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The major waves of NFL free agency are over as the focus has shifted toward the NFL draft later this month. Even though many of the top free agents have signed with teams, there are still several impact players who remain unsigned.
The quarterback carousel is nearing its completion as Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are linked to each other. But the 41-year-old quarterback is still on the open market. Veteran wide receivers Amari Cooper and Keenan Allen have combined for over 1,600 career catches and 21,000 receiving yards but remain available.
On the defensive side, four-time second-team All-Pro safety Justin Simmons and three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Za'Darius Smith have yet to ink deals.
Will some of the top remaining free agents sign contracts before the upcoming draft? USA TODAY Sports ranks the top 10 free agents still available.
NFL FREE AGENCY TRACKER: Tracking every offseason transaction for all 32 teams
Cooper is the top wide receiver and No. 1 player remaining in free agency. Last season was a down year for Cooper in terms of his production. The 30-year-old receiver never quite built a rapport with Josh Allen and the Bills after he was traded to Buffalo midseason. However, Cooper is still a sharp route runner and a possession receiver who can create separation. A total of 75% of his targets came on short and intermediate routes.
Rodgers was throwing passes to new Steelers wide receiver D.K. Metcalf at UCLA recently. It’s a strong indication he intends to sign with Pittsburgh. Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II told reporters at the NFL’s annual league meeting that they are getting “positive signals” regarding Rodgers joining the club. The 41-year-old quarterback had a disappointing tenure with the Jets. But there’s some silver lining. Rodgers performed better during the latter portion of last season, in which he had a 91-or-above passer rating in four of his final five contests.
Mike Williams wants to get the band back together in LA. Allen isn’t too far removed from breaking the Chargers single-season receptions record in 2023. The veteran wideout didn’t have the same production during his lone year in Chicago. There were signs of slippage in his age-32 season, but some of that could be attributed to the difficulties of catching passes from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. He still caught 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, so there's plenty left in the tank.
Dobbins rushed for a career-best 905 yards and equaled a season-high nine touchdowns in a successful year with the Chargers. Despite, arguably, being the Chargers’ best offensive playmaker last year outside of Justin Herbert, the team seemingly replaced the Dobbins in free agency with Najee Harris. Injuries have plagued Dobbins’ career; he’s never started more than 11 games in a season but he’s productive when he is healthy.
Simmons was regarded as one of the top safeties in the NFL a few seasons ago. He formed a nice safety combo with Jessie Bates in Atlanta. He’s produced at least 60 tackles and two interceptions in each of the past eight seasons. The 31-year-old safety is a four-time second-team All-Pro.
Blackmon has been a stalwart defender in the Indianapolis secondary for the last five years. He’s coming off of back-to-back seasons with at least three interceptions and 85 tackles. Blackmon’s 73.5 coverage grade ranked 15th amongst qualifying safeties, per Pro Football Focus.
The 2021 second-round pick played just four games before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. Samuel isn’t the surest of tacklers, but he allowed under a 63% completion percentage when targeted in his first three seasons. He’s lined up mainly as an outside corner but can play in the slot.
White produced 137 tackles in 17 starts in Arizona last year. He was the Cardinals’ best tackler at linebacker. The 29-year-old is athletic for the position and has had four straight seasons with at least 90 tackles. He’s still a capable starter for linebacker-needy teams.
Smith will turn 33 right around Week 1 of the 2025 season. He registered nine sacks between the two teams he played with last year. The veteran edge rusher has tallied at least 61 pressures in each of the past three seasons. He’s at his best when he plays opposite a standout pass rusher at this stage of his career.
Douglas had a down year last year when he allowed a career-worst 72.9% completion percentage and a 122-passer rating when targeted. His performance has likely impacted his free agency thus far. He’s allowed a 62.3% completion percentage in 106 career regular-season games. The well-traveled cornerback has played for four different teams.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen among best remaining NFL free agents
Continue reading...
The quarterback carousel is nearing its completion as Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are linked to each other. But the 41-year-old quarterback is still on the open market. Veteran wide receivers Amari Cooper and Keenan Allen have combined for over 1,600 career catches and 21,000 receiving yards but remain available.
