Once the first couple waves of free agency are done, there’s a lot less urgency for players and teams to lock up contracts. Teams often want to wait to see how the draft unfolds and if they can address needs there, while many players are content to wait and ensure they don’t get passed over by a rookie. Not having to attend OTAs and workouts is another perk from the player side.
With the draft behind us, now is a good time to re-evaluate the current free agent market. At NFL Trade Rumors, we have a running list of the top 100 available free agents that we update all year. Here’s a run-through of our top 10 free agents and some potential destinations that could make sense:
1 – WR Amari Cooper: Saints
There was some buzz about a potential reunion between the Cowboys and Cooper a few weeks ago, but Dallas’ trade for WR George Pickens has almost certainly closed that door. The two teams he played for last year, the Browns and Bills, do have some questions at “X” receiver where Cooper plays, but both teams seem to be ready to see what they have in younger options like Keon Coleman and Cedric Tillman. Cooper almost certainly would have loved to join the Chargers and catch passes from QB Justin Herbert while reuniting with former WR coach Sanjay Lal, yet Los Angeles has been content to ride with younger options.
A reunion with the Raiders could be worth keeping in mind, as Las Vegas could use more weapons on offense. However, the Saints feel like the best combination of need and familiarity for Cooper as things stand right now. Multiple Saints coaches know Cooper well from his time in Dallas, including HC Kellen Moore and OC Doug Nussmeier. That should give both sides a comfort level about the fit and the scheme.
From an on-field perspective, Cooper would bring a different element to the Saints’ receiving corps. The top three players on the depth chart are Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Brandin Cooks. They’re not clones of each other but all three are slighter in frame and win with speed and route running, not size and strength. Cooper is at least 20 pounds bigger than Olave, the biggest of the three, and would bring a physicality the other three don’t have while still being a quality route runner and a downfield threat, assuming he hasn’t lost too much of a step at 31 years old.
2 – CB Asante Samuel Jr.: Saints
We’ll go ahead and mark the Saints down for the top two free agents on our board. New Orleans is actually flush with cap space at the moment at more than $20 million, and the retirement of QB Derek Carr should put them in the black in 2026 for the first time in years. They can afford to bolster the roster to try and make a good first impression in HC Kellen Moore’s first year.
Signing Samuel makes sense for plenty of other reasons as well. He just had a visit with the team, in part to check on his medical progress after having surgery to correct the issue that limited him to just four games this past season. Samuel crossed over with both Moore and DC Brandon Staley with the Chargers, providing a lot of familiarity between the two sides. The Saints have a need at corner that Samuel, who is still just 25, would fill.
While he has the frame of a slot corner at 5-10 and 180 pounds, Samuel has played outside almost exclusively, which makes him a tricky fit for other teams. Carolina and Green Bay both could use help at corner and have notable connections, with Panthers DB coach Renaldo Hill and Packers defensive passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley having coached Samuel in similar roles with the Chargers. But Carolina is set outside, and Samuel falls under the typical size preferences for the Packers. With the Saints, it’s a clean fit for Samuel as an upgrade over Isaac Yiadom, currently penciled in as one of the starting outside corners.
3 – QB Aaron Rodgers: Steelers
Plenty has been written about Rodgers and the Steelers, so I won’t belabor things too much more here. It’s safe to say the two are the best match for either at this point, with Pittsburgh representing Rodgers’ best (only?) chance to continue his career and Rodgers representing the most established passer the Steelers could land to guide the team in 2025.
4 – S Julian Blackmon: Panthers
At just 26 years old, Blackmon is younger than a lot of free agents this year, but the market is often strange when it comes to safeties. He had a cool reception to free agency last year as well and took multiple visits before returning to Indianapolis on a one-year deal. Given the Colts’ moves at safety, it feels less likely that path is open.
Blackmon visited the Panthers in April, and Carolina probably could still use multiple additions at safety even after using a fourth-round pick on Lathan Ransom. This makes almost too much sense for both sides. Blackmon would give the Panthers a rangy option they currently lack on the back end of the defense, while from Blackmon’s end, there probably aren’t many clearer paths to significant playing time — and a chance to finally earn a long-term deal.
5 – CB Jack Jones: Commanders
Jones has only been in the league for three years but his career has already been a wild rollercoaster ride. He was a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in 2022 and earned his way onto the field as a rookie due to his knack for making big plays. He picked off two passes, one of which he returned for a touchdown, and knocked down six others to go with a forced fumble and a recovery. Jones was expected to be a Week 1 starter for the Patriots in 2023 but repeated off-field issues, including a weapons charge and a team suspension for repeated rules violation, led to his exit.
The Raiders, prompted by former interim HC Antonio Pierce who was one of Jones’ biggest advocates dating back to his time in college at Arizona State and in high school, claimed Jones and he had a hot start in Las Vegas too. In seven games, Jones had two interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns, and four pass deflections. Once again he went into the next season as the full-time starter, and while he managed to hold the job for the whole season, the results were uneven. Jones had three more interceptions and scored another touchdown to bring his career total to four, plus added 16 pass deflections which was tied for fifth-most among all players. But he was also picked on by opposing offenses at times and was an inconsistent tackler.
When the Raiders fired Pierce, they also fired Jones’ biggest ally. New HC Pete Carroll and GM John Spytek cut Jones as part of their cornerback room renovation this offseason, and this time he was not claimed. Jones has shown he has a knack for big plays but he has not shown he can be relied on down-to-down or even day-to-day during the week. It will take a team that has some comfort level with the risk to take a swing on Jones, who is also already 27 years old.
