasionally flashed the ability to get into the backfield and hinder opposing quarterbacks.
It's not easy to find hefty defensive tackles who can stuff the run for a budget price. Teams will have to overlook some of Jones' negative qualities—missing tackles has long been a concern with Jones and that issue continued to plague him last season—but the good still clearly outweighs the bad when it comes to his contributions.
For contenders looking to clog up the middle and slow down runners such as Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, Jones could be the perfect free-agent pickup. He won't break the bank and adds another big body to the defensive trenches to help contain the elite backs who have been dominating the postseason.
DB Elijah Molden
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Elijah Molden proved to be a natural fit in the Los Angeles Chargers defense after joining the club last August in exchange for a meager seventh-round pick. The defensive back wound up logging 12 starts in 15 appearances for the resurgent club and posted career-highs in tackles (75), pass defenses (seven) and interceptions (three) while lining up at both safety and nickel.
Molden fared his best in coverage, earning a quality 75.4 PFF grade in that category in addition to a 75.6 overall score on the season. He regularly went toe-to-toe with the opposition's top slot wideouts and only allowed 24 completions on 38 targets for 292 yards and one touchdown on the year.
Unfortunately for Molden, his first chance at hitting the open market has been marred by a significant injury. After breaking his fibula in Week 17, the defensive back simply doesn't have much time to prove to suitors that he's on track to make a full recovery.
Although there are question marks due to the injury, Molden is only 25 years old and just entering his prime. The 2021 third-rounder clearly found his stride in L.A. and should be able to build on that performance regardless of where he winds up this spring.
Even if Molden isn't back to 100 percent strength by the start of the upcoming campaign, he should still be contributing at a high level well before the playoffs get underway. Any contending squad hoping to shore up the secondary should consider a low-risk, high-reward Molden signing once the new league year opens.
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