On the defensive side, four-time second-team All-Pro safety Justin Simmons and three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Za'Darius Smith have yet to ink deals.
Will some of the top remaining free agents sign contracts before the upcoming draft? USA TODAY Sports ranks the top 10 free agents still available.
NFL FREE AGENCY TRACKER: Tracking every offseason transaction for all 32 teams
Top 10 NFL free agents remaining
1. Amari Cooper, wide receiver (2024 teams: Browns, Bills)
Cooper is the top wide receiver and No. 1 player remaining in free agency. Last season was a down year for Cooper in terms of his production. The 30-year-old receiver never quite built a rapport with Josh Allen and the Bills after he was traded to Buffalo midseason. However, Cooper is still a sharp route runner and a possession receiver who can create separation. A total of 75% of his targets came on short and intermediate routes.
2. Aaron Rodgers, quarterback (2024 team: Jets)
Rodgers was throwing passes to new Steelers wide receiver D.K. Metcalf at UCLA recently. It’s a strong indication he intends to sign with Pittsburgh. Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II told reporters at the NFL’s annual league meeting that they are getting “positive signals” regarding Rodgers joining the club. The 41-year-old quarterback had a disappointing tenure with the Jets. But there’s some silver lining. Rodgers performed better during the latter portion of last season, in which he had a 91-or-above passer rating in four of his final five contests.
3. Keenan Allen, wide receiver (2024 team: Bears)
Mike Williams wants to get the band back together in LA. Allen isn’t too far removed from breaking the Chargers single-season receptions record in 2023. The veteran wideout didn’t have the same production during his lone year in Chicago. There were signs of slippage in his age-32 season, but some of that could be attributed to the difficulties of catching passes from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. He still caught 70 passes for 744 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024, so there's plenty left in the tank.
4. J.K. Dobbins, running back (2024 team: Chargers)
Dobbins rushed for a career-best 905 yards and equaled a season-high nine touchdowns in a successful year with the Chargers. Despite, arguably, being the Chargers’ best offensive playmaker last year outside of Justin Herbert, the team seemingly replaced the Dobbins in free agency with Najee Harris. Injuries have plagued Dobbins’ career; he’s never started more than 11 games in a season but he’s productive when he is healthy.
5. Justin Simmons, safety (2024 team: Falcons)
Simmons was regarded as one of the top safeties in the NFL a few seasons ago. He formed a nice safety combo with Jessie Bates in Atlanta. He’s produced at least 60 tackles and two interceptions in each of the past eight seasons. The 31-year-old safety is a four-time second-team All-Pro.
6. Julian Blackmon, safety (2024 team: Colts)
Blackmon has been a stalwart defender in the Indianapolis secondary for the last five years. He’s coming off of back-to-back seasons with at least three interceptions and 85 tackles. Blackmon’s 73.5 coverage grade ranked 15th amongst qualifying safeties, per Pro Football Focus.
7. Asante Samuel Jr., cornerback (2024 team: Chargers)
The 2021 second-round pick played just four games before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year. Samuel isn’t the surest of tacklers, but he allowed under a 63% completion percentage when targeted in his first three seasons. He’s lined up mainly as an outside corner but can play in the slot.
8. Kyzir White, linebacker (2024 team: Cardinals)
White produced 137 tackles in 17 starts in Arizona last year. He was the Cardinals’ best tackler at linebacker. The 29-year-old is athletic for the position and has had four straight seasons with at least 90 tackles. He’s still a capable starter for linebacker-needy teams.
9. Za'Darius Smith, edge (2024 teams: Browns, Lions)
Smith will turn 33 right around Week 1 of the 2025 season. He registered nine sacks between the two teams he played with last year. The veteran edge rusher has tallied at least 61 pressures in each of the past three seasons. He’s at his best when he plays opposite a standout pass rusher at this stage of his career.
10. Rasul Douglas, cornerback (2024 team: Bills)
Douglas had a down year last year when he allowed a career-worst 72.9% completion percentage and a 122-passer rating when targeted. His performance has likely impacted his free agency thus far. He’s allowed a 62.3% completion percentage in 106 career regular-season games. The well-traveled cornerback has played for four different teams.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen among best remaining NFL free agents
Continue reading...
