2015 NFL Free Agency: Best Players Available at Each Position After Day 1
It’s safe to say that the first official day of NFL free agency was quite the experience.
So who’s left out there to sign when it seemed like nearly every big name on the 2015 market was scooped up on Tuesday?
Here we will take a look at each position and a few of the best players still available. In some instances, the lists are significantly longer for certain positions.
We will update you each day on any moves that involve these unrestricted free agents and/or “street” free agents (players released by their teams) as well.
We will revisit this list over the next two days, so it could have a dramatically different look by the time you read the second installment.
The players are listed in alphabetical order according to their former teams. You can find a complete free-agent list at each position via the hyperlink at the top of each page.
Enjoy Day 2 of free agency and all of the franticness that comes with it.
Quarterbacks
1 of 14
Brian Hoyer, Cleveland Browns — signed with Houston 3/11/15
By all indications, he’s agreed to join the Houston Texans. In fact, Adam Caplan of ESPN insists Hoyer will sign a two-year, $7 million deal with Bill O’Brien’s team on Wednesday. But we’ll be conservative here, because we have already seen one prominent free agent (Frank Gore) change his mind this week.
Matt Moore, Miami Dolphins
We saw less of Moore in 2014 as Ryan Tannehill really emerged in his third NFL season. The former undrafted free agent is a solid veteran who could very well wind up re-signing with the Dolphins, but he is certainly capable of competing elsewhere.
Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings
Back in 2011, the Vikings selected the former Florida State product with the 12th overall pick. Now Teddy Bridgewater is the team’s quarterback, and so far, you haven’t heard much about Ponder (who started one game in 2014) on the free-agent market.
Michael Vick, New York Jets
The first overall pick way back in the 2001 NFL draft started a handful of games in 2014 and struggled mightily, throwing three touchdown passes and committing four turnovers. Vick was also sacked 19 times and completed only 52.9 percent of his passes. Things could be winding down for the veteran signal-caller.
Running Backs
2 of 14
Steven Jackson (Released by Atlanta Falcons)
Is there any market for an 11-year running back and the NFL’s 16th-leading rusher of all time with 11,388 yards? Jackson was let go after two disappointing seasons with the Falcons, and the question is: Does he really have anything left in the tank?
Justin Forsett, Baltimore Ravens
The journeyman running back has played for four different clubs in as many years, and it will be interesting to see if the Ravens (who have already lost wide receiver Torrey Smith and tight end Owen Daniels to the 49ers and Broncos, respectively) will let the league’s fifth-leading rusher this past season (1,266 yards) get away. Forsett ran for eight scores and totaled 44 receptions for 263 yards.
C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills
The onetime first-round pick seems like a hot name out there, but he comes off an injury-shortened season. Spiller is a home-run threat out of the backfield and can also help on kickoff returns. The former Pro Bowler should not be on the open market much longer.
DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys
Wide receiver Dez Bryant got the franchise tag, but it was Murray who led the NFL with 1,845 yards rushing and captured NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2014. He’s arguably the biggest name left out on the market right now, but are the Cowboys just waiting for other teams to make an offer so they can match it? Stay tuned.
Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders
In 2014, the Raiders finished dead last in the NFL in rushing yards despite the fact that McFadden finally played a full 16-game season for the first time in his seven-year career. Oakland just added running back Roy Helu to their backfield and appear to be moving on from the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft.
Ryan Mathews, San Diego Chargers — signed with Philadelphia 3/11/2015
Maybe it’s an AFC West thing. In five NFL seasons, Mathews has played in all 16 contests just once. One season after totaling a career-best 1,255 yards rushing, the 2010 first-round pick ran for 330 yards and three touchdowns in only eight games in 2014. But could he return to San Diego?
Wide Receivers
3 of 14
Andre Johnson (Released by Houston Texans) — signed with Indianapolis 3/11/15
The third overall pick in the 2003 draft was let go by the Texans after a brilliant career that saw him total 1,012 receptions (ninth in NFL history) for 13,597 yards and 64 touchdowns. But Stephen Holder of USA Today says that he could wind up with the Indianapolis Colts, where he and former college teammate Frank Gore (from "The U") would be reunited.
Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts
Despite finishing second on the team in 2014 with 64 catches, Wayne totaled just 779 yards and two scores for the AFC South champions. The 14-year pro ranks seventh in the league annals with 1,070 receptions but is headed elsewhere or into retirement. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see him and Andre Johnson actually switch teams?
