NFL Matchmaker: Which Free Agents, Teams Fit Perfectly After Final Roster Cuts

Over the years, we have seen examples of pairing that just seem too perfect not to be. Romeo and Juliet. Noah Calhoun and Allison Hamilton. Harold and Kumar. 

In the National Football League, players and teams can often look like the perfect match as well. Because of league roster guidelines, however, it can take time for the right matches to find one another.  

Over the weekend, all 32 NFL teams trimmed their rosters to fit within the regular-season limit of 53 players.

The process left quite a few quality players out of work and created more than a few holes on rosters around the league. Naturally, teams are going to continue tweaking their rosters leading into Week 1 and throughout the 2015 season.

Final roster cuts are never really final, after all. Many free agents are going to soon find a new and more suitable home. 

Today we're going to take a look at some of the league's top unemployed players and match them with a team whose roster situation calls for them. 

Reggie Wayne and the Baltimore Ravens

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Veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne was among the notable cuts made by the New England Patriots over the weekend. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Wayne asked to be released.

The fact that the 36-year-old Wayne joined the Patriots in the first place shows that he isn't quite ready for retirement and would like to play for a contender (and possibly stick it to the Indianapolis Colts for not bringing him back in the process).

Ultimately though, Wayne just wasn't happy with New England.

According to Scott Zolak of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Wayne asked for his release because the "work environment [was] too tough...not fun."

While we can't be sure that the environment in Baltimore is any more fun than it is in New England, the Ravens are a regular AFC contender that could provide a good situation for Wayne—should he still wish to play this season.

The Ravens don't have a ton of pass-catching talent outside of veteran Steve Smith. Torrey Smith and Owen Daniels (97 combined receptions in 2014) left in free agency, and rookie Breshad Perriman has missed all of training camp with a knee injury. 

Receivers Kamar Aiken and Marlon Brown had just 24 catches apiece a year ago.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh recently told the team's official website that Perriman has a chance to appear in the season opener. However, Perriman is a very raw prospect who may have little initial impact even once he is healthy.

Wayne, on the other hand, is a seasoned veteran who can add experience, skill and professionalism to the receiving corps. Last season, he managed to rack up 64 receptions and 779 yards. This is more than the Ravens got from Aiken, Brown and Michael Campanaro combined. 

If Wayne wants one more shot to go on a playoff run, Baltimore would be a great place to do it. 

Duron Carter and the New England Patriots

Technically, wide receiver Duron Carter is not a free agent. As a member of the Colts practice squad, however, he can be signed away by another team. 

This is a move that the Patriots should definitely consider making. The wide receiver corps in New England is on the underwhelming side—no wideout topped the 1,000-yard mark in 2014. The Patriots are also obviously open to bringing in a fresh face, otherwise the team would have never experimented with Reggie Wayne.

Carter is an athletic 6'5", 205-pound pass-catcher with a lot more polish than most NFL rookies. The son of Hall of Famer Cris Carter spent the last two years honing his craft in the CFL, where he thrived. Carter amassed 1,939 yards and 12 touchdowns in his two seasons.

Carter also looked very promising this preseason. He led all Colts receivers with nine receptions for 126 yards. However, cracking a depth chart that includes T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson, Phillip Dorsett and Donte Moncrief was always going to be a challenge. 

While Carter isn't exactly a burner on the field, he is a big target who can make plays with his size and his athleticism. Just imagine the mismatches Bill Belichick could create by trotting out Carter and Rob Gronkowski in red-zone situations.

Belichick has shown that he is willing to gamble a bit when it comes to his receivers. Last year's leading wideout, Julian Edelman, came out of college as a quarterback, after all. Plus, you have to imagine that Belichick would love to turn a guy like Carter into a star and then rub it in the face of the rival Colts.

Hakeem Nicks and the Carolina Panthers

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Six-year veteran Hakeem Nicks was released by the Tennessee Titans as part of their roster cuts over the weekend. Though he was only a depth player for the Colts last season, he is the type of veteran receiver that would make sense for a team like the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers are hurting at receiver in both the literal and figurative sense. Star wideout Kelvin Benjamin is out for the year with a torn ACL, and rookie Devin Funchess has missed time with a hamstring issue.