The Washington Commanders might fit the bill. They hired Jason Simmons as a secondary coach this offseason, who spent the past two seasons in a similar role with the Raiders working with Jones. Simmons is also a fellow Arizona State alum. That gives the team some insight into how to get the best out of Jones, and Commanders HC Dan Quinn also has a great reputation for being able to reach players. Cornerback is an area where Washington can use more help, so if any team makes sense to take a flyer on Jones, it’s the Commanders.
6 – S Marcus Williams: Lions
The Jets and Bills are two other teams worth watching for Williams. Jets HC Aaron Glenn was his position coach with the Saints for years, and the Bills have a need at safety and some familiarity with senior defensive assistant Ryan Nielsen overlapping with Williams in New Orleans. But the Lions are the strongest combination of need, familiarity and contending team.
Lions HC Dan Campbell also overlapped with Williams in New Orleans, and there are a lot of similarities between the two programs. Detroit’s depth at safety is thin at the moment behind starters Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch. If either of them goes down, the next man up is a competition between Morice Norris, seventh-round Dan Jackson or Erick Hallett.
Williams is coming off the worst year of his career when he was flat-out benched for stretches with the Ravens but if he can figure that out, he’s easily an improvement over who the Lions have on the roster right now. Adding more depth at safety would also let the Lions move Branch around the secondary.
7 – DE Za’Darius Smith: Patriots
Smith might still be available but considering the ever-present need for pass-rushing firepower that all teams face, he should have a solid market whenever he decides to sign. Even though he’s turning 33 in September, Smith has remained an effective player, totaling nine sacks last year split between his time with the Browns and Lions. He’s got good schematic versatility and is a well-rounded player. Teams in need of a solid No. 2 or a high-snap No. 3 edge rusher should be interested.
Ultimately the contract offer will probably be the strongest factor in where Smith ends up signing, as he’s a proven NFL mercenary with stints for five teams in 10 years. Teams like the Commanders and Lions have a healthy amount of cap space and a significant need for a pass rusher, but the Patriots still have nearly $70 million in cap space — by far the most in the league. New England also needs pass rush reinforcements, as that’s one of the biggest remaining weaknesses for a team that could be poised to take a major step forward in 2025.
It’s worth noting Patriots OLB coach Mike Smith was Smith’s position coach in both Green Bay and Minnesota. That connection could also make the Patriots a more aggressive and compelling suitor for Smith than other teams.
8 – CB Kendall Fuller: Falcons
Miami cut Fuller earlier this offseason despite a solid year from him in 2024. Judging by how they’re handling CB Jalen Ramsey, it seems like the Dolphins are just determined to get younger and cheaper at the position. While Fuller is 30, he’s been remarkably consistent for his whole career, and can play both in the slot and outside. The cliff can hit cornerbacks fast once they cross 30 years old but assuming Fuller still wants to keep playing, there’s a good chance he can help a team.
The Falcons are one of several teams that could be looking at further additions to the cornerback room. Atlanta had limited resources this offseason and wasn’t able to materially address a cornerback room that included AJ Terrell, Mike Hughes and Dee Alford last year. Terrell is a quality No. 1 corner but the rest of the room is a question mark. If young players like fourth-round S Billy Bowman, who can play nickel back, third-year CB Clark Phillips or UDFA CB Cobee Bryant don’t seize a role by mid-August, Atlanta could be in the market for a veteran addition.
Fuller is highly-regarded around the league but especially by Falcons assistant GM Kyle Smith, who was in the Washington office both when Fuller was drafted and when he re-signed with the team as a free agent. Fuller also overlapped with several members of the Rams and Vikings coaching staff in Washington, including head coaches Sean McVay and Kevin O’Connell. Both teams could use help at corner.
9 – CB Rasul Douglas: Packers
Douglas has been busy despite remaining unsigned, taking multiple free agent visits including with the Dolphins and Seahawks so far. He has a solid track record of production in zone-heavy schemes where he can sit back and break on the ball, but turns 30 in August and didn’t have an interception in 15 starts last year. Odds are he’ll have to wait a little while to catch on with a team that’s not happy with its younger options.
Miami and Seattle both make a lot of sense, and the Cowboys and 49ers are two other notable teams in the cornerback market who could be interested in Douglas. But a sleeper team is the Packers, who are shallow at the position and could get shallower if they can’t work out a resolution with veteran CB Jaire Alexander. Douglas would likely be cheaper and while he doesn’t have Alexander’s ceiling, he has been more durable over the past few years. There’s a new defensive staff in Green Bay different than the one Douglas played for but there are plenty of people still familiar with him in the building.
10 – CB Mike Hilton: Ravens
Hilton fought his way into the starting lineup as a former undrafted free agent all the way back in 2017 with the Steelers, his third team in two years. Since then he’s been a fixture as one of the league’s better slot corners with 123 games played for Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. The Bengals moved on from the 31-year-old this offseason as they looked to get younger and cheaper, but Hilton’s play hasn’t really fallen off.
Hilton’s age, lack of elite measurables and a general devaluation of slot-only corners have led to his depressed market but some team is probably going to get a productive contributor before the season starts. A reunion with the Steelers or Bengals could make sense if the young slot corners those organizations are evaluating don’t take a step forward, and other teams like the 49ers and Panthers are also in similar situations. But Hilton just feels like an AFC North player, and the Ravens are always on the lookout for cornerbacks given the annual attrition they seem to suffer in the secondary. It’s started already with the loss of S Ar’Darius Washington, who played a fair amount in the slot last year. Hilton would give the Bengals some flexibility with where to align other players and fit right in as a hard-nosed, smart contributor.
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