Percy Harvin (Released by New York Jets)
We have seen the speedy big-play artist in very few games but for numerous teams the last few years. After being dealt from the Seattle Seahawks to the New York Jets at midseason in 2014, the new regime in the green and white let him go. It will be interesting to see the market for the versatile former Pro Bowler.
Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers scored 100 fewer points in 2014 (306) than they did the previous season. The team just added big-play wideout Torrey Smith from the Baltimore Ravens, so where does Crabtree fit in? The onetime first-round pick totaled just 68 catches for 698 yards and four touchdowns this past season.
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Tight Ends
4 of 14
Jermaine Gresham, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals made Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert a first-round pick in 2013, so the writing may have been on the wall even then. The two-time Pro Bowler finished second on the team in 2014 with 62 catches and five touchdowns, but he averaged a disappointing 7.4 yards per reception. An injury also kept him out of the team’s playoff tilt with the Indianapolis Colts.
Jordan Cameron, Cleveland Browns
The 2013 Pro Bowler was brilliant that year, totaling 80 catches for 917 yards and seven touchdowns. Assorted issues, including concussion problems, limited Cameron to only 10 games this past season in which he managed just 24 grabs for 424 yards and two scores. When healthy, he certainly made an impact, as witnessed by his 17.7 yards per reception.
Anthony Fasano (Released by Kansas City Chiefs)
The onetime Miami Dolphin was cut loose by Kansas City this offseason. Fellow tight end Travis Kelce emerged as the Chiefs’ leading receiver, but Fasano did his part for a team where no wideout caught a touchdown pass in 2014. The veteran totaled 25 catches for 226 yards and four touchdowns but averaged only 9.0 yards per grab.
Tackles
5 of 14
Ryan Harris, Kansas City Chiefs
After eight seasons in the NFL with the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs, Harris started 15 games at right tackle for Andy Reid’s team this past season—the most by the former third-round pick since his days with the Broncos in 2008.
Joe Barksdale, St. Louis Rams
While he won’t wow you with his ability to pass block (check out the numbers via Pro Football Focus), the onetime third-round pick of the Oakland Raiders (2011) is one of the better road-graders in the league and would help a team bolster its ground attack. He started all 16 games for Jeff Fisher’s club this past season.
Tyler Polumbus, Washington Redskins
The seven-year pro bounced around with the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks early in his career and seemed to find a home in Washington in 2011. He played in only 11 games and made just seven starts in 2014, and his days as a regular with the Redskins seem to be over.
Guards
6 of 14
Justin Blalock (Released by Atlanta Falcons)
A second-round pick by the Falcons back in 2007, Blalock has been the team’s primary starter at left guard for eight seasons, playing and starting in 125 of a possible 128 regular-season games. He made 15 starts in 2014 but became part of the team’s housecleaning under new head coach Dan Quinn.
Daryn Colledge, Miami Dolphins
The versatile pro spent this past season in South Florida, and while he failed to play in all 16 games for the first time in his nine-year career, he was a 13-game starter for Joe Philbin’s team. Colledge has played left and right tackle during his career as well and is a welcome veteran addition.
Charlie Johnson (Released by Minnesota Vikings)
A sixth-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2006, Johnson has split his career between Indy and the Minnesota Vikings. He has also played tackle during his nine NFL seasons, and in four years in the Twin Cities, the veteran lineman started 61 out of 64 contests.
Dan Connolly, New England Patriots
It has not been a fun few days for the defending Super Bowl champions. The Patriots have already seen Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis sign with the Jets and running back Shane Vereen ink a deal with the New York Giants. We would like to say that the team can’t afford to lose Connolly, but we certainly know better given Bill Belichick’s history.
Centers
7 of 14
Dominic Raiola, Detroit Lions
The veteran pivot found out in late January that he would not be back in the Motor City for a 15th NFL season.
“Obviously, I still think I can play,” said Raiola to Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News roughly two months ago. “I think a bunch of people might not thing (sic) I can, but a bunch of people haven’t taken a snap in the NFL either.”
This past December at Soldier Field, Raiola stomped on Chicago Bears rookie defensive tackle Ego Ferguson and was suspended by the NFL for one game. Will his pro football career continue after 14 solid seasons with the Lions?
Chris Myers (Released by Houston Texans)
The 10-year pro began his career with the Denver Broncos, and he not only played, but started every game for the Texans each of the last seven seasons, earning a pair of Pro Bowl invitations along the way. Could a team like the Kansas City Chiefs (who lost Rodney Hudson to free agency) be in the market for Myers’ services?
