Best Remaining NFL Free Agents

With the signing of Ndamukong Suh by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, most of the big-name free agents left over from the March free agency period have signed with a team. There are still a handful left, though, who can still contribute and will likely be scooped up before training camp, but haven’t yet been signed for one reason or the other. Here are the best remaining free agents we can expect to see sign sooner rather than later as the back half of the NFL offseason gets underway.

McCoy is a late arrival to the free agency scene, having been cut just on Monday by the Bucs, and he’s already the best player available. McCoy has a lot of wear and tear after spending the past eight seasons in the trenches, but remains one of the few defensive linemen in the league equally effective in the run and pass game. He can be picky with where he lands, because he’s going to be the most sought-after player on the market right now. The Patriots and the Browns have been rumored as suitors.

Berry is coming off a pair of injury-shortened seasons, but could still have a lot to offer for the right team looking to take a chance on Berry’s talent. Before an Achilles injury, he was one of the few safeties capable of regularly matching up with the top tight ends in the league and doing a decent job in coverage. It’s safe to assume he no longer has the athleticism to do that against, say, former teammate Travis Kelce, but if he hasn’t lost too much of his step, his instincts and experience will help a younger secondary on the back end. Someone weak at safety like the Cowboys should pick Berry up before training camp.

Crabtree is no longer the physical threat he once was, but he showed last year he can still show up in big spots, catching two touchdowns in the Ravens’ wild card loss to the Chargers. He doesn’t have the speed or athleticism of his younger days, but his game never really relied on that anyway. His calling cards have always been his body control and hands. He’s more than capable of coming in and taking on a possession receiver role for just about any team in the league. He may end up sitting out until another receiver suffers an injury and a team needs reinforcements, but Crabtree isn’t washed quite yet.

Liuget had a tough year last year, missing the first four games due to PEDs, then playing in only seven games before suffering a season-ending quad injury. The Chargers declined to pick up his option, and he remains a free agent. When healthy and on the field, Liuget is a three-down tackle who can make a big play on occasion. Those are big ifs, but it’ll be worth it for a team looking to stock up on their defensive line depth and take a chance on Liuget’s talent, given he’s only 29. It’s easy to imagine Liuget getting swooped up once training camp rolls around, maybe even by the Chargers once more.

Scandrick isn’t nearly the level of player that the other guys on this list can be, but he’s still a reliable veteran body at this point in his career. Scandrick recorded 13 passes defended last year in Kansas City, a number slightly inflated by how often the Chiefs’ opponents had to throw the ball. Still, given the other free agent cornerback options right now, a team could do worse than Scandrick as the fourth cornerback on the depth chart. A steady veteran body, but you’re in big trouble if you need to heavily rely on him late in the year.

The fact that Sproles, at his size and position, is still playing at 35 is nothing short of a football miracle. He may yet retire, Sproles still can provide more value than merely another body to carry the ball. While he missed most of last season due to a hamstring injury, he still showed he retains enough shiftiness enough to make guys miss one-on-one. This isn’t the Sproles we remember from his heyday, yet he can be a threat out of the backfield to get a clutch first down when necessary. He won’t break out a long TD run anymore, but he doesn’t need to be a home run threat if he can regularly hit singles.