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Bill Barnwell, ESPN Staff Writer
While the first few days of NFL free agency get all the headlines, what teams do after the legal tampering period can go a long way in determining which actually end up building their roster most effectively. Last year, the Chiefs added late signings such as Donovan Smith and under-the-radar additions Drue Tranquill and Mike Edwards to fill out their depth chart. The Ravens built meaningful chunks of an excellent defense with players signed over the summer, including Jadeveon Clowney, Ronald Darby and Arthur Maulet. Those players all came on much more team-friendly deals than the ones handed out to similarly or even less-talented players in the opening days of the market.
Let’s hit a range of those players who are still left on the market and who could end up making a significant difference in 2024. I’ll hit on the players who, in my opinion, are the 10 best unsigned free agents. Then, to talk about some of the highest-profile free agents available, I’ll also touch on the 10 most notable players still looking for a new deal. I’m not going to look at players who were franchise or transition-tagged, which leaves out Kyle Dugger from the Patriots.
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Going in alphabetical order, let’s start with the top players still looking for new deals. What has kept them from landing a new contract? Why should teams be targeting them? And where’s a logical place for each of them to land between now and Week 1?
Jump to an intriguing free agent:
Jamal Adams | Odell Beckham Jr.
Jadeveon Clowney | Ezekiel Elliott
Stephon Gilmore | Xavien Howard
Justin Simmons | Ryan Tannehill
The 10 best free agents left
2023 team: Indianapolis Colts
Why he’s still available: The free agent safety market is loaded. The only guys to sign new deals with multiyear guarantees so far are Xavier McKinney, Brandon Jones and Darnell Savage. (The exact terms haven’t been released for C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s deal with the Eagles, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was the fourth player in that grouping. He also could end up playing mostly as a slot corner in his return stint with Philadelphia.) The market has been rough.
Jordan Whitehead, coming off a career year with the Jets in a market with a 13.6% cap increase, took a pay cut to re-join the Buccaneers on a two-year deal. Veterans such as Vonn Bell and Jordan Poyer left for one-year pacts. There are still plenty of well-known, talented players who are hunting for opportunities. If anything, the teams that signed Jones and Savage might be wishing they waited and bargain-hunted at the position.