Few impactful free agents are still available, but plenty of NFL teams remain in need of a meaningful addition.
Oh, and the organization must have cap space for it, too.
Spending money for the sake of using any dollar available is not necessarily a wise decision. For example, the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots are retooling the roster amid a coaching change. They shouldn’t be stressed about max creativity.
On the other hand, some borderline playoff teams may benefit from a jolt. Super Bowl hopefuls, too.
The choices are subjective but consider a roster’s need, free agents available and perceived financial requirements. All contract data is from Over the Cap.
Without question, the Cincinnati Bengals’ top priority is figuring out extensions for wide receiver Tee Higgins and pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson. They’ve both requested trades, adding a layer of fun to the negotiations.
Meanwhile, the Bengals could use another corner.
Mike Hilton is awesome at nickel, but Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner are a risky duo on the outside. Cincinnati also has little experienced depth at the position with seldom-used DJ Ivey and rookie Josh Newton.
Xavien Howard, Stephon Gilmore, Steven Nelson, Adoree’ Jackson and Patrick Peterson are among the corners on the market.
Given the amount of QB talent in the AFC, the Bengals can hardly have enough options at corner. Pending those extensions, Cincinnati has $17.8 million in effective cap space to use.
Even after handing big-money extensions to Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell this offseason, the Detroit Lions have $28.4 million in space for the 2024 campaign.
Detroit must be careful not to stray from its long-term vision, but that available money can bolster the receiving corps.
St. Brown is a superstar, and tight end Sam LaPorta is trending that direction. However, the Lions are waiting for 2022 first-rounder Jameson Williams to have a breakout year and shouldn’t expect more than complementary production out of Kalif Raymond.
In fairness, yes, the market is reasonably thin at receiver. It’s true that none of Michael Thomas, Hunter Renfrow or Mecole Hardman are guaranteed to make a major impact.
Detroit can afford the risk, though—and the position’s current outlook is practically begging for the Lions to take one.
Staying in the NFC North, the Green Bay Packers made a surprise run into the 2023 postseason and played well. Expectations are only rising for Jordan Love’s second year as the starter.
Green Bay needs to ensure its offensive line has enough depth to protect the young quarterback.
The best-case scenario is first-round selection Jordan Morgan immediately starts at left tackle. However, the Packers are no strangers to injuries up front and must be prepared to shuffle the unit.
Yes, they have flexibility in the existing personnel thanks to Zach Tom and Elgton Jenkins. Still, the Packers—who have $16.8 million in room—should add a reserve tackle to compete with a nerve-testing group of Andre Dillard, Travis Glover and Caleb Jones.
Among other possibilities, D.J. Humphries and Charles Leno would be cost-effective veterans to consider.
Injuries sidelined Anthony Richardson for much of his rookie year, so the Indianapolis Colts must be prepared to endure the quarterback’s growing pains in 2024.
Said another way: Indy’s margin for error is thin.
One glaring issue is the Colts’ rebuild at cornerback. They’ve made a concerted effort to reshape the unit in recent years and just added a couple of Day 3 draft picks in Jaylin Simpson and Micah Abraham, too. Indianapolis has not ignored the position.
Nevertheless, the Colts have surrounded Kenny Moore with a ton of youth. That might work out, really! But adding a veteran voice at corner absolutely can be beneficial for Indy.
Steven Nelson and Patrick Peterson are two of the logical options for the Colts and their $22.6 million available.
Similar to Green Bay, the Jacksonville Jaguars must be considering any option to bolster the offensive line.
The simple version is the blocking unit had a mediocre 2023. While the Jags averaged the NFL’s second-fewest yards per carry, very little about the Trevor Lawrence-led passing attack was above average.
Jacksonville returns all seven linemen who played 350-plus snaps last season but only added Mitch Morse and fourth-round pick Javon Foster. The franchise is banking on a bunch of internal improvement to protect Trevor Lawrence and create space in the running game.
On paper, it seems the interior group is most in need of reinforcements. Greg Van Roten headlines the available guards, while Connor Williams is worth monitoring as he recovers from an ACL injury.
No short-term contract should scare off Jacksonville, which has $30.8 million in effective space.
After such a disappointing collapse to close the 2023 season, the Philadelphia Eagles have much to prove.
Is this defensive front good enough?
Fletcher Cox leaves a massive void in the trenches, and the absence of his leadership cannot be discounted. Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter are hugely talented, but nobody on Philly’s defensive line has played more than three seasons in the NFL.
Play some hero music, if you’d like: This sounds like a job for Calais Campbell.
Not only does Campbell offer 16 years of experience and a heap of respect, he can align at end or tackle. He just recorded 56 tackles with 6.5 sacks on the Atlanta Falcons last year.
Even if Campbell specifically isn’t the solution, Philly would be wise to spend a portion of its $23.2 million on a veteran lineman.