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Ron Schwane/Associated Press
The first wave of NFL free agency is deep into the rearview, and with the 2022 draft rapidly approaching, the flurry of signings has slowed to a crawl. Some teams are running low on cap room, while others may wait until after this month’s draft to wade deep back into the free-agent pool.
Make no mistake, though. Free agency is far from over.
Several quality players remain available, some of them with the potential to dramatically impact a roster. Here, you’ll find a look at the 10 highest-ranked players who remain unsigned from our Free-Agency Big Board.
Predictions for where they’ll land are based on factors like team needs, team fit, draft capital, cap space and any relevant recent buzz. Players are listed in alphabetical order.
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Julio Cortez/Associated Press
Teams probably won’t be in a rush to sign wideout Odell Beckham Jr., and Beckham may be equally patient. The three-time Pro Bowler suffered a torn ACL in Super Bowl LVI and probably won’t be available early in the season.
That said, Beckham showed last year that he can help a team go deep in the postseason. With the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams, he tallied 537 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season, which is decent production considering he was coming off a torn ACL suffered in 2020.
Beckham was even better in the playoffs, providing 288 yards and two touchdowns in fewer than four complete games.
The Rams added Allen Robinson II in free agency but still hope to re-sign Beckham, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. A return would make a lot of sense. Beckham was a fine fit for head coach Sean McVay’s offense, and L.A. traded Robert Woods after signing Robinson. The Rams aren’t loaded with cap space but have $8.8 million available.
Give Beckham’s injury, expect the Rams to look at the long-term picture when making an offer.
Prediction: Beckham signs a three-year deal with the Rams.
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David Becker/Associated Press
Left tackle Duane Brown will turn 37 in August, so it’s fair to wonder how much he has left in the proverbial tank. For the short term, though, he’s the best option still available.
Brown started all 17 games for the Seattle Seahawks, and while he did allow eight sacks, per Pro Football Focus, he wound up with a Pro Bowl nod. Head coach Pete Carroll told team digital media reporter John Boyle that Brown is still in play for Seattle.
However, Brown may have little interest in joining a rebuilding team this late in his career, and that’s what the Seahawks are after trading quarterback Russell Wilson.
The Indianapolis Colts should be a much more enticing destination with quarterback Matt Ryan in the fold. They are prepared to win now and have an opening: 2021 starter Eric Fisher remains unsigned.
Cap space isn’t an issue for Indianapolis, which still has $22 million available. However, the Colts might not be willing to commit to Brown for more than a year because of his age.
Prediction: Brown signs a one-year deal with Indianapolis.
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Terrance Williams/Associated Press
Defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who will turn 36 in September, isn’t the same ferocious edge-rusher he once was. However, he’s still a tremendous all-around end who can help defend both the run and the pass.
Campbell had a mere 1.5 sacks and 16 quarterback pressures with the Baltimore Ravens this past season. He also amassed 49 tackles and 29 solo stops in 2021 to go with five tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hits.
While Campbell isn’t a long-term option, he should have little trouble finding a home before the start of the 2022 season. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is hoping that it’s back in Baltimore.
“Fingers are crossed,” Harbaugh said, per Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun.
The Ravens may have to finagle the cap numbers—they have just $7 million in room remaining—but if Baltimore wants Campbell back for a third season, it will make it work.
Prediction: Campbell signs a one-year deal with Baltimore.
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Terrance Williams/Associated Press
Pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney had a resurgent season with the Cleveland Browns in 2021, but injuries will remain a concern. Between 2019 and 2020, Clowney missed 11 games and produced three sacks. He has missed 32 games in eight seasons and has reached nine sacks just three times.
Last year, though, Clowney recorded nine sacks and 32 quarterback pressures in 14 appearances. He also had 24 solo stops and 11 tackles for loss. He proved to be a force opposite Myles Garrett.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on SportsCenter that the Browns are “pushing” Clowney to sign a new deal.
The Akron Beacon Journal‘s Nate Ulrich spoke to Clowney’s agent, Kennard McGuire, who said at the end of last month that Clowney and the Browns shared “mutual interest” in a new contract.
Clowney signed a one-year prove-it deal with Cleveland last offseason and is likely seeking a long-term commitment this time around. The Browns, who have $21 million in cap space, should be willing and able to give Clowney what he wants.
Prediction: Clowney signs a three-year deal with the Browns.
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Jacob Kupferman/Associated Press
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore isn’t quite the shutdown defender he was when he was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. However, he’s an above-average player who can start on the perimeter.
After being traded from the Patriots to the Carolina Panthers in October, he did enough in nine games to earn a Pro Bowl nod. He logged two passes defended, two interceptions and an opposing passer rating of just 78.6.
The Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly among the teams interested in Gilmore. Jordan Schultz of The Game Day NFL reported last week that Kansas City is eyeing both Gilmore and New York Giants trade candidate James Bradberry.
Kansas City has the financial means to get a deal done too. Following the Tyreek Hill trade, the Chiefs have $14.6 million in space available. While the team could target a corner early in the draft—Kansas City has two picks in each of the first, second and third rounds—Gilmore is a proven commodity who can help immediately.