Stefen Wisniewski, Oakland Raiders
The second-round pick in 2011 will apparently be snapping the ball for another team next season, as the Raiders have already inked underrated center Rodney Hudson (late of the Kansas City Chiefs) to a contract. Wisniewski had his ups and down this past season (via Pro Football Focus) but could jump-start his career elsewhere.
Defensive Ends
8 of 14
Greg Hardy, Carolina Panthers
The 2013 Pro Bowler played only one game with the Panthers due to his issues off the field, and we are still waiting to see what Hardy’s immediate NFL future will be. The talented defender has totaled 27 sacks in his last 32 regular-season games dating back to 2012.
Cory Redding, Indianapolis Colts
This past season, the 12-year pro totaled 35 tackles and ranked fifth on the club with 3.5 sacks. The Colts ranked 18th in the NFL against the run this past season, so you would think the market wouldn’t be high for Redding, although it was far from his fault. But Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk says that Redding is scheduled for a visit with the Arizona Cardinals and head coach Bruce Arians, who knows Redding from the duo’s days in Indianapolis.
Adrian Clayborn, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Could the Buccaneers’ first-round pick in 2011 jump-start his career with another club? As a rookie four years ago, he totaled 7.5 sacks. After missing 13 games one season later, Clayborn rebounded with 5.5 sacks in 16 games. This past season, the former Iowa Hawkeye played in only one contest. It all adds up to a mere 13 sacks in only 36 contests over four seasons.
Defensive Tackles
9 of 14
Dan Williams, Arizona Cardinals — signed with Oakland 3/11/15
The Cardinals have already been busy during this free-agency period, but are they interested in bringing back one of their own? This past season, Williams played in all 16 games for the first time in his five-year career and totaled 32 tackles and one sack.
Henry Melton, Dallas Cowboys
A former Pro Bowler with the Chicago Bears, Melton was phased out in the Windy City due to the team’s youth movement at defensive tackle. He spent the past season with the Cowboys and finished second on the team with five sacks. Dallas decided not to pick up his option for 2015, and Melton is now on the open market.
Terrance Knighton, Denver Broncos
Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk has been busy trying to keep up with the highly regarded defensive tackle. He reports that Knighton will meet with the Washington Redskins on Wednesday, and relays ESPN’s Josina Anderson’s interview with Knighton, who states that both the Broncos and Oakland Raiders are out of the running for his services as of now. What is the price of pork chops these days?
Nick Fairley, Detroit Lions
Onetime teammate Ndamukong Suh is taking his talents to South Beach, and both Fairley and veteran C.J. Mosley are unrestricted free agents as well. With the exception of the occasional flash, the former first-rounder has disappointed for multiple reasons. This past season, Fairley played in only eight games and racked up a mere 14 tackles.
B.J. Raji, Green Bay Packers
The former Pro Bowler has spent the majority of his career at nose tackle, although he lined up at defensive end in 2013 for coordinator Dom Capers. But he missed all of 2014, and it will be interesting to see if the Packers opt to bring back the former first-round pick in 2009.
Vince Wilfork, New England Patriots
A total of 11 seasons and a part of teams that made four Super Bowl appearances over that span, Wilfork is not in the team’s plans going forward, and his suitors figure to be many. The Patriots finished ninth in the NFL against the run this past season after ranking 30th in the same department in 2013—a season in which Wilfork wound up on injured reserve.
Outside Linebackers
10 of 14
John Abraham, Arizona Cardinals
With 133.5 career sacks and the ability to play either defensive end or outside linebacker, Abraham will get a look-see soon despite the fact he missed all but one game in 2014. The well-traveled five-time Pro Bowler, when healthy, had a team-high 11.5 sacks with the Arizona Cardinals in 2013.
Lance Briggs, Chicago Bears
The seven-time Pro Bowler has played 12 seasons but appeared in only 17 contests the last two years combined. While the savvy veteran won’t be back in the Windy City, look for him to wind up on a roster sooner than later as teams will look for an experienced pro like Briggs to round out a roster.
Brian Orakpo, Washington Redskins
Staying healthy has been a problem in recent seasons for the team’s designated franchise player in 2014. Orakpo is a three-time Pro Bowler who played in only seven games this past season and finished with 24 tackles and 0.5 sacks. Orakpo missed the final 14 games in 2012 as well, but in six NFL campaigns, he’s totaled 40 sacks in 71 games.
Inside Linebackers
11 of 14
Brandon Spikes, Buffalo Bills
After finishing in the bottom five of the league in rushing defense each of the previous five seasons, the Bills ranked 11th in the league against the run this past year. In his first season at Orchard Park, Spikes finished sixth on the team with 54 stops.