According to Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer, the Panthers plan to start Philly Brown and Ted Ginn in the season opener.

At 6'1" and 208 pounds, Nicks has the size that teams want at the wide receiver position. He also has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume. Veteran Jerricho Cotchery is currently the only receiver on the Panthers roster to have registered 1,000 yards in a campaign.

Nicks did underwhelm in the Colts offense last season, catching just 38 passes for 405 yards and four touchdowns. However, Nicks has claimed that his lack of production was a product of being a poor fit for Pep Hamilton's system.

"It's more one-on-one, trips backside, vertical throw, shallow-cross game, that's more of my style if you look at my past history, where I excelled," Nicks said, per Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com, in an attempt to explain why he would be a better fit in Tennessee than in Indianapolis.

The Titans obviously didn't agree that Nicks was a good fit. For a team in need of receiver help like the Panthers, however, Nicks could be a legitimate benefit. 

Jameel McClain and the Green Bay Packers

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It's pretty safe to say that the Green Bay Packers are hoping to improve their run defense in 2015. It was an area of concern last season and part of the reason why the team couldn't hold a late-game lead in the NFC title game.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Packers had the league's second-worst run defense in 2014.

This is where adding a tackling machine like former New York Giants and Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain should come in. 

McClain was released by the Giants over the weekend in a decision that was likely largely motivated by money. McClain was set to earn $2.5 million this season and was likely to be a depth player with the Giants.

In the Packers' 3-4 defense, McClain could be the type of center-field defender who could chase down ball-carriers and help stop the long running plays that gashed the team a year ago. He racked up 116 tackles and 2.5 sacks with New York in 2014.

McClain did suffer a neck injury early in training camp this offseason, though he never felt it was a serious issue. 

"I was laughing it off the whole time, and they were like, 'Just sit there, just sit there.' And I was like, 'I'll be alright, don't worry about me,'" McClain said of the injury, per James Kratch of NJ.com.

McClain returned to play in the preseason and finished with the highest overall rating among Giants inside linebackers, per Pro Football Focus.

If the Packers want to add talent and depth to their linebacker corps early in the 2015 season, McClain should be at the top of their list.

Will Blackmon and the St. Louis Rams

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The Seattle Seahawks ultimately decided that veteran cornerback Will Blackmon wasn't the right fit for this year's incarnation of the Legion of Boom. However, Blackmon has value to a team with a greater need of cornerback depth—like, say, the St. Louis Rams.

St. Louis lost starting cornerback E.J. Gaines for the year to a foot injury that he suffered in the first week of training camp. The Rams have moved players up the depth chart, but there is certainly room for a veteran like Blackmon.

After the first round of roster cuts, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com explained why cornerback depth might come from the free-agent market:

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[Head coach Jeff] Fisher said there are four cornerback spots locked down, which would leave room for some competition for a potential fifth spot. Brandon McGee is still on the roster and would seem to be the favorite among those remaining. But McGee also hasn't been on the field much in the past year and hasn't had major contributions in two-plus years at the NFL level. Undrafted rookies Trovon Reed and Montell Garner are also still around. But don't be surprised if the Rams look outside the building for a veteran to add depth. 

"

None of the players mentioned by Wagoner made the final roster, and the Rams currently have just four cornerbacks on their depth chart. Bringing in outside help does make sense because St. Louis has been a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of pass coverage this preseason.

The team was rated 19th overall in this category by Pro Football Focus for the preseason.

Blackmon has the size (6'0", 204 pounds) that teams want at the position. Though he certainly isn't considered a top-tier cornerback, he has eight years of NFL experience and some insight into the rival Seahawks organization. 

James Wilder Jr. and the Houston Texans

Cincinnati Bengals running back James Wilder Jr. is another guy who technically isn't a free agent but is a practice squad player who can be signed away by another team.

The Houston Texans, who will be without star running back Arian Foster for at least part of the season, should be a team that considers signing him.

Wilder was one of the biggest stars of the Bengals' preseason. He showed tremendous burst out of the backfield and racked up 107 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. He also caught two passes for 15 yards.

Pro Football Focus rated Wilder first overall among all Cincinnati running backs for the preseason and placed him there by a large margin.

With Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard topping the depth chart, Wilder was always a long shot to make the final roster. However, the team did manage to stash him on the practice squad.

The Texans, meanwhile, will be relying on the likes of Alfred Blue and Jonathan Grimes until Foster returns from his groin injury. According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, Foster won't be placed on injured reserve and could return in a month.

In the meantime, the Texans should look to improve the position, and Wilder would seem to be an upgrade over third-string back Chris Polk. Polk managed to survive the 53-man cuts, despite averaging just 2.9 yards per carry in the preseason.

Derek Sherrod and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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The Green Bay Packers decided to part ways with former first-round pick Derek Sherrod during the offseason. The Kansas City Chiefs decided to part ways with him over the weekend while getting down to the 53-man limit.

Just because two teams have given up on Sherrod, however, doesn't mean he doesn't have value. He has 20 games of NFL experience and finished the preseason with a positive overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

For a team lacking talent and experience on the offensive line like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sherrod makes a lot of sense.

The Buccaneers are expected to start rookie guard Ali Marpet and rookie tackle Donovan Smith when the regular season kicks off this week. Both have experienced their ups and downs this preseason, but Smith's struggles have stood out the most.

Pro Football Focus rated Smith as the worst Buccaneers tackle of the preseason and has credited him with one sack and three quarterback hurries. 

This isn't to suggest that Sherrod should walk in and replace Smith at the left tackle position. However, the veteran does have experience at both tackle spots and improves the depth and experience level on the Buccaneers line.

If Smith's struggles continue into the regular season, then replacing him might become a possibility. 

Pierre Thomas and the Cleveland Browns

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The Cleveland Browns kept three running backs during roster cuts but then traded last year's leading rusher, Terrance West, to the Tennessee Titans shortly thereafter. 

This leaves Cleveland with only backs on the roster. Tom Reed of the Northeast Ohio Media Group recently explained why this creates a major problem for the Browns:

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A club with a 36-year-old journeyman quarterback that wants to run the ball is left with Isaiah Crowell, who struggled down the stretch last season, and third-round pick Duke Johnson, who's in concussion protocol. The Browns, who are searching for a veteran replacement, play their first game against the Jets in seven days. No rush, or anything.

"

The Browns are looking to add a veteran back to the mix. Considering offensive coordinator John DeFilippo wants to utilize his backs in the passing game, there may not be a more perfect option than free agent Pierre Thomas.

Thomas has been out of work since the start of the offseason, though he did visit with the Texans. His versatility would be nothing but a benefit to Cleveland's undermanned backfield.

Though Thomas is 30 years old, he is still a healthy and productive running back. Last season with the New Orleans Saints, he averaged 4.9 yards per carry and caught 45 passes out of the backfield. Pro Football Focus rated Thomas third overall among running backs in receiving.

Thomas would be an excellent third-down back in Cleveland's offense and could be a veteran mentor for the two young runners currently on the roster.  

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Northeast Ohio Media Group, part of the reason the Browns wanted to dump West was a lack of professionalism and maturity on his part. In addition to helping the Browns on the field, Thomas could help ensure that maturity doesn't become an issue for Crowell or Johnson.

Cortland Finnegan and the Pittsburgh Steelers

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Veteran cornerback Cortland Finnegan announced his retirement early in the offseason, but he appears to be headed back to the NFL. According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, Finnegan has hired agent Drew Rosenhaus to help facilitate his comeback. Finnegan has made it known that he is open to making a switch to safety.

If Finnegan does come back to the league this season, the Pittsburgh Steelers should give serious consideration to making it happen with their team. 

Injuries have limited Finnegan's effectiveness over the past couple of years, but he has still managed to produce on the field. Last season with the Miami Dolphins, he amassed 44 tackles and eight passes defended in 12 games.

The Steelers, meanwhile, have needs in the secondary. Pittsburgh finished last season ranked 27th in pass defense (253.1 yards per game allowed) and lost safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback Ike Taylor to retirement in the offseason.

This preseason, Pro Football Focus rated the Steelers dead last in pass coverage. 

In addition to being able to add depth to the Steelers secondary, Finnegan could help bring a little attitude and physicality to the team. He has always been known as a feisty and physical pass defender and might just help restore a little toughness to the increasingly soft Steelers defense.