That’s important for a team that ranked 27th in pass defense last season and lost starter Charvarius Ward in free agency.
Prediction: Gilmore signs a two-year deal with Kansas City.
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Mark LoMoglio/Associated Press
Tight end Rob Gronkowski has already retired once, only coming back to join Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, the 32-year-old has plenty of tread left on the tires.
Last season, he was limited to 12 games by a rib injury that also involved a punctured lung. Yet he still racked up 802 yards and six touchdowns on 55 receptions.
Now that Brady has ended his own retirement, a return to Tampa would be logical for Gronkowski. The duo have not lost their chemistry over the years, and Gronk is a terrific fit in coordinator Byron Leftwich’s offense. Of course, there’s no guarantee that Gronkowski will return in 2022.
“Just took a photo and talked with Rob Gronkowski,” The Draft Network founder JC Cornell tweeted. “He says he is 50-50 on coming back. But if he comes back, it will ONLY be for the Buccaneers.”
The Bucs have $7.8 million in space help pay Gronkowski, and it’s hard to believe that he’ll allow Brady to go on what could be a final run (for real this time) without him.
Prediction: Gronkowski signs a one-year deal with the Buccaneers.
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Kamil Krzaczynski/Associated Press
Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks is 32 and potentially nearing the back end of his career. However, he is capable of being a difference-maker when healthy.
Hicks was limited to nine games by groin and ankle injuries in 2021. However, he finished with 25 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 11 quarterback pressures. He logged 49 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 29 pressures in the previous season.
Teams looking for a reliable run-stuffer who can also bring pressure should be in on Hicks. The Los Angeles Chargers would be a perfect landing spot.
The Bolts ranked 30th in run defense last season and 28th in yards allowed per carry. While they’ve already added defensive linemen Austin Johnson and Sebastian Joseph-Day this offseason, they have $18.8 million in cap space remaining.
In Los Angeles, Hicks could reunite with former Chicago Bears teammate Khalil Mack—who was acquired in a trade—while providing the Chargers’ front with a significant boost.
Prediction: Hicks signs a one-year deal with the Chargers.
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Ed Zurga/Associated Press
While Melvin Ingram III isn’t coming off as productive a season as Clowney, his value to certain teams could be just as great. The soon-to-be 33-year-old (April 26) shouldn’t be as expensive or require a long-term commitment.
Ingram can still be a high-end rotational player, as he showed with Kansas City last season. After being traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ingram appeared in nine regular-season games with the Chiefs. He logged just a single sack but produced 11 quarterback pressures while playing 58 percent of the defensive snaps.
The three-time Pro Bowler added two more sacks and three quarterback hits in three postseason games.
With Kansas City in a better cap situation following the Hill trade, a Chiefs reunion would be logical. Kansas City tallied the fourth-fewest sacks (31) during the regular season and features little pass-rushing depth behind Chris Jones and Frank Clark.
Kansas City should use one of its first six picks on an edge-rusher. However, Ingram can help right away.
Prediction: Ingram signs a one-year deal with Kansas City.
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David Richard/Associated Press
Jarvis Landry will turn 30 in November and is coming off an injury-impacted season. However, he’s still a dangerous slot specialist who will help an offense wherever he lands.
A knee injury limited Landry to 12 games, 570 yards and two touchdowns in 2021. Landry should be back to 100 percent in 2022, though, and he’s a five-time Pro Bowler who has topped 800 yards in six of his eight seasons.
The Browns released Landry in a cap-saving move, but a return to Cleveland is possible.
“That’s his home, and he loves it there,” Landry’s agent, Roosevelt Barnes, said last week, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. “There’s mutual interest in him being back there, but Jarvis also has interest from some other teams as well.”
Landry has been Cleveland’s most dependable pass-catcher over the past four seasons, and the Browns still have plenty of cap space available at $21 million.
Prediction: Landry signs a two-year deal with the Browns.
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Rick Scuteri/Associated Press
Tyrann Mathieu remains a Pro Bowl-caliber safety, though his market may be limited to teams seeking short-term help.
Fowler reported on SportsCenter that “the concern from some teams I talk to is that maybe Mathieu has lost a step.”
For teams in a playoff window, though, Mathieu can be a terrific asset. He finished last season with 76 tackles, six passes defended, three interceptions, a sack and a pick-six. He allowed an opposing passer rating of 88.1 in coverage. He earned a third Pro Bowl nod.
According to Schultz, the Broncos are among the teams interested in Mathieu, and Denver would be a great fit. The Broncos should be a contender with Russell Wilson under center, and strong safety Kareem Jackson remains unsigned.
The Broncos are also armed with $14.8 million in cap space and could afford to give Mathieu a fair-market deal. The question is whether Mathieu is eager to face his former team in the AFC West twice a year. Given how quickly the Chiefs moved to replace Mathieu with Justin Reid, he might jump at the opportunity.
Prediction: Mathieu signs a two-year deal with Denver.
Contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.
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