Rolando McClain, Dallas Cowboys
The eighth overall pick in the 2010 draft made solid contributions to the Cowboys defense in 2014. But last month, Adam Schefter of ESPN first reported that McClain had violated the league’s substance-abuse policy. Jared Dubin of CBSSports.com recaps the full story on the former member of the Silver and Black, who didn’t play football in 2013.
Curtis Lofton, New Orleans Saints — signed with Oakland 3/11/15
He began his career with the Atlanta Falcons and spent the last three seasons in the Big Easy. Lofton has started every game for his team each of the last six years, and while the Saints defense fell on its face in 2014, he continues to be a reliable and productive player.
Mason Foster, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers won just two games during Lovie Smith’s first season on the job. They also ranked a disappointing 25th in the NFL in total defense this season (19th versus the run). Foster appeared in only 10 games in 2014 but still managed to total 62 tackles—fifth-best on the club—while adding three passes defensed.
Cornerbacks
12 of 14
Antonio Cromartie, Arizona Cardinals
Do you think the Jets could have used the veteran corner this past season? More importantly, is a return to New York possible now that the team has signed Darrelle Revis and Buster Skrine? Cromartie played for defensive coordinator Todd Bowles in Arizona this past season. In his one season in Arizona, Cromartie picked off three passes; the Jets totaled six interceptions as a team in 2014.
Tramon Williams, Green Bay Packers
The veteran cornerback finished the season fourth on the Packers with 71 tackles. Williams also totaled three interceptions and led Mike McCarthy’s team with 13 passes defensed, according to ESPN.com. The Packers went from 11 interceptions in 2013 to 18 picks this season. Now that Davon House has signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, could Williams be headed back to Green Bay?
Brandon Browner, New England Patriots
Similar to Darrelle Revis, the Patriots had an option to consider and decided to let Browner test the open market. In his first season in Foxborough, via ESPN.com, he totaled 25 tackles, one interception and six passes defensed despite playing in only nine games. With Revis now gone, could he be the team’s No. 1 cornerback?
Safeties
13 of 14
FS Thomas DeCoud (Released by Carolina Panthers)
In his first and only season with the Panthers, the former Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowler ranked fifth on the team with 50 tackles and totaled three passes defensed and one interception. But he wasn’t on Carolina’s mind when it came to 2015 and is back on the open market for the second straight offseason.
SS Antrel Rolle, New York Giants
This past season, Rolle finished as the Giants’ second-leading tackler with 87 stops, totaled nine passes defensed, forced a fumble and picked up four takeaways—including three interceptions. It was a pretty productive year for a defensive unit that gave up the fourth-most total yards in the NFL and was ranked 30th in the league against the run. That’s not all on Rolle, and it’s also worth noting that free safeties Stevie Brown and Quintin Demps are unrestricted free agents as well
SS/FS Will Allen, Pittsburgh Steelers
When called upon this season to fill in for Troy Polamalu, Allen did an admirable job. He finished 2014 with 36 tackles and one forced fumble. He will command some attention on the free-agent market and could very easily be back with the Steelers, who have some decisions to make regarding Polamalu’s future with the club.
SS Brandon Meriweather, Washington Redskins
The hard-hitting defender comes off a pretty respectable season, totaling 55 tackles, three sacks, three passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He’s now on the open market, and free safety Ryan Clark has announced his retirement. Will he be part of Washington’s defensive makeover?
Kickers and Punters
14 of 14
PK Jay Feely, Chicago Bears
The well-traveled veteran filled in for the Bears when Robbie Gould went down. But does Feely still have a football future, be it his choice or a team’s? This past season, the 14-year pro connected on three of his four field-goal attempts and scored a total of 14 points in four appearances. Feely has played for six teams during his career.
P Mat McBriar, San Diego Chargers
Following eight seasons with the Cowboys and a pair of Pro Bowl invites, McBriar has been the ultimate journeyman the last few seasons, suiting up for four different teams in as many years. He played in three games for the Chargers in 2014, averaging 46.9 yards per boot.
PK Ryan Succop, Tennessee Titans
The former Mr. Irrelevant became just that in Kansas City, and after five seasons with the Chiefs wound up landing in Nashville. This past season, Succop connected on 19 of his 22 field-goal attempts (two of those misses coming in a Week 3 loss at Cincinnati) and led the club in scoring with 84 points.
All free-agent information and player signings/transactions are courtesy of Spotrac. Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